Galatians 2:20 - The Great Exchange

"It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me..."

The Great Exchange. This is a fundamental truth, not necessarily according to human understanding for who can understand such high things, but as a literal heavenly truth of the gospel. I am no longer the center of myself, my ego has been replaced with the fullness of Christ! This is the most amazing truth ever revealed. While this truth was hinted at in the old testament it was only through the holy apostles and prophets that it would become known to the Christian. And oh what stumbling block to the Jew...for, we can never, in no way, nadda, approve ourselves to God by trying to be good or by heritage. It is this particular law and universal law that we must not fall back into, warns Paul.

To make much of ourselves is our human tendency and here in the States we are brought up to be individualist and self sufficient. We are taught that good things come by hard work. While this is fine in some earthly practical sense as the Proverbs make that clear, it must be violently opposed in our faith. I can think of nothing more offensive to God than to assume a righteousness of my own. But it's a natural tendency to fall back into this thinking for me. And I'll remain a babe in faith until I can think less of myself and of Jesus more (Phillipians 3). God help me!

But what joy and peace: when God looks at me he sees Jesus, in true righteousness and holiness! And this is not conditional on my works ever, good works or sins. It's this truth that I like to remind myself of before praying, or reading scripture or sharing the gospel, these are fruits of the Great Exchange. And when I sin...my first thought is to be something like 'grace in which I stand. Sin doesn't belong there." Another fruit of the Great Exchange: no condemnation.

Some people have never heard of this truth...