You've all heard it before, "buried with Christ, so I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." right? SO what does that mean exactly? I'm learning, and let me share friends because packed in that phrase/verse is many many promises for you, and for me, and it's so delightful.
In my past, not so long ago, when Christ revealed Himself to me, removed my blinders, took of my shackles and I was free there but these was still this image of a former me that was left. The image was left in others minds, and in the back of my mind, sort of like a walking dead shadow that followed me wherever I went. And it was prohiiting me from really dancing in the joy of my new found freedom in Christ. It had to be done away with...
And that is exactly what Christ did for me on the cross... there is such significance in the burial of Christ, you see in the those times after a person was crucified, their bodies were simply tossed in a pile, or at most, thrown into a shallow grave. (in other words, the dead was still present)
Not so with Jesus, He had some secrete followers, who did not follow Him so boldly in life, but did follow Him boldly in His death, for they went to Pilate, and asked him for Jesus's body with the intention of burying it in a proper way. The reason this is so significant is because what was dead, was buried. The old, was gone, and the new was coming and that is what the part that we too get to grab hold of. And it also fulfilled scripture, another proof that God was in complete control..So even in death, He was in control. What does that say to you about your present trial or hopeless situation? You see to His followers who buried Him that day, it felt as though all was lost. Interestingly enough, His enemies ordered a stone to be placed in front of His tomb so that "just in case" His words spoken in life regarding being raised from the dead were true, they were covered. TO THINK! They thought a simple stone would hold our Lord, Creator of Heaven and Earth in His tomb. What fools. As a side note, have you ever felt yourself placing "stones" in front of the Lord to try and keep Him out? Remembering He is complete control, now gives me comfort, but there was a time where that though made me almost mad. Don't let the same be said of you my friend.
So continuing on with the story of the men who came to bury Jesus who were too frightened to follow Him in life, I say this, it doesn't matter when you say, "I follow you.." Its just that you do.
And then the healing begins..
Have you ever felt like you are just continually digging up something that is dead? A past life of sin that haunts you and makes you feel as though your walking around with some deadness on your shoulders all the time? I have felt this way, and the shadow was so dark, and so heavy that I finally recognized that it was not mine to carry...there is great significance in this understanding because when we give those past hauntings over to the Lord we are able to rejoice in the death! And live in the new life we are being offered. You see, Christ did not die for us to live miserable lives, stuck in the past (even though we've already repented) and not really grabbing hold of the true life, the true living water that He has offered to us. So ask yourselves this my friends...the sins that were crucified on that cross so long ago, are they still laying in open graves for all to see? Do you where them on your face and show them in your countenance every time you leave the house, or are FREE? Are you dancing out your front door because Christ did away with the former you? Are you skipping down the halls of work or school because you have the LIFE of Christ, not the death of past? These are things that we need to deal with in order to grow, don't let dead things stand in the way of your life with Christ.
So, how do you do this? Go to the Lord, walk into His beautiful thrown room...kneel at His lovely pierced feet and say, "This, This thing of mine I'm holding onto, it's yours." And then hand it over to Him. He will take it from you, and you my friend can once and for all feel His life, and His forgiveness. That is why He went to the cross for you! So that you could have life, and have it abundantly! He didn't say..."Sure I'll die for you but you still have to bear the weight of your sins every day!!" No. He said, "GO! Sin not more! You are forgiven." SO friends...If you have repented, you have died to the former you, you have offered up your life to be pleasing and holy to Him, then you friend, should live this life that way.
Take any forgiven soul in the Bible, and you will see, they were set free by Christ, and just as He lifted Mary Magdalene from the ground and told her to leave her life of sin, so can we. We can dust off our feet, and He wipes those tears of past sins away from our eyes, we can know and have perfect assurance that our sins have been forgotten.
Makes no difference what the sin is. You fill in the blank...but it's forgotten. Anyone encouraged?
I am. Now, lets live as though we are alive. That is our gift, and we need to accept it, and live.
Praise be to our Lord and Savior!!!!
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