The "Great Exchange"

So, several weeks ago I began another Beth Moore Bible study. It's called A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place, and it's a study on the Old Testament Tabernacle. The theme verse for Day 3 of Week 3 was this:

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." ~2 Corinthians 5:21

One of the illustrations she used to paint a picture of what this really means for us was the story of Jonathan's covenant of friendship with David in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. I love how she put it, so I'm just going to share that here. I hope it touches and refreshes you as it did me!

"Although only Jonathan's gift to David is recorded, these verses probably portray the covenant of exchange, a practice in which two persons sealed a binding covenant by exchanging attire. This covenant represented a basic precept: 'I will become what you are, and you will become what I am with the result that our souls are knit together as one.' Because Jonathan was the royal son, the offspring of the first king of Israel, he was dressed in the finest royal robes. The riches of the kingdom were at his disposal, and his wishes were another's commands. But he desired one thing: for David to have everything he had. Jonathan was so intent that he was willing to change places with him and to become what David was.

"David, on the other hand, was only a shepherd boy. He came from a meager home and was a servant to King Saul. He wore a simple cloak, which likely still reeked of sweat and sheep...This covenant was based on Jonathan's love, not on David's. David's love is never mentioned.

"1 John 4:10 -- 'This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.'

"Having put on Jonathan's robe, David rose as a king's son, dressed in splendid regalia, with teh king's emblem pressed on him. He might have experienced a moment of pride until he looked at Jonathan standing before him, probably having put on David's worn out robe, suddenly a servant. Perhaps as long as David looked at himself, he could almost believe that he deserved this destiny, but he could only feel humble when he looked steadfastly into the eyes of his covenant partner.

"May we never forget that in the 'great exchange' Christ also put on our robe: 'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God' (2 Cor. 5:21).

"God addresses three kinds of righteousness in His Word: (1) Self-righteousness (see Matt 5:20). (2) Imputed righteousness -- righteousness given to us on the basis of our salvation when we become 'the righteousness of God' (2 Cor 5:21). After we are born again, the state of our imputed righteousness does not change. (3) Imparted righteousness -- the fleshing out or expression of the righteousness we have received in Christ, the Holy Spirit's righteousness applied to the soul. This is the difference between owning the royal robe and actually wearing it!

"Ephesians 4:22-24 -- '(22) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; (23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (24) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.'

"The key to wearing our new self, rather than allowing our robes of righteousness to hang in the closet, is found in Ephesians 4:23. Are you storing anything of the old self in the new mind? We are new creatures in Christ; but if we still think like the old creatures, we will find it impossible to personify the new. Most of our ways wars are fought on the battlefield of the mind.

"We will never experience the rich righteousness that Christ exchanged for our sins until we learn to love God with our minds."