The Great Exchange

Given August 10, 2002
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10. This verse used to bother me. I know we're supposed to be holy and righteous but this verse seems to say none of us are. What's the deal?

God showed me, through a minister, what it means.

Picture God and Jesus in Heaven looking down on earth. God says, "Look at those people we created. The devil's really messed them up. Here we are, totally righteous, no evil in us and there they are, totally evil, no righteousness in them. We need to do something." God thinks a minute.....then says, "We need to go down there and make things right." And Jesus says, "Father, I'll go."

So Jesus goes to earth and stands majestic and tall before man, you and me. He has on His beautiful, shining, white robe of righteousness and there we are, bent over with filthy rags of sin on us. Jesus says, "Here Son, I want to make an exchange with you. Take my robe and give me your rags."

He willingly takes off his white robe and hands it to us and puts on our filthy rags. When He does, He becomes bent over and burdened down under the weight of our sin. But, when we put on His robe of righteousness, we raise up strong and tall! The point is...we are not righteous in and of ourselves, no not one of us. But we have been MADE righteous by the exchange of robes! "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

That's the answer! We're not righteous in ourselves, Jesus made us righteous! Thank God for that exchange. Don't stay bent over under the weight of sin. Take the robe, He's holding it out to you.