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. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Righteousness simply means that you have right standing with God.
Mark Hankins

God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be made sin for us. He took our sin and our curse and died our death. Jesus was made to be sin for us so we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10) Paul said that your spirit is alive because of righteousness. When you received Christ, your spirit received eternal life because you were made righteous. You had the very righteousness of God imparted to your spirit.

Putting off the old man and putting on the new man happens by getting your mind renewed with the Word of God. This new man is created in righteousness and through holiness. When you get born again, you are not just a forgiven sinner. You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ!

Confession: I am a new creation in Christ. The old way of thinking and acting is dead and gone. I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ!

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:11)

Since we are free from the motivating power of shame, we are now under a new motivating power of righteousness. Mark Hankins

It is especially interesting that professional psychiatrists recognize the power and influence of shame in shaping people today. It drives human behavior. Many have misdiagnosed their own problems and conditions. This has caused many to try to fix their behavior with more and more doses of shame and guilt. Instead of curing the problem, shame perpetuates the problem.

The cure is at the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus took our condition and we were engrafted into Him. Now, God sees us In Christ. We must consistently see ourselves in the light of the death, burial, and resurrection. We reign in life through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness through one man, Jesus Christ.

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ. “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

There is no “grafting” without wounding. Mark Hankins

I live in an area where there are a lot of plant nurseries. One thing I have learned from the nurseries is the engrafting process. To “graft” means to insert (a shoot from one plant) into another living plant so that the two grow together as a single plant. The stock of the plant must be cut with the same identical wound as the branch for the two to grow together. Then you must put that branch inside of the open wound of the plant and wrap them together and they will become one.

The grafting process is a picture of exactly what happened on the cross. Jesus was wounded with our identical condition and we were placed In Him. We are new creatures In Christ. We have the same righteousness as Jesus Christ Himself. God would not make an unrighteous new creature. He took our shame that we may live without guilt. We can now face life confident that we are qualified for God’s best blessings.

Confessions: I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus took my shame so that I could live without guilt. I am now confident that I qualify for God’s best blessings!