My Neighbors

This morning I read a portion of the book of Mark, responded to some schoolwork on-line, and then listened to the book of Numbers while mowing the yard. 

The reading and the listening have impacted my thoughts so much! 

It was during the time of mowing that I felt compelled to write the following:

From the beginning to the end of the Bible, which I believe to be the Word of God, I am directed not to seek revenge, but to love my neighbor as myself. I believe I have failed in this regard, and so have many others of those I call my brothers and sisters.

So as one who claims to have faith in Jesus Christ, as one who is only a small part of the larger portion of the followers of Christ, called the body of Christ, I would like to seek your forgiveness for any physical or verbal wrong done to you by one who claims to follow Christ. The one I claim to follow loves us all so much, that He gave His life so that we might have an eternal relationship with Him. He takes us just as we are, regardless of our gender, our sexuality, our faith, our age, our weight, our height, our selfishness, our hatred or any number of whatever reason one may have given for acting inappropriately towards you. If we claim to follow Him, we should act like Him in demonstrating love to our neighbors, and so I apologize for the acts of hatred towards you, and ask you to please forgive us all.

If you feel compelled, or even if you don’t, would you send me an email to,  burnslmt@gmail.com ? Would you let me know what is going on in your world, so that I could pray for you, for those around you, and for whoever may be causing or has caused you harm?

I love you, and I am sorry for the pain.

Larry

The Fulfillment

Jesus brought in a new agreement with mankind (covenant) when He offered Himself, once for all, as a sacrifice on the cross. His sacrifice and the blood He shed resulted in cleansing of all sins, for all people, for all time, past-present-future. It was a one-time event, pleasing to the Lord God Almighty. I am not washed in the blood of Christ; the blood of Christ was required once, only once-for all, as mentioned above. There is no more blood to shed, it is no longer required; Christ’s sacrifice paid in full the ransom required on that day. There is no power in the blood, because the blood of that day is no more, it was cleaned from Him as he was prepared for burial. The power is in the perfect will of the Father, which was accomplished through His Son Jesus Christ, when Christ gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice. It is our faith in Christ, the work He accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection, which results in our salvation. We have no more work required, the old agreement is fulfilled, because He finished the work, and He is now sitting at the right hand of the Father.

I was perfectly reconciled with God at the moment I put my faith in Jesus Christ. I am not reconciled daily, each sin does not require another sacrifice, another request for forgiveness, or any work of mine for reconciliation. The work of Christ in His life, death, and resurrection accomplished the perfect will of God perfectly and completely.

To be sure, the works you accomplish will be evidence of the work He has accomplished and continues to do in your heart, but they are not a requirement for your eternal life spent with Him.

I would love to have discussion with you about what has been written above, whether you agree, disagree, or have no idea why I have written this. 

Let's have a conversation.

Larry

THE POURING OUT

I was driving home tonight listening to some music from Jeremy Camp, and I heard “you poured out your blood…” and I began to think on the work that Jesus has accomplished for so many.

I am currently taking a class on the first five books of the Old Testament, and this next couple of weeks will be focused on the book of Leviticus. Part of the assignment was to pay attention to words and phrases that are repeated in the book. I have been amazed how this effort in my studies has made me appreciate this book so much more than in the past, when I would listen to it at three times normal speed just to get through it…Not any more!

So again, I hear “you poured out your blood…” and my mind goes back to what I have just read in Leviticus. I am only through the first seven chapters, and so far it has been about the reason for offerings, what would qualify as appropriate offerings and sacrifices to the Lord, how to accomplish them, and who would accomplish them, and where they would be accomplished, which was at the tabernacle, a tent, the place where God would dwell among His people until the temple was built in Jerusalem many years later.

And so these things began to occur to me:

A quick and simple definition of sin – an act of choosing to act in a way that does not demonstrate loving the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and might, or that does not demonstrate that you love your neighbor as yourself.

1) The Lord made provision by way of sacrifice for Israel to present offerings for sins that had occurred without foreknowledge, but had been realized later (sins of omission).

2) The Lord made provisions by way of sacrifice for Israel to present offerings for sins that had occurred on purpose (sins of commission).

3) Both of these types of sins are atoned for and a portion of the process is that the blood of the sacrifice would have been poured out the base of the altar.

Now fast forward to the first coming of Jesus in the flesh. He was to be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. So when Jesus was walking among the Israelites, that was their tabernacle, the place where God dwelled among them!

And then Jesus was broken and battered for our sins, He was hung on the cross where His blood was poured out for us, where He tabernacled with us and for us on the cross. His work on the cross made provision for our sins, our purposeful ones and our unknown ones (sins of commission and omission). His once-for-all sacrifice completes any requirement for work in order for our sins to be forgiven.

The Bible says that as He gave up His spirit (died) the temple curtain was torn. This was the border leading to a place called the Holy of Holies in the Temple, the place where God would visit His people. Not just anyone could enter it, and not very often when they did, but the point I want to make is that this border was split from top to bottom. This allowed direct access to the place where God would dwell among His people, allowing all to approach Him.

Though I have read and believed this for quite some time, it has finally moved in to my heart. Christ says “If anyone loves me, he will obey My word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and take up residence with him.” They will make their dwelling place with us.

The work Jesus accomplished on the cross, not my works, has made the provision that allows me to tabernacle with Him, to dwell with Him, to be in Him and Him in me!

It is an example of how the entire Bible points to Christ. How God has had this plan since before the beginning of time.

He poured out His blood for all mankind. Put your faith in Him. He has accomplished any and all the work required for that to happen.

Write me if you have any questions.