Romans 4:5-8 NKJV

[5] But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, [6] just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: [7] “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; [8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

I have always found a way to overcomplicate everything. If I do more, it will be better. If I try harder, it will be easier. If I worry more, I'll be less stressed. It doesn't make any sense when I put it down on paper, but it checks out in my thought processes.

When I was a child, I was rewarded for good behavior. When I misbehaved or made poor decisions, I was punished accordingly. My parent-child relationships as a kid directly translated into how I saw a relationship with the Lord. If I did right, He would draw near to me. If I did wrong, He would withdraw from me.

Faith doesn't leave room for errors in my way of thinking. It takes all of my foolish thoughts and predisposed notions and throws them right out the window. Faith discards my doubts about self-worth for blessed assurance.

Righteousness is a byproduct of faith and my relationship with Jesus. Salvation isn't dictated by my ability (or lack thereof) to avoid sin. My eternity rests on the foundation of Christ and is unaffected by what I get right. I am saved, not by what I do well, but by what Jesus did on my behalf.