WISDOM FOR THE DAY DEVOTIONAL
BY BISHOP MIKE OKONKWO
WEDNESDAY 8th MAY 2026
TOPIC: WE REIGN BY RIGHTEOUSNESS
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 KJV
You cannot reign in life without receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. You can never reign over sickness, disease, pain, agony, frustration, discouragement, and barrenness until you receive righteousness as a gift!
You are not righteous because of what you did. It is a gift from God.
According to the book of Isaiah 64:4, all our righteousness are like filthy rags. Do you know what that means? The filthy rags there is a very dirty word in the Hebrew rendition.
It refers to a piece of menstrual cloth that has been used. Meaning that your self-righteousness is like a menstrual pad that a woman uses and throws away.
Stop trying to impress God. Today, we have a clientele of believers all over the place who are going about flaunting what they did for God to love them. You do not have any credentials! Throw away your credentials and let God qualify you.
Your righteousness is a gift. God wants you to be established in it. You must know it, like you know your name, that you are always righteous. You became righteous the day you gave your life to Christ. It is part of your Christian heritage. You became righteous the day you invited Christ to come into your heart.
The problem with some believers is that they are thinking that their circumstances and behaviour are not in alignment with God’s promises. That is why we are called believers. The just shall live by faith. When you believe it, then the Holy Spirit will work it out in your life.
That is how it works. Do not judge your standing with God by your behavior. That is wrong! If you use your behavior, you will reject your standing. Rather, use your standing to judge your behavior.
Further Reading: Romans 5:12-21, Philippians 3:4-9.