1. FALSE DOCTRINE: You can be made the righteousness of God in Christ even though you still sin.

This is a false doctrine that has become very popular in recent years. Like the majority of false doctrines, it seeks to create the impression that a person’s works, or their words and actions, are not an indicator of their salvation, or lack thereof. In other words, those that believe such maintain that a person’s words and actions may be sinful, but their soul is still saved. They say that a person is “made righteous” by God in response to faith, and it has nothing to do with the person’s behavior.

People who believed this false narrative think they have scriptural support from 2 Corinthians 5:21, which says, “ For He (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” The main mistake they make is not considering the context of that verse. It is not a standalone verse; it is not definitive in itself. It cannot be, what I call, an “anchor verse”. It’s context must be considered to define its meaning. In the same chapter, we must go back to at lease verse 14 to get an accurate understanding. You should read the entirety of the verses in your KJV Bible; I will just mention the highlights here. Verse 14 states “if one (which is Christ) died for all, then were all (all that become Christians) dead”. This relates to a major step required to become a Christian: “we must deny (or become dead to) ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow Jesus” (Luke 9:23-25). And that means follow him into death; after all a cross is an instrument of death. But our cross is not an instrument for natural death, but for the death of our old sin nature (Romans 6:6).

Then, 2 Corinthians 5:15 makes it plain that when a person truly comes to Jesus Christ, they no longer live for themselves but for Jesus. This also amplifies the point that sin is never acceptable in the Christian experience; because sin is a self-indulgent, selfish act.

Second Corinthians 5:17 expresses the aftermath of true salvation. The person, spiritually speaking, is a “new creation, where the old sinful things have passed away, and ALL things have become new”.

In summation: it takes the crucifixion of the old sinful, fleshly nature; and a resurrection into a new creation life; all by the power of the Holy Spirit; then we will have the righteousness of God.

Similar to the Science Channel TV show, some process must be executed, that’s how a person is MADE righteous!