righteousness
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Bible declares that man is born a sinner who is separated from God. He has turned away from God and chosen to disobey His holy law. Man feels guilty because he is guilty. He feels like a sinner because he is a sinner. Man knows in his heart that God created him, and he knows that he has turned from God and chosen to disobey Him. Every man knows he has violated the conscience God has given him as a witness of the Truth, written on the heart.
Because of this, when God looks at man He sees him as a sinner worthy of death. Man's sinfulness would keep him eternally separated from God. Man cannot solve his own sin problem. He cannot simply "turn over a new leaf" because the other side is just as sinful. God is totally holy and completely righteous. He cannot tolerate man's open rebellion and sinfulness. Man and his sin had to be judged and the penalty paid. The price was death, the punishment eternal separation from God in the tormenting fires of hell.
God loved man, even when he had rebelled and fallen in sin. But He could not simply overlook man's sin and unrighteousness. In His grace, God placed the death penalty for sin upon the only One in the universe who could take man's place - God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross in our place.
One of the most powerful and liberating truths of the gospel is that at the cross a great exchange took place! At the cross God placed all of our sin on Jesus Christ. Our sin was removed from us and completely accounted to Jesus as though it were His rather than ours. Bearing all of our sin, Jesus paid the price of punishment for sin, suffering a horrible death of crucifixion and separation from God. Jesus took our place when he died. God saw Him as sinful and guilty as he bore sins that were not His own.
Then, God placed all the righteousness that Jesus had in Himself on all men who would receive this exchange by trusting in Christ. When God looks at a man who is in Christ Jesus, He sees the righteousness that Jesus had - the absolute, perfect and complete righteousness of God Himself. Thereby man is acceptable in God's sight. God does not see him as a sinner but as a 100% righteousness man who has fulfilled all of the holy law of God without falling short in any point.
The righteousness of Jesus is the cause of our justification before God. We can stand before God because the price for sin has been completely paid. We are seen as innocent and righteous before the throne of God. When He looks on us, God sees the righteousness of His own Son, Jesus Christ.
Man needs to be made righteous
> We are to "___________________ His Kingdom and His _________________..." Matthew 6:33
> The Bible says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like _____________________." Isaiah 64:6
> Even though we have no righteousness of our own we can rejoice and be joyful in God, "For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and ________________ me in a _________________." Isaiah 61:10
> God clothes us with robes of righteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, people had to approach God with sacrifices of sinless animal blood. This was a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus Christ who's blood was to be the perfect and final sacrifice to God for man. "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all _________________________________, having obtained _________________". Hebrews 9:12
> There was a man in Jerusalem named Barabbas who was a notorious prisoner and had been sentenced to death for committing murder and insurrection in the city. He is a foreshadow of sinful man who would be set free and seen as innocent before God because of Jesus taking man's place in punishment. Pilate _______________ Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be ___________________. Matthew 27:15-26 (especially verse 26).
> Christ entered into heaven to appear ___________________ for us. He has appeared to _________________ by the sacrifice _____________________. Hebrews 9:24,26
Righteousness by the law
> "Therefore no one will be ____________________ in His sight ___________________; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20
> "Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to _____________________, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the __________________ so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:3,4
> I do not set aside the _______________________; for if _________________________ could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21
> "Clearly no one is ______________________ before God by the law, because. "The righteous will live by _______________." Galatians 3:11
An example of man trying to make himself righteous is seen at the dawn of human history after the fall of man in the garden of Eden. Man knew he was naked and was ashamed. He sewed fig leaves together to cover himself. God covered him with animal skins. A sinless animal gave its life and blood to cove man's nakedness. This is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ who shed His sinless blood to cover us with robes of righteousness.
Righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ
> "But now a __________________________ from God apart from the law has been made known ..... This righteousness from God comes through ______________ to all who believe." Romans 3:21,22
> Abraham was a man who pleased God. The Bible says he, "Believed God, and it was ____________________________." Romans 4:3
> "However, to the man who does not work but ______________________, his faith is credited as ________________________." Romans 4:5
> ".... But also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness --- for us _______________________ in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Romans 4:24
> Righteousness is according to _________________. Hebrews 11:7
Experiencing righteousness daily
> Our desire is to "be found in Him, not having ______________________ that comes from the law, but that which is through _________________, the ___________________ and is by faith." Philippians 3:9
> "If we _____________________, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and ___________________." 1 John 1:9. Those cleansed from unrighteousness are ___________________.
