Our Exchange with Him
July 1, 2023 2023-07-01 8:02Our Exchange with Him
Revlee Our exchange with Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV)
The enemy stood before the judge as the Accuser of the Brethren and brought up every sin we have ever committed. He had the evidence. He played the tape of our life and our guilt was clear. The Judge spoke and declared us guilty of all charges. Then, in a surprise move, instead of handing out the sentencing for our sin, He declares that He will accept all responsibility for our sin and punish Himself.
Jesus was smitten by God, the prophet says. God destroyed Himself in the 2nd person of the Trinity so that the law of double jeopardy prevents God from punishing us for our sin when He has already punished Jesus for our sin.
But Jesus is not just another man. He is the Son of God. The application of our sin to Him did more than secure our innocence. The Old Testament lamb died the death deserved by man and the innocence of the lamb was applied to the man. There was an exchange. But the exchange made with Jesus, the Lamb of God far exceeds the Old Testament exchange of animal sacrifice.
God’s law of exchange requires that the righteous life of Christ be applied to us just as our life of sin was applied to Him. But He is more than innocent. He is perfect in love. Not only did He resist temptation all of His life, but in every moment, He lived out the most perfect action in love. This righteousness completely fulfilled the law requiring perfect love for God and neighbor all the time. This is the righteousness He has applied to all who put their faith in Jesus.
God’s promise to us now is never to withhold any good thing from us because we have become the righteousness of Christ. We must learn to walk in this identity and until we do, even the good things God wants to give us will not be good giving rise to arrogance in our souls. But as we live into the righteousness of Christ, humbling ourselves to honor Him for taking our death upon His shoulders, God will give us all things.
Prayer: Lord, help me to honor You with my life for what You did me. And as I walk into the righteousness You have credited me with, help my faith trusting You will graciously give me all things. Amen.
