To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21
After a string of defeats and indecisive battles, Abraham Lincoln selected George B. McClellan to serve as the overall commander of the Army of the Potomac, the main Union force in the eastern part of the country. Along with the job, McClellan received a promotion to the rank of Major General. When he was commissioned, McClellan wrote to his wife, “I don’t feel any different than I did yesterday. Indeed, I have not yet put on my new uniform. I am sure that I am in command of the Union Army, however, because President Lincoln’s order to that effect now lies before me.”
There are days when we do not feel any different spiritually. We may not sense God’s presence as strongly as we would like, and we certainly do not always feel righteous. There are days when our lives are not as righteous as they should be. Even our best efforts fall far short of what God’s perfect holiness demands. There are sins that beset us and temptations that allure us, and sometimes we fail. Yet even in those moments with sin hampering the closeness of our relationship with God, our standing does not change. God sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ when He looks at our account. We were made righteous at the moment of salvation, and that never goes away no matter how we feel at any particular moment.
That does not mean we should be content with drifting through life. God does not want us to stay where we are, but instead keep moving forward and becoming more like Jesus. Peter wrote, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
