Clean

On August 19, 2024   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 9:13-14       (New Living Translation)

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

I want to discuss sin consciousness. This scripture tells us that under the old dispensation, the blood of animals was able to clean people, ceremonially, so that they could worship God as clean individuals. The blood sacrifice covered their sin so that they could go before God. The blood only covered their sin though. It still remained but was overlaid by the blood of sacrifice. The blood of animals did not and could not erase their sin.

We are under a different covenant with God now because of the shed blood of Jesus. 1 John 1: 7 says, “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” When we have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and confessed Him as Lord, then He is righteous and good to forgive our sins. His blood doesn’t cover our sin; it eradicates it from the memory of God. It is as if it never happened. The blood of animals only covered sin so that we could enter God’s presence but Jesus’ blood, the blood of the unblemished lamb, has completely erased our sin and completely cleansed our souls. We can therefore stand before God spotless in the blood of the lamb.

This is really important to grasp. God no longer sees you as a sinner. He does not even know what sin you are talking about because it has been completely washed away by Jesus. The only place that sin still exists is in your mind. But this scripture tells us that the blood of Christ has the power to purify and clean your conscience. You must let go of that sin consciousness and allow the blood of Christ to stand for you. It is only vanity that keeps you holding on to your deeds instead of yielding to Jesus’ great act. When you take your mind off of yourself (including your past acts) and put it on Jesus and His wonderful intercession, then you will be able to enjoy a holiness consciousness instead of a sin consciousness. You will let go of past failures and glorify God for Jesus’ great success. You are no longer a lowly worm of a sinner if you have confessed your sin and allowed the blood of the perfect lamb to wash you clean. If you have not confessed your sin and if you are not letting Jesus wash you clean, then you have a much bigger problem that should be addressed. But if you are really a child of the Most High through the shed blood of Jesus, then your sin no longer exists. It has been washed away by the one who is greater than you. You can and should let it go and live in the glory of who He is rather than in the failure of who you were. It is all about Him and He has perfectly redeemed you with His own precious blood.

Quit wallowing around in your sin and stand erect and perfect in the blood of the lamb. Do not make the blood of Jesus of no effect by continuing to hang on to a sin consciousness. You are no longer an old sinner burdened by past sin. He has made you clean, and you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5: 21. It is not holy for you to keep beating yourself up about past sin. It is not saintly for you to continue to humbly call yourself a sinner. It is a false humility based on your acts instead of the actions of Jesus and it is a sacrilege. Let go of your sin consciousness and adopt instead a glory consciousness for the miracle that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit have wrought in you.

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In Him

On November 29, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 19: 11        Passion

For they warn us, his servants, and keep us from following the wicked way, giving a lifetime guarantee: great success to every obedient soul!

We all want great success, don’t we? In this, the eleventh verse, King David points out that all that he has written in the previous ten verses comes to a head here. In verse ten we learned that nothing brings the soul such sweetness as seeking God’s living words. Why? Because they warn us, keep us, bring us success with a lifetime guarantee. Do you see how this flows together?

God’s living words, understandably, have life in them. That life, which actually is Jesus (John 14: 6), has success and prosperity built in. Look at Jesus’ life. Do you remember how he recruited his team? He said, “Follow me.” And they did. How is that for charisma? That is success. He didn’t strive or fret. Success was built in and guaranteed for life.

I find that sometimes we balk at language such as “the wicked way.” Can I just say that we can reframe that as we read it to prevent our stumbling? The wicked way isn’t just about sinning and no one, including Yahweh, thinks you practice sinning. His words, His living words lead us in the “right” way. Remember verse nine from yesterday which said that every command from the Lord is right? So, His commands, His words lead us in the right way. Now follow this chain one step further – they lead us in righteousness. Okay, don’t stumble here either. Righteousness is not the same as holiness. We are talking about being in the right place with God, being in your right place. When you follow God’s words, instructions and commands, you end up in the right place. That is how simple righteousness is. You have heard me quote this scripture many times, “He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2 Corinthians 5: 21 Tree of Life Version). This means that we have become the righteousness of God, right? That is what is says. It says something else too, though. We are the righteousness of God in him. In whom? In Jesus. Our righteousness is in Christ Jesus. So, if we are not in him, are we the righteousness of God? No. It is only in Jesus that we are righteous. Going one step further in the logic today. Who is Jesus but the Word? Therefore, we are right back to this verse from King David. God’s living Word keeps us righteous. We are in the right place when we are in Jesus. We are kept from the wicked way and preserved.

