His Robes for Mine

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)

It is hard to read the verse above without breaking down and crying. When one truly stops to reflect on what those words mean, he can only feel humble and thankful. Think about it! God took His holy and perfect Son, Jesus Christ, and made Him sin. For us. We cannot even begin to fathom this kind of love.

Why? Why would God do such an incredible thing? Because He desires a personal relationship with us.

From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, God wanted to reconcile with us. He longed to restore that sweet fellowship that He and man once shared. However, man had a problem—sin. Sin separates us from our holy and righteous God. God cannot and will not tolerate sin. Wicked, sin-filled man can’t have a relationship with God. On his own, man is utterly lost.

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:2-5)

But God.

These are two small words, yet they speak great volumes. They speak of the riches of God’s mercy, grace, and love toward us.

God’s mercy because He does not give us the punishment we deserve. In our unbelief, we were under God’s wrath, but through God’s mercy, we are saved.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)

God’s grace because He gives us the things we don’t deserve—salvation and eternal life.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7)

God’s love because He sent His only begotten Son to pay our debt and take our place on the cross.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

The word propitiation means “to appease.” It carries with it the picture of the sprinkling of blood upon the mercy seat, the atoning of our sins. Jesus Christ appeased God’s wrath through His great sacrifice on the cross.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

What convicting verses these are! Notice how many times this passage uses the word our. It was OUR griefs, OUR sorrows, OUR transgressions, OUR iniquities, and OUR chastisement that Christ took upon Himself. He bore the shame and punishment for our sin.

Christ became a curse for us. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:13)

Christ bore our sins. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Why? “…that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21b)

Christ was condemned so that we could be pardoned, cursed so that we could be redeemed, and debased so that we could be esteemed. He exchanged His robes for ours, His righteousness for our sin. We live because Christ died.

Dwell on these thoughts today. Meditate on God’s great love and Christ’s selfless sacrifice. Please take the time to read the words of the song below. May it touch your heart anew with all that Christ endured for us.

His Robes for Mine

His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ‘neath God’s rage.
Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place He died.

Refrain

I cling to Christ and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own:
My praise—my all—shall be for Christ alone.

His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting Law Christ master in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
Saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.

His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.
Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin then cried, “Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid; propitiation won.

His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though His foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone:
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!

To download a free copy of the sheet music to the song above or other great songs like it, please click here.

If you have never accepted Christ’s great sacrifice for you and have never received Him as your Saviour, please click here for the Bible Way to Heaven.