Imputation

      I have been on a lot of diets during the years and have lost the same 40 pounds over and over again.  One diet, promised success if I ate their food as directed.  The pictures of the food on each container were wonderful and held great promise of eating well and still losing weight.  Unfortunately, the product inside the container did not match the picture on the outside of the container.  The food had been in the container for at least several weeks if not longer and had no resemblance to what the picture showed.  Everything looked good on the outside but actually terrible on the inside.  I often joked that it would be better to eat the picture than the actual contents of the box or can that it came in.  When you think about it, we are in the same condition.  What is inside of us does not match the picture of what we ought to be.  Second Corinthians 5:21 says,  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."   The Apostle Paul said through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, just a few verse back in verse 17 that if a person was in Christ, he was a new creation..."  
      This new creation however is still living in this old body.  The really remarkable statement is the verse for today which states that Christ was made to be sin for us in order that we might be made the righteousness  of God in Him.  Our sins were imputed to Christ and His righteousness was imputed to us.  Christ, Who knew no sin, bore all of our sins on the cross at Calvary, paying the full price for our redemption and as a result of our sins being paid in full, we now have the righteousness of God in us.  To say that we got the better end of the deal would be a great understatement.  We received from God the wonderful blessing of having our sin paid for and receiving in its place, that which we didn't deserve which gives us an eternal home in heaven and unspeakable blessings here on earth.  Does that mean that we excuse our behavior because of God's work in and for us?  Certainly not.  We are to still pursue after holiness as the writer of Hebrews admonishes us to do in Hebrews 12:14.  We are on a journey to learn and to do what God tells us to do no matter how tough it is to complete.  That is why we study God's Word and then begin to apply it into our daily lives.  We may look good on the outside, but there is a lot going on in the inside.  That is why Paul made the statements that he did in Romans 7.  The things he wanted to do, he didn't do and the things we didn't want to do, that is what he did.  We can all relate to that.  When it comes to the end of the day, you can still rejoice in the lesson from today's verse.  Praise God today for His righteousness.