Bad news, He wants a perfect family.

He wants perfection, but you don't have it.

He won't meet you halfway, or try and help you get there.

Instead, He becomes what He wants from you, He meets His own requirements, He meets His own demands.

He gives you perfection outside of yourself, an alien or 'other' righteousness - not what you've done - but what He's done for you.

He became a human to take humanity's place in punishment but also to earn perfection by passing the test.

He credits both to you - taking your punishment and giving you the reward: eternal life ruling together in the recreated world. He feeds you with this righteousness together with all his corulers each week where He brings His temple to us.

This is called: Justification - and it’s the teaching on which the Church stands or falls.

Justification is a two-fold declaration of God that we are both “not guilty” and also “perfectly worthy” on account of Christ’s substitutionary death and meritorious life. Justification is the most important teaching, the doctrine “on which the church stands or falls” (Martin Luther).

“Christ died for your sins,” but that’s only half the story. The other side of the coin is that He lived the perfect life in your place, every moment of everyday day, in every thought, word and deed.

God credits you with Christ’s passive obedience on the cross and His active obedience from keeping the law throughout His life. Think of it like this. You earn an F on your report card, but Christ earns an A. God credits your F to Christ, and He pays the price on the cross. But God also credits Christ’s A to you, and you receive His reward.

You receive a righteousness that is not your own, an ‘alien’ righteous, the righteousness of Christ. Christ and His righteousness really and truly become yours. God not only sees you just as He sees Christ, but you are personally united with Christ and His merit imputed through Word & Sacrament. In communion you receive His body, blood, and benefits.

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