I grew up playing a lot of card games as a kid.

We played classic games like Old Maid, Uno, and Go Fish.

Eventually we learned more advanced games like Spades, 99, and Cribbage.

When learning those games we had to learn the concept of the trump card.

A trump card is an ordinary playing card that during a particular game or round of play has elevated value over the cards.

If your friend plays a red card in Uno, you’re supposed to follow with a red card. Your friend made red cards the trump color for that round.

In some card games there is an elevated suit (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades).

When it comes to our salvation God plays a trump card over our lives.

His Grace trumps our ability to earn our right standing with Him.

His justification trumps our own attempts.

I’m thankful God knows how to play a trump card.

Romans 8.33 says, “God himself has given us right standing with himself.”

God declares me to be righteous not because of anything I have done, but because of Jesus’ actions at the cross.

My right standing has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him.

God’s gift of right standing is free and seemingly too good to be true.

“We have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (Romans 5.1, NLT)

Our job is to believe.

Believe in His finished work on the cross for you.

Believe that God loves you and cares for you.

Believe that grace and forgiveness are readily available to you because of Jesus.

God chooses to view me as pure, innocent, and to be in right standing with Him.

I’m glad he does.

His opinion of me is ultimately the only one that really matters.

Instead of spending your time defending yourself or the actions you’ve taken, let God’s opinion of you be the trump card in your life.