I stood completely inadequate, covered in sin.. completely
filled with everything evil… before a PURE, HOLY, SPOTLESS, RIGHTEOUS GOD. And
His wrath was going to consume me… His justice required it.
I had nothing to give… nothing to show for my justification. There was no hope for relationship… there was no redemption to be had…
and then… in strolls my Intercessor. And I see Him standing there as a Lamb slain from the foundations of the world. That Perfect God-Man. He who stepped down into earth… clothed Himself in the weakness of human flesh.. and lived and walked and breathed PERFECTION. In every way tempted.. yet without a single glance of His eye. Not even the minutest speck of defilement marred the bright white otherness of this One.
And then… this One.. this Jesus.. all Just, became the Justifier.
From Adam to the last person who shall ever see the light of day on this planet… all of our filth.. our condemnation… our guilt.. the FULL weight of our all-encompassing sin was imputed to that Perfect One.
And we stood there with arms crossed and lips mocking, gazing up at hands pierced and flesh gaping and blood running.. we stood there in our stubborn un-giving humanity as the full weight of God’s Holy wrath drove the very breathe.. the very life from Jesus. The blade cut.. the soft whiteness of that Lamb gave way… and everything that sustained ran out.
As He hung upon the beams… the perfect love and fellowship He had always known.... that constant Oneness was severed.
Because how can Light have fellowship with darkness?
Justice demanded a payment.
It wasn’t the whip falling… tearing and ripping. It wasn’t the crown of thorns.. that circle of pain pushed down.. forcing its way through and spilling red. It wasn’t the spit dripping.. the sting of the slaps.. the nails driven further with every swing.
That could never have satisfied the debt.
It was Holy Wrath from a Holy God… it was separation and cutting off and breathe expiring… It was sin imputed and God turning His head and withdrawing Himself and the Lamb dying alone.. it was the CRUSHING of Christ that brought my atonement.
Jesus was crushed.
Oh if only we could realize the completeness of our incapability… our absolute depravity. Our utter deservedness of that separation and breathe and life-taking justice..
If ONLY we could see the perfection and otherness of that Son given….
but words are few and feeble.
God give us revelation!!
How often we speak and sing of our Father’s love and acceptance. We eagerly proclaim His grace… but do we really understand….do we stop to consider…. the price?
We deserve banishment forever in hell… to have as our constant reality the burning.. the gnashing of teeth.. to taste and feel and swim in fire.. to have our senses completely filled with His wrath… FOREVER.
I deserve it… All of us do…. The billions who have walked this earth.. and the billions who yet will…
But today… I sit here.. with a promise of forever in His presence.. I sit here clothed in a Righteousness not my own. I daily wake up to whispers and demonstrations of love.. and provision.. and sustenance. I have access to endless treasuries of grace. And mercy. And strength. And joy. And peace. And love. His Divine Perfection and Presence fills and flows. There is communication and the promise of an ear eager to hear.. and the promise of a response. I am seated in Heavenly Places…. I have the power to overcome… Through Him I HAVE OVERCAME.
All because of that Lamb.
All because He came.. and lived.. and died.. and was raised… and ascended.. and IS SITTING.
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has born our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; and 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 53:3-6
I had nothing to give… nothing to show for my justification. There was no hope for relationship… there was no redemption to be had…
and then… in strolls my Intercessor. And I see Him standing there as a Lamb slain from the foundations of the world. That Perfect God-Man. He who stepped down into earth… clothed Himself in the weakness of human flesh.. and lived and walked and breathed PERFECTION. In every way tempted.. yet without a single glance of His eye. Not even the minutest speck of defilement marred the bright white otherness of this One.
And then… this One.. this Jesus.. all Just, became the Justifier.
From Adam to the last person who shall ever see the light of day on this planet… all of our filth.. our condemnation… our guilt.. the FULL weight of our all-encompassing sin was imputed to that Perfect One.
And we stood there with arms crossed and lips mocking, gazing up at hands pierced and flesh gaping and blood running.. we stood there in our stubborn un-giving humanity as the full weight of God’s Holy wrath drove the very breathe.. the very life from Jesus. The blade cut.. the soft whiteness of that Lamb gave way… and everything that sustained ran out.
As He hung upon the beams… the perfect love and fellowship He had always known.... that constant Oneness was severed.
Because how can Light have fellowship with darkness?
Justice demanded a payment.
It wasn’t the whip falling… tearing and ripping. It wasn’t the crown of thorns.. that circle of pain pushed down.. forcing its way through and spilling red. It wasn’t the spit dripping.. the sting of the slaps.. the nails driven further with every swing.
That could never have satisfied the debt.
It was Holy Wrath from a Holy God… it was separation and cutting off and breathe expiring… It was sin imputed and God turning His head and withdrawing Himself and the Lamb dying alone.. it was the CRUSHING of Christ that brought my atonement.
Jesus was crushed.
Oh if only we could realize the completeness of our incapability… our absolute depravity. Our utter deservedness of that separation and breathe and life-taking justice..
If ONLY we could see the perfection and otherness of that Son given….
but words are few and feeble.
God give us revelation!!
How often we speak and sing of our Father’s love and acceptance. We eagerly proclaim His grace… but do we really understand….do we stop to consider…. the price?
We deserve banishment forever in hell… to have as our constant reality the burning.. the gnashing of teeth.. to taste and feel and swim in fire.. to have our senses completely filled with His wrath… FOREVER.
I deserve it… All of us do…. The billions who have walked this earth.. and the billions who yet will…
But today… I sit here.. with a promise of forever in His presence.. I sit here clothed in a Righteousness not my own. I daily wake up to whispers and demonstrations of love.. and provision.. and sustenance. I have access to endless treasuries of grace. And mercy. And strength. And joy. And peace. And love. His Divine Perfection and Presence fills and flows. There is communication and the promise of an ear eager to hear.. and the promise of a response. I am seated in Heavenly Places…. I have the power to overcome… Through Him I HAVE OVERCAME.
All because of that Lamb.
All because He came.. and lived.. and died.. and was raised… and ascended.. and IS SITTING.
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has born our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; and 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 53:3-6
MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING.
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