"Imputed righteousness"

[Guest]

Every other belief system followed by men always involves doing enough good deeds or sacrifices to please God. It's been that way from the dawn of mankind in all the pagan religions , one way or the other figuring out a way to appease an angry god.
The thing that was striking to me about Christianity was that God himself would enter our time and space and do something dramatic for his creation. And that by simply believing we could be credited with his righteouness. Yes i understand that a saving faith will bear fruit but my salvation is not dependent on the quality of the fruit and i don't have to be perfect because Christ is perfect.
Clearly the atonement is a bit mysterious but certain things seem clear to me. Through his death on the cross our sins are forgiven, Satan's control over the believer is diminished, death is conquered by his resurrection and lastly Jesus's sacrifice for us is an example of what he himself called the greatest love which was laying your life down for your friends.
As to why our sins are forgiven through this act perhaps it is as Jesus said to John the Baptist "to fulfill all righteousness."
As to being delivered from sin , Jesus said that he had to leave so the Holy Spirit would come and it was the Holy Spirit's job to deliver us from sin.
Jesus gave us forgiveness and then he left and the Holy Spirit came to give us deliverance.
At least that's how i see it.