11.15.09
Using Time Well
As today’s passage indicates, the Lord gives us resources and abilities, and He desires that we use them well. One such gift is time.
In order to manage our days effectively, we should continually review them: What activities did we choose? How long did each one take? What were the results? This discipline will reveal what is most important to us.
In looking closely at our assessments, we can determine what drives our decisions about how to use time. Some people merely respond to circumstances for a majority of their day. They jump from one thing to the next, answering phone calls, reorganizing shelves, or doing anything that appears in their world at the moment. But this style of living misses the mark.
Other people spend their time according to desires. They want to relax, so they get home and watch television for the evening. Or they love to hunt, so they use their time to research equipment and locate wildlife in the forest. Desires are not bad, but they should not drive the bulk of our actions.
Thankfully, there are also people who live according to what they deem important. Loving God and serving others, for instance, are two biblical values that should, ideally, determine what we do with our time.
If you itemize your activities and their time consumption over the course of a week, you might be surprised at the dominating events. Each moment is a gift, so set aside a few minutes each evening to plan. Then revisit the way you spent the last 24 hours. This will help you to live purposefully.
Source: In Touch Ministries
11.14.09
Guidance for the Young…
Proverbs 3
1 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“ Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
34 Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
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“It is better to live naked in truth than clothed in fantasy.” ~Brennan Manning
“If you have comprehended God, you have not. God is always greater because… He is God.” ~Thomas Aquinas
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
- Unknown author
“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.”~ Denis Waitley
The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” ~ Brian Tracy
“Remember, happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have, it depends solely upon what you think.”~ Dale Carnegie
11.12.09
thoughts….
Work as if it was your first day.
Forgive as soon as possible.
Love without boundaries.
Laugh without control
and never stop smiling.
10.22.09
Obedience or Independence?
Our Lord never insists obedience. He stresses very definitely what we ought to do, but He never forces us to do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit with Him. That is why whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .” ( Luke 9:23 ). In other words, “To be My disciple, let him give up his right to himself to Me.” Our Lord is not talking about our eternal position, but about our being of value to Him in this life here and now. That is why He sounds so stern (see Luke 14:26 ). Never try to make sense from these words by separating them from the One who spoke them.
The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. Jesus Christ will not force me to obey Him, but I must. And as soon as I obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When God’s redemption brings a human soul to the point of obedience, it always produces. If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God.
Source : RBC Devotionals
10.18.09
Women of the Bible – The Persistent Widow
This woman is featured in the Bible in Luke 18:1-8. We are told right away that this is a parable.A parable is a short allegorical story designed to convey a truth or moral lesson.
Since it is a parable, we know that this widow did not really exist although there were many widows in Jesus’ time. They were powerless and among the most vulnerable in society. Many, who were without sons to take care of them would fall victim to thieves and other unscrupulous people.
The judge in the parable did not fear God, nor did he care about people. He did not live by the laws that govern righteous and moral conduct. But, the widow must have been strong. We know this because she was persistent. She kept going to the judge and asking for justice against an adversary. Even though judge did not care about her or about keeping God’s laws, he finally gave her justice because he was afraid that she would wear him out with her persistence.
There are many widows in our time. There are also many powerless and vulnerable people. Any of us could be that widow. Have you felt helpless and alone, when facing trouble over which you have no control? Jesus told the disciples this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
We know that our God is not like the judge in the parable. God loves His children. So, how much easier it should be to go to Him than to that unjust judge. As the parable says, those who pray (cry out day and night to Him), will see justice and quickly. He answers prayer!
At the end of this Bible passage there is a bonus thought. Jesus adds, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith?” Jesus is coming back and when He does, will He find us faithfully waiting for Him or will we be caught off guard? Will we be doubting that He is listening to our prayers? Or will we be faithfully persistent?
source: BellaOnline.Com
Seven Habits for Living a Holy Life
1 Peter 1:15 (HCSB) As the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct.
Sanctification….