> "... those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the _______________________ reign in life through this one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
> Grace reigns through _____________ to ________________ through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21
> "But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the ________________________________ for which we hope." Galatians 5:5
Back to Foundations Class
The Bible declares that man is born a sinner who is separated from God. He has turned away from God and chosen to disobey His holy law. Man feels guilty because he is guilty. He feels like a sinner because he is a sinner. Man knows in his heart that God created him, and he knows that he has turned from God and chosen to disobey Him. Every man knows he has violated the conscience God has given him as a witness of the Truth, written on the heart.
Because of this, when God looks at man He sees him as a sinner worthy of death. Man's sinfulness would keep him eternally separated from God. Man cannot solve his own sin problem. He cannot simply "turn over a new leaf" because the other side is just as sinful. God is totally holy and completely righteous. He cannot tolerate man's open rebellion and sinfulness. Man and his sin had to be judged and the penalty paid. The price was death, the punishment eternal separation from God in the tormenting fires of hell.
God loved man, even when he had rebelled and fallen in sin. But He could not simply overlook man's sin and unrighteousness. In His grace, God placed the death penalty for sin upon the only One in the universe who could take man's place - God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross in our place.
One of the most powerful and liberating truths of the gospel is that at the cross a great exchange took place! At the cross God placed all of our sin on Jesus Christ. Our sin was removed from us and completely accounted to Jesus as though it were His rather than ours. Bearing all of our sin, Jesus paid the price of punishment for sin, suffering a horrible death of crucifixion and separation from God. Jesus took our place when he died. God saw Him as sinful and guilty as he bore sins that were not His own.
Then, God placed all the righteousness that Jesus had in Himself on all men who would receive this exchange by trusting in Christ. When God looks at a man who is in Christ Jesus, He sees the righteousness that Jesus had - the absolute, perfect and complete righteousness of God Himself. Thereby man is acceptable in God's sight. God does not see him as a sinner but as a 100% righteousness man who has fulfilled all of the holy law of God without falling short in any point.
The righteousness of Jesus is the cause of our justification before God. We can stand before God because the price for sin has been completely paid. We are seen as innocent and righteous before the throne of God. When He looks on us, God sees the righteousness of His own Son, Jesus Christ.
Man needs to be made righteous
> We are to "___________________ His Kingdom and His _________________..." Matthew 6:33
> The Bible says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like _____________________." Isaiah 64:6
> Even though we have no righteousness of our own we can rejoice and be joyful in God, "For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and ________________ me in a _________________." Isaiah 61:10
> God clothes us with robes of righteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, people had to approach God with sacrifices of sinless animal blood. This was a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus Christ who's blood was to be the perfect and final sacrifice to God for man. "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all _________________________________, having obtained _________________". Hebrews 9:12
> There was a man in Jerusalem named Barabbas who was a notorious prisoner and had been sentenced to death for committing murder and insurrection in the city. He is a foreshadow of sinful man who would be set free and seen as innocent before God because of Jesus taking man's place in punishment. Pilate _______________ Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be ___________________. Matthew 27:15-26 (especially verse 26).
> Christ entered into heaven to appear ___________________ for us. He has appeared to _________________ by the sacrifice _____________________. Hebrews 9:24,26
Righteousness by the law
> "Therefore no one will be ____________________ in His sight ___________________; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20
> "Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to _____________________, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the __________________ so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:3,4
> I do not set aside the _______________________; for if _________________________ could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21
> "Clearly no one is ______________________ before God by the law, because. "The righteous will live by _______________." Galatians 3:11
An example of man trying to make himself righteous is seen at the dawn of human history after the fall of man in the garden of Eden. Man knew he was naked and was ashamed. He sewed fig leaves together to cover himself. God covered him with animal skins. A sinless animal gave its life and blood to cove man's nakedness. This is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ who shed His sinless blood to cover us with robes of righteousness.
Righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ
> "But now a __________________________ from God apart from the law has been made known ..... This righteousness from God comes through ______________ to all who believe." Romans 3:21,22
> Abraham was a man who pleased God. The Bible says he, "Believed God, and it was ____________________________." Romans 4:3
> "However, to the man who does not work but ______________________, his faith is credited as ________________________." Romans 4:5
> ".... But also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness --- for us _______________________ in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Romans 4:24
> Righteousness is according to _________________. Hebrews 11:7
Experiencing righteousness daily
> Our desire is to "be found in Him, not having ______________________ that comes from the law, but that which is through _________________, the ___________________ and is by faith." Philippians 3:9
> "If we _____________________, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and ___________________." 1 John 1:9. Those cleansed from unrighteousness are ___________________.
> "... those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the _______________________ reign in life through this one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
> Grace reigns through _____________ to ________________ through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21
> "But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the ________________________________ for which we hope." Galatians 5:5
Back to Foundations Class