“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
The Divine Exchange. Jesus takes our sin upon himself and give us his righteouness. Through faith we are saved, not by our own works but by the grace of God. But, was it always so? Did the holiness of God always encounter the sinfulness of man? Was there always such a glorious exchange?
In the Old Testament, God was very specific regarding the separation between the holy and the common - the sinful broken world, of which man is part. In Ezekiel, God commands in several places that garments and offerings not be brought outside the temple “lest they transmit holiness to the people.” Perhaps God remember the last time the He walked unseparated from man and the consequences that came. Perhaps He remembered what we did with the the righteous gifts He gave.
All of that is behind us now. By God’s grace, the holy and the common - God and Man - came together in the person of Jesus Christ. The unimpeded relationship between God and His people has been restored by Jesus’ death upon the cross for our sins. There is no longer a separation. We are no longer aliens or enemies but children of God, when we receive the gift of faith and turn toward the one who gives the gift. We have a home. We have a God. We have peace.
Prayer: Lord God, I give you thanks that by your grace, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, you have restored the relationship we once had with you - the relationship we broke through sin. Keep me in true faith. Draw me closer to you always that I might live in accordance with your will. By your grace, forgive my sins and give me the righteousness of Christ for His sake. In His precious name I pray. Amen.