The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness

 

I.   The Reliability of Paul's Message
     A.  As an apostle, Paul's is Christ's ambassador
     B.  God makes His appeal through His ambassadors 
     C.  His ambassadors plea is to be reconciled to God

II. The Message of Reconciliation "in Christ"
     A.  Background
     1.  All are sinners, Adam's sin is accounted to us  (Rom 5:12, 17-19)
     2.  As sinners we are:

• Separated from God  (Eph 2:12)
• Enemies of God  (Rom 5:10)
• Objects of wrath  (Eph 2:1, 3b)
• Deserving of death  (Rom 6:23)
• Helpless to achieve righteousness by works of the law   (Gal 2:16)

      B. God made Christ to be sin for our sake
          1.  Christ knew no sin  (1 Peter 1:22, 1 Jn 3:5)
          2.  Our sin was accounted to Him, “Substitutionary Atonement”
              (Is 53:4-6, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Pt 3:18)
          3.  Christ's blood forever paid for the sin of those "in Christ"  (Col 1:21-22)

      C. God made us to become the righteousness of God
          1.  We have no ability to achieve righteousness of ourselves  (Is 64:6)
          2.  Our righteousness is from Christ “accounted to us”  (1 Cor 1:30)
          3.  This is the work of God "in Christ"
               a.  United with God in Christ  (Eph 2:13)
               b.  Adopted as His children  (Gal 4:4-5, Eph 1:5)
               c.  Objects of grace/saved from wrath (Eph 2:5-7, Rom 5:9)
               d.  Made alive together with Christ  (Col 2:13-14
               e.  Made to be righteousness  (Phil 3:9, Rom 10:4, Is 61:10)