We have been meditating on the wounds of Christ from which His redeeming blood flowed freely for us. This week's thoughts focus on the Gospel of John 19:34 where, “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once there came out blood and water.” THE FIFTH OF THE SEVEN WOUNDS OF CHRIST: The wound in His side. The heart may have been the vital organ pierced by the soldier. The Bible often speaks of the heart, not as that muscle in your chest that pumps blood through our bodies, but as the seat of our emotions, will, morals, faith, and character, indeed of our very self. The heart is that crucial link between our soul and our spirit. It was for the healing and renewal of our inner self, our memories and emotions that Jesus shed his precious blood. The ‘heart’ speaks to us of Jesus’ love for us and God’s desire to restore us to be “the best version of ourselves”. The best version of you and me looks like Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul is explaining the mystery of Christ dwelling by faith in the life of every believer. When Jesus died on the cross, pouring out his life, not only did he obtain salvation but He became the source of a New Being for everyone. Jesus Himself is the New Being, He is the Self with a capital ‘S’. Jesus is working in you from the inside out. The Apostle says, I live in this fleshly body but a New Being is at work in me. I am a work in progress and it won’t be completed soon. It’s not just Jesus’ in me, I myself have a role to play. Jesus cleansed the earthly temple in Jerusalem, but now we are His temple and there may be some junk in us that needs to be cleaned out. Colossians 3:1-13 explains this even more. In vs. 1-3 Paul says that we have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Since we were all in Adam when he sinned in the garden, God put us all into Christ when he died on the cross. For this reason, we are all to “Put to death what is earthly” in us. He means that we must consider ourselves dead toward the patterns of life that characterized our past life, our “BC” (Before Christ) life. He lists a rogues’ gallery of sins: sexual sins, covetousness (idolatry), anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk. (He has a similar list in Galatians 5:19-21). Paul says, “Put them away”, “Put off the old self with its practices”. The Jesus in you does not act like that, the mind of Christ in you does not think like that. Consider yourself dead toward all that would draw you back or draw you down. This is straight talk from a spiritual father to his spiritual children. You can’t just be impulsive and imitate the behavior and values of the world around you. It will ‘dumb your down’ and you’ll lose what you gained in Christ. Rather the apostle counsels, “Put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” In Romans 13:14 the Apostle says, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”. The Lord is saying, act like your true self, your real self in Christ. You have a will, and a gift from God called your conscience. You have the Ten Commandments. You have God’s will revealed in Holy Scripture. You have God revealed in the flesh in the Holy Gospel, Jesus Christ. By faith He lives in you, talk to Him, listen to Him. We have a place to go with our sins, the Cross. The places where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. It’s still abounding for each one of us. God is determined that we be the best version of ourselves, a redeemed and radiant self in Jesus Christ. When we goof, we have a place to go. Like the add, for the Mayo Clinic, “When you need help, you have a place to go”. The best version of ourselves is not given out at the Mayo Clinic, it’s in Jesus Christ. THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD DRAWN FROM EMMANUEL'S VEINS AND SINNERS PLUNGED BENEATH THAT BLOOD LOSE ALL THEIR GUILTY STAINS ~Pastor Richard G. Erickson
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