Totally righteous, Dude!!

What's up mah Homies?!

I've been chewing on this rockin verse this week -

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21



Jesus died for me. I get that. I'm a big fat jerk and Jesus died in my place for my sin. However, the second part of the verse is blowing my mind this week. Not only did Jesus die for my sin but I have become totally righteous as well. It's the doctrine of substitutionary atontment.



You're saying, "umm, what?"



Ok, look. Jesus died a brutal bloody death for my sins. On that day, Jesus was totally butchered and nailed because of my crap. God treated Jesus AS THOUGH HE HAD LIVED MY LIFE.



But that's only the first half….



God now looks at me AS THOUGH I LIVED JESUS' LIFE. See, Jesus was absolutely perfect. He never had a temper tantrum as a baby. He never stole his brother's toy as a child. He never flipped through a Playboy as a teen. He never got caught up in money and greed as a young man. He was totally righteous for 33 years. That perfect life is now pinned on ME. God treated Jesus on that day as if Jesus had lived my life and God now views me as if I had lived Jesus' life.

This is why Jesus didn't come for a weekend, die on the cross, and go back to heaven. Why did he live 33 years on this earth? It was not primarily to relate to people or teach or be an example, though that happened as well. The primary reason Jesus came for that many years was to switch lives with me (and you, too). He lived the perfect life on my behalf and then died the death that I deserved. AMAZING.



How does this change me today? Today, I am totally convinced that God is going to bless me, take care of me, and have incredible favor upon me. It's not because I'm a good guy – I'm not. It's because I have literally BECOME the righteousness of God IN Christ. I don't totally get it but I'm really glad about it.