How we admire Christ for taking our place, bearing our sins, and turning away the wrath of God! But the other, mind-bogglingly wonderful side of it is that He also bestows upon us His righteousness.
The Puritans saw this glorious truth as well as anyone ever has. Here's John Owen again. Do yourself a favor and read it out loud. And when you get to that second paragraph, how can you not worship!
Christ is glorious in that perfect obedience to the law of God on behalf of his church. This obedience was absolutely necessary to exalt the wisdom, holiness, and righteousness of God in giving the law. When man fell he could no longer keep the law. But through the obedience of Christ, by virtue of his mystical union with the church, the law was perfectly obeyed in us by being obeyed for us.
One view of Christ’s glory by faith will scatter all the fears, answer all the objections and disperse all the depressions of poor, tempted, doubting souls. To all believers it is an anchor which they may cast within the veil, to hold them firm and steadfast in all trials, storms, and temptations, both in life and in death (The Glory of Christ, p. 81).
