The Great Exchange

"'God made Him...to be sin for us...'"2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

The Bible says: (1) 'You must not steal.' (Exodus 20:15 TLB) Ever stolen anything? A paper clip, a parking space, the credit for someone else's idea? (2) 'You must not lie.' (Exodus 20:16 TLB) You say you haven't-you just did. 3) 'You must not commit adultery.' (Exodus 20:14 TLB) Jesus said if you look at someone with lust, you've committed adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:28);-ouch! 4) 'You must not murder.' (Exodus 20:13 TLB) Before you claim innocence, remember that Jesus treats anger seriously. '...anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...' (Matthew 5:22 NIV) We assassinate a dozen drivers on our way to work every morning. Bad news: on your best day, you still fall far short of the divine standard required to get into heaven. Good news: '...He was wounded for our transgressions...The chastisement for our peace was upon Him...' (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV) A Chinese convert to Christianity understood this. Before her baptism the pastor asked her a question to ensure she understood the meaning of the cross: 'Did Jesus have any sin?' 'Yes,' she replied. Troubled, he repeated the question. 'Yes, He had sin,' she answered again. The pastor set out to correct her, but she insisted, 'He had mine.' And she was right! 'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become [righteous in God's eyes].' This is the great exchange. The holy and the vile change places. God makes right what was wrong, and straight what was crooked. Aren't you glad?

Soulfood Bible Readings 1 John 1:1-3:10, John 8:31-41, Ps 30, Pr 25:13-17