Therefore, if anyone is in Him (In Christ) he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself thorough Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Jesus (Christ) reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed us the word of reconciliation.
(2 Cor. 5:17-19)

Now then, we are ambassadors for Jesus (Christ), as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on His (Christ’s) behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Cor. 5:20-21)

Any person who is in Christ (Jesus) is a new creature, or a new creation. (The literal Greek say he is a new species of being which never existed before.) He (She) has been completely recreated! Old things are passed away, all things are now new!

In the New Birth, a man’s spirit is completely reborn; then it is this man’s responsibility to renew his (her) mind to the Word of God and use the Word to take control of his (her) body.

Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, who were born-again, Spirit-filled Christians, and instructed them to renew their minds with the Word. (Romans 12:1-2). Their faith was known throughout the world, but they had not learned how to control their minds and bodies with the Word.

He wrote to the church at Ephesus along this same line and said, “You have put off the old man and put on the new man, so quit lying and cheating and acting ugly toward one another: (Ephesians 4:24-25). They had been recreated. They had been made the righteousness of God, but most of them didn’t know it!

You Are the Righteousness of God
Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Jesus, Who know no sin, to be sin for us “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” As believers in Jesus Christ, we are the righteousness of God Himself! By faith in Him we have His righteousness.

What is righteousness? It is not a “goody-goody” way of acting or something which can be attained. Righteousness is a free gift of God provided by Jesus at Calvary through the grace of God. I am not referring to our own righteousness. The Bible says that in the eyes of God “all our righteousness are as filthy rags….” (Isa. 64:6) 

However, we have been given the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Through our traditional thinking, we have confused righteousness with holiness. We think righteousness is the way you act, but this is not true! Holiness is your conduct, righteousness is what you are!

The word righteousness translated literally means to be “in right-standing.” We have been put in right-standing with God. Jesus is the mediator between God and man. When a man (a woman) accepts Jesus, he (she) moves into a position of new birth. He (She) enters into the kingdom as God’s very own child and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.

Consequently, there are certain privileges, rights and freedoms that we have as children of God because we are in right-standing with Him. Now that is shouting ground!

Source: Your Right Standing with God by Kenneth  Copeland
Excerpt permission granted by Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries