II Corinthians IV
For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
Justification
When God sees a Christian, He sees His holy child.
He knows we sin. He knows we are not perfect. He knows we are not holy.
But He has worked out an amazing plan. He exchanged, in His sight and understanding, the Messiah’s sinless, perfect, holy nature for our sinful, imperfect, unholy natures.
And Jesus died for it.
We, though, get to look like Jesus in God’s sight.
This sure does sound strange. But I believe that we imitate it in our daily lives, in small ways.
When we meet the son of an old friend, we assume certain things about them. Certain characteristics, certain qualities, perhaps even certain beliefs. While we might consider that pre-judging, it is also attributing qualities because of a relationship.
When we read a resume, we attribute abilities and perspectives to an applicant based on what we know about their school, their experiences, and their history. While we might consider that jumping to conclusions, it is also attributing qualities because of connections.
When we notice that someone looks like an old friend, or a celebrity, or a historical figure, we wonder if they are like the resembled person. While we might consider that naïve, it is also a somewhat logical connection between what we know, and the person we are seeing.
When God sees us, He sees the connection that Christians have with His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. And purposefully, God attributes to us certain characteristics of Jesus.
He sees Jesus’ righteousness.
He sees Jesus’ royalty.
He sees Jesus’ love.
He sees Jesus’ holiness.
When God sees believers… He chooses to see Jesus! And that is how we are justified in God’s eyes.