Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 99

April 8;   2 Corinthians 5:21;   154/260(I);   ‘The Great Exchange’

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.     NKJV

This verse is the classic verse concerning righteousness.  The Lord Jesus, on the cross bore the sins of humanity.  He bore every sin that was committed before He became a Man, while He ministered here on earth as a Man and all of the sins that will be committed by everyone in the future.  In return, the Lord Jesus gave us His right standing or righteousness with His Father.  Jesus never sinned and righteousness positions us where in God’s sight it is as if we never sinned.  Righteousness is one of the most important teachings in the Word of God.  A powerful definition of righteousness is ‘the ability to stand in the presence of God the Father, without guilt, or shame as if sin never existed.’  Knowing you have been forgiven of your sins and made righteous is freedom.  The devil, who continually tempts people to sin, turns around and condemns them when they do sin.  satan is the accuser of the brethren, but righteousness guards against his accusations and removes any guilt or shame.  The Lord forgave us our sins and made us righteous because He loves us.  He does not want us to live our lives filled with misery about what we have done in the past.  Also, we are forgiven, so that we can minister the gospel to others without condemnation.  If we do sin once we become righteous, confessing that sin and asking for forgiveness removes it from our lives.  Righteousness does not give us an excuse to sin, but it makes us so grateful to the Lord for removing guilt and shame from our lives, that we desire not to sin.  Our desire now is to live properly for the Lord who did so much for us.