Your righteousness in Christ has everything to do with your faith in God answering prayer.
A sin consciousness is a faith killer.
A sin-consciousness can become a faith killer when it causes a believer to approach God as though sin has disqualified him from God’s willingness to hear and answer. The New Testament repeatedly redirects our confidence from ourselves to Christ.
1. Faith looks at Christ—not at your performance
Romans 5:1–2 (NASB): “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.”
Notice the progression:
Justified → peace with God → access into grace → faith.
Your confidence before God isn’t based upon, “Have I been good enough?”
It is based upon:
“I have been justified through Jesus Christ.”
2. Sin-consciousness says, “I am unworthy to ask.”
But Hebrews says:
Hebrews 4:16 (NASB): “Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.”
Confidence is the opposite of shrinking back.
The Greek word is παρρησία (parrēsia)—boldness, freedom of speech, openness, confidence.
God isn’t telling His children:
“Come carefully because you might not be acceptable.”
He’s saying:
“Approach the throne of grace with confidence.”
Why?
Because Jesus is our access.
3. Righteousness directly affects prayer confidence
John gives us this:
1 John 3:21–22 (NASB): “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”
That is extremely significant.
A condemning heart interferes with confidence.
And confidence is essential to believing prayer.
This doesn’t mean we pretend sin doesn’t exist. It means we don’t allow condemnation to become the foundation of our relationship with God.
4. Paul takes us even further
Romans 8:32 (NASB): “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
Paul’s argument is essentially:
If God already gave you His Son, why would you believe He suddenly became unwilling to help you?
The cross becomes the evidence of God’s heart toward you.
That’s powerful for prayer.
5. Faith is weakened when the believer keeps looking inward
Suppose someone prays:
“Father, I need healing, but I know I’ve failed You. I don’t know if I’m worthy. I don’t know if I’ve prayed enough. I don’t know if I’ve confessed everything. Maybe that’s why You won’t answer.”
His attention has moved:
Christ → self
And that’s dangerous.
Faith says:
“Father, I come in the name of Jesus. My righteousness is not my own. Christ is my righteousness. I trust Your character, Your promises, and Your grace.”
Paul says:
Philippians 3:9 (NASB): “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”
That’s where faith rests.
6. But there’s an important distinction
Conviction and condemnation aren’t the same thing.
The Holy Spirit can expose something in our lives in order to restore us.
Condemnation says:
“You are disqualified. Stay away from God.”
Grace says:
“Come to God. Receive forgiveness. Get up and walk with Him.”
Paul asks:
Romans 8:33–34 (NASB): “Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
That’s the answer to the accusing voice:
God justifies.
Christ intercedes.
Therefore, condemnation does not get the final word.
7. This is why “Christ-consciousness” is so powerful
I would actually frame what you’re saying as:
Sin-consciousness produces self-consciousness.
Righteousness-consciousness produces Christ-consciousness.
And Christ-consciousness produces confidence toward God.
Hebrews 10:19–22 (NASB): “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus… let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”
Notice those words:
confidence
enter
blood of Jesus
sincere heart
full assurance of faith
That is not the language of a believer continually standing outside God’s presence wondering whether he’s acceptable.
The foundation of answered prayer isn’t, “I am righteous enough.”
It is:
Jesus is righteous.
Jesus is my righteousness.
Jesus gave me access to the Father.
God has invited me to come.
Therefore I can pray in faith.
And that takes us directly to Jesus’ words:
Mark 11:24 (NASB): “Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.”
The faith isn’t ultimately faith in your righteousness.
It is faith in God’s faithfulness, approached through the righteousness of Christ.
Harvest of Faith 