Another result of the exchange of His life for ours is that positionally, that is as God sees us, we are totally righteous in His sight. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (II Cor. 5:21)

Experientially, that is as man sees our actions, we are becoming more and more like Jesus, living a life of righteousness which fulfills the Law. "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3,4)

This manifest righteousness (righteousness manifest through a believer) is not positional only or reserved only for heaven. We fulfill the Law as we walk in this life through His life. We know we will only fail to obey the Law if we walk in our own strength. It is in relying upon the indwelling Holy Spirit that we find the power to overcome sin. The Lord through the Scripture explains this walk this way; "And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." (Philippians 3:9) Notice that this righteousness does not come from obedience to the Law but through faith in Christ. Both the positional and the expressed (experiential) righteousness is found in living by faith in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit moment by moment. The Holy Spirit brings Christ's life into our human lives, not by the keeping of the Law. Now, if we could obey the Law and overcome sin in our own strength, we would have reason to boast in our own good works. The Christian life could then be described as will power as some teach as the basis for the Christian life. If, however, the works are produced by Christ in us, having exchanged His life for ours, then we have reason for satisfaction without boasting. Our will is submitted to His will. Salvation is a gift of grace, and our sanctification (the manifestation of a changed life to be like Christ) is also a gift of grace, not a result of will power.

Another example of His manifest life in the believer, which Jesus used, was the analogy of the tree. Matthew 7:17 reads "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit: but the rotten tree bears bad fruit." His life (righteousness) in the believer will manifest His fruit!! While it is supernatural for His life to be expressed through His children, it is also natural. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 we are introduced to this natural expression of His life. "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances." His children have to work hard to keep from exhibiting His life! This begs the question, Is it easier to allow His life to be expressed or is it easier to quench the Spirit and manifest flesh?

The next aspect of the exchanged life is that His life is received through grace and not achieved through work. So in the next article we will be dealing with: