John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God's gift to us in Christ Jesus is of inestimable value and is multifaceted, consisting of His great sacrifice for us on Calvary, and His perfect righteousness which is imputed and imparted to those who believe. The Gift of His sacrifice saves us from eternal ruin, and is necessary to put the downward spiral of sin and death in us into reverse gear, but by itself it is not sufficient to grant us entrance into His kingdom, because although we are saved from damnation by His death, we still retain our sinful nature and character, and this aspect of our salvation can only be addressed through the gift of Christ's righteousness.
If we were to see an old, rusty ford Mustang slowly drifting towards the edge of a precipice, we can quickly get a tow truck to pull it back from the brink, and thus it will be saved from going over the cliff where it would have certainly met with permanent destruction. But even after it has been retrieved from the edge of the abyss, it still remains an old, rusty ford, and therefore cannot be displayed in a perfect show room, with other cars that are in pristine condition. In order for it to take its place in the show room, it will have to undergo a thorough and extensive restoration process, complete with chassis work and a new engine, which is the heart of its composition. Then fresh coats of paint followed by extensive buffing and polishing must be done in order for its former value to be restored.
The gift of God to us in Christ both retrieves and restores us to pristine condition, for while His death for us on Calvary pulls us back from the brink, His imputed and imparted righteousness restores us, gives us a new heart, and gives us a new coat of paint, represented by the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. This is what needed to be done with Joshua the high priest as he stood before God in filthy rags. Let's read:
Zecharia 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. 6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
In granting us His inestimable gift, there are only two responses that are to be expected, we either accept it or we reject it, but whatever our choices may be, the fact remains that it is still a gift, and there is nothing we can do to work for it. God's will is that we avail ourselves of the remedy provided in Christ, so that His act in saving us from the brink of eternal death, will translate into a total restoration of heart and mind, so that we can be fitted in pristine condition for the courts above. We therefore end with a promise which confirms this sacred truth to every one who is willing, and may we ever rightly value what God has done for us in Christ. Let's read:
1st Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!