What is the difference between the righteousness of Christ and Christ as righteousness?
Christ as righteousness is found in 1 Corinthians 1:30. “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” This verse tells us that God has made Christ our righteousness.
The righteousness of Christ is the good conduct performed by Christ when He lived on the earth as a man. It is the personal virtue of Christ while He lived on earth. Christ becoming righteousness means that God gives Christ to us, making Him our righteousness. The righteousness of Christ refers to the goodness of Christ, whereas Christ becoming righteousness refers to Christ Himself.
Of the five offerings, the righteousness of Christ is equivalent to the meal offering. The meal offering contains no blood because it signifies the living, good conduct, and virtue of the life of the Lord Jesus. Of the five offerings, Christ as righteousness is equivalent to the burnt offering. Before God, this offering is a sweet savor; it typifies Christ being acceptable to God. With Christ as our righteousness, we offer Him up as we come before God. In this way, God accepts us as He accepts Christ, and God considers us perfect even as Christ is perfect. The sin offering is offered as the propitiation for the sin of our entire life, and the trespass offering is offered for our daily sins. These two offerings deal with sin. The burnt offering causes God to consider us as good as Christ. The Old Testament uses the phrase “Jehovah our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16). This means that God Himself is our righteousness. With Christ as our righteousness, we can answer all of God’s demands.
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