Happy New Year Everyone!
During the last days of 2007 I have been praying for God’s very specific direction in my ministry for 2008. And by the way it wasn’t an instant audible answer, but over a couple of days and with prayer and meditation it came to me as very simply “Christ and Him Crucified” (1st Corinthians 1:23).
As a confirmation this morning I was studying from the Book of Hebrews (9:18) and I came across the word “Blood”. Now “blood” is not a topic that most people would associate with a New Year’s resolution. But maybe as followers of Christ we might want to think about it.
Throughout the Bible “blood” signifies life. The “blood” sacrifice was required in the Old and the New Testament and is still required today. WHY?
Sin is never permitted by God in any form or fashion. Anything that has committed or associated with sin will never be permitted in God’s presence. Because God is so pure and righteous, sin and God cannot and will not co-exist. As strange as this may seem, there is only one thing God cannot do…sin or permit sin in His presence! It is impossible! It goes against God’s very nature.
So with that in mind sin must be separate from God. Death is the separation of God and sin.
Solution? In the Old Testament the death (the pouring out of “Blood”) of animals fulfilled this standard of justice. In the New Testament Jesus’ blood met the requirement of sin, which is death (Romans 3:23), satisfying God’s justice.
Although I don’t consider “under the blood” a “user friendly” term (my new term for “Seeker Sensitive”) it must be the basis for everything we teach and even the very reason we exist in 2008.
God bless
Pastor Larry
