# “He was sent to be our righteousness” by John Calvin

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2024/06/01/he-was-sent-to-be-our-righteousness-by-john-calvin/
- Published: 2024-06-01T11:00:00-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“Paul says that in the upbuilding of Christian teaching we must keep the foundation
that he had laid among the Corinthians [**cf. 1 Cor. 3:10**], ‘_beside which no 
other can be laid, which is Jesus Christ’_ [**1 Cor. 3:11**].

What sort of foundation have we in Christ? Was He the beginning of our salvation
in order that its fulfillment might follow from ourselves? Did He only open the 
way by which we might proceed under our own power?

Certainly not. But, as Paul had set forth a little before, Christ, when we acknowledge
Him, is given us to be our righteousness [**1 Cor. 1:30**].

No man, therefore, is well founded in Christ unless he has perfect righteousness
in Him: since the apostle does not say that He was sent _to help us attain righteousness_
but Himself _to be our righteousness_ [**1 Cor. 1:30**].

Indeed, he states that ‘He has chosen us in Him’ from eternity ‘before the foundation
of the world,’ through no merit of our own ‘but according to the purpose of divine
good pleasure’ [**Eph. 1:4–5, cf. Vg.**].

He states that by His death we are redeemed from the condemnation of death and freed
from ruin [**cf. Col. 1:14, 20**].

He states that we have been adopted unto Him as sons and heirs by our Heavenly Father[**
cf. Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:5–7**].

He states that we have been reconciled through His blood [**Rom. 5:9–10**].

He states that, given into His protection, we are released from the danger of perishing
and falling [**John 10:28**].

He states that thus ingrafted into Him [**cf. Rom. 11:19**] we are already, in a
manner, partakers of eternal life, having entered in the Kingdom of God through 
hope.

Yet more: we experience such participation in Him that, although we are still foolish
in ourselves, He is our wisdom before God; while we are sinners, He is our righteousness;
while we are unclean, He is our purity; while we are weak, while we are unarmed 
and exposed to Satan, yet ours is that power which has been given Him in heaven 
and on earth [**Matt. 28:18**], by which to crush Satan for us and shatter the gates
of Hell; while we still bear about with us the body of death, He is yet our life.

In brief, because all His things are ours and we have all things in Him, in us there
is nothing.

Upon this foundation, I say, we must be built if we would grow into a holy temple
to the Lord [**cf. Eph. 2:21**].”

–John Calvin, [_Institutes of the Christian Religion_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0664239110?tag=toletaupanre-20),
ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, _vol. 1, The Library of Christian
Classics_ (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), [1: 793. (3.15.5)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0664239110?tag=toletaupanre-20)

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