As part of our choice to remove the darkness and run toward the light, we made some commitments for the first part of the year.
One was to put no evil thing before our eyes, as David vowed:
Ps 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:
Solomon had something to say about it:
Prov 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Well, we decided to watch a movie…and I am not saying that everyone should stop watching movies…though, if we are honest, how many of them fit the above criteria? My purpose for this example is OUR commitment to not put any wicked thing before our eyes – a 30 day fast to see what has a hold on us, and what helps us to grow closer to the Lord. And, we MESSED UP! We even messed up our schedule – we stayed up way past midnight to watch a series of movies that did not glorify the Lord!
I felt so bad…and the visuals I had to deal with were, well, wicked. And I cried out for forgiveness. I can’t get those hours back. I can’t stop my memory from working, but I can ask God to wash away the sin, and cleans me.
Ex 29 is the consecration of the priests – through Aaron.
- First, they are washed with water – in the door of the tent of meeting…Public confession of uncleanness. Ex 29:4
- Then, they were given special garments for worship. Ex 29:5
- Then, they were given crowns(mitres) upon their heads Ex 29:6
- Then, they were anointed with oil(Ex 29:7)
- And then, the sacrifice:
- 10 “Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
- 11 Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.
- 13 Then take all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.
- 14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
I know that Jesus was the perfect sin sacrifice.
- The priests put their hands on Him.
- He was publicly flogged, though he needed no cleansing.
- He was publicly killed, though he did no wrong.
- His blood flowed out, to pay the price for MY sins.
Heb 9:13-14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
There is nothing I can do to wash away my sins, Ps 51 cries out for forgiveness…I need to
- come with the sacrifice of a contrite heart(Ps 51:17)
- wash myself with public confession (I confess here)
- put on the garment that Christ has purchased for me
- and receive the cleansing blood of Jesus
- And I am allowed to enter into the presence of GOD!!!
Leviticus 16 talks about the ‘holy garments’
Isaiah 61:3 says that part of the reason Jesus came was:
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
This is what Jesus read, when HE announced His ministry as told in Luke 14:8. But there’s more. When the perfect sacrifice came – He came to:
- The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
- to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to
- bind up the brokenhearted,
- to proclaim liberty to the captives,
- and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;
- To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
- and the day of vengeance of our God;
- to comfort all that mourn;
- To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
- to give unto them beauty for ashes,
- the oil of joy for mourning,
- the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
- that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Is 61:1-3)
Sacrifices for our sins was NOT for us to feel guilty, and mope and be in fear…it was to release us from bondage, to proclaim that we belong to the LORD, to cloth us with praise, anoint us with the oil of Joy, and to plant us, to root us into the Vine so that we may produce eternal fruit – with great joy!
Forgiveness is a JOYFUL thing!
- I messed up.
- I was sorry to disappoint my Abba
- I asked for forgiveness, washed with my tears
- He gave it immediately, totally, and completely.
- He washed me, so that I am whiter than snow!
Is 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Eph 5:25-27 even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
1Pet 1:17- 21 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Ps 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
If you want to learn more about the beauty of the grace of Christ’s sacrifice, I recommend reading Romans chapters 5 & 6. But I do want to point out that just because we have grace, and forgiveness, it does not give us a license to sin.
Rom 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
The joy that there is a sacrifice does not trump the fact that I belong to God, and if I love Him, I will (attempt to) keep His commandments.(John 15:10; 1 John 2:3; 1 John5:2-3;)
Jesus said it so simply :
John 14:15 KJV If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 NIV “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
This is not to burden us, but to release us from the burden of sin. Christ’s yoke is…well, here’s how Jesus said it:
Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.
His commands are not heavy, nor burdensome. Bearing the correct yoke makes all of life easier, and even a joy.
John 14:21(NIV) Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.
What greater joy to know that even though we are inclined to fall, we have a safety net. While 1 John 2:1 says IF any of you sin…we all know in our hearts that we are going to mess up. We try and try, but we keep stumbling like a toddler learning to walk. God knew this.
The priests had to go through washing, and stuff every time they went into the tabernacle, or temple. Over and over again.
We are the temple of the Holy Ghost – but we need to get washed up on a daily, sometimes minute by minute basis! But here’s a promise I am so glad a friend shared with me:
“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee: Fear Not, I will help thee!” Is 41:13
It is preceded by another great declaration promise by the Lord:
“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Is 41:10
With God on my side, ready to complete the work He began in me, I can rest within my Yoke of Jesus, I can be at peace beneath the burden that Jesus puts upon me.
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the glory of His presence with exceeding joy, The only Wise God and our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power now and ever. Amen.” Jude 24-25
Thanks for joining me on this journey, and remember to keep your lights shining on the hill where your heart lives!
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
- 100 days challenge – moving – check
- 100 days challenge- blog – check
- 90 days Bible Reading – check
- 50 days T-Tapp – check
- 21 days Fasting for Food – check.
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