2Corinthians 5:21 reveals that we are clothed by righteousness through belief in Jesus. Thus the clothing afforded believers through belief in Jesus is Jesus' righteousness, or right standing with God. "Right standing" means that believers in Jesus should be able to stand before the Father just as if they were Jesus, themselves, for they are actually clothed with Jesus. Now we know this is not always the case, for many Christians are riddled with guilt and shame for not measuring up to a code of conduct. However, if we exercise faith in Jesus, we are clothed by His right standing, and our standing, regardless of how sinful, does not come into play. This is the reason for exercising faith in Jesus. If we attempt to stand before the Father clothed by our right standing, based on our measuring up to a code of conduct, we will feel condemned, for our behavior will never measure up to God's standard of righteousness. If we exercise faith in Jesus, however, if we exercise faith in His willingness to come to earth as a man, suffer all the indignities of man and the cruelties of dying a sinners death, then we can stand before the Father clothed with His righteousness, not our own righteousness.
Too many Christians are trying to stand before their God based on their ability to measure up to God's standard of righteousness as defined by old covenant law. It is important to note that the old covenant was established with the Jewish people and was God's standard of behavior for Jews. In order for Gentiles to enter the old covenant, they must first convert to Judaism. This is a law of the Jewish covenant. No Christian, who has not converted to Judaism, has any rights to any of the old covenant according to old covenant law.
When Jesus died on the cross, He established a different covenant with Gentile people, and the standard of God's righteousness changed. Under the covenant of the Gentiles, the only standard of righteousness is belief in Jesus. It is the only law that Gentiles are required to keep in order to measure up to God's standard of righteousness. As long as belief in Jesus is exercised, no other standard of righteousness has any bearing on Gentiles. Jews can enter the covenant with Gentiles, but they must first renounce the covenant made with Jews. Of course, a Gentile is any non-Jewish person. However, any Christian who tries to insert themselves under the Jewish covenant and inherit its blessings will be condemned when coming before the Father, for they are breaking the old covenant law by not first converting to Judaism. The blessings of the covenant of Jesus is far superior to the blessings of the Jewish covenant and there is no reason for any Christian, or Jew for that matter, to try to live up to the standards of the Jewish covenant.
As Christians approach their Father in prayer, or for fellowship, or worship, their faith should be focused on Jesus, the propitiation for their sins. Christians should never attempt to stand before their Father based on any standard of their own acts.
However, none of this takes into account the belief on Jesus. The word "on" means, "a place arrived," and signifies a totally different reason for belief pertaining to Jesus. In John 6:29, Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent." Belief In Jesus establishes the believer firmly in Jesus, clothed by Jesus' righteousness, but in order to do the work of God, the believer must believe on Jesus. When the believer approaches their Father, they do so based on a belief in Jesus, but all work done in His name must be performed by a belief on Jesus.
In John 14:12, Jesus said, "He that believes on me, the works I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to my Father." Those who are attempting to do the works of God through belief in Jesus are being sorely disappointed. Belief in Jesus will not produce the works of Jesus. Belief In Jesus will produce Jesus' right standing with God and for the believer there is nothing greater than belief in Jesus. However, there is work to be done that is critically important to God. Believers who want to partake in the work of God, giving something precious back to the Father, who gave so generously to them, must change their belief from that in Jesus, to belief on Jesus.
As I travel around in the body of Christ, I hear a lot of preaching concerning belief in Jesus. Since faith comes by hearing God's Word, the predominate faith being exercised is belief in Jesus. In the beginning of Christianity, the first Christians, and the most influential Christians were Jewish. The understanding of the difference between the covenant of the Jews and the covenant of the Gentiles was not readably apparent and therefore some mixing of the two was embraced, which has continued to this present day.
We will return to the subject of belief on Jesus at a later time, but for now, let me emphasize the earlier point that according to old covenant law, in order to partake of the blessings of the old covenant, or be held accountable to its standard of behavior, one must first convert to Judaism according to the statutes of the old covenant. The old covenant was established with the Jews and no other peoples. Any one, who attempts to receive the blessings of the old covenant or measure up to its standard of righteousness, with out first converting to the Jewish faith, will be breaking the old covenant law and will be held accountable to its curses.
The covenant Jesus established with the Gentiles is a much better covenant. There is no reason whatsoever, for any Christian to seek to return to the covenant of the Jews.