“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6 (NIV)
The “great exchange” of Romans chapter 5 is what Jesus did for us. When He died for us, He did away with the consequences of Adam
and Eve’s sin: that is: wrath (vs. 9), death (vs. 12), judgement (vs. 16), and condemnation (vs. 18). The consequences of sin make us run away from God and live in fear of Him. Adam and Eve, who once enjoyed a close relationship with God, ran and hid upon hearing God coming into the Garden of Eden to meet with them, as He was accustomed to doing.
What God did for humanity was to exchange the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin by: declaring us free of sin and guilt (justification, vs. 9), restoring a right relationship with Him (reconciliation, vs. 10), showing His unmerited favor towards us (grace, vs. 15), and giving us the gift of right standing with Him (righteousness, vs. 17).
God has provided a solution to the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. If our response to God’s invitation to fellowship with Him is the
same as theirs, then we have not understood God’s nature and His attitude towards us.
Our response to the great exchange is to believe that God really loves us so much that He would send His Son to bear the consequences of our sin and offer us life. The free gift of right standing with Him (righteousness) allows us to resume the daily relationship and fellowship that was lost in the Garden of Eden. Accept the gift!
– Raymond Neckoway
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org