The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:21. NASB95
21 He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21. Amplified
21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

2 Corinthians 5:21. Wuest Expanded Translation
He who did not know sin in an experiential way, on behalf of us, and instead of us, was made [the representation of] sin, in order that, as for us, we might become a righteousness of God in Him.

I spent some time meditating on 2 Corinthians 5:21 a while back at the suggestion of one of the pastors of my church.

First, what is our position, concerning sin?

Romans 3:23. ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. NASB95

I am the one who has sinned. Jesus is “knew no sin.” When I face my sin, I am like Isaiah in Isaiah 6: 5:

Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined [or “unmade” or “undone”]! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Isaiah 53:6. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. NASB95

For a long time, I have gotten stuck on the “I am a sinner” part. Yes, I knew I was forgiven. Yes, I knew that my “iniquity had fallen on Him.” But I was missing something.

One thing that came out of that season of meditating on that verse was a realization that I do not need to be afraid of my sin any more. I was not seeing that I have become the righteousness of God in Jesus.

That has given me a tremendous freedom to own my sin, confess it, and leave it at the foot of the cross, forever. Every time I “fall short.” Every time I “go astray.” Every time I sin.

Part of this was posted as a comment at the link below. This is dedicated to Tom