Justification (Imputed Righteousness) Pt. 2

Yesterday I posted a video of a young R.C. Sproul talking about the imputed righteousness of Jesus. You can check the video here “Justification (Imputed Righteousness)“.

I really like how Sproul explains Jesus’ work on the cross. He first discussed that Jesus took our sin on himself. This is one transaction of Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice. Our sin became Christ’s sin. This puts us in a place of non-guilt. However, there is a problem. It isn’t the guilt-free people who get into heaven it is the righteous people who get into heaven. In Matthew 13:34 Jesus says:

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” -ESV

In Matthew 25:46 Jesus says:

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” -ESV

Jesus taking our sin from us and placing it on himself is essential in justification, but it is not enough. We must be righteous not just sinless. This work is referred to as imputed righteousness. Jesus takes our sin on himself and places his righteousness on us.  We see the imputation of Christ’s righteousness in many places in Scripture. Lets look at 2 Corinthians 5:21:

Photo Credit: danielabbey.com

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -ESV

Here we see the two transactions of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus became sin. He didn’t “know” sin. This means that he never participated in or gave into sin. This sinlessness makes Jesus’ sacrifice perfect. Because of Jesus’ standing as holy and righteous he was an acceptable sacrifice for our sin. That is transaction number one. The second transaction is Jesus giving us his righteousness.

As Jesus said in Matthew 25 the righteous that enter into eternal life. The second transaction of Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished the need to be righteous. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5, “so that we might become the righteousness of God“. This righteousness isn’t ours. Nothing good can come from us. Good can only come from God. This is the amazingness of Christ’s work. Not only does it take our sins from us but it makes us righteous. It accomplishes what we could never accomplish. It is perfect, holy, and final. I love how Tullian Tchividjian speaks to this when he writes:

It is true! No strings attached. No but’s. No conditions. No need for balance. If you are a Christian, you are right now under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Your pardon is full and final. In Christ, you’re forgiven. You’re clean. It is finished. -theresurgence.com “Wrecked by Grace”

May we all live lives that reflect this essential truth of justification.