Because Jesus was perfectly righteous, perfectly holy, He was perfectly fit for fellowship with God, and had complete right of access to God. And the righteousness that He has, He bestows in His love upon His people. Is it not wonderful? Because Christ was treated as we should have been treated, we are treated as He should have been treated. For His sake not only are our sins forgiven, but we are treated as though we had never sinned. His righteousness covers us. The prodigal is not only not turned away, he is treated as though he never had wandered away at all. That is what justification means. We are accepted as righteous in God’s sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

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