So let me go ahead and get started. If you want to, you can turn to 2 Corinthians 5.21. I'm just gonna read that one verse.

2 Corinthians 5.21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So we've looked at, previously, who made him sin.

God the Father, in his sovereignty, ordained that his son should come down, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. He that is Christ, God the Father working in Christ, did what? He made him sin to reconcile us to himself. And that world is the world of us. But in order to do this, he was made the very thing he hates. We are told that he bore our sins in his own body.

Even though he had no relationship to sin, he knew no sin is what it says. The water was turned into wine. It was one thing one minute and another thing the next minute. God in doing this through and by Jesus Christ could be just and the justifier of those that believe. Only he could do it because man is not spotless as he is. He did this for a specific reason, and that's what we want to look at today.

Why was he made sin? And it tells us right there in 2 Corinthians 5 21, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So there you have another maid. just as mind-boggling as Him being made sin is us being made His righteousness. Those who are in Christ, those who God the Father chose in His Son, when Christ was made sin, it was so that they would be made the righteousness of God. The way we know this is why is the reason that he done this is because it has a that there. It says that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. This is key as well.

Man has a righteousness, but it is not the righteousness of God. And we know this from scripture, we're told in Isaiah 64 6, you all know it. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Our righteousnesses, as it says it there in Isaiah 64, are iniquities.

There's nothing I do in and of myself that is a God-righteousness. A man may think he is righteous, and others around them may think he is righteous, but there is none, as they are born in Adam, that have a God-righteousness. Romans 3 10, we know what it says. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. Not God righteousness. You can think you're righteous all the day long, but God says there is none that is righteous. Not the righteousness that he requires.

But yet we are told right here in this verse, we were made the very righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. And I know some have an issue with that as well. We can see just reading this verse that the righteousness of God is something we do not have by nature. It says he made us this, so that lets us know we were not this before. And let's be clear though. It says we were made the righteousness of God. It does not say that we were made to do the righteousness of God. But we were made this by Christ's action.

Because that's what it says. Because in order to reconcile us to God, to give us communion with God, he had to make him sin for us. That sin came from somewhere and it was not Jesus Christ because he knew no sin. But Jesus Christ was made sin for the specific purpose that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

I am as righteous as God is in Christ. I certainly still have this flesh and there's nothing in this flesh that is good. Paul tells us, for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. So in this flesh, there's no good thing, no righteousness of God to speak of. But yet we have a God righteousness in Christ.

We by nature are the children of wrath, even as others, the scripture tells us. But if you are one of his, you do not stay there. Because if you are one of his, it will be said of you, just as Paul said to the brethren in Corinth. He gave this litany of what, Man is like by nature. This nature that we are born with. He says in 1 Corinthians 6, 11, after he gives this, and he says, and such were some of you.

But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. The Spirit of God comes to us in that time appointed by the Father, and He enlightens us. Something in us that was not there before. The Spirit of God sanctifies us. That is, He sets us apart. This is done for a specific purpose, and that is to the acknowledging of the truth.

What else does Paul say in Romans 9.25? And he saith also in Osea, I will call them my people, which were not my people and her beloved, which was not beloved. When that time of love comes and God sees one of his whom he's chosen in his son, he then gives us something we did not have before. We read it. that in 2 Corinthians in our text here in verse 17.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Some things, us having a finite mind, we cannot explain. But we can believe it by His grace. who has known the mind of the Lord. There are some things we are given so that we might know them, but other things we are not given, and that by the sovereign purpose and will of God. His ways are high above our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. If you would turn over with me to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, you all know this one too. 1 John 3, verses 4 through 9. 1 John 3, verses 4 through 9.

Whosoever commit a sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you.

He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.

That is an amazing statement, and I cannot fathom that. If a man or a woman is in Jesus Christ, just as Joe was talking about, is in Jesus Christ, and I might add, He in them. He is righteous even as Christ is righteous. Because of the covenant made by the three in one, that transaction took place. Him being made sin for us that we might be made His righteousness in Christ.

It says there in 1 John 3 that he that commit a sin is of the devil. We are told and we know we still have this flesh and that no good thing dwells in this flesh. But you all know we read a passage in 1 John 1 that says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we say we do not sin, we make God a liar. Yet in that passage in 1 John 3, it says we are righteous and do not sin in Christ. both at the same time.

