Ligonier shares a brief excerpt from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series, “What Did Jesus Do?” wherein Sproul explains the active obedience of Christ:
Jesus not only had to die for our sins, but He had to live for our righteousness. If all Jesus did was die for your sins, that would remove all of your guilt, and that would leave you sinless in the sight of God, but not righteous. You would be innocent, but not righteous because you haven’t done anything to obey the Law of God which is what righteousness requires.