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O Wonderful Exchange
“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 Corinthians 5:21)
The doctrine of justification is glorious, but it can also feel abstract until we grasp the stunning reality at its heart: The Great Exchange. Jesus Christ was made sin for us in order that we might be declared righteous in Him. This magnificent truth forms the foundation of the hymn “His Robes for Mine.”
Scripture repeatedly pictures this exchange through the imagery of garments. Isaiah 61:10 celebrates being clothed “with the garments of salvation” and covered “with the robe of righteousness.” Zechariah 3 shows the high priest Joshua standing before God in filthy clothes, which are then removed and replaced with pure vestments. In Revelation 7:9-14, the redeemed stand before God’s throne “clothed in white robes” that have been “washed…in the blood of the Lamb.” The great doctrine of imputed righteousness (Christ’s righteousness credited to us, our sin credited to Him) grows directly from texts like 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:19-4:8, and Philippians 3:9.
Each verse of “His Robes for Mine” explores a different facet of this exchange.
Verse 1: The Great Exchange
His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ‘neath God’s rage.
Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place He died.
The opening verse establishes the overarching theme: Christ took our sin; we receive His righteousness. It’s the Great Exchange in its fullest expression.
Verse 2: Christ’s Active Obedience
His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting Law Christ mastered in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
Saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.
This verse focuses on Christ’s active obedience, the fact that He mastered God’s Law in the place of sinners who could not, thus earning righteousness on our behalf. This is crucial: the righteousness imputed to us was Christ’s earned righteousness, acquired through perfect obedience to God’s Law, not merely the inherent righteousness He eternally possessed as God. Matthew 3:15, Romans 5:17-19, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 teach this vital truth.
Verse 3: The Doctrine of Propitiation
His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.
Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried, “‘Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid; propitiation won.
The third stanza addresses the doctrine of propitiation. God’s wrath was not merely deflected from us by Christ; it was absorbed by Him in our place. Jesus Christ bore the infinite wrath of God against sin, satisfying that wrath and enabling sinners to be forgiven, and justly so. Isaiah 53:10-11 describes it this way: God looks on the travail of Christ’s soul and is satisfied by it. His wrath has been exhausted on Christ (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2, 4:10).
Verse 4: Staggering Role Reversal
His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though His foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!
The final verse summarizes and celebrates the results of the Great Exchange: Christ forsaken and the sinner embraced by God. The role reversal is staggering. The beloved Son of God was forsaken (Matthew 27:46) in order that the cursed enemy of God might be beloved (Romans 5:1-2; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 John 4:9-14). Though we can understand this doctrine biblically, we cannot fully fathom it. It is astounding. It is wonderful.
Chorus: Responding to Marvelous Mercy
I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise—my all—shall be for Christ alone.
The hymn doesn’t progress linearly from verse 1 to verse 4. Instead, each verse moves toward and peaks at the refrain—a response of wonder at the cost of our salvation, followed by worship and consecration. This structure reflects the biblical pattern of Romans 12:1-2 and Acts 20:28: having received such mercy, we offer ourselves completely to God.
Take time this week to download, read, and listen to “His Robes for Mine.” Meditate on these truths. Let this hymn help you mine the infinite riches of the salvation won for us when Christ donned our filthy garments of sin and provided for us the robes of His own righteousness. Worship the Savior Who made this wonderful exchange possible. To Him be all glory, honor, and praise.
His Robes for Mine [HRFM Album Version – Sheet Music]
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His Robes for Mine [SOFJ Album Version – Sheet Music]
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MORE RESOURCES for “His Robes for Mine”
MORE MEDITATIONS ON CHRIST’S ATONEMENT
What if you could step into the final 24 hours before Jesus’ crucifixion and witness His love, suffering, and sacrifice firsthand? Sundown to Sundown is a 31-day devotional that journeys through the most profound day in human history, following Jesus from the upper room to Gethsemane, from Gabbatha to Golgotha. Each meditation unpacks the depth of His words, prayers, and trials, helping believers slow down and behold the wonder of Christ’s love.
