The Mystery of the Substitution %

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)

The greatest exchange in heaven and earth was this: the Innocent was punished so the guilty could be justified. Jesus becoming a sinner in our place is only one facet of this mystery—the other, often overlooked, is that the sinner becomes a saint. Both sides of this divine exchange are staggering, and together they reveal the full power of the cross. If you truly grasp what this exchange means—not just in doctrine, but in daily life—it will transform how you see yourself, how you see others, and how you walk with God.

At the heart of the Gospel is this divine substitution. As we’ve explored in other devotionals, a New Testament “mystery” is not something mystical or hidden, but a profound truth once concealed and now revealed in Christ. And this mystery is breathtaking: God did not simply allow Jesus to suffer unjustly; He made Him to be sin—your sin, my sin, and the sin of the world.

Jesus didn’t just carry sin as a burden. He became the embodiment of sin before a holy God, treated as though He had committed every evil act ever done by mankind. He who knew no sin was treated as though He had done nothing but sin. The full measure of divine wrath was poured out—not upon a sinner—but upon the sinless Lamb who stood in the sinner’s place.

And the exchange goes both ways. We are not merely forgiven. We are made the righteousness of God in Him. This is not poetic language—it is spiritual reality. The old sinner dies; a new saint rises. God doesn’t merely cover our sin. He changes our identity.

This means your salvation was never about you being good enough, sincere enough, or even repentant enough. It was about Jesus being righteous enough to take your place—and powerful enough to bring you into His. It also means that every sinner around you—no matter how far gone—has already had their sins paid for. They just need to be told and to receive it.

Jesus died as a sinner so that you might live as a saint. That is the mystery. That is the miracle.

Meditate

What does it mean to be “made” the righteousness of God in Christ? Have you truly embraced both sides of the exchange?

Act on the Word

Let the cross shape how you see yourself today. You are not just a forgiven sinner—you are a saint in Christ. And let it shape how you see others: their sin is already paid for. Now it’s time to tell them.