Why one sacrifice for all

The Old Testament Lamb had no choice.

The New Testament Lamb chose.

Hebrews 2: 5-18 

I don't know if you are like me but sometimes I think Christ skated through the crucifixion and resurrection.  I mean He was God and knew how things would turn out.  But how does that relate to Christ's humanness?  In order to be fully man He had to experience all we experiences that includes: anxiety, fear, apprehension and just not knowing what awaited. I'm not a theologian but if He was to truly experience all of the human condition, He would certainly have had to experience all our maladies. (Hebrews 5:2)

We as humans are like the Old Testament lambs.  We are herded around by this life having no clue what’s around the next corner. Our lives are completely reactionary. We are offered up on the altar of this age, our lives a living sacrifice to the gods of the age. 

Christ by humbling himself and becoming human (Phil 2:8) offered us the opportunity to become a New Testament Lamb. (Romans 12:1)  Through the new birth, we can now choose to offer ourselves or not, just as Christ, the sacrifice, chose to offer himself for the redemption of all. (John 10: 16-18)

Now instead of being reactionary we become sacrificial. Our reactions are no longer focused on our plight but on the plight of others. Our focus is no longer strictly fixated on our condition in this world, our focus is becoming more and more on His Kingdom.

As Christ, we become less and less attached to this world, our faith and obedience grows and so does our peace.  We lose the anxiety, fear and apprehension that made us unwitting sheep of the slaughter and are now, as Christ is, a sacrifice that offers itself.

“Your faith has saved you”

Luke 7:36-50

In these verses there are 3 primary individuals:

1.       The Women – she knew who she was and knowing
        that was aware of her fate and aware of her need to
        be forgiven.  She was who the Pharisees said she was 
        yet with the light.  Where sin did much a bound,
        Grace did MUCH MORE abound.

2.      The Pharisees – they thought they knew who they were

        yet were blind.  If you were to ask any typical

        resident of that community who was familiar with the

        women and the Pharisees (priests) I am sure they

        would have held the priests in higher regard, yet we

        know from the story who should have been regarded 

        superior the Christ.

3.       The Christ – Did not claim a position of authority yet

        was recognized by both the Pharisees and the

        women as having some special place. He was invited

        by the Pharisees because they had heard His

        teachings, seen the miracles and heard of others. They
        were curious and ultimately incredulous. The women
        knew He had power and authority to create and
        forgive. 

The Pharisees did not treat Christ with common courtesy, washing of the feet, greet with a kiss, anointing with perfume.  The women, although it was not her home, lavished the Christ with uncommon courtesy. 

Although her repentance was extreme and her adoration intense when all was said and done, it was her faith, what she believed, that saved her not what she did.  The women recognized Christ for who He was, a person sent by God with the authority to change who she was and ultimately affect her fate for eternity.

Until we begin to see that God's ultimate injustice is that He saves people like us, we will still be looking at God's SOVEREIGN justice from a tainted human perspective. The harlot knew this well, the Pharisees not so much.

The Joy of Knowing You
The Peace of Trusting You
The Assurance Because of You

The Joy of Knowing You:
Seeking approval of others can be an ominous task.  What if we say the wrong thing, act a wrong way, will they still like me, will I get the promotion.  A talk show host sent a reporter onto the street to question passerby's if they had a family fight over the recent Christmas holiday, almost everyone said that they had. 

Once we know Christ the Spirit reveals to us the "futility of pettiness".  Why do we spend so much time and energy on so many inconsequential things? Jesus says I will keep you, I am the same, yesterday, today and forever.  I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.  When we know this, when this becomes a part of us, we can have confidence that who we are matters and that what we are is secure in the creator of the universe.  The little things (petty) become just that.

Romans 8 14 - 17    14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son ship and by him we cry, “Abba, (Daddy) Father.” 16  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The Peace of Trusting You:

We are told in Scripture to do the best we can each and every day.  When we get stressed and things get too big to handle is when our very best seems to not be enough.  Perceived expectations at work, socially, in relationships even put on us by us, these can be greater than we could ever hope to bare.  They crush us and weigh us down.  The expectation is not the problem the perception is.

Jesus said my Peace I leave with you.  Notice He is LEAVING it with us.  He is not taking it with him because, guess what, HE NEVER EVER LEAVES ! ! !  The peace the world offers is temporal at best.  It lasts as long as everyone agrees or the power that enforces it remains.  The world's peace is a state of existence, God's peace is a gift that is always available.  The question is, will you accept it and then rest (trust) in it?

John 14: 25-27  25  “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The Assurance Because of You:

Value, Self Worth, by what yardstick do we value ourselves?  Sociologically we know the answer to this question is arbitrary.  Where we live, what our culture values all dictate how valuable we perceive ourselves. The following is a web page that lists in order the 10 countries where obese women are considered the Pinnacle of female attractiveness.  http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-countries-celebrating-female-obesity.php

If the standard is so fickle and our perception so subjective what can we trust.  Our value is in knowing that tomorrow we will be better (closer) than today.  My value is not based on my extraordinary efforts and how those efforts are perceived by others, my value is based on how I am valued by the Father.

How can I lose hope when the One who first loved me has a future for me that I can't even BEGIN to imagine.  All my tomorrows will be better than my todays and yesterdays.  Those aren't my thoughts, those are God's truths.

Phil 1: 3-10  3  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7  It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. 

Plans

Our plans are not His plans
Our ways are not His Ways
Our disappointments may be His victories
His Plans are our best paths.

It seems the only time a prayer is considered answered is when the answer matches our request and expected outcomes.  Perish the thought that the Lord may say "No" or "Wait". 

The Lord is sovereign, not a sparrow falls to the ground that He is not aware.  The hairs on our head are numbered. 

"The prayers of a righteous man avails much" James 5:16.  "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12.

Our prayers are hampered by an estranged relationship with the Lord.  Christ died to reconcile us to the Father.  When we continuously sabotage that relationship by a lack of obedience and sin, we will hear more "No" when we pray. 

Obedience is active and elective. Romans 13:14 says to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ, this means putting on His righteousness and as we do He will open His ears to our prayers and we can be assured that He has heard them. The answer may be "Yes" or the answer may be "No" or the answer may be "Wait" but we know that Romans 8:28 will always apply.

Our prayers are heard and answered to our greatest good.

God Bless
Al

Introduction

Hello,
I began a journey 2 years ago when I found myself unemployed at 59 years old (a phenomenon of this recession that is definitely under reported). Since that time I have experienced many different emotional, spiritual and practical challenges.  Some are blessings, some are lessons others I still haven't figured out.

One of the blessings has been the blessing of time.  I have had time to spend in my Bible and time to contemplate.  At first I didn't necessarily consider this a blessing,  I was, and still am at times, concerned about whether spending this time with the Lord is time best spent.  Should I be searching for jobs, am I using this "God Time" as a cop out, I ask myself this very question often.  I have been literally challenged by a non believing relative on this very point.  Luke 10: 38 - 42 gives a great illustration.  Mary chose the better things and they will not be taken away from her.

I am not a theologian, I am a follower of Christ, and I find writing anything for anyone's consumption beside my most intimate friends and family a bit arrogant.  What I am sharing are little kernels of grace given to me during my quite times over the last couple years. Sometimes the thoughts came from others, and when that is the case, I will give the reference.  But most of the time the thoughts are simply the impressions stimulated by reading the Word and thinking how it applies to life.  Maybe it will be a benefit to others.  I hope that will be the case.

Al Willems