The power of the blood even heals you from sins that have marked you- sins that you did not commit

Sin can create a bruise any time it happens, regardless of who commits the sin. Sin can affect you if you are guilty (i.e., you committed the sin); sin can also affect you even if you are not guilty- when someone sins against you. In other words, sometimes you are stained by sins for which you have no guilt. Consider:

• Women who are raped are not guilty- but have been horribly hurt by the sin of another.

• Children who have been abandoned are not guilt, but need the cleansing that Jesus offers.

• Men who have been betrayed…

Many of us understand that Jesus died to forgive us of our sins. We often forget (or have never been told) that Jesus also bled to cleanse us from the effects of the sin- from the shame, the guilt, and the condemnation we feel from our sins.

And, we have probably not learned that He died, too, to heal us from the effects of the sins against us… from the internal wounds that have been created by others… wounds from

• rape,

• abuse,

• harsh words spoken against us…

• gossip…

• estranged relationships…

Note, though, that the truth is that we are all both perpetrators (who have hurt others) and victims (who have been hurt). We need to Jesus to do both- to forgive and heal / cleanse the effects of sin- for both us (we’re hurt by our sin and the sins against us) and for the people whom we have hurt.

Related articles

• Taking all the benefits Jesus has to give… (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• Free to do what you’re supposed to do (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• You’re more free than you realize (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)

Free- inside, outside…

Over the past week or so I’ve made the point that Jesus redeems us every place He bled- because the Bible says we are redeemed by His blood (1 Peter). On His way from the Garden of Gethsemane to His mock trial an interesting thing happened. Notice what Isaiah says would happen to Jesus, when he prophesied centuries earlier:

 “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities…” (53:5, emphasis added).

Wounds and bruises are two different labels that Isaiah uses.

Whereas a wound is external- and causes visible bleeding- a bruise is internal- and is bleeding that happens from broken blood vessels under the skin. Of course, a bruise is visible, but the blood remains underneath the skin. Mark it- Jesus bled inside of Himself to redeem that which is “inside” of us.

Notice what the Gospels say happened to Jesus:

• The soldiers beat Jesus and spit upon Him (Mark 14:65).

• They blindfolded and beat Him (Luke 22:63-64).

• They mocked and struck Him (John 19:3).

• They hit him with the palm of their hands (a slap = a degrading insult) (Matthew 26:67).

Again, a bruise is internal bleeding that becomes visible on the outside. The prophet Isaiah actually says that Jesus was marred beyond recognition- so much so that you couldn’t even tell who He was (52:14). Andrew Wommack says

“if you study this out in the original Hebrew language, it means that Jesus didn’t even look human.”

This is the gravity of the bruising that undertook on our behalf- He was bleeding that much inside of Himself. Consider another statement Wommack makes:

“Every sin, sickness, and disease of the entire human race- every deformity, tumor, and perversion- entered into the physical body of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why His face looked worse than any other person who has ever lived, and His form became so distorted that He didn’t even look human.”

Furthermore, Jesus didn’t only take on those issues- He also took on the condemnation, the self-worth, and the debasement that we associate with them, the negative and destructive feelings to which we all cling. And he did this for all of us at the same time.

Again, a bruise is visible on the outside- even though the wound is on the inside. Make note: Jesus bled internally. When He did, He redeemed us internally.

Sin marks us internally when it happens. Think about it. The reality is that sin leaves a bruise, an internal wound, any time sin happens. Often, we move ahead without dealing with the bruises inside of us because the effects rarely seem urgent. If the effect of sin was a broken bone, we would fix it. If it was like a gash on your forehead, we would address it. But, often the bruises of sin seem less important to clean. As such, we rarely seek healing.

Yet we are carrying around this “uncleanness” inside of us. And since we continue looking past it, the bruising inside of each continues building, layer after layer.

The Bible tells us that this defilement happens any time that we sin.

For instance, Psalm 106:39 says,

“They were defiled [read: made unclean] by their works…”

Even Jesus said that

“What comes out of a man makes Him unclean…” (Mark 7:20).

We are all unclean, dirty. We all know it.

Many of us have been there. We’ve sinned and then said things like:

• “That made me feel dirty.”

• “I feel ashamed, like I want to hide…”

• “I feel like I need to take a shower after…”

In other words, we sense it… this need for redemption… this need to be cleansed inside. We feel that the harshest effects of sin that we feel aren’t even the external consequences, but the weight we carry in the soul.

Jesus bled inside to set you free inside.

Related articles

• A game changer for me; seeing the scope of what Jesus did (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• Free to decide “right” and free from the stress that causes me to decide “wrong” (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• The Gospels are out-of-balance biographies. Here’s why… (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)
• Taking all the benefits Jesus has to give… (andrewejenkins.wordpress.com)

The glory will not shine on you- it will shine through you- it will be part of who you are

My wife and I attended a conference in October 2011 in which Bill Johnson (of Bethel Church in Redding, California) summed it up pretty well. During the opening remarks of the first main session, he reminded us of a few Bible verses:

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23).

Notice, you were destined for glory. I hit this in the previous post.

“His glory will shine on you” (Isaiah 60:1)

Notice the shift from having fallen short of the glory to now the glory is shining on you.

Moses reflected the glory that came to Him- God’s glory that shone on him. He absorbed it and it shown (see Exodus 34:29, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18). This is an incredible example of what we see the prophet Isaiah explain.

However, the Bible makes another shift:

Christ in you.. your hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)

Notice the shift from on you to in you.

