Are You Righteous?

2 Corinthians 5:1
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 is the basis for the song, “He Became Me.” He became me, that I might become Him by grace. He became sin that I might become the righteousness of God. He not only became sin, but he became my sin. That is, he took my sin upon himself on the cross. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions.” He took upon himself the punishment that I deserved for my sin. He was my substitute.

Jesus Christ knew no sin. Now, it is not that Jesus did not know what sin was or that he did not have knowledge of it for he lived around it and amongst it his whole life. Hebrews 12:3 says that “he endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.” Jesus knew no sin in the sense that he was sinless, but not only was he sinless he was perfectly righteous in his life. He was not only our substitute for our sins, but since he was perfectly righteous we are GIVEN his righteousness. We do not become righteous through godly living as though we attain it in our life and lifestyle. We are MADE the righteousness of God. That is God MAKES us righteous. Our sin was given to Jesus Christ to bear our punishment on the cross and in turn his righteousness is given to us by God the Father. It is a free gift given to us.

Where is this gift given? It is given “in him” that is in Jesus Christ. What rest this brings! We don’t have to become a good person through our own effort. The righteousness that God requires in order to enter into heaven is given to us as a free gift because Jesus Christ is our substitute. When God looks at us he sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Micah 7:9 says, “…thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

We are justified by faith not by the works of the law. We cannot rely on what we have done, its what He has done. He has justified us by faith. He has made us just. What does it mean to be just? It means that your name is cleared, you have not broken the law you are accused of. This free gift of righteousness that allows us into heaven is obtained through faith. Through the Lord Jesus Christ we are concluded to be faultless and sinless before God. We are without spot or wrinkle. Why? Because of the perfection of Jesus Christ.

So many times the devil seeks to put something in our mind that we have to attain to. It is so easy in this message to try to look the part, sound the part, but we do not need to please men or make them think we are good. That is seeking to attain self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is filthy and dirty before God. He has already given us the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

What more do you need? What can you add to His righteousness? Just accept it and fight against the lies of the enemy where he seeks to take away the peace that you have with God by injecting your works into the equation.