Tag: Lamb of God

The Crown of Life

The Crown of Life

Believers in Jesus Christ receive the crown of life. Let’s remember that before Jesus came, God had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Jesus came so that the Gentiles might also be saved, and that atonement might be made for the sins of all of mankind.  Jesus is the Lamb of God, and he was the perfect sacrifice for all of mankind.  (see John 1:29, 36)

Believers are not promised an easy life in the Bible.  We are warned in 2 Timothy 3:12 that those who desire to live godly in Jesus will suffer persecution.  We must stop and realize that the enemy would not be attacking Christians so desperately if we did not possess something of great value.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  (Jas 1:12 NIV, emphasis added)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.  (Rev 2:10 NCV, emphasis added)

Trials of various types test a Christian’s faith, develop endurance in their lives, and help develop spiritual maturity in them.  We can all read in 1 Peter how Jesus responded to persecution:

Although he was abused, he never tried to get even.  And when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly.  (1 Pet 2:23 CEV)

The Lord will give every believer the sustaining grace that they need to go through such trials victoriously.  We just need to hold onto our faith in God and in His ability to uphold and sustain us spiritually, mentally, and emotionally through persecution.

Let’s consider how we can stand firm in our resolve to continue speaking the Word of Life boldly, even under the threat of persecution.  

Before persecution begins, we must prepare for it by cultivating the Word of God in our hearts. This means that we memorize various passages from the Bible and review them regularly to make sure we retain them.

Scripture teaches that we carry the Word of God in two places: in our mouths, and in our hearts (see Romans 10:8, and Deuteronomy 30:14).  Remember this vital truth:  Whenever persecution attempts to silence the Word that is in our mouths, it is the Word that is in our hearts which will sustain us. 

We carry the incorruptible Seed of the Word of God in our mouths and in our hearts, and we cannot begin to fathom the fruit that will come from that Seed.  Hold fast to the Seed that has been sown in your hearts, brothers and sisters!  It will uphold and sustain you, along with the very real presence of the Prince of Peace who never leaves us.  Glory to God!

Jesus’ Sacrificial Love

<strong>Jesus’ Sacrificial Love</strong>

A sacrifice is something given up for the sake of others.  Anything sacrificial is connected to a selfless act or a selfless course of action.

Jesus’ love for His Father and for mankind was a sacrificial love.  In order to obey His Father and to redeem mankind back to a relationship with God, Jesus became the Lamb of God (Joh 1:29, 36) who was slain before the foundation of the world.  (Rev 13:8)  In Bible times, the animal that was frequently used in sacrifices to God was a perfect, unblemished lamb.

Let’s see what the Bible says about such love.

We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. This is why we must give our lives for each other. 17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God.  (1 Joh 3:16-17 CEV)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  (Joh 13:34 ESV)

Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.  (Eph 5:2 ISV)

If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, 16 and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?  (Jas 2:15-16 TLB)

But do not forget to do good and to share. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  (Heb 13:16 MEV)

So not only did Jesus show us what love is, but the Word of God encourages us to model this same type of selfless love back to a hurting and needy world. 

We are encouraged to live our lives as an offering and sacrifice which is a fragrant aroma to God.  We are urged to do good to others and to share food and clothing with those in need.  In this way, we share the love and goodness of God with others.  God bless you.

Being Far Off

Being Far Off

All mankind was, at one time, far off from God.  We were far off from His presence, from His righteousness, and from His standards for living.  Occasionally, it’s beneficial for us to remember how very far we have come by God’s mercy and grace.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) who brought all believers near to God through the reconciliation of the cross.   (2 Cor 5:18)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  (Eph 2:13 ESV)

All who have made Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord have been brought near to God through the blood of the Lamb.  (1 Pet 1:19)  Jesus is the Lamb of God.  (Joh 1:29, 36)

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.  (Ac 2:39)

The gift and promise of salvation is offered to every human being upon the earth—to every race, tribe and nation.  The Lord calls all people to salvation, but not everyone accepts His free gift.   

. . . and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.  (Eph 2:16-17)

Jesus, our Prince of Peace, has put to death every hostility, unfriendliness, and antagonism by preaching peace to all.  He has reconciled (reunited) us with our Father God.  What an awesome gift from God! 

We are no longer far off, but we have been made the children of God.  (Joh 1:12; Rom 8:16; 1 Joh 3:1-2)  All glory to God most High!

Priest & Sacrifice

Priest & Sacrifice

The verses below all discuss or outline the fact that Jesus is our High Priest, and He is also the perfect Lamb of God.  He gave up His own life as a perfect, unblemished sacrifice to God.  With His sacrifice, Jesus purchased reconciliation to God for each one of us:  our salvation. 

