GOD SEES YOU AS RIGHTEOUS

2 Corinthians 5:21 (Complete Jewish Bible) God made this sinless man to be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God's righteousness.

Today we're laying a foundation for something lovely that's coming tomorrow. But today we're looking at the fact that we have been made righteous in God's eyes when we confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and believe that God raised Him from the dead.

So what does 'made righteous' mean? We know it's being put into right standing with God because He now sees us through the lens of Jesus and His righteousness, but it's good to be reminded that He's not only taken our sin away but also given us Jesus' perfect standing with Him. Would you say Jesus was totally righteous in all He said and did? Then it is that exact same righteousness which belongs to Jesus that has been given to you and me as a gift.

Romans 5:17 ...much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One Jesus Christ.

Notice it says we have to receive it.  We have to believe and receive God's gift of righteousness regardless of how we feel. The full meaning of 2 Cor. 5:21  explains that we get to fully share in God's righteousness. We actually now partake of God's own righteousness.  It makes your head tilt a bit doesn't it? Well it does mine! It makes me think "Really?" and yes the answer is Really!

Now our part is to believe and accept God's word by faith and realise that just as He forgave us our sins past, present and future that means we are actually now righteous in His sight regardless of whether or not we just messed up.  How is that possible? Because as we saw earlier this week in Spirit Soul and Body, it is our Spirit Man who is righteous and our soul and body are still being transformed by the Word of God but God only sees our Spirit Man and He sees that as holy and righteous with His own righteousness! 

So the next time you blow it remember it has not changed your righteous standing with God. You didn't just lose your righteousness and have to get righteous all over again. It doesn't work like that. You have been MADE righteous in your Spirit Man at the new birth and that never changes. 

Jesus was MADE sin for us so we could be MADE righteous to God. You can't undo what Jesus did at the cross by your behaviour. It is the divine exchange and our behaviour can't undo that. When we do fail or make mistakes God says to confess it and receive the forgiveness He's already provided immediately so the enemy can't mess you up and condemn you. If we truly love God we wont deliberately go out and sin anyway so it's not an excuse to live any old how. 

So can I encourage us all today to receive afresh the truth about our righteousness and declare aloud  "I am the righteousness of God in Christ."  Thank You Lord Jesus.