MADE JUST!

 

For He [God] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.                                                                                                   II CORINTHIANS 5:21

 

   We are what God says we are. He says here that we are “made the righteousness of God” in Christ. “Righteousness” is justness. It’s a noun related to the Greek adjective dikaios  which means “just” (i.e. He is a just man.). The Word says we are made God’s justness! How just is that? Pretty just. Right? You bet. It is the perfect standard of absolutely just justness! We are made God’s justness. That’s what it says. That’s what it means. No man could achieve this by his own good work or payment. Jesus Christ did the work and paid the price for us. By God’s grace we are “made the justness of God in him”. It is—and could only be—a gift of God.  

 

   In the phrase “that we might be made’’, the word “made” is from the Greek word ginomai which means, “to be” or “to become”. The truth being said here is: “we became the justness of God”! How did we become God’s justness? Let’s look at Romans 5:19.

 

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.                                                                                                                                       ROMANS 5:19

 

   The word “made” is found twice here: “made sinners” and “made righteous”. Both are from the Greek word kathistēmi, which means “to set” or “to set down”. “To set down” is in the sense of establishing or situating someone or something. Look how this word is used in other Scriptures:

 

Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler (kathistēmi) over all his goods.                            MATTHEW 24:27

 

He shall situate and establish the man over all his goods.

 

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the holy spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint (kathistēmi) over this business.                                                                                           ACTS 6:3

 

The seven men would be situated and established over the need at hand.

 

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain (kathistēmi) elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.                                                                      TITUS 1:5

 

Paul left Titus in Crete to situate and establish certain ones to be elders in every city.

 

   In each of these records the individuals were “set” with a responsibility given to them by one having the authority to “establish” them with an enduring, appropriate duty.   Now back to Romans. In 5:19 it says “many” were “made sinners” and “many” are “made righteous”.

 “Made” is kathistēmi: “set” or “established”.

  “Righteous” is the adjective dikaios: “just”. As an adjective, it could read here: “many shall be made just ones”.

   “Sinners” is also an adjective, not a noun, and should be understood as “sinful ones”. Then, it could read: “many were made sinful ones”.

   Because of Adam’s disobedience, many were “set” or “established” “sinful ones”.

   By the obedience of Jesus Christ, many are “set” or “established” “just ones”.

   “Sinful” resulted from the disobedience. “Just” resulted from the obedience.

 

    Both these results were appropriate and enduring, and both were from the pertinent authority. What is the enduring result that was “set” or “established”? Man’s nature. The sin nature entered because of Adam’s disobedience. The “new” nature entered because of Jesus Christ. When you are “born from above” by God (Who is Holy Spirit) with His gift (holy spirit), you have His holy nature in you! You are set, established or made a just one. You are a holy one. That is your new nature: the real you! God sees the real you: holy.  He has made and established you just and holy.

 

   In the time of the prophet Jeremiah God promised a “new” covenant. In this covenant, He declared, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” The     “new covenant” time began on the day of Pentecost when God poured-out His “promise”:     holy spirit. Now is the administration of the spirit and the grace of God. The administration of the law and the “old” covenant is past. It was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Now we are filled with God’s spirit. We are born from above. Now we are the sons of God! Now we are holy. Now we are just. We are what God says we are!

 

  Very noteworthy is the usage of the word kathistēmi (“made”) in Romans 5:19. This verse is the only use of the word in the seven church epistles. It is found in the gospels and Acts and other epistles, but nowhere else in the church epistles. Perhaps this singular usage here emphasizes the significance of the great truth being declared, that now we are “made just”! When Abraham believed God’s promise, the Word says God “reckoned” justness unto Abraham. The holy nature was not available then as it is now. Now we have the fullness of all that God poured-out on that day of Pentecost.

 

According as He hath chosen us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame [unblemished] before Him in love.   Having predestinated [beforehand determined] us unto the adoption [sonship] of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.                                                                                                                                                                                                 EPHESIANS 1:4-5