All it takes is an obedient soul. We must actively involve ourselves with the Living Word who is the Christ our saving grace. It is so simple a child can do it but incredibly complex in the mechanics of the miracle God has wrought for us in Jesus. Let’s keep it simple though. Seek the Lord. Seek the living words of God’s Living Word. He is the miracle of our guaranteed success. There is no striving, no stress, no worry. There is only Christ and him crucified. In Him you have all you need, all you desire. In Him – those are words to live by. Amen.

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Conscience Bath

On May 8, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 9: 14

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The writer of Hebrews makes the comparison between the Old Testament sacrifice of the blood of animals to the New Covenant established in the blood of Jesus. The blood of animals was able to purify people so that they were presented clean. How much more the blood of Christ? However, let us take note. This verse really isn’t so much about being washed and, thus, presented holy and clean as it is about sin consciousness. There is a big difference.

Would you feel more clean, more justified if I sprinkled you with the blood of a sacrificed animal? That is the issue here. The blood of Christ is pristine enough to sear our consciousness of sin, that is, if we allow it. There is power in the blood of Christ but there is more power in your authority as the decision maker. As I have written before, you are either an old sinner or you are saved by grace. To say that you are an old sinner saved by grace makes a good sound byte but the reality is that you are either one or the other. We understand what people are attempting to convey with that statement, and it is meant to be a statement of humility. However, the greatest statement of all is, “I am clean.” Now that is a faith statement and it takes throwing yourself completely into the blood and sacrifice of Christ to make it.

The point of this verse and this theme is that since Christ cleansed you from all unrighteousness and washed away your sin (past, present and future) with his blood, then you ought to have a clean conscience as well. If we maintain a guilty conscience, or awareness of our sin, then that is a confession that Jesus’ blood was not sufficient. A continuing reminder of our former sin, then, tends to give way to dead works. What are dead works? Those are the things we do, even subconsciously, to earn salvation.

We know we are unworthy of salvation. Therefore, we subconsciously do the things which we think will earn us favor with God. We try to do the “right things.” At one level these behaviors and the motivation for them appear, if not holy, at least rightful. In truth, though, they are repugnant, a stench in the nostrils of God. Why? The reason is because the entire paradigm is based on an egocentric religion. It does not flow from faith and thanksgiving to the Almighty. It does not depend on the blood of Christ. This salvation depends solely on our worthiness. This righteousness comes through our own strength. We must earn the favor of God through behaviors.

The true faith lies in surrender. It requires much greater faith in God and in the sacrifice He and Jesus made to say, “I was unworthy but now I am clean.” God says you are His righteousness now. (2 Corinthians 5: 21). There is nothing you can do to add to your standing with Him and the blood of Christ, when it is fully and freely accepted, cleanses, purges the consciousness of sin and stain. Our very conscience will be wiped clean from dead works. In that clean conscience is living worship and service to the king.

If you can’t say, “I stand clean before the Lord,” then meditate on this scripture and 2 Corinthians 5: 21. You have been made clean by Jesus’ blood. You will never be more clean than you are at this moment nor will sin stain your conscience if you accept what Christ did. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, no longer an old sinner but fully and completely saved and washed by grace. Glory to God and our precious Lord Jesus!

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Concerning Righteousness

On February 13, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 16: 10

I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

In John 16: 7 – 11, Jesus revealed that He would send the Holy Spirit and He made known some of the tasks the Spirit would perform in the earth. Besides convicting the world concerning sin and judgment, he also convicts our hearts about righteousness.

