In Colossians 2:13-15 Paul says,
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
While we were dead in our sins God made us alive in Christ. He forgave our sins having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness. It was that charge that stood against us and condemned us. That charge has been taken away when it was nail on the cross.
In Romans 5:1-2 Paul says,
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
To be justified means to be declared righteous. To be righteous means to be in right relationship with God. Through faith, we have peace with God in Jesus. Through faith in Jesus we have gained access into grace in which we now stand. We stand in grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Unmerited favor is better than merited favor because it’s not base on you. Unmerited favor is fueled by Jesus.
Romans 5:9-11 says,
“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
There is a saying, “You can tell how valuable something is based upon what someone is willing to pay for it.” Paul says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”
Romans 5:17 says,
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”
Jesus’ death and resurrection was onto something. Forgiveness was for the explicit purpose to make us righteous. This righteousness brought about our adoption into sonship. We are co-heirs with Christ. Jesus became like us so we could become like him. Righteousness is the position we live from.