- 157. The Righteousness of God
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This “Great Exchange” contains the promise that we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. This is a big deal, a great deal, the best deal ever: We trade in our sin and give it to Jesus, who is made to be sin, and in turn we receive the righteousness of God. Such a one-sided deal is patently unfair; it is sheer mercy. Thank God that He is unfair; thank God for mercy.
“We might be made….” This is a thoroughgoing, new-created change, a radical change from the very worst to the very best. We are not made righteous, as an adjective that describes us; it is not a covering or an outward appearance. We are made righteousness, as a noun that is a substantive thing; the change is in the very nature of who we are. It’s a real thing.
This is how God sees us and regards us. Faith is counted as righteousness. When God looks at us He sees righteousness. Righteousness is much more than just being nice, being a good person, making good choices, and doing the right thing. Righteousness comes close to perfection and holiness. And more, it is the righteousness of God; it can’t get any better or purer than that. It is not just a power or influence that prompts us or encourages us to do the right thing, nor to simply grow and develop into a good person. The righteousness that we are is already full and complete and finished; nothing more can be added. We need to believe this promise, and it is very helpful to regard our selves as God does. Praise God for His grace that makes us the righteousness of God.
On the other hand, we admit that we are still Sin. Sin remains. Sin still resides. Sin and righteousness live together in the same body. We can, however, repent of our sin daily and believe in God’s righteousness. Doing so empowers the righteousness of God to infect our souls, our families, our society, and our world. Believing this promise can make a life-changing difference.