Hebrews 9:22 "...without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness."
Blood may only be an after-thought for some of us, as we celebrate this upcoming Easter holiday. Because, Easter is not a time to celebrate the past, but the future.
The Children of God will begin to reflect and meditate on the resurrection and not the cross as well as their future beyond the grave; for that is what Easter provides those that are in Christ. Yet, without the cross, without the shedding of the blood and death of Christ, there would be no resurrection. While the resurrection is just as important, we should never forget the cross, the passageway to death and the grave. The cross provided for us all, the only solution to our greatest problem, which was a sin problem. The resurrection promises us that because He rose from the grave, those that are in Him will as well.
Like me my friend, you were born into a fallen world, resigned to participate in a degenerate existence with no hope of recovery on our own. The pain of sin and death immediately attached itself to our life and put into perpetual motion the ravages of death, each day drawing us closer to our eternal demise. Our own wills had separated us from God and was our greatest enemy. It had sealed our fate as long as we chose to continue on the path without Christ and continue to walk in sin. Apart from the redeeming power of the blood of Jesus Christ, we were doomed. But God demonstrated His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, going about doing wrong, not caring about Him or his ways, Christ died for us according to the scriptures, paraphrasing Romans 5:8. He took the beating that we deserved.
His hands and feet bear our scars. His side bleed godly blood that had the power to set all mankind free to walk away from the life that they are living in and become new again. When I realized this and decided that the life that I was living was a life of sin and un-generated disgust. I realized that the best that I had to offer God, was as a filthy rag to His Holy nature. Yet for many years I struggled in the same deception that all men and women struggle in. Though many refuse to see their sin as God sees it, for me, my greatest problem is now solved!
Once I saw my sin and my ways as God saw them, I realized my need for the salvation that He was offering. How about you sweet friend? Can you too say, that at the point of surrendering your life to God, your biggest problem has been solved? Do you too understand and agree with why I am thankful for the blood that purchased me; or would you have to admit that you cannot see a difference in your life from the time before you say you came to Christ and afterwards. Has there been a change? Some people struggle with that question because they don’t really see a difference. Maybe you were a good person and have a hard time seeing your sin as God does.
May I tell you that God’s Word declares that the best that you can do or offer Him, is as a filthy rag according to Isaiah 64:6. Maybe you might need to stop comparing yourself to all the so-called hypercritics and bad folks that you compare yourself with and compare yourself to what God sees and knows you to be. I John 1:9 tell us that, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Maybe sweet friend it is because while you have a wonderful head knowledge about God and you believe that Jesus came to earth to die, you have never really committed your life to Him by repentance. By having a holy sorrow for your sin and wanting to change.
As Easter approaches, I am mindful of what it cost God to give His only Son, that He should suffer and die for someone like me, but He did, and I know it! Because I no longer bear the burden of having such a great problem any longer. Problem solved! How about you sweet friend? Can you celebrate this Easter knowing that because of His blood that covers your sins through believing and repenting, you can rejoice that you will be a part of the great resurrection that is to come? I sure hope so!
Hold Fast,
-Bren
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