~ Landmarks
of a Mature Christian Life ~
There are seven
terms which we may call the seven landmarks of Christian experience:
The Take of Faith ~ “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the
tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the
house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small
for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to
the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your
count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish,
a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth
day of the same month. Then the whole
assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put
it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it’” (Exodus
12:3-7).
The Eat of Satisfaction ~ “Then they shall eat the flesh on that night;
roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it”
(Exodus 12:8). “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in
you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My
blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood
abides in Me, and I in him. As the
living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me
will live because of Me. This is the
bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are
dead. He who eats this bread will live
forever’” (John 6:53-58).
The Shall Not of Assurance ~ Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he
who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and
shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John
5:24). “For sin
shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace”
(Romans 6:14).
The Put Away of Separation ~ “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from
your houses. For whoever eats leavened
bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off
from Israel” (Exodus 12:15).
The Sanctity of Dedication ~ “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the
womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” … “You
shall set apart to the Lord all
that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which
you have; the males shall be the Lord's”
(Exodus 13:2, 12).
The Stand Still of Obedience ~ “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you
today. For the Egyptians whom you see
today, you shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for
you, and you shall hold your peace’” (Exodus 14:13-14).
The
Go-Forward of Progress ~ “And
the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do
you cry to Me? Tell the children of
Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:15).
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen”
(Matthew 28:18-20).
~
Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
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