The segment of Jesus’ statement about righteousness, is just as involved as that concerning sin which we looked at yesterday. This Greek word translated as “convict” in the New American Standard is more complex than one might initially suspect. While we hear that the Holy Spirit came to pass sentence on us or imprison, punish or berate us in the context of sin, righteousness and judgment, that is not the understanding a Greek reader would have taken away from this passage. The word “elegcho” certainly contains elements of that translation but in this verse, I think some of the other words in its definition are more apropos; words such as convince and to prove. It means, also, to bring to light. Therefore, read this verse in this way, “And He, when He comes, will convince the world concerning righteousness.”

The Holy Spirit is proving and convincing us regarding righteousness because Jesus has gone to the Father. Jesus’ departure ushered in an entire new way of being, much less a new way of thinking. Jesus’ words undoubtedly perplexed his followers who thought they knew about sin and righteousness. It really took until the Apostle Paul’s writings for it to become clear. He wrote, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Those words never cease to amaze. God took Jesus’ righteousness and made an even trade with us for our sin. In so doing, Jesus became all sin and we became the righteousness of God. What a deal!

The Holy Spirit is now in the earth trying to convince you of your righteousness. He offers proofs of the righteousness of God so that we may believe. That is what Jesus was expressing in this statement. You see, the Holy Spirit was sent into the earth for our benefit. He didn’t come into the earth to condemn us. We had already very successfully done that for ourselves. He came to prove to you the goodness of God and the love with which the Father has already saved and blessed you. Through no effort on our part, through no miracle of human ingenuity or wisdom, we have become righteousness so that when God looks upon us, He sees His own righteousness in Christ upon us. That is crazy cool! What a miracle!

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Breastplate

On November 8, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment
Breastplate

Ephesians 6: 14b

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

What do you picture when you hear “breastplate?” Do you see Roman armor or perhaps medieval knight armor? A good visual image helps understand the importance of this piece of armor.

The breastplate protects all the vital organs except the brain. Obviously, it is a crucial piece of armor. We are encouraged by Paul’s writings to stand firm against the enemy. You won’t fear the stones thrown by the enemy because your breastplate protects your heart and the rest of your sensitive organs. So, what is our breastplate fashioned from and how do we don it?

The breastplate is righteousness, so what is righteousness? The simple answer is that it is right standing with God. Vine’s adds “right relationship” with God. The harder question becomes, how do we attain this right standing or righteousness with God.? It may be easier to begin by discussing the wrong way to pursue righteousness. Romans 9: 30 – 32 reads, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.” Many of us have confused righteousness with holiness. We are to be holy for God is holy (1 Peter 1: 16) but holiness is not synonymous with righteousness. The Jews, Paul tells us, tried to acquire righteousness through good works. That is not the way. Jesus is the way (John 14: 6). We can never be righteous in or by our own works. The Gentiles attained to righteousness because of their faith, because, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5: 21). They put their faith in Jesus and he became their righteousness.

The key to putting on this breastplate of righteousness is contained in that verse. It is in the last two words. Jesus is righteousness but if you want to put on his righteousness then you must be “in him.” This is so critical. As I said, it is the key. One can be a Christian but never make their abode with and in Christ. We must put him on and live in him. It is difficult to explain but you may perceive the difference. Abiding in him means that your life is inextricably interwoven with Christ. He is all wrapped up in your life and you in his. When you are in Christ, when you make that decision to live in him, then his righteousness becomes yours automatically. This is not a work of the flesh either. By faith we receive the righteousness of God. We receive, rather than labor. My holiness is putrid but Jesus’ righteousness is glorious, shining armor.

So, this means that your right standing with God, which is something Jesus bought for you, protects and guards your heart. Your part is to receive it with grace and thanksgiving. Acknowledge your righteousness in Christ Jesus in your own mind. Speak it with your mouth. When you are challenged, stop and see yourself putting on the righteousness of God like a Roman breastplate. Wear righteousness proudly because not only is it the breastplate of your armor but in fact you have actually become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Wear Jesus, therefore, proudly and when you feel like a sinner, or when the devil accuses you, renew your mind with this truth. Stand firmly, therefore, unable to be persuaded that you are lowly and sin-stained. Stand proudly with your chest up displaying the righteousness of Jesus. Where we have failed, he has all the more overcome and his victory outshines our ineptitude and failures.

