But the Bible’s answer is this: God declares sinners just, and He does so on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf. God looks at me in my sin and He sees me for what I am, but He reckons my sin to Christ, and Christ cancels it in His own death on the cross. And He reckons Christ’s righteousness to me, and He declares, “That is entirely satisfactory. This pleases me. It’s the plan. It’s what I sent Christ to do.” He died for sinners, and He declares this particular sinner just