In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says, “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” According to this verse, God made Christ sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This indicates that eventually those who have been brought back to God in the Holy of Holies will enjoy Christ to the uttermost and even become the righteousness of God in Him. In the organic union with Christ, those who have been reconciled to God in the second step become the very righteousness of God.
As we have pointed out, Christ not only died for our sins that we might be forgiven of our sins; He also was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. Many of today’s Christians know only that Christ died for their sins. They do not realize that Christ died for them as the flesh, as the old creation. In 2 Corinthians Paul does not speak of Christ dying for our sins. Instead, in 5:14 he says, “One died for all.” This means that Christ died for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 Paul tells us that Christ died for our sins. In order that our sins might be forgiven by God, Christ died for our sins. This, however, is simply the initial stage of reconciliation. Christ died on the cross not only for our sins, but He died also for us, for our flesh, our natural being, our outward man. Christ died on the cross so that our outward man, our natural being, may be terminated in order that we may become God’s righteousness. Therefore, Christ died for our sins in order that we may be forgiven and justified by God. Furthermore, Christ died for us so that we may become God’s righteousness.
Christ did not know sin in an experiential way by contact or personal experience. Nevertheless, He was made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Sin came from Satan, who rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12-14). This sin, which came out of the evil one, entered into man (Rom. 5:12) and made man not only a sinner but sin itself under God’s judgment. Hence, when Christ became a man in the flesh (John 1:14), He was made sin (not sinful) on our behalf to be judged by God (Rom. 8:3) that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.
Righteousness issues from God for His administration (Psa. 89:14; 97:2; Isa. 32:1). This righteousness is Christ to be our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30), making us God’s righteousness in Him (not making us righteous before God). Through Christ’s redemption, man, who is a sinner and is even sin, is made God’s righteousness, being reconciled to the righteous God, and is made a new creation living to God for His eternal purpose. The apostles are commissioned to minister such a Christ, with all the glorious issues of His marvelous achievement, to His believers, who are the members that form His Body.
The expression in Him in 2 Corinthians 5:21 means in union with Him not only positionally but also organically in resurrection. We were enemies of God (Col. 1:21) by becoming sin, which came from Satan, who rebelled against God. Christ was made sin for us by becoming one with us through being incarnated in the flesh. Through His death He was condemned in the flesh as sin for us by God that we might be one with Him in His resurrection to be God’s righteousness. By this righteousness we, the enemies of God, could be and have been reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20; Rom. 5:10). In the organic union with Christ, those who have been brought back to God in the Holy of Holies are made the righteousness of God. They not only become righteous; they are the righteousness of God. This means that they not only become righteous persons, but they become righteousness itself.
Before we were saved, we were in a condition that was altogether condemned by God. Nothing was right, and God could by no means justify the condition we were in. But after we were saved, we were brought into a state where we could be justified by God. This is righteousness. However, if we are honest, we shall admit that, on the one hand, we are in a righteous condition, but on the other hand, certain things related to our living still are not right. These things may not be comparable to the gross sin that may have been in our living before we were saved. Nevertheless, there are matters which are not right. In particular, there is still the separation between us and God caused by our natural man, our self. This is sin.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says that Christ was made sin on our behalf so that we might become God’s righteousness in Him. Sin here is actually synonymous with the flesh. John 1:14 says that Christ as the Word became flesh. Second Corinthians 5:21 says that He was made sin. According to Romans 8:3, God sent His Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin. Thus, sin and the flesh are synonyms. Furthermore, since the flesh is our outward man, then the outward man is totally sin. We ourselves, our natural being, are nothing but sin. For Christ to be made flesh in His incarnation was equal to His being made sin. This also means that He was made us. When He was crucified, He brought our natural man—the outward man, the flesh, and sin—to the cross and nailed it there. That was the time God condemned sin, the flesh, and the outward man. When Christ died on the cross, God condemned our natural man. God’s goal in doing this was that we may become in Christ the righteousness of God. The resurrected Christ is righteousness, resurrection, and the life-giving Spirit. In such a One, we may become the righteousness of God. This is the ultimate consummation of God’s salvation.
God desires to have a people on earth who are not only righteous persons; He wants a people who, in the sight of God, the devil, the angels, and the demons, are the righteousness of God. To be made righteous before God is one thing; to be God’s righteousness is another thing. To become the righteousness of God is the highest enjoyment of the Triune God in Christ.
In Adam we fell so low that we became sin. Not only were we sinful before God—we became sin itself. But now in Christ we, having been brought thoroughly back to God, may enjoy Christ to such an extent that in Him we become God’s righteousness. What a reconciliation! To have this enjoyment is to be on the peak of God’s salvation, to be on the peak of our holy Zion.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, “On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.” According to this verse, the ambassadors of Christ are one with God; they are like God, and they entreat as God. Their word is God’s word, and what they do is God’s doing. Furthermore, the expression on behalf of Christ means “representing Christ.” As those who represent Christ, the apostles were ambassadors of Christ doing a reconciling work. Just as an ambassador is a person authorized to represent his government, the apostles were authorized by Christ to represent Him to do the work of reconciliation. They were one with Christ and one with God; Christ was one with them, and God also was one with them. God, Christ, and the apostles were one in carrying out the ministry of reconciliation.
An ambassador of Christ is one who represents God, the highest authority in the universe. God has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Christ (Matt. 28:18). God has appointed Christ to be the Lord of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Acts 2:36; 10:36; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). Today Jesus is the Christ, the Lord of all, and the highest authority. The Lord needs some ambassadors on earth who are qualified to represent Him (Matt. 28:19). The highest authority is Christ as the Head, and we as members of the Body must be representatives of the Head, His ambassadors.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul and his co-workers who were fully reconciled to God were the ambassadors of Christ. Paul’s use of the word ambassadors indicates that the apostles were commissioned with a definite ministry, to represent Christ to accomplish God’s purpose. They had experienced both steps of reconciliation and therefore were in the Holy of Holies. They then sought to bring others not only from the outer court into the tabernacle but also to bring them from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies.
Only those who have been fully reconciled to God in both steps can be the ambassadors of Christ. The ambassadors of Christ are those who have passed through the second veil and have entered into the Holy of Holies, where they come forward to the throne of grace to be one with God (Heb. 4:16). Because they are one with God, they are qualified to be sent by God as His ambassadors. Only one who has passed through both veils, who is fully reconciled to God and is thus absolutely one with God, can be His ambassador, representing God with full authority. Such a person is fully authorized by God to deal with all things related to God’s kingdom on earth. We need to experience and enjoy Christ as the means of reconciliation to the fullest extent so that we may become His ambassadors.