~ Elements of the 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).
“Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
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
~ “Now
the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over
you; and the plague shall not be on you
to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13).
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).
The
PUT AWAY of Separation
~ “So
this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting
ordinance. 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 12:14-15).
“Therefore ‘Come out from among them and
be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is
unclean, and I will receive you. I will be
a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and
daughters, says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
The SANCTITY of
Dedication ~ “Then the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the
womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine’” (Exodus 13:1-2).
“As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former
lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy
in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be
holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16).
The PATIENCE 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).
“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly
waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that
is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with
perseverance” (Romans 8:23-25). “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,
according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to
Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).
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. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your
hand over the sea and divide it. And the
children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea’” (Exodus 14:15-16).
“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
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