206. How is it possible for a just and holy God to declare sinners righteous (justification)?
God declares sinners righteous for Christ's sake; that is, our sins have been imputed or charged to Christ, the Savior, and Christ's righteousness has been imputed or credited to us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 3:22-24 For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified, by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 4:25 [He] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Note: When our sins were charged to Christ, He suffered the full penalty for them in our place. He rose again and now lives to all eternity in order to give us His righteousness. Both the passive and the active obedience of Christ have been credited to us and are received through faith.
"Our righteousness before God is this: God forgives our sins out of pure grace, without any work, merit, or worthiness of ours preceding, present, or following. He presents and credits to us the righteousness of Christ's obedience [Romans 5:17-19]. Because of this righteousness we are received into grace by God and regarded as righteous" (FC Ep III 4).
Eventual commentary
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