"Behold, the Lamb of God..."

The Lamb of God.
Even the earliest chapters of Scripture begin to reveal truth that “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.” When Adam and Eve sinned, God killed a lamb and made a covering for them, and from that point on—Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—we see sacrifices being offered, blood being shed, and a covering being made for sin. And yet it was a covering, not a cleansing, that these sacrifices accomplished. The question remained: What can take away my sin?
The Old Testament records the covenant of the law that God gave to His people on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. This covenant revealed a system of feasts, ceremonies, and sacrifices to be performed in specific ways at specific times during the worship of Yahweh, the true and living God. The LORD required His people to approach Him through sacrifices so that they might come with clean hands and a pure heart. Both the sacrifice and the worshipper’s heart towards Yahweh were necessary in order to be pleasing to Yahweh. But still this system—intricate, God-designed, and significant though it was—could not effect the cleansing of sin. The question remained: What can take away my sin?
And the question hung in the air and in the hearts of true worshippers for hundreds of years. Millions of gallons of blood were shed. Rivers upon rivers of blood flowed from the Tabernacle and then the Temple. Millions of spotless lambs, bulls, and goats were sacrificed for sin, but there was no finality, no permanent sacrifice, no cleansing of sin. And the people yearned, they longed, they groaned, wrestled, cried out, mourned for a final sacrifice—a sacrifice that would effectively crush sin and its dominion. Those who loved God increasingly ached for His redemption, and they questioned in agony of soul: What can take away my sin?
Throughout this entire time, however, as the centuries dragged on, God was sending His people messages of hope—a Savior would come. God, in various times and in various ways, spoke to His worshippers and promised them salvation. Sin would not always have, as it were, the upper hand. One day there would be a sacrifice to take away sin.
And then, in the fullness of time, God sent Jesus. God provided a Lamb for Himself. Jesus came into the world. He was God’s Final Word against sin. He was the promised, long-awaited Savior. He was the Lamb of God, and He could take away the sin of the world. What rivers of blood from animal sacrifices had been incapable of washing away, Jesus Christ would conquer and take away with a once-for-all sacrifice of Himself. From the glories and exaltation of Heaven, Christ came to earth, and although in the wisdom of God, He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, yet there was a specific time on earth when God clothed Himself with the likeness of men and took upon Himself the form of a servant and came dwelt among us. Jesus came to earth. This is how God chose to answer the question: God the Son became the Lamb of God—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

A Song to Listen to

A link given to me by a friend to a song that has been the source of some good meditation.
May it provide the same for you.

http://listeninglab.stantons.com/item.php?stno=301117

Here is the text:
"God, Thou art Love"

If I forget, yet God remembers.
If these hands of mine cease from their clinging,
Yet the hands divine hold me so firmly, I cannot fall.
And if sometimes I am too tired to call for Him to help me,
Then He reads the prayer unspoken in my heart and lifts my care.

I dare not fear since certainly I know,
That I am in God's keeping
Shielded so, from all that else would harm.
And in the hour of stern temptation,
strengthened by His power.

I tread no path in life to Him unknown.
I lift no burden, bear no pain alone;
My soul a calm, sure Hiding Place has found:
The everlasting arms my life surround,
My life surround!

God, Thou art love!
I build my faith on that.
I know Thee Who hath kept my path.
And made light for me in the darkness
Tempering sorrow so that it reached me like a solemn joy.
It were too strange that I should doubt Thy love.

Jesus Christ

“On Christ, and what he has done, my soul hangs for time and eternity. And if your soul also hangs there, it will be saved as surely as mine shall be. And if you are lost trusting in Christ, I will be lost with you and will go to hell with you. I must do so, for I have nothing else to rely upon but the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived, died, was buried, rose again, went to heaven, and still lives and pleads for sinners at the right hand of God.”

