The Great Exchange

I’ve always hated leaving Christmas behind, so I have just one more note for the Christmas season today, in regard to the birth of Jesus. We are told the following in II Corinthians 5:21: “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.” I could elaborate on that some, but there is another point that I would like to get to in this short article today. That point is this: By the same token that Jesus became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him, so also was he transformed from a glorified, heavenly, immortal body; into human flesh, so that we could be transformed from this human body into a glorified body like unto his at his second coming. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not…. And the Word was MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:1,3,10,14). That’s pretty plain isn’t it? But there’s more: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb. 2:14:18). Wow! As an old hymn goes, “If that isn’t love, then the ocean is dry, there’s no stars in the sky, and the sparrow can’t fly.” Yes indeed, Jesus left his glorious estate in heaven to literally “be MADE like unto [us],” as the scripture states. I don’t know about you my friend, but I am just melted by that love, looking on these things and realizing just what God and his blessed Son really did, just to gain us back and provide for us the glorious and blessed hope of this Gospel.

That ‘one hope’ of the Gospel is just what I would like to take a look at next: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I Jn. 3:2,3). There it is, by “being made like unto [us]” physically, he has made the way for us to made like unto him with a glorious and immortal physical body. PRAISE GOD THAT’S JUST DOWNRIGHT EXCITING!! He even provided us with the power and holiness of his blessed “Spirit of life” wherewith we are ABLE to “purify [ourselves] even as he is pure.” And if we DO purify ourselves daily from everything that is unlike his love and holiness, and continue to do so till the end, the reward is as good as it gets, and even better: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Cor. 15:51-54). That’s not only very plain, it is very GOOD as well; and I believe one more graphic description of the reward of the faithful is all we need: “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philip. 3:20,21). So the Son of God was “made flesh,” so that we could inherit immortality like his. The key is in remembering that the reward is promised ONLY to those who continue to “purify [themselves] even as he is pure” (Mat. 24:12,13). For it is also written, “Blessed and HOLY is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). All I can say to these things is a very hardy AMEN! God bless. Merry Christmas!