We need righteousness to be acceptable to God but we are not righteous – we are sinners.
Romans 3 vs 23 – “all have sinned and come short of God’s glory”
So God has what we need and don’t deserve – righteousness - and we have what God hates and separates us from God – sin – So what’s the answer to this problem? – Jesus is the answer – Jesus dies on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, his blood is shed for our sins and he takes our place and takes our condemnation.
2 Corinthians 5 vs 21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made righteous with God through Christ”
Who was the offering? – Christ
Who took our sin? – Christ
Who is made right with God? – Us
This is the great exchange that happened at the cross – God lays our sins on Jesus and punishes them in him, and fulfils his righteousness and credits (imputes) it to us.
This is how it works -
Our sin on Christ
His righteousness on us
It is all about what Jesus has done to reconcile us to God – he takes our sin by the shedding of his blood as our perfect sacrifice and we receive his righteousness (Goodness) in return – It’s not what we deserve – it’s all because of his love for us. When we receive this by faith we begin to understand that it is all because of Jesus and it is all by his grace and love.
He received what he didn’t deserve - and we receive what we don’t deserve! The great exchange has taken place!
1 Peter 2 vs 24 “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right (righteousness)”
You can’t thank Jesus enough, you can’t worship him enough, love him too much or depend on him too much. All our forgiveness, all our justification and all our righteousness is in Christ!
We sang last week “ Oh for a thousand tongues to sing” and there is a line that says this
He breaks the power of cancelled sin – he sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood avails for me
Strange word “Avail” we don’t use it very much any more but it has great meaning - to be of use, to benefit, to suffice, a blessing, a gain!!
This is the power of Jesus blood being shed on the cross – He died that you might live!!