We are His righteousness.
Of all the wealth that is known to the human heart, there is nothing that equals this, that Jesus declares through the apostle Paul that we are His righteousness.
I cannot grasp it.
We are His righteousness. How precious we must be to Him! He once became our righteousness. He once declared us righteous by His resurrection from the dead. Now He goes beyond the declaration and makes that declaration a reality.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
He loved me. He gave Himself up for me. What love is revealed here!
He not only redeemed me and sanctified me, but now before heaven, He says, “I am that man’s redemption. I am that man’s sanctification.”
Then I can hear His voice rise to notes of utter triumph when He shouts, “I am his righteousness and his wisdom.”
This is all His work. It is not of man’s works lest he should say, “I had a share in that.”
Your repenting, crying, and weeping had nothing to do with your righteousness or your redemption.
You stand complete in Him, in all the fullness of His great, matchless life.
Here is the climax of the revelation of our redemption: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” (Romans 8:33 ASV).
You are God’s elect. Jesus and the Father have elected you. Now He says, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of My own son, My daughter?”
There is only one person of any standing before the Supreme Court who could lay anything to your charge. That is Jesus—and He will not do it.
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
Can’t you see the wealth of your position?
Can’t you see the riches of the glory of your inheritance in Christ?
You are in Him. All that He planned in Jesus is a heart reality now.
There is no condemnation. There is no judgment for you. There is no fear of death. Because death is simply swinging the portals open for you to march in triumph into the presence of your Father.
His Word grips the heart. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). In Christ, we have received eternal life, the nature of our Father.
That nature is love. That love is perfect. Our human love is imperfect, but God’s love is agape, the thing that makes life beautiful. You may not perfectly understand or perfectly enter into it, but it is His perfect love, and it is all yours now.
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)
We are so one with Him that we are called “the Christ.” The church is called “the Christ.” He is the Vine. You are the branch. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (John 15:5). As the branch is to the vine, so are you to the heart of Jesus. You are utterly one with Him.
All this time, you have been thinking about your sin, about your weakness, and your failings. Hear Him whisper to your heart now: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
If you are born again, you are in Christ. You are a conqueror. You are free from condemnation. You are the righteousness of God in Him. You are the fullness of God in Him. You are complete in Him. The wealth of His glory, the wealth of His riches, has never been fully expressed.
You are righteous. There is no sin consciousness for you. There is no inferiority complex for you.
You are now in Christ, the very righteousness of God.
You can use the name of Jesus without fear.
You can do as Peter did for the lame man at the temple gate, telling him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). You can walk free.
Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (John 16:23)
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)
These promises are yours now.
You are in Him. He is in you. His Word abides in you.
You are His righteousness. You are His life. You are all and all in Him.
You can do His works now.
He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:12–13)
You take your place, play the part. Use the name to heal the sick.
His death was not in vain. His suffering was not in vain.
You stand complete in His completeness.
You are filled with His fullness. His grace is yours.