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Read: 2 Corinthians 5:21
Listen: 2 Corinthians 5

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21

Paul compresses the entire gospel message into a single verse, and the Corinthians would feel its power. Jesus, the one who lived without a single sin, becomes sin itself on the cross. He absorbs the full penalty of human rebellion so that the people who deserve condemnation can receive righteousness instead. This is the great exchange. The sinless one takes the place of the guilty. The guilty receive the standing of the sinless. Nothing in the Greco-Roman world offers a parallel. No god stoops this low. No sacrifice costs this much. The only possible explanation is God’s perfect, sacrificial love.

The cross still prompts the same question it prompted in Corinth: why would God do that? The answer reshapes everything. We haven’t earned this and never could. Jesus took what we deserved and gave us what he earned. His righteousness becomes ours through faith. And when it does, everything changes. We move from guilty to forgiven, from estranged to adopted, from dead to alive. This is the foundation we build our lives on—not our effort, but his exchange. There is no greater love and no better news. This is what we carry into every relationship, every conversation, and every corner of the world he sends us into.

TODAY: If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus, pray and receive his gift now. Confess your sin, trust his sacrifice, and accept his righteousness as your own. If you already follow Jesus, express your gratitude by joining Ada Bible Worship as they sing “God So Loved.” Consider taking your next step of public faith through baptism. Learn more HERE.