I cannot really explain that. Nor can I explain why Christ was without sin yet made sin. I cannot really explain how I commit sin yet I am righteous. Other than Christ liveth in me and he has made me a new creation. I am a new creation in Christ if he's done something for me.

God does not create the Holy Spirit. I want to be clear. I talked to Joe about this a long while back. The Holy Spirit is eternal. There is no need to create the Holy Spirit. He makes us a new creation that's totally separate from this flesh in which the Holy Spirit dwells. I don't know how this can be, but he tells us this is so. I can believe it and I can rejoice in it.

I know some think they can explain why by saying that Christ was only imputed sin and not made sin. It's just amazing to me that they even make that statement because they are directly refuting what God has said in his word, which is he hath made him sin for us. He bore our sins in His own body on that tree. I don't know how that was done, but I believe it because God said it. And if I'm able to be made the righteousness of God in Him, it's my only hope of salvation that that was done. They will argue whether or not we have been imparted that righteousness.

But I read in Scripture in Colossians 112, it says, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. God Almighty has qualified us by His work and we partake or have that portion which is ours by the work of Jesus Christ.

We are told that His church is His body. How much more of a partaker can you be than that? These are not just words in a book. They are real and they mean exactly what they say. If it says we are his body, then we are his body. We are part of him. We are partakers of him as our portion because he made it so.

John 17, 21 through 23, we read. that they all may be one, this is Jesus Christ speaking, that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me. that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. My only hope of having a God-righteousness is in Jesus Christ and what he has done. Jesus Christ died for our sins, him being made sin who knew no sin, and in doing so he made us His righteousness. But listen, and this is important, especially as we look at it in the Leviticus passage. He did not stay there, that is, being dead. Jesus Christ is alive as a man in the heavenlies even right now. But we must believe on Him. And how do we do that?

Romans 4. You can turn to Romans 4, not very familiar again. Romans 4. Romans 4, verses 16 through 24. Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by grace. To the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God. who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were, who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.

We see right there in that passage that all of those for whom Christ died will come to believe Jesus Christ because He will give them faith. His faith. Faith He authored. His faith that is everlasting because He is the Eternal Son. But he also perfected that faith or finished that faith in that he accomplished, he did the work that the Father sent him to do.

He took the place of sinners. Substitution, propitiation. He stood in my place and was slaughtered for it. But as I said, he did not stay there, he is living. And in living, he watches for me. He is responsible for me. He is faithful in his responsibility to me. He tells us he will never leave or forsake us. Even though he was forsaken of all, even God the Father. Jesus Christ is God.

Go figure that one out. Go try to explain that one. I can't explain it and no one else can explain it. nor are we looking for anyone to explain it. We are called on to proclaim it and to believe it, not explain it. I don't care if someone else, because they think they have an inside track on everyone else or on God, I don't care if they condemn me as an unbeliever because I don't know what they think they know. We are told to those, it says in Romans 8, all things work together for good, to who? them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is what Paul goes on to say in 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. So we have a risen living savior who is watching for us.

He is a sovereign God and it is all what he has purposed. It's all about what he's purposed and what he wills, as Job was saying. Job says this in Job 34, 29, when he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Whether it be done against a nation or against a man only.

He sits at the right hand of the throne of God and he is not sitting there saying to God, oh no, don't condemn them for that. He's sitting there already accepted of God the Father. He paid the price in full. His intercession is for us that He is sitting there in righteousness. And if anyone or anything else tries to condemn us, He's sitting there in righteousness, accepted of the Father. We being in Him, seated with Him in glory, so we are righteous before God in Him. That will never change because God does not change. No one and no thing will be able to condemn us They may say the words, but their words mean nothing.

What can dispel unrighteousness but righteousness itself? Unrighteousness cannot dwell where there is righteousness, else it would not be righteousness. There are no sins found there on his throne because he sits there in righteousness. Having taken those sins all the way to death, What is there left to see but righteousness sitting on a throne?

Jesus Christ is not sitting on his throne trying to keep God from condemning us and reminding God that he died for them. God says he will remember them no more because we are in his blessed son and all that is seen there is righteousness. We were chosen in him. We died in Him and we arose in Him, living in Him. We are given life in Him. All because our sins were carried in Him to where they no longer exist. So we go to Him based on what He has done. We boldly go, it says. Go to Him bold in what He has done, not what I have done or what I do.

He's done everything needed to secure my salvation, my righteousness before God to reconcile me to himself. Because he is that righteousness. I'm not proclaiming my good deeds before God because I have none. If I have any good deeds, it is him who has worked that in me. So I have nothing to boast in because I did not bring it to pass. He did. Without Him, I can do nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean there is nothing I can do without Him. I cannot breathe another breath without Him.

He had one purpose in coming into this world, and He tells us Himself, He did not come to condemn the world. He says that. He came to save the world, and He accomplished it. He saved them out of every kindred, tongue, and nation. That is the whole world. His world, all those for whom He came to do this for, He did do it for them.

Remember what it says there in John 3? Any who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed on the only begotten of the Father. What condemns a man is not believing. that record that God has given of his son. It's as simple as that, yet as profound as it can be. We will not believe that we might have life in and of ourselves. It is only if he comes to us being chosen in him and breathes into us that life which he has wrought.

The disciples asked the question, who then can be saved? Where he was talking about the camel going through an eye of a needle. What did Christ tell them? With man, it is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Had Christ died only, then we would not have life before God. He had to raise again to life because our life is in Him.

What did he tell Mary in the garden? I really like this when you read this. John 20, 16 and 17. Jesus saith unto her, Mary, she turned herself and saith unto him, Rabbani, which is to say master, Jesus saith unto her, touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my father. but go to my brethren and say unto them, this is what Christ wants to say to us, I sinned to my father and your father and to my God and your God.

Because he did this, we now know him who is the righteousness of God. If he's given you a new heart, opened your eyes to see and your ears to hear, you will and you can believe. He did ascend unto the Father because he said he was going to, right there in that passage. He did this and we know what happened, or we know what the scripture tells us that happened in Hebrews 7. So turn over with me there and I'm almost done. Hebrews 7. Hebrews 7 verses 19.

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God, and inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest. For those priests were made without an oath, but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

By so much was Jesus made assured of a better testament, and they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the people's? For this he did once when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which hath infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore.

What is the uttermost? It's where Christ is seated on his throne. It is entire, meaning Christ saves us completely, and it is all his doing. Who's going to get to the uttermost and take one of his from him? I tell those who might condemn God's people, where is the uttermost? Who will get to where Christ is even if they did? Who will condemn me? No one.

I know that Jesus Christ saved me as far as I needed to be saved. He saved me from my sins, taking them as far as the east is from the west. He took them all the way to the extent that now His righteousness dispels any unrighteous because of what He has done. That is as far as the East is from the West. Now He sits on His throne causing those for whom He did this for to know Him. who is their salvation, Romans 8, 23 through 25.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we all, ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body, for we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope that, For if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. That's that time Joe was talking about, that fullness of time Joe was talking about. Our hope is to have life and where is it that our life comes from?

It comes from Him. Whoever live us to make intercession for us. My hope is not me trying to become more sanctified or more holy or more righteous. How can you get more righteous than the righteousness of God? My hope is Jesus Christ and my hope is to see and be with him one day. No one's going to take that away from me, even if they kill me. What is it that we must know? A lot of folks think they are saved because of what? They know.

But we are told in Scripture, Isaiah 55, six through nine, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. You cannot figure out God.

Do we know some things? Yes. But there are a lot of men that know things. Scripture tells us even the devils, it says, believe and tremble. As has been said here before, it is not what you know, but who you know that matters. And more importantly, or yea rather, that he knows you. Because we read that he tells some, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity. I pray God he knows me.

I pray that God made Him sin for me, Him knowing no sin, for the specific purpose of making me the righteousness of God in Him. Some look to their own righteousness to get them to God. They may not think of it that way, but that's what they believe. But all of our righteousness are as filthy rags in God's sight, and His sight is the one that matters.

Thank God he does all the work to make me righteousness in Jesus Christ. Because if he's done that for me, then he will come to me in time giving me faith so that I will believe him. He will count, will impute the faith of Jesus Christ as my righteousness because that's where any righteousness that matters is found in, and that is in Jesus Christ. It is His faithfulness to complete the work which He has done. How much more, having done this in our stead, do you think He's going to do for us going forward? All of it, He is faithful to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day.

It's all in Him. Amen. God willing, look at the Leviticus verse next week. Amen. Dear old God, thank you for allowing us to see your son, dear Lord. We can't even fathom what it means to be in you, dear Lord. But just give us some glimpses of it, Lord. Cause us to look to you and see you each and every day as we're in this world. All these things we ask in Christ's name. Amen.