“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God — that is, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30
Through God’s demonstrated righteousness on the cross, Christ becomes our imputed righteousness to transfer us out of the source of ourself to live to God. It is enlightening to see the distinction between God’s righteousness and Christ being our righteousness. Although they are distinct, they are interrelated. First, God’s righteousness is related to God’s method, or procedure, in doing things. Indeed, it was through God’s righteousness demonstrated at the cross that He could officially constitute us righteous.
The cross was God’s righteousness at work, making it possible for God to freely bestow upon us the gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:17). Second, the gift of righteousness is Christ Himself as our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). This gift gives us the same standing and relationship with God that Christ has, because this gift is Christ Himself.
With God’s righteousness, we are justified according to God’s way of doing things. With Christ as our righteousness, we are clothed with Christ as our robe as we stand before God (Isa. 61:9- 10). Paul wanted to be found having Christ as his righteousness in order that he could know the Lord in a deeper way (Phil. 3:9-10). God’s righteousness is what establishes our relationship with God (Rom. 3:21-26). Christ being our righteousness is what keeps our relationship with God on the proper basis. Our relationship with God is apart from any merit of our own and outside any reflection upon our own subjective condition. Christ as our righteousness becomes the solid foundation for us to live to God exclusively in Christ (Gal. 2:19-21; Rom. 6:11). In this way God becomes the source of our life.