Shine up your breastplate. Put it on by acknowledging Jesus’ purchase of righteousness for you. Get you and your failure off your mind and delightedly present Jesus. Don’t try to earn righteousness, just put it on.

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Fertile Desert

On April 7, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 32: 16 -18

The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

Glory! Hallelujah! Does this strike you as good news? Or, perhaps, great news! I can even sweeten this by telling you when this is to happen. This is for you today.

The problem with many Old Testament verses is that people stumble over the timing. That is understandable. I will tell you that most of them are fulfilled in Jesus if you ever have doubt. The great thing about today’s verse is that Isaiah actually told us when this would become a reality. In verse 15 he disclosed that this change in the environment, this change in the world would come when “the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high.” Yahoo!

Jesus promised us another. In fact, he said it was better for us that he leave earth so that he could send the helper (John 16: 7). He told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they received that which was promised, or in other words, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 4 – 5). Then, on the day of Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled and the Holy Spirit was poured out from on high. You and I are not living in the time of which Isaiah spoke. This prophecy is for our time. We should take great joy in this good news.

Isaiah saw that because of the coming of the Holy Spirit we could live in peace and righteousness. This concept is very in keeping with other New Testament text. Paul wrote that we have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 21) and did you know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace? Additionally, when he left earth, he left us his peace (John 14: 27). Increasingly, we are seeing all of the pieces fitting together. It shouldn’t be any surprise, though, because all of this was part of God’s master plan. He knew when He whispered in Isaiah’s ear that this day would come and that what He told Isaiah would be fulfilled in our sight.

There is a key to unlocking all of this though. The key is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he is the “Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you” (John 14: 17). It is the “in you” piece that is so revolutionary. The disciples knew of the Holy Spirit but Jesus was telling them that when he went away and sent the outpouring of the Spirit, then the Spirit would come to not only live with us but in us. This continuing presence of the Holy Spirit is a game changer. The sad truth, though, is that it is only a game changer for those who recognize the truth and embrace it. He was sent as our helper so we have to let him do his job.

In him is this peace, confidence, righteous enjoyment and all of the other great and wonderful things that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have worked to bring us. Their plan installs each of them in our lives as partners. Isaiah saw the desert turned into a fertile field. That desert is our lives and hearts. They have been renewed in Christ and we have a joyous and victorious reality to live.

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God is . . . joyful in righteousness

On March 3, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 5

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness.

What do you think of when you hear the word unrighteousness? At some level we hear “wrongness” don’t we? Something is not right. One of the definitions of righteousness means essentially that we are in our right place with God. It has to do with where we are in relation to Him. We are righteous in Christ who has placed us in right standing with God. The other use of this word is the one we probably think of more often. It refers to our personal adherence to a code of behavior or laws. When we hear someone is unrighteous we tend to think of them as being wicked. That is going a bit far but certainly one who is wicked is not in their proper place with God and is not following the social mores or laws.

When I hear the word “righteous” I think of Jesus. I have hung my hat on 2 Corinthians 5: 21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Our standing with God is assured. It is not earned. Jesus gave it to us in His sacrifice and it would be repugnant to try to earn it. We are in our right position with God because Jesus bought it with his blood. Of course, our God will not rejoice in our being unrighteous or not in the spot Jesus bought for us. He is not satisfied with us not being in Jesus and standing in the grace Jesus wrought for us. If we do not accept who we are in Christ, the Father cannot rejoice. He can only grieve.

There was an exchange made at that altar of the cross. The sin of the world was laid on the lamb in exchange for the righteousness of God. All of my sin and yours was put on the altar so that we could arise in Christ Jesus in the glory and majesty of His victory and righteousness. Our only task is to intertwine ourselves in the love of Jesus. We put our wrongness on his rightness and his rightness wins every time. The Father is glorified and made joyful when we immerse ourselves in the light of Jesus. He rejoices when we rely upon 2 Corinthians 5: 21 and claim Jesus’ victory bigger than our failures. He is happy when we raise Jesus up above our self-aware shortcomings. We are right in Christ and that is the only way we can ever be righteous. Love rejoices when we abide in love.

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