God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. —Romans 3:26 CSB
No matter how hard you try, you can never reach the standard of God’s justice; you will always fall short. God is just, and no unjust person can have communion with Him. That’s why Christ, who lived a completely just life, appeared on the cross as our intermediary. He carried our injustice so that all who believe in Him are clothed in His perfect justice.
As Paul says in Romans, God is the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. The moment you trust Him for salvation, the righteousness of Christ is imputed (charged) to you, so that when God sees you, He no longer sees your wickedness and sin but instead the perfect righteousness of Christ.
Because we are justified, we can have communion with God (Rom. 8:1), we can be certain that our sins have been forgiven (1 John 1:9), and we are declared righteous in the eyes of the Father (Rom. 5:1). Isn’t that wonderful?
Make it Personal
When you sin, do you feel unable to go before God or do you run to His throne trusting He sees you with Christ’s righteousness?