June 1, 2025 - 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "Sinners Declared Righteous Before 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."

The Gospel is a mystery! Apart from the Spirit of God revealing the Christ of the Gospel in our hearts, none of us could or would know how sinners could stand just before a Holy God. Our depraved minds and hearts would lead us to believe that we must somehow work out that righteousness ourselves, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2-3). 

    If God will give us ears to hear and eyes to see, what a Glorious Truth this is to learn that the matter of sin and righteousness was settled by the very Son of God on behalf of His people at the cross. How blessed are those in whom God reveals THIS TRUTH of His complete justifying of them in what Christ accomplished by His life and death! So absolute is the work of imputation at the cross that ALL those that Christ redeemed have ALL been already pronounced righteous by the Eternal Judge. There is no sin laid to their charge because it was ALL laid on Him as the sin-Bearer. There is complete righteousness before God’s law because He worked it out and the Father imputed it to their account. True, their sins were infinite and abominable! Yet before God, they were purged away by the precious blood shed unto death of the LORD Jesus, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" (Hebrews 1:3).  

    It was on the cross that Jesus Christ satisfied the justice of God and based upon His finished work, all His elect were declared just and righteous. So complete was the work of the LORD Jesus in earning and establishing God’s righteous law and justice that there remains no more sin to charge to any of His elect. All of God’s righteousness imputed to them at the cross is ALL their righteousness before Him. What a comfort for those for whom HE accomplished the work.  

    The LORD Jesus was made sin for the elect. This does not mean that sin was infused in Him or in any sense made a sinner but rather sin was laid ON Him by God the Father. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isaiah 53:6. The same is true concerning the imputation of His righteousness. It is not infused into the sinner but charged to his account, whereby God declares such a one righteous before Him.  As that sin for which Christ was condemned and punished was not found in Him but charged to Him, so that righteousness by which we are justified and entitled to glory is NOT inherent in us but has been imputed to us.

All to whom that righteousness was imputed, the Spirit will, in time draw to the LORD and cause to rejoice in Him and His finished work, repenting of any notion of contributing anything to it themselves, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" (Colossians 2:13-14).   

What unspeakable grace is this—that Christ, Who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! Here is the heart of the gospel, the glorious exchange purposed by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and revealed by the Spirit. This is not by our merit, but by His mercy; not through our works, but through His wondrous work. As children of God we rest our soul in this finished Righteousness. Clothed in Christ and God's Righteousness imputed, we stand accepted, justified, and complete before the throne of God's justice and holiness, to the praise of His sovereign grace forever.