Believers have received the gift of righteousness and salvation from God. Just like any gift we receive, this was something we did not have to earn; it was given to us when we believed in Jesus Christ. It is permanent, and came because of our faith in what He did, not because of anything we do. In light of this, we must be careful not to be confused by any doctrine that says otherwise. We were instantly saved and made righteous when we believed; this is our standing in Christ. However, our earthly lives have some catching up to do when compared to our stance; this ongoing process of letting God bring our imperfect earthly walk up to match our perfect standing is our state. Understanding this delivers us from trying to accomplish what has already been accomplished. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.