Are Christians Righteous or Unrighteous? // Ask Pastor John

Are Christians righteous or unrighteous? Pastor John explains two forms of righteousness in Scripture that get to the core of the gospel.
Is the Christian righteous or unrighteous? A simplistic yes or no answer is misleading. This is a tricky question that calls for theological care, and it’s a question from Jason. “Pastor John, I have recently been listening to your old sermon ‘Our Hope: Righteousness.’ In it you mention that ‘full and perfect righteousness lies in the future. It is our hope, not our possession.’ This is in reference to Galatians 5:5: ‘For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness.’ Can you clarify for me what it means to be righteous? I thought it meant right standing. In placing my faith in Jesus, does that make me righteous at the time of profession? Or does ‘righteous’ mean ‘perfect,’ and that’s why we’re not righteous now? Can you clarify for me the various stages of righteousness in the history of a believer?”
Episode 1348:
Related Resources:
“Does Christ’s Righteousness Cover My Joylessness?”
“Am I Righteous Enough to Enjoy the Promises in the Psalms?”
“What Does It Mean to Live ‘in the Flesh’?”
“How Do We Avoid Over-Thinking (or Under-Thinking) the Christian Life?”
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