the Unequal Exchange and our Richest Treasure

Here we are again, on this Happy Reformation Day, enjoying Martin Luther's insights on the gospel of grace...

The Scripture, in many places, calls Christ our priest, bridegroom, love’s delight, etc., and us who believe in him, his bride. This is a fair, sweet, loving picture, which we always should have before our eyes. For, first, he has manifested his office of priesthood in this, that he has preached, made known, and revealed his Father’s will unto us. Secondly, he has also prayed, and will pray for us true Christians so long as the world endures. Thirdly, he has offered up his body for our sins upon the cross. He is our bridegroom, and we are his bride. What he, the loving Saviour Christ has - yea himself - is ours; for we are members of his body, of his flesh and bone, as St. Paul says. And again, what we have, the same is also his; but 
the exchange is exceeding unequal; for he has everlasting innocence, righteousness, life, and salvation, which he gives to be our own, while what we have is sin, death, damnation, and hell; these we give unto him, for he has taken our sins upon him, has delivered us from the power of the devil, and crushed his head, taken him prisoner, and cast him down to hell; so that now we may, with St. Paul, undauntedly say: “Death, where is thy sting?" 

When we have our sweet and loving Saviour Christ, we are rich and happy more than enough, and we are comforted in his promise, where he says, “I am daily with you to the world’s end.” This is 
our richest treasure.

Martin Luther, Table Talk CXCI and CCXXIV, translated by William Hazlitt, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/tabletalk.v.i.html.