His Robes For Mine

I spent most of last week at The Wilds, a Christian camp set in 1000 acres of, well, the middle of nowhere in the mountains of south west North Carolina. I love the scenery and isolation of The Wilds (and the coffee shop with the leather chairs and fireplace) but what i appreciate the most is their total commitment to unleashing the Word of God on teenagers. One of the ways this is reflected is in song. During our meetings last week we sung a song that i'd never heard before, called 'His Robes for Mine.'

I love the way this song sings of such a glorious truth. When we come to Christ, we are clothed in His righteous, He having taken our sin. This is a thread (ah-ha!) that you can trace through the Bible, from Adam and Eve in an animal skin just before they were removed from the Garden, to the High Priest in his heavenly robe, to the prodigal son to you and me. It'a wonderful truth to sing about.

His Robes For Mine

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.

Chorus:

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.

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.

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.

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!