What does putting on Christ become according to Romans?
According to Romans, putting on Christ becomes His righteousness—God's own righteousness, not our own. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. This righteousness is by the faith or faithfulness of Jesus Christ unto all who believe, covering the believer like a cloak so that God sees Christ.
Les explains that the righteousness being discussed is God's righteousness, not ours; ours is nothing but filthy rags. It is God's righteousness which is by the faith, or faithfulness, of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe. He likes the word "upon," comparing it to being draped with a blanket or cloak that totally covers him. When God looks at the believer, He sees that outer covering, and that covering is Christ. This is what it means to put on Christ: whatever God sees is not me or you, it's Christ. Les emphasizes this happens by a work of God, not something we can do ourselves. Just as a person cannot crucify himself, salvation cannot be accomplished by human effort; God must do it in the invisible, Spirit realm. So putting on Christ becomes His righteousness according to Romans.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
More Questions
According to Romans 3:22, who receives God's righteousness and what is added?
Romans 3:22 says God's righteousness is appropriated unto all and upon all them that believe, and the meaning is 'them who believe, plus nothing.'