Bill Johnson reminded us that as great as Moses’ experience was, God wants to shine through you. Jesus, your hope of glory, is going to shine through you, such that others see it…

In the next few posts we  will discuss the idea of living before God with a clear conscience- one that is free of anxiety and stress over the sins we have committed. You may think that the experience Moses had- the one that is promised above- is for “other people.” You may feel unworthy. You know what you’ve done.

Here’s part of the issue: typically, we think of Jesus’ act on the Cross as something that “changes us,” but doesn’t necessarily change us in an emotional sense. We often think that Jesus changes our eternal destiny, not our present situation. The truth, though, is that Jesus’ sacrifice affects every part of us- even how we feel about ourselves. The Lord will move you to see yourself as He sees you.

One noted pastor, Mahesh Chavda, writes,

“The Bible is no dry and lifeless treatise on theology and doctrine. It contains both, but in its essence, it is the dynamic expression of the living God.”

You were made for glory

The Bible tells us that Jesus’ goal is to bring many sons and daughters to glory (Hebrews 2:10).

That was your original destination, anyway. The Bible tells us that “All  have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It was His original intent- we just fell short of it.

That said, now He intends to radically change the identity of the people He came to seek, save, and set free:

• From shame…. to glory.

• From your past… to your full potential.

• From your own self image… to everything He sees in you.

This is why Jesus endured the Cross, even while despising the shame associated with it (Hebrews 12:1-2). Often, we find ourselves stuck in the shame of our pasts, not realizing that we are destined for His glory, that He made that journey from shame to glory in order to take us on the journey with Him.

He didn’t make that trek for Him; He did it for us. He already sat in glory and emptied Himself of it in order to come near to us (see Philippians 2:5-11).

We will be glorified with Him. You will be glorified with Him. That’s one of the reasons He came. In fact, Andrew Wommack writes,

“The word says that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us- not to us- but in us.”

Your desire for God to set you free is proof that God desires to set you free

Moses freed the Children of Israel when they were in bondage as slaves. The slaves in Egypt had no freedom. They made no decisions. They had no choice about anything they did or did not do. They were considered to be property.

When they were freed, the Lord delivered them instantly. They were told to eat unleavened bread during the Passover, because they would be leaving quickly. There was no time for the bread to rise (Exodus 12:8). They were also commanded to gird their loins (pull the robe up between the legs, sashing it over the belt to form “pants” that would allow them to move hastily) (12:11).

Freedom was not a process of gradual trust- it happened in a moment of deliverance. 

A mosaic (see the picture on the right) is a collection of broken pieces that have been put together to form a piece of art. On their own, each tile is junk, rubbish. Somehow, when placed together, they entire thing is beautiful. Just like your redemption. The fragments of life seem broken; but in an instant they can be whole, complete… a masterpiece. We often see the fragments; God sees you for the art that you truly are. 

One pastor (Mahesh Chavda) writes that

“part of our freedom in Christ is deliverance, whether from pain or disease, addiction, demonic oppression or possession, emotional or psychological problems, mental illness, anger, hate, bitterness, or whatever… Once people understand the freedom that is available in Jesus, they rush to get delivered…”

Notice his last words- people rush to get delivered. It happens in a moment.

The same pastor writes,

“Many… [know] Jesus, but [know] nothing of His power to deliver, because no one [has] ever told them.”

This is where you may find yourself. You may be standing on the edge of your toes (or sitting on the edge of your seat), as if stretching forth, grasping for the freedom which has been declared to you.

That hunger is God’s invitation for you to receive. The Word is creating faith in you- and you will receive!

We often think (because we have been taught) that we must “step it up” and “believe harder” in order for the Lord to do a great thing in us. But, the Bible tells us clearly that faith isn’t something we generate- it’s something that comes to us (see Romans 10:17).

Another passage tells us that the life we live we live by “faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20- see the King James Version- most other translations miss this one and suggest that it is faith in the Son of God. The KJV, though, denotes that God Himself actually places the faith there. It is His faith working in us!).

If the Lord is putting a desire in you for freedom, it is His invitation for you to receive it. The Bible is clear that you cannot step towards the Lord without His drawing you- so, if He is drawing you, He is inviting you (see John 6:44).

One night after I finished teaching this topic at The Dream Center, a young man walked up to me. “I want this to be real to me,” he said. “I see people singing and clapping and raising their hands… I want that. I want it to be real.”

So I asked him, “Really? You mean that?  You want this to be real to you?”

He told me again that he did.

I referenced the verse above from John 6:44.

“The only way you can come to the Son is if the Father is drawing you,”

I told him. Then, I added,“Romans 3:11 says that nobody seeks God on their own. So, if you are wanting to know him…”

He interrupted me with a grin and finished my sentence: “If I want to know Him then He put that desire there. He has freed my will to choose Him instead of choosing my old ways…”

“Exactly,” I told him.

He then prayed, inviting the Lord into His life, acknowledging that God had released him to know his Heavenly Father. Over the next few weeks, I saw this man re-connect with his elementary-aged daughter; I watched him pray healing for an uncle (who was healed); I saw him land a job and begin working steadily. He put down the old addictions.

Here, then, is what the Bible says, knowing what Jesus has delivered our will- and that He does so in an instant:

• 2 Peter 3:1 tells us to stir up our minds.

• Philippians 2:13 encourages us that God works in us to both 1) “to will” (read: to desire) and 2) “to do” (read: to act upon) His good pleasure.

• Philippians 2:5 also tells us to “let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus….” This, somehow, infers that it must be possible for us to do…

• 1 Corinthians 2:16 reminds us that now we have the “mind of Christ.”

What does it mean? It means that you can do anything that the Lord Himself would do with His will were it in you. It is in you. He is in you. In fact, the Bible says that you no longer live, but that it is Christ Himself living through you (see Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Philippians 1:21).