day no. 17,299: imputation times two

“The real problem, the problem of justice and heaven, is resolved in the cross. Christ died as a blood atonement so that God could be both just and the one who justifies. God could be just and send us all to Hell. He could be the one who justifies and let us all into Heaven on a boys-will-be-boys basis. But in order to be both just and the one who justifies, Christ had to bleed. And that is our final theodicy. Christ is the one who bled.” ― Douglas Wilson, All the Condemnation

God is not a grandpa. He does not wink at sin. He hates it. So, if He is going to justify a sinner, He is going to have to justly deal with his sin. The cross of Christ is the justice of God. On the cross, God's hatred of sin is realized. On Jesus, the sins of the world were placed. This penal substitutionary atonement is our salvation. It allows us to acknowledge our sins without having to die for them and it allows us to see God forgiving them without losing respect for Him. If God lowered His standard for us, we would gain forgiveness, but lose respect for our Forgiver.

Jesus Christ is just and the justifier. He did not lay aside justice in order to justify us. He justified the requirements of God by offering a sinless sacrifice. He justified sinners by becoming their sins so that they might become His righteousness. 

The sinner has two problems: (1) sin is a debt he cannot pay, and (2) heaven requires a righteousness he does not have. So, if Jesus pays for your sins, you have one of your two problems solved. You no longer have debt, but you are still broke and Heaven requires the riches of righteousness. If you have a lot of righteous deeds, but you haven't confessed your sins, you have more debt than you have righteousness, which results in a negative balance. In Christ, then the solution is realized. He paid it all and He earned it all. He takes every last one of your sins and He gives you all of His righteousness. Your debt is cleared away entirely and your bank account is flooded with the riches of Christ's merit. Double imputation is our saving grace.

Thanks be to God!