The free gift of righteousness :)

Man's greatest need: to be righteous, or to have right standing before a holy God

Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'

We need to see the need for a personal Saviour!!

How does Jesus come into the picture?
He made us righteous through the work of the Cross!

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

What are the implications of this verse?
There are many!!!

Firstly, notice how our righteousness/right standing with God is not achieved, it is received freely through faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:22 (NIV)
'This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe'

We are not justified by the law so that no man can boast!
Romans 3:27-28 (NKJV)
'Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.'
Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)
'I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain'

Indeed no one can boast about his own works, for it is by the Grace of God that we are made righteous; all the glory goes to God!!

Next, how is this possible?
Through the blood of Jesus Christ!!

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)
'In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace'

This is not a temporal redemption but an eternal redemption!!

Contrast between the first and last Adam

We know that Adam brought sin into the world, but Christ, the last Adam, by His one act through the Cross, justified us and made us righteous!!!

This contrast is so important that it is repeated thrice consecutively in the book of Romans.

Romans 5:17-19 (NKJV)
v17 - For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

v18 - Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

v19 - For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Today when we stand before God we are anything but innocent. In fact, we will be utterly and hopelessly guilty. Yet when God sees us today; when He sees you today, He does not see you but He sees Jesus because of the blood that was shed for you. You are treated as though you are an innocent man because of the blood that Jesus has shed for you. Now that is called
AMAZING GRACE!!! :)