The Great Exchange

I just turned 32 a few weeks ago, and recently I have become keenly aware of the difference between being in my twenties and my thirties. Any athletic activity takes a heavy toll on me, and checkers is the only game I can play without getting winded. Many of you are older than I am, and you are looking forward to receiving your glorified body—one that doesn’t creak and crack when you stand up, and that has no artificial parts. We have this promise to look forward to:

“He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…(Philippians 3:21)”

Let that thought sink in. The same kind of body that will be good enough for Jesus for all eternity will also be what we receive. Jesus will take these old, vile bodies, and exchange them for a glorious body like His. That truly is a great exchange, but it is only possible because of an even better exchange that already took place.

Jesus is the one who knew no sin, yet became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are the ones who “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” And yet, if we choose to put our full trust in the work of Jesus on the cross, God is willing to clothe us in the righteousness of Jesus.

Jesus, who is righteous, took off His righteousness and put on our sin. We, who are unrighteous, can take off our sin and put on the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 13:14). When I die I will go to heaven, not because of anything righteous I have done, because that is just filthy rags in God’s sight. When God looks at me He sees Jesus’ righteousness, because when He looked at Jesus on the cross He saw my sin.

If you want to exchange your vile body for a glorious one, you must first exchange your sin for Jesus’ righteousness.