Christian Blessings, 1of2

~ 5 Great Advantages of the Christian ~

Given Spiritual Life  ~  The spiritually dead will become alive.  “Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise” (Isaiah 26:19a).  “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’  Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’  Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:1-8).

Given Spiritual Vision  ~  The blind will see.  “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped” (Isaiah 35:5).  “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear’” (Matthew 11:4-5a).

Given Undeserved Forgiveness  ~  The guilty will be forgiven.  “Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you’” (Matthew 9:2).  Jesus said, “You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’  Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 7:46-48).  “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12).

Given a Full Life  ~  The empty will be filled.  “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  …

But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’  …  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people’” (Luke 1: 6-7, 13-17, 24-25).

Given a Purpose  ~  The lost will be found.  In the parable Jesus told about the lost sheep He said, “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:6-7).  Then in the parable of the lost coin Jesus said, “And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:9-10).  Again in that same chapter in the parable of the lost son Jesus said, “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:31-32). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Identity in Christ, 30

~ I Am United With Other Believers ~

Introduction  ~  When Christians understand the various characteristics and aspects of the birthright which came with their second birth, they comprehend their identity in Christ.  Once Christians understand their identity, their destiny is also clear!  This series of “Abundant Life Now” posts will look at one of those facets each week. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). 

Comment  ~  Also see 1 Corinthians 6:1-2, 14:33, 16:1, 16:15.

~~~ EXPLANATORY “IDENTITY IN CHRIST” NOTES ~~~  

(1)  Each Monday ALN posts an example of Scripture’s description of aspects/characteristics of Christians—those who have personally trusted in Jesus Christ, The Messiah, as their personal Savior.

(2)  This series is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

(3)  God the Father described Himself to Moses as the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  God the Son also said “I AM” (John 8:58). 

(4)  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and several times in the Gospel of John He refers to Himself as “I am.”  “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35-51), “I am the Light of the World” (8:12, 9:5), “I am the Door” (10:7-9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11-14), “I am the Son of God” (10:36), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6), “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me … Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me” (John 14:10-11), and “I am the True Vine” (15:1-5). 

(5)  Individual Christians are also sons and daughters of God.  This series will show some of the various “I am” aspects of a Christian. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Christ-Atonement, 6of6

~ The Atonement of Christ Foreshadowed  ~

Jesus Christ—The Messiah—is clearly seen throughout the Old Testament (i.e., see the Messiah series of ALN posts which are currently occurring each Saturday).  

For your personal studies are some examples to consider in your own personal studies:

Examples of prophecies of Christ (Isaiah 53: 4-12; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 13:7)  

Examples of foreshadowings of Christ (Genesis 22:8-10; Exodus 27:1; Leviticus 1:3-5) 

Examples of types of Christ of Christ (Genesis 3:21; 4:4; 8:20; Numbers 21:9)

Examples of types of Christ’s atoning death (Genesis 6:14; Exodus 12:6; 30:16; Leviticus 16:19) 

Jesus Christ—The Messiah—is the fulfillment—the completion—of what was predicted in the Old Testament through prophecies, foreshadowings, and types.  For this closing post of this series we will consider some aspects of the foreshadowing in Leviticus 16 and compare them with what we find in Hebrews 10 where the reality is presented. 

In Leviticus one of the first things we see is that the High Priest could not enter the holy place at any time—at the time of his choosing (16:2).  Every year the priest would have to again enter the holy place to provide blood sacrifices for the atonement of sin.  Also, he was given very specific instructions about his personal preparation before We read about his personal preparation before entering the holy place (16:4). 

We must also note that there were four sacrifices (16:3, 6-7).  As you read the chapter it is clear that everything must be atoned for.  The bull was a sin offering to be sacrificed for the priest and his family, and there was a ram to be sacrificed, as well as two goats.  One of the goats was for the Lord and the other goat was the “scapegoat” (16:8).  This scapegoat is led out into the wilderness (16:10). 

This scapegoat will never be seen again—a beautiful picture of what God does with our sin.   “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19b).  “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).  “You have cast all my sins behind Your back” (Isaiah 38:17b).  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).  Aren’t you glad He didn’t say “as far as the north is from the south”!  “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered [atoned for].  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Romans 4:7-8).

When your sin has been atoned for it is gone forever—you don’t need to bring them up  to Him again.  Your sin was put on the ultimate scapegoat—Jesus Christ—who went outside the city wall to be crucified for you and for me.  Your atoned for sin is under the blood of Christ.  It’s been forgiven.  It’s been atoned for.  God cancels, cleanses, pardons and forgets our sins.  That’s atonement.  That’s reconciliation.

Now consider Hebrews 10.  The opening verses summarize it all:  “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered?  For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.  But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4). 

Consider this rendition:  “The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan.  Since that old ‘law plan’ wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it.  No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution.  If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins.  But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt.  The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin.  That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: ‘You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you’ve prepared a body for Me for a sacrifice.  It’s not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet Your appetite.  So I said, ‘I’m here to do it Your way, O God, the way it’s described in Your Book.’ When He said, ‘You don't want sacrifices and offerings,’ He was referring to practices according to the old plan.  When He added, ‘I’m here to do it Your way,’ He set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:1-10, The Message). 

summary:  The human race could not be saved by the sacrifices of the Old Testament, but only by The Messiah’s sacrifice.  “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.  If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Revelation 13:8-9).  God does not operate in time like we do—He is eternal—He has always known that His Son would be the ultimate atonement for sin.  The Old Testament gives hints, shadows, types, and prophecies about the coming of the Son of God, as Messiah, to earth. 

But God demonstrated His own love on our behalf, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:8-9). 

note  ~  This series about atonement includes:  

1.  The Concept of the Atonement of Christ for Your Sin

2.  The Basics of the Atonement of Christ for Your Sin

3.  The Facts of the Atonement of Christ for Your Sin

4.  The Results of the Atonement of Christ for Your Sin

5.  7 Benefits of Christ’s Atonement for Your Sin 

6.  The Atonement of Christ Foreshadowed 

the key question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). This is the most important question you will ever answer. If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .