This book explains one of the most foundational principles of Scripture – the atonement -- in a detailed yet accessible manner. Our sin for Christ’s righteousness is the theme, and this book is very helpful in defining and emphasizing the centrality of Christ’s work. Anyone who reads it will discover a rich discussion that, even for all it says, still only begins to scratch the surface of God’s mercy and love expressed in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Great Exchange that results from the death of the perfect sacrifice is a two-fold substitution: the charging of the believer’s sin to Christ results in God’s forgiveness, and the crediting of Christ’s righteousness to the believer results in his justification. More than being declared not guilty, in Christ believers are actually declared righteous. Redeemed sinners and their Christ have traded places. [41]

Because we are born into Adam, our representative, we are born into sin. And yet it is not as if apart from Adam we would never personally sin – it is always only a short time until we participate as sinners by our own volition. [108] 

Jesus offers no prosperity gospel. Christ is not a means to an end for the Christian – he is the end. He is the wealth we long for. [154]

Our personal righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and is entirely worthless apart from the atoning work of Christ. If we stand on it as our hope for earning God’s mercy and eternal salvation, it will merit us only hell, because it denies and diminishes and devalues God’s own provision for the forgiveness of our sin – Christ crucified. [174]

God himself is our ultimate reward. God is what makes heaven, heaven. Without God, without Christ, heaven would be as unfulfilling as this present world. [260]

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