For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
What an absolutely extraordinary statement this is! Entirely sinless both in His divine nature as part of the Trinity, and in His humanity as having lived a completely sinless life, Jesus Christ became sin on our behalf, and His righteousness was imputed to us.
In one short verse, the apostle Paul lays out two important doctrines. The first is substitutionary atonement: only a perfect, sinless sacrifice could satisfy God's wrath against sin; Jesus became that sacrifice on our behalf, suffering and dying to pay the penalty for our sins. The second is justification: not only does God regard the case against us because of our sin satisfied by Christ's substitutionary death, He counts us now as having the same righteousness as Christ.
Note that neither action was initiated by us. The work was all God's, not because we earned it or in any way deserved it, but out of His endless love for us and His boundless mercy and grace.
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