But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5, 6
When we consider what our savior did for us that day long ago an overwhelming sense of gratitude and “rightness” should flood our very being. By dying for us Christ Jesus put to death the penalty of not meeting the strict requirements of God’s law. Out of Love He did not stop there! What should be our wounds, our bruises, and our guilty sentence were placed on Him not for us to repossess at any time. To reclaim our previous state of shameful conduct would not only be a violation of God’s new covenant promise, but by doing so we would also deny to ourselves the new nature God has given to those who are His in Christ Jesus…and put Him (Jesus) to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; (old) things have passed away; behold, all things have become (new). 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Italics mine)
Accompanying God’s new created order a fresh new awareness rises up within our very being, bringing with it the assurance of complete wholeness and liberty. In our spirit “all things have become new”. It is now up to us to put off the “old things” of past tendencies and wrong thinking as we agree with our new man to be
progressively…transformed by the renewing of our minds. Indeed since we serve a living God let us offer up ourselves as…living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto Him. (Romans 12:1, 2)
How is this Possible?
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:14 And Again!
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14
Resurrection Power!
How can we as believers in the Lord Jesus successfully serve in this new and living way with consciences seared by the threat of “spiritual infirmities” of present and past generations? The very pure and perfect properties of the “new wine” of freedom in Christ should serve to burst that “old wineskin” of doubt and unbelief and spill over into our lives the fresh and untainted message of Truth. What is this Truth? The “new wineskin” of our testimony has the capacity to contain all that’s needed to cleanse and perfect our lives in the direction of holiness. The blood of Christ shed “once for all” effectively frees our lives to serve Him the only way we can: In Spirit and in Truth. How can we as the redeemed of Christ be burdened with “sin consciousness” of the past when Jesus (in love) suffered, bled and died for that very thing onto which we desperately hold--To our eventual regret? Instead let us hold tight to that lifeline of the pure, unbroken promise of (Acts17:28) He in whom we live and move and have our being--our Jesus!
Let us who are His cast out all fear and doubt as we acknowledge the sufficiency of Jesus’ blood in all areas of our lives. He is indeed the God of new beginnings for now and forever. AMEN!