The Great Exchange

Martin Luther calls 2 Corinthians 5:21 “The Great Exchange.” Paul writes, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” It is indeed as Luther suggests a great exchange. The eternally existent Jesus-the One through whom all things were created and currently consist, did not consider equality with God something to be attained, but is the eternally blessed God-became sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[1]

It is important to note and meditate on the verses prior which indicate that one who is in Christ is a “new creation.” When Paul writes that he became sin “for us,” we are those who are in Jesus-believers who have been, “crucified with Christ.”[2] It is not just anyone who can lay claim to this amazing verse, but only those who have received the birth of the Spirit that Jesus speaks of in John chapter three. But if one professes to be a Christian then he claims this verse. He became sin-Jesus was not merely subjected to the savage scourging of the Romans, the crown of thorns, nails in his hands, nails in his feet, and slow painful suffocation-but on Him was placed the iniquity of us all. Christ suffered as a serial murderer, someone who hunted and killed other human beings for pleasure’s sake. He suffered as a white-lying hypocrite, and a Sunday-saint living like hell on Saturday. He suffered as a career prostitute, and a wicked slave master. He suffered as one who captures children to sell for sexual favors, and a money launderer that depletes the hard-earned retirement funds of the average working man. He suffered as one who worships objects fashioned by the hands of man, and an atheist who denies the existence of any heavenly being. He suffered as one who loves money more than his God or fellow man, and one who preaches that Godliness is congruent with handsome material gain. He suffered as a rapist, and a thief. To quote Shai Linne, “I could write for a billion years and still can’t name, all of the sins placed on the Lamb slain.” Consider that this suffering is equal to the penalty incurred by the sin, namely eternal damnation. Our sin warranted eternal punishment, thus it was necessary for our savior to be eternal. Christ suffered the full penalty for the sin of those who believe, becoming sin on our behalf.

Christ became sin; we became righteousness-the great exchange. Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? Perish the thought![3] This is the new life; we have been crucified with Christ, buried and raised with Him in newness of life.[4] It is therefore a dangerous thing to consider someone a “carnal Christian.” If one’s passion is for the flesh then he is indeed of the flesh. Sin is death. Christ did not become sin on our behalf so that we could continue dying, but so that we could live and live abundantly. Believers are the righteousness of Christ through Him who became sin, thus freed from the oppression of fleshly desire. We are free to live abundantly, content even with food and clothing, because we are God’s. Can the wonder of helpless sinners being reconciled to God be overstated?

When contemplating this great exchange it is imperative to remember that not everyone participates. In fact most do not. Most fail to submit to the gospel and receive the new birth and; thus remain in their sin. One must also remember that the exchange is not done by human hands. The Father placed His wrath on the Son, who became sin on our behalf, and the Father then imputes Christ’s righteousness to us. It is not our righteousness, or our work that we can boast in, but Christ alone is our boast. If we are indeed His then we ought to love our neighbor as He commanded, not that we might rigorously earn what has already been paid for, but because loving Christ entails loving our neighbor-the two are inseparable. Also we ought to revile sin in our lives. We ought not tolerate our sin, allow it to fester and grow; but we must mortify sin by the Spirit. We ought not to tolerate sin in the lives of our brethren, but in love we must mortify sin in the Church as well. Not as haughty Pharisees lording our righteousness over others as if we have earned it our self, but as family holding one another accountable for their own sake and the family’s-knowing that it is Christ who became sin on our behalf that we might become His righteousness.

We ought not to take lightly the work Christ has done, becoming sin so that we might become righteousness. Let us celebrate His tremendous gift, while humbly remaining aware of its implications. By the Spirit let us strive for holiness, not conforming to the pattern of this world, but nevertheless loving those living in the world-caring for them as Christ did.


"Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” -John 3:5-8



[1] See Philippians 2; John 1; Colossians 1, 2; and Romans 9 for scriptural proof that all these things are indeed true of Jesus.
[2] Galatians 2:21
[3] See Romans 6:1-2
[4] Romans 6:3-11ish