Bible Ballistics: BBs #490  What Price Sacrifice???

 

“This is my commandment,

That ye love one another,

as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this,

that a man lay down his life

for his friends.” John 15:12-13

As believers in and followers of Jesus, we are called to exercise His love toward others, and Jesus describes the greatest love that He was about to express and display before the world on Calvary: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”! But what Jesus did for those who will believe in Him was even more amazing than that—He not only made the ultimate sacrifice for those that HE loves (which is the world), but those that He loves are enemies of God steeped in sin. Yet HE came lovingly, willingly to sacrifice HIS life for us that we could be delivered from death and hell by HIS selfless, substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sinners with His own blood.

“For when we were yet without strength,

in due time

Christ died

for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man

will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love

toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified

by his blood,

we shall be saved from wrath

through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more, being reconciled,

we shall be saved

by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.” Romans 5:6-11

We are the beneficiary of the ultimate sacrifice—not only that Jesus gave His life for me/you on the cross—but HE even more importantly, didn’t stay dead, HE AROSE victorious over death and hell too offer life to all who will believe. And because of His great love for us, we can go forward in His love regardless of the hate, meanness, confusion and malice going on around us. Knowing Jesus and having His indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to live victorious lives soaring above the storm with the Master. Isaiah said it best:

“But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings

as eagles;

they shall run,

and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 

Even as the picture in my dining room says: “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:” we can trust our lives, our hope, and our security to The One who died for us—and that is only JESUS my friends, not any movie star, sports star, politician or even any religious leader—only the blood of Jesus can impart abundant life! And when we know Him, as His children, we can declare with Job, that our confidence is in HIM not ourselves or any other human! After all only Jesus can change a ‘sinner’ into a ‘saint’ of God, and only Jesus can give us His Spirit to lead us, grow us, and guide us into more and more of His truth and grace, through His Word by His Spirit; all so that we can minister HIS love to a lost and dying world!

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him:

but I will maintain mine own ways

before him.” Job 13:15   Amen and Amen!

Yet we must remember that God often calls us to difficult tasks, and when he does HE is sufficient to guide our steps and meet our needs!

“Thou therefore gird up thy loins,

and arise,

and speak unto them

all that I command thee:

be not dismayed at their faces,

lest I confound thee before them.

18 For, behold, I have made thee this day

a defenced city,

and an iron pillar,

and brasen walls

against the whole land,

against the kings of Judah,

against the princes thereof,

against the priests thereof,

and against the people of the land.

19 And they shall fight against thee;

but they shall not prevail against thee;

for I am with thee,

saith the LORD,

to deliver thee.”   Jeremiah 1:17-19

Jeremiah was called the “weeping prophet” because he was given a hard task, to a hard people, yet he went forth faithfully for some 40 years doing God’s work with little visible results! What has God asked you and me to do? Are we willing to make the sacrifice for The One who gave Himself for us? He IS the Only Way—The Lord Jesus Christ! Let’s seek His approval above all else, for:

“Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name

under heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

I pray that this will help us all to keep our focus on Our Lord and not the confusion of the world, remembering The One who gave it all for our salvation, our life and our glory with HIM! HE is the only ONE who sacrificed for our salvation!

Amen and Amen. Blessings on your day!