Righteous In Christ
How righteous are those sinners for whom Christ was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, sinners to whom God the Spirit has given spiritual life, repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? We are far more righteous than our father Adam was when God created him and he stood innocent before his Creator in the garden prior to his fall. The first Adam had a creature righteousness, which he ultimately lost by his disobedience (Romans 5:12) . The children of the Lord, however, have the righteousness of the Son of God freely imputed to us. Adam’s righteousness was forfeited through one willful transgression (Romans 5:21a) , but the righteousness we have can never be lost, for it is the righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord Who liveth and abideth forever. By His one act of obedience, His substitutionary, sacrificial death upon the cross (Romans 5:21b) , we were made “the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21) . —preache