Have you ever asked why God doesn't make us completely holy immediately after saving us? I mean, why leave us with indwelling sin, slogging it out day after day with this beast within?
Could it be that one of the reasons God has been pleased not to fully sanctify his people immediately when he justifies them (or at any point in this life while we enjoy full justification) is to fully persuade us that we are never justified by our personal, inherent righteousness--even that produced by the Spirit? For even the Holy-Spirit-wrought righteousness within us cannot function as the basis or ground of our acceptance, since it is always tainted by our sin. So all our days, even as we percieve the Spirit's work in ourselves as we grow in grace and holiness, we are ever and always aware of our utter dependence upon an alien righteousness from God, if we are ever to pass muster at that awful judgment seat.
What does this do to the Christian in his or her daily walk with God? The constant awareness of indwelling sin even as we make progress (for we must, or we're not saved or going to be saved) moves us again and again to depend upon the righteousness of Another. Psychologically and existentially this is powerful. Deeply conscious of daily dependence upon the Righteous One, He gets all the glory. If we were daily considering our Spirit-produced works as securing a standing at the last, who would our eyes be fixed upon? Who would get less honor and glory? The sovereign Lord will have none of that. All praise be to Jesus, the LORD our righteousness!
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