So often the impression is given that our relationship with God is mainly about all the ways in which we need to change and that salvation is dependent upon self-improvement. Thankfully, God has provided a substitute for self-improvement. Rather than change, he offers an exchange: our sin, guilt, and death for his holiness, innocence, and life. This week, we see the exchange that is the hardest of all to believe. God removes works from the equation of our relationship with God and replaces it entirely with faith. God’s approval and a spot in heaven are dependent on faith in God’s love and Christ’s work alone.