1. We must be sanctified because God is holy (2 Chronicles 29:1-11)
2. We have been set apart to serve God (2 Chronicles 29:12-19)
3. The purification comes before the celebration (2 Chronicles 29:20-36)
4. Live a holy life, even if the world scoffs (2 Chronicles 30:1-15)
5. Sanctification is an inner decision that affects the outer actions (2 Chronicles 30:16-31:21)
How does Scripture want us to be able to define ourselves? 1 Peter 1:15-16 (HCSB) As the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. There you have it, we are to be holy! Why? Because God is Holy!
A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of junior boys the importance of living a “holy Christian life”. “Why do people call me a Christian?” the man asked. After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, “Maybe it’s because they don’t know you.”
Well, for those that know you, would they be able to say you are a Christian, that you are holy? Allow me to share with you seven habits assist you in living a “holy” life .
1. SAVIOR – You Must Devote Your Life to Follow Christ 2 Timothy 2:8-9a (HCSB) Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, according to my gospel. For this I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal.
2. SCRIPTURE – You Must Submit to the Authority of the Scripture as a Daily Guide In Your Life. Psalm 1:1-2 (HCSB) How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
3. SUPPLICATION – You Must Seek God Daily In Prayer 1 Thess. 5:17 (HCSB) Pray constantly. (Imperative)
4. SPIRIT – You Must Allow the Holy Spirit to Lead You Daily Galatians 5:16-26 (HCSB) I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
A life defined by the “fruit of the Spirit” is a life defined by the presence of the Holy Spirit
Example: Paul Acts 16:6-10 (HCSB) They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.
5. SAINTS – You Must Be Accountable to God’s House and His People Hebrews 10:25 (HCSB) Not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
6. SANCTIFICATION – You Must Be Obedient In Separating Yourself from the World 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (HCSB) For this is God’s will, your sanctification… 2 Corinthians 6:17 (HCSB) Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.
7. SERVICE – You Must Seek to Serve the Body of Christ – Find Your Ministry! Proverbs 3:28 (HCSB) Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.
CONCLUSION:
Part of living a life of holiness is developing habits in our lives that are holy. However, if you try to do these things on your own, you are doomed for failure! Only Christ, living in our lives, can make holiness a reality for sinful humanity Ezra Taft Benson said, “The Lord works from the inside-out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take the people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human behavior.”
Source: PastorJon.Blogs.Com
10.13.09
What Really Matters in Life?
A vacationing American businessman was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico when a small boat with just one young fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked.
“Oh, a few hours,” the Mexican replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American businessman then asked.
The Mexican warmly replied, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”
The businessman then became serious, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs…”
The American businessman impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, you can then buy a second boat, a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.
“Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.
” Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, “But how long will all this take?”
After a rapid mental calculation, the businessman pronounced, “Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”
”And then what, señor?” asked the fisherman.
“Why, that’s the best part!” answered the businessman with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”
“Millions? Really? What could I do with it all?” asked the young fisherman in disbelief.
The businessman boasted, “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’ve made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, take siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.
” The moral of the story is: Know what really matters in life, and you may find that it is already much closer than you think.
Source: WantToKnow.Info
a GLIMPSE of what HEAVEN is like….from the Book of Revelation
The Rider on the White Horse I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Thousand Years 1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Satan’s Doom 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Dead Are Judged 11Then I saw a Great White Throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The New Jerusalem.1Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, The New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
The Streets of Gold. 18The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass….21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. 22I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the Free Gift of the Water of Life.
~Revelation 19: 11-16; 20:1-15, 21:1-7~21:18, 21-27~
10.10.09
What does God do with our sins?
There is no greater joy and peace for a sinner than knowing that he or she has been ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven of all his sins.
The Holy Spirit “witnesses with our spirit” giving this great assurance that all our sins are under the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our great advocate in heaven pleading our case before the Father. He is not declaring our innocence, but our guilt, and the fact that we have accepted Him as our Substitute who died in our place on the cross.
The Holy Spirit is also our advocate working within us, pointing out our sinfulness and depravity, and giving assurance of the infinite benefits of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse and forgive. He helps us to trust entirely on Jesus Christ and His finished work. The inner advocate never points to Himself, but always to our Lord and Savior who gave Himself up for us.