- Charles Spurgeon

I take my stand on Jesus Christ
And firmly rest in Him;
Though winds of change around me swirl,
I am secure within.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ.
I know no other place.
In joy, confusion, peace, and pain,
He satisfies with grace.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ.
He is my great Enough.
No need unmet, no good denied:
He by Himself fills up.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ.
His precious blood alone
Has paid me for to take my place
Before the Father’s throne.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ.
With gratefulness I trace
The scars from wounds He took for me.
I gaze upon His face.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ,
Because I know His love
Compels, constrains, and causes me
To live for things above.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ
For all eternity.
Both now and then, my Master will
Choose what is best for me.

I take my stand on Jesus Christ,
My Savior, God, and Friend,
To Him, the Worthy Son of God,
Be glory without end.

Are you meditating upon Him? You will find Him beyond compare.

"Search me, O God"

1/29/09—1/30/09

Romans 6—

• No obligation to sin
• The Reality of union with Christ
• Walking in newness of life
• Slave to righteousness
• Sin has no more dominion

If I sin it is a voluntary “tax” given to an illegitimate lord, an utter imposter.

If I live to myself I am ignoring my union with Christ and worshipping myself.

• Bearing fruit to righteousness
• Fleshing out holiness
• Obeying the Word
• Identifying with Christ

Psalm 84—

• “No good thing will He withhold”
• Nothing
• Nothing good that He has not given to me
• Everything in my life is good
• For my profit
• In Christ—because I have Christ

If I can imagine anything good outside of Christ, then I am only imagining it.

If I am not satisfied with what He has given into my life, I am not looking at Christ

• Trusting in His “muchness”
• Living out of His goodness
• Loving His fellowship
• Worshipping Him

2 Corinthians 5—

• “The love of Christ constraineth”
• Laboring with eternity in view
• We make it our aim to be pleasing Him
• The great transaction—my sins to Him; His righteousness to me
• In this we groan—immortality—to see His Face
• Sin’s transfer to Christ—His payment
• New creatures—in Christ

If I can live to myself, then I am not living in the reality of the love of Him Who died for me and rose again.

If I am seeing Christ truly, then my life will radically center on Him and His Person.

• Longing to be with Him
• Being His ambassador
• Being borne along by His love
• Living out my union with Him
• Identifying myself as His alone

Christ

• Do I really, genuinely, abandonedly, joyfully, uncalculatingly, purely trust Him?

• Am I accurately, passionately, determinedly, hopefully, confidently, desperately, purposefully fixing my eyes on Him—seeing Him, seeking Him, desiring Him?

• Is Christ my Life? Can I bear even the thought of life without Him?

• Do I live only for His good pleasure and approval, or do others hold illegitimate sway in their opinions and reactions?

• Am I satisfied with Christ alone? No knowledge of the future’s holdings, no boy, no ability to make plans, hard classes, little sleep, people’s demands and expectations, my sin battles, etc.? Do I live in His promised sufficiency?

• Am I thankful for all that He has chosen in love for me? Do I bless the Lord and remember all His goodness to me?

• Does my life bear out the truth that Christ is Enough—solely and fully?

• Do I love Him like He is worthy of being loved? With heart, soul, mind, and strength?

• Am I passionate—authentically, consistently passionate—about His Person, His Word, His ways, and His personal friendship with me?

• Would I settle for less than waiting for Him to act? Would I be willing to manipulate things, people, circumstances in order to bring my will to pass, rather than rest in Him and wait patiently for His good purposes to be fulfilled?

• Will I stake my life absolutely on His truth?

• Do I carefully weigh the minute implications of His Word in my life and diligently apply them—with discipline, without swerving, with meticulous attention, and with loving, willing devotion?

• Am I His in every sense of the word?

• Is He satisfied as He considers my life?

• Can He put His full good pleasure upon my life because He is the One Who is Ruling in all things—sitting upon the throne of my heart?

• Could He say the same of me as He did of Job?

• Is He most exalted? Is the preeminence His?

• Can He freely reflect Himself in me?

• Is He willing and pleased to be worshipped by me, or does He find my worship unacceptable or defiled in any way?

O that it may be Christ! Christ Alone. Christ Supreme.