In the first sermon we studied the word "Sanctify" which shows up in I Corinthians 1:30 along with word righteousness and redemption. Today we study the word righteousness, which is a big word, but the meaning is simple. The good news it that the meaning is ... a Holy God. The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for you and me to attain on our own; the standard is simply too high. The good news is that true righteousness is possible for you and me, but only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” I Cor. 5:20. This is an amazing truth. On the cross Jesus exchanged our sin for His perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus. Wow ... so how does this truly happen? Lets look at what Paul the author was communicating to the church in Corinth.