Do you remember these words to one of the great hymns of the church?
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress
With these before my God I'll stand
When I shall reach the heavenly land
The hymn writer expresses well the great truth of 2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Apart from faith in Christ, the only righteousness we can offer before God the Father is our own righteousness and goodness. But according to Scripture, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" before God. Our good works are not "good enough" to please God.
Where you and I are powerless to save ourselves, God provides the perfect remedy in His Son, our Savior. Jesus died on the cross, paying the wages of sin in our place. In exchange, God has credited the perfect life of Jesus and His death to sin to our account. This is what 2 Corinthians teaches us - God great exchange! This is God's free, unmerited grace given to us as a gift. This is what Jesus was willing to do so that you might "be His own and live under Him in His kingdom." Praise God for the wonderful things He does just for you!
