“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.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
When we believed and received Christ as Lord and Savior, we also received His finished work in our spirit. We became something we never were before. We became righteous with God’s own righteousness. That’s what the scripture says. There is a reality in this scripture that many simply can’t understand, and that is that when Jesus was on the Cross, he was actually made sin!
He didn’t die the death of the Cross just to sympathize with our sin. He bore our sins! He was the spotless, sinless Lamb of God who never sinned even once. Yet, for our sake He was made to be sin. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming at the Jordan River, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
So, why was Jesus made sin for us? To what end? The rest of the verse tells us: “that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”
The word righteous has been confusing to many, but it literally means to have right-standing with God. Many have been confused with the ‘eous’ at the end of ‘right,’ which is a King James way of say ‘Right.’ It means that we have been given the rightness that was on Jesus. The only way that could have happened was because our sins were placed on Jesus by the Father. Jesus not only bore our sins, but He also bore the judgment of our sins. Then He spent three days and nights in hell.
Another misconception about righteousness is the idea that we have been counted righteous like Abraham was when he was counted righteous for his faith. That was an accounting term used when something has been put to our account. Under the New Covenant, which is a far better Covenant based on better promises, we have not been merely counted as righteous! No! We have been MADE righteous with God’s righteousness! Otherwise, why would Jesus go through everything He did to ratify the greatest Covenant ever conceived of, fulfill God’s Plan of redemption, rise from the dead, and be seated at the right hand of God, just for the Father to pretend we’re something that we are not? No – we have been MADE righteous!
Just as sure as Jesus was made sin with our sin, we have been made righteous with His righteousness! It was a gift that was given to us when we were born into God’s family! And it is part of the written Covenant that cannot be altered, annulled or terminated! To God, you are really something else! You are the apple of His eye! Jesus did a finished work in you concerning your right standing with God! Just walk in it by faith!
With Love,
Pastor Tom
Kingdom Business is Eternal, as are the rewards that come from God. If this ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us in prayer, as the Lord leads you, or in financial support. Please visit our website at www.testamentoflove.org to learn more about this ministry! Luke 6:38