In the Old Testament, the High Priest used the blood of bulls and lambs to pour upon the mercy seat as a sacrifice for the sins of the people.  God had instructed His people to build Him a sanctuary within which was the “Ark of the Testimony” which held the “mercy seat.”

. . . who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.  (Heb 7:27)

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  (Heb 9:12)

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  (Rom 6:10)

In Hebrews 12:24, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the blood of Jesus “speaks better things than the blood of Abel.”  God was the Avenger of “righteous Abel,” but Jesus Christ, the righteous, is our Advocate with the Father, and He is the appeasement for our sins.  (1 Joh 2:1-2) 

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, is unique in all of time and eternity.  He has done what no one else could do.  He completed His mission on earth perfectly.  He is the perfect Priest and the perfect atoning Sacrifice:  the Lamb of God.   (See Heb 3:1; 4:14; 6:20; Joh 1:29, 36; Rev 7:17)  All glory to His name.

King of Kings

King of Kings

Back in the 70s, there was a sweet worship chorus that said, “Oh!  Let the flag fly high on the castle of my heart, for the King is in residence there.”  Since we serve Jesus who is the King of Kings, it is fitting that our hearts be portrayed as the castles where the King mercifully reigns in love and righteousness, in power and glory.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  (Mt 6:10 ESV, emphasis added)  Every kingdom has a King, and Jesus is our Redeemer King.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world …  (Mt 25:34, emphasis added)  Our King has prepared a kingdom for each one of us.

And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner …  (Ex 17:15)  The Lord Jesus is our banner:  His image is on the flag that flies high over our lives; He is our standard—the rallying point for all spiritual power and resources in battle against the forces of hell.

“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”  (Isa 11:10, emphasis added)  This verifies that Jesus, a descendant of Jesse, is our banner.

The King whom we serve is filled with love and compassion; mercy for the lost and the wounded; and health and healing for those who are sick.  He is good all of the time, and His plans for us are good and give us hope and a future. (Ps 34:8; Jer 29:11)

He brings reconciliation to relationships and to families.  (Jer 31:17; Rom 5:11; 2 Cor 5:18-19)  All glory to His name.

Jesus is a King whose grace humbles us without ever demeaning us, and who exalts us without causing us to puff up with false pride or ego.  Walking in a consistent relationship with Jesus, the Lamb of God, will mature us and grow us into mercy-filled, loving servants of the Kingdom of God.  Praise the Lord!

Christ is in Heaven on our Behalf

Christ is in Heaven on our Behalf

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  (Heb 9:24 ESV, underscoring added)

It is helpful to ponder the truth that Christ is in Heaven right now, representing and upholding all believers.  He is our Advocate!  (1 Joh 2)

. . .  that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church . . . (Eph 1:20-22 ESV) Jesus Christ is the head of the church.  He is the Lamb of God who has poured out His blood on the mercy seat–for us. (Joh 1:36; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 7:14; 22:1)

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.   (Mk 16:19 NKJV)  Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.  (Isa 59:16)  Jesus is our intercessor in heaven.  He is our agent in heavenly realms.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus . . . (1 Tim 2:5) Jesus is both God and man.  He is the only mediator between God and men.  A mediator is a peacemaker, and Jesus has brought about peace between God the Father and all who are born-again.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  (1 Joh 2:1)  Jesus Christ, the righteous One of God, is our Advocate with the Father.  In Heaven Jesus pleads our case, and works to effect reconciliation between us and Father God.  He also, as our Savior and Redeemer, affirms that He has purchased all of salvation’s blessings for us, and thanks to Him, we are entitled to them.

Jesus is your champion and crusader!  Stand and give thanks and praise to the Lord today, brothers and sisters!

Jesus Has Got You Covered!

Jesus Has Got You Covered!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  (Ps 91:1)

Jesus, as our Savior, poured out His blood on the mercy seat in heaven for our salvation.  (Lev 16:14-15)  Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.  (Joh 1:29; Rev 13:8)

We are the sheep of His pasture (Ps 95:7; 100:3) and we do abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Our Savior has covered us with the blood of the Lamb, so that we may REST in the shadow of the Almighty. 

Remember when the good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man on the roadside? (Lk 10:30-37)  The Samaritan did that to cleanse the wound, to soothe it, and to promote healing.

Jesus pours oil on our wounds for our healing.  The wine represents Jesus’ blood.  The blood of a lamb has a cleansing agent in it (in the natural realm).  Jesus’ blood supernaturally cleanses us from all sin, guilt, and shame.  His blood is sufficient.  Receive His cleansing.  Understand that all of your sin and guilt have been washed away!

Stop striving in your soul.  Jesus has already done everything for you!  Relax in God’s arms.  Abide in Him and rest.  He’s got you covered.  Allow God to bless you and to give you rest.