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“You came that I might live. You came that I might be set free. Exchanged Your life for mine. What a marvelous thing You’ve done.”
– Walter Hawkins – Songwriter
EXCHANGE is an act of giving one thing and receiving another (especially of the same type of value) in return; to utterly change out. When God is involved in a Divine Exchange, He gives us something BETTER in return. The photo above reminds us of God’s Divine Exchange in Isaiah 1:18, “…Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” We enter our encounters with Jesus one way, but once we have a genuine relationship with Him…we change and are qualitatively not the same.
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In the song “Marvelous,” pastor and renowned psalmist Walter Hawkins describes the most wonderful Divine Exchange mankind has ever known. It’s the atonement, or substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) The word ransom connotes that we were held hostage by Satan in our sins under penalty of death. Until, motivated by His great love, God sent His only Son into the world to pay the ultimate price once and for all by dying on Calvary’s Cross. He exchange His life for ours. (Heb. 9-10) He rose from the dead exchanging death for life and invites us to bring our dead places to Him for resurrection.
I preached a message, No Regrets (you can view) in which I explained that God does not intend to leave us in a state of sin, shame or desperation. He wants to wash, cleanse, revive, renew, restore and recover us in order to display His glory. Our histories of pain and neglect, of abandonment, abuse and rejection, do not disqualify us. They actually qualify us to show the world that Jesus saves and redeems. We become trophies of His grace and splendor! 1 Corinthians 1:28-31 tells us that not many strong, mighty and wise people are called. God chooses orphans of ignoble birth, the weak, and the despised. The foolish things of God confound the wisdom of this world. The things that are not bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh will glory in His presence. All our boasting will be about the LORD! All we’ll be able to say is, “God did it!” Isaiah 61 reveals the Divine Exchange:
1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 4They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
Jesus announced in Luke 4:18-19 that Isaiah 61 was fulfilled in Him.When He gives beauty for ashes, it actually means He gives a crown of victory for the rubble! Now, no matter what has happened in your life, regardless of how horrific it was…if it was a sin you committed, or was committed against you; you become a candidate for the Divine Exchange. There is NO irredeemable life or situation as this powerful video clip from Joyce Meyer conveys. All of the elements of the Divine Exchange are open to you…receive them today.
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