Union with Christ

"...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
Ephesians 3:16-19

Sinners are right with God because of what Christ did in their stead. Imputation of Christ's righteouness exists because of our union with Christ. Because we are in Christ, all of Christ's redemptive blessings are now ours -- including our righteous standing before the Father as the New Adam. The forensic, imputational aspect of redemption is included as a critical dimension of our union with the risen and vindicated Christ. Justification is a function of our oneness with Christ.