Daily Bread – March 22, 2023 (The Fourth Day – Genesis 1:14-19) Colossians 1:21 – And you were once alienated and enemies in thoughts by your wicked works, but now He has changed. The Exchange The miracle of God’s salvation is that He takes those who were full of iniquity and evil deeds, and changes them into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:1-2, 4:18). The essential idea to understanding what Christ has done for us is found in verse 21. Christ Jesus “exchanged” (Gr- apokatallasso) His life for ours. Although many translators have rendered this Greek word “reconciled”, the meaning is more fully revealed by the word “exchanged”. Jesus took all of our sin and shame, and in exchange gave us His righteousness and glory (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21). By taking all of our sins upon Himself, He destroyed the power and dominion of the devil, and in exchange, brought us into the power and dominion of the Kingdom of God. Through the blood of Jesus, we go from being the enemies of God, to those who have peace with Him. We are transformed from those who are full of wickedness, to those who are holy and blameless. We pass from death to life, and from those who are stained with sin, to those who are spotless and without blemish. In this transformation, we come to understand the meaning of what God has done for us. We may also understand the meaning of this word as “restoration”. God has restored us from the chaos of transgression and rebellion, to the order of holiness and love (Ephesians 1:4). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 3/22/2023