God the Father lays all our sins on His Son. Jesus bore our sins as our divine Substitute. “The LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isaiah 53:6). God struck His Son, Jesus Christ, with a great force. “It is finished!” Our debt has been paid in full.
Jesus Christ lifts up and takes away our sins. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 36). John the Baptist used a word that means, “to take up and carry away.” Only the Lamb of God makes the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
God removes all our sins an infinitely, immeasurable distance from us. “As far as the east is from the west, so far He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). True east and true west go off into space and extend out into infinity. That is how far the LORD God has removed all our sins from His presence!”
Now since God can do that it means our sins can never be found. The LORD God declared, “In those days and at that time, search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I shall pardon those whom I leave as a remnant” (Jeremiah 50:20).
God forgives all or sins. “In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us” (Ephesians 1:7-8). And then He gives a bar of spiritual soap. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
God once and for all released us from our sins by the blood of Jesus (Rom. 1:5), and when He cleanses He makes us white as snow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be a white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). When God washes us, we are clean. “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm. 51:7).
God “pardons abundantly” (Isa. 55:7), “all your iniquities” (Ps. 103:3).
God “will tread our iniquities underfoot.” Have you ever seen something God stomped on? Then, “Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).
God does something we seldom do; He remembers our sins no more. “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17; Jeremiah 31:34).
God says He can see them no more because He “has cast all my sins behind Your back” (Isaiah 38:17). Literally, He cast them “between His shoulder blades,” where they can never be seen.
He covers our sins, blots them out as a thick cloud (Rom. 4:7; Isa. 43:25; 44:22).
The LORD God atones or covers our sins in such a way that He even blots out the proof against us, nailing it to the cross (Rom. 4:7-8; Col. 2:14). He has “cancelled out the certificate of debt,” and declares, “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account” (Psalm. 32:2).
Selah!
God FORGIVES us…the Blood of Jesus CLEANSES us from our SINS…
God has given blood as the means of atonement by which sins are forgiven. In Leviticus 17:11 He explains: “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Atonement is satisfaction for an offense, resulting in the restoration of a broken relationship. “According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
Under the Old Covenant there was atonement through the blood of sacrificial animals. This prefigured the blood of Christ, who would bring the ultimate sacrifice for sin. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:12-14). Christ was qualified to pay the penalty for our sin because He was without sin. Since He was not under the same condemnation, He could voluntarily take our place, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).
The blood of Christ is the blood of the New Covenant. Jesus told His hearers: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me’ ” (John 6:53-57).
The meaning of this mystery was revealed when Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’ ” (Matthew 26:26-28). Paul explained: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16).
Now we can better understand John’s statement: “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
We begin our walk in the light of the gospel when we are baptized into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Paul was told: “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
We continue to walk in the light by following Christ day after day and by coming together on the first day of the week to partake of the body and blood of Christ at the Lord’s table. Paul says that Christians become weak and sickly if they do not partake of the Lord’s supper correctly (1 Corinthians 11:30).
There is power in the blood of Christ.
The Old Covenant was given to the people of Israel. The New Covenant is for the whole world. To non-Jewish Christians Paul wrote: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
Under the Old Covenant only the high priest could enter the most holy place in the temple. Under the New Covenant every Christian may approach God in the heavenly sanctuary, “having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19,20). Jesus suffered “that He might sanctify the people with His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). Having been made holy by the blood of Christ, we may boldly approach God’s throne of grace.
The blood of Christ is the ultimate proof of God’s love. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8,9). He “loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).
God proves His love by the price He was willing to pay for our salvation: “Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:17- 19). The church was purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28).
The grace of God is demonstrated by the blood of Christ. We are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith” (Romans 3:24,25). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
The blood of Christ frees us from Satan and places us in the kingdom of God: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13,14). “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death’ ” (Revelation 12:10,11).
Because of the blood of Christ, we may stand in white before the throne of God: “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ ” (Revelation 7:13,14). “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation’ ” (Revelation 5:9).
“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Source: The OldPaths.Com by Roy Davison
