Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Movement without really moving.
Relocation without actually relocating.
What am I speaking of?
The truth of what salvation does to an individual.
Prior to our being saved, we are enemies of Christ and the cross. Oh we may never ever verbalized such a notion, but our lives gave testament to the fact that we were not living for Jesus.
Such a lifestyle separates us from God.
We are far off.
We are like the prodigal son who took his inheritance and traveled to a far off land to squander away what had been given to him.
Fast living.
Women.
Alcohol.
Friends who only hung around him because he had the inheritance. Once gone, so were the friends.
We lived our lives like this.
Maybe not to the extent or in the same way the prodigal did, but we were far off from Jesus just the same.
Scripture says that the prodigal "came to his senses".
What an incredible sentence.
There was a returning in his mind to where he had come from.
He took a look around at his current lot in life and recognized there was a better way back at his father's house.
We came to our senses when brought under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Our eyes were opened and we saw life as it really was.
Ugly.
Messy.
Destructive.
There wasn't any glamour to it.
We set out to return to our Father's house.
The Scripture from Ephesians says that we "have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
It wasn't a yellow brick road.
It was a road walked by one man.
With a cross on his back.
A road that was paved with his blood.
That is the only way home.
There is no other way to get to the Father. Only the blood way.
Buddah can't take you there.
Mohammad isn't the path.
Hinduism promises to enlighten you, but only the true light of the Holy Spirit will reveal the blood way.
Some today (in the church) are offended by references to the blood of Christ. They consider such thoughts and ideas as being so offensive it keeps people from coming to church. Excuse me? We have a bloody theology. It cost God everything that was dear to him...HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. It was bloody. It was messy. It wasn't pretty and if the truth be known, if I'd been there at the cross when Jesus was carrying out the final mandate from the Father, I probably would have thrown up. It was from this so called "mess" that God brought true, total healing to humanity.
I once was far off from God. Sin took me there and kept me.
Now I am brought near through the shed blood of Christ.
Hallelujah....what a Savior.
God on you.......
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2 comments:
I will never forget that morning at RAPHA that I was saved. Seth taught on the prodigal son and I have never felt so much like something was meant for me. I felt like God was just saying, "give up, I know you're tired, just give up and let me take over". Well I did and I have been letting him drive ever since. I thank him for putting me at RAPHA, it will always be special in my heart.
Don't ever loose sight of the moment in time when you encountered God and He changed you.
You have done all the little things and you have (and will continue to be) faithful to Him.
God bless you today......
I miss you, but am enjoying your responses on this blog.
Love to your family...
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