O Sweet Exchange!
Contemporary encouragement from ancient wisdom
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
The following is an excerpt from a second century letter simply titled the Epistle to Diognetus. Its author is unknown, and not much more is known of the recipient, but its content should be familiar enough to any Christian. Thoroughly biblical and profoundly encouraging, it outlines the contours of what the author here calls the “sweet exchange”—the transaction that took place at the cross whereby the “wickedness of many” was hid in a “single righteous One” and the “righteousness of One” justified many transgressors.
This emphasis upon such themes as justification, imputation, and penal substitution is important for a number of doctrinal and historical reasons, but the truly striking thing about the text, and the thing most worthy of note and imitation, is surely the devotional character of the passage. Its author doesn’t simply record these truths, he almost sings them. In setting forth an “apology” or defence of the Christian faith, he rises to soaring heights, thus reminding us of the inextricable bond between theology and doxology. As the psalmist said, “My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes” (Ps. 119:171).
In any event, I hope you will be encouraged by this passage. Folly abounds in our day, but the gospel of God remains the same. What’s more, the Christ of the gospel remains the same as well. He has been saving sinners throughout the ages and will continue to do so, building His church, until all that the Father has given Him are safely deposited within His care. This excerpt is but one more example of that marvelous truth. May it give strength and vigour to our faith as we join with the saints of all ages, striving “side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27), according to the grace of our God and Saviour.
“But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities.
He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for those who are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! That the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life…”
— Epistle to Diognetus