When you really muse, and ponder, and contemplate upon the truth of our union with Christ by His grace through faith, and that in union with Him, His righteousness is transferred to us, or “credited” to us, it is mind-blowing!

To have Christ’s righteousness as my own righteousness is astounding. 2 Cor 5:21 puts it as clearly as can be, “For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (Majority Standard Bible)

It is humanly impossible to truly plumb the depths of this amazing truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God identified Jesus with our sin, and the sin of the whole world, so that God would identify us as His righteousness because of His grace, and by faith, united and made one with Christ. This is God’s work of amazing grace, and this is how God sees us, and has regard for us.

Is it any wonder then that Heb 4:16 says, “Therefore we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.” (Berean Literal Bible)

This translates to believers of Christ having confidence in God to live truly productive and blessed lives. We are so thoroughly blessed by God because of our union with Christ through His Spirit, that we can make powerfully impactful contributions in whatever sphere of life we find ourselves in.

Greg Beale in page 325 of his book “Union with the Resurrected Christ”, expounds in much scriptural analysis how the righteousness of the resurrected and ascended Christ is transferred to believers.

One of the more powerful practical applications of this glorious truth that has revolutionized my walk of faith is the actual reality that I possess, or “have”, the very righteousness of Christ. And this glorious gospel truth is brought to us by the Spirit of God and of Christ in such an experiential manner. The insight mediated to the believer is inspirational, and faith-filling. So, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can exercise faith and speak and act out His righteousness in holy living, letting the spiritual-metaphorical become tangible in my “spirit-flesh” interface with the material world.

Christ’s righteousness becomes my righteousness, with all His benefits accruing to me, in union with Him. He is truly the treasure of heaven given to me! The activating factor is faith. And this faith is a gift of grace from God.

In Romans 10:8, the Spirit teaches us through the apostle Paul the connection between the word of the truth of the gospel and “the word of faith which we are preaching”, that is, Christ’s righteousness has become the believer’s righteousness with ALL of its glorious benefits. This is by virtue of Christ dwelling in the heart of the believer by faith.

This same chapter of Romans then shows us an extremely powerful application point. Many preachers and believers come to Romans chapter 10 only the initial salvation moment of conversion. It indeed is. And there is more! The salvation we have in union with Christ covers a breadth, length, depth and height of knowledge and experience that surpasses mere mental knowledge. God’s desire for His children in union with Christ is to be “filled with the fulness of God“! (Eph 3:19)

This extremely powerful application point is how the apostle goes on in chapter 10 of Romans to show that it is with confession of our mouths that Jesus is LORD, and believing in our hearts this glorious truth that God raised Him from the dead that we partake, and share in His righteousness.

With the heart, the believer continues in the walk of faith, in the process of sanctification, that is, through the work of the Spirit in the heart, we are steadily being set apart from sin, and set apart for the Savior, and being transformed “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18). It is this cluster of gospel truths that must so saturate the conscious and subconscious of the believer.

Our lives are a daily re-enactment of the “dying of Christ”, so that the “life of Christ” through His Spirit is worked out in and through us. Troubles and trials, together with triumphs and victory is our continuous experience in union with Christ.