Dear Jubilee Family, it was good to see so many attend this morning’s prayer and sharing time, in memory of Pastor Dave. His sudden passing has affected each of us deeply and our Christian fellowship helps ease the pain.
Kodi, their children and extended family are all gathering. They need our prayers and support. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Their address: 159 Harding Ave., Ventura, 93004
Blessings, Pastor Leonard.
“The Savior and Our Sin” Part 1
(Scriptures NLT, unless otherwise noted)
Some people have a hard time admitting that they are sinners. Whether we like it or not, the truth is that “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23
All scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit. In His own unique way, the Holy Spirit has been able to take our sin and couple it with Christ’s all sufficient sacrifice and help us to see how completely His atonement covers the cancer of our transgressions.
Take time to really reflect on the following passages of scripture that show how the sinless Savior’s death and resurrection bring healing and wholeness to our troubled souls.
1. “And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins and there is no sin in Him.” 1 John 3:5
2. “But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” Hebrews 10:12
3. “Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.” Galatians 1:4
4. “He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins — and not only our sins, but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:2
5. “Christ suffered for our sins once for all-time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18
6. “So also, Christ was once offered for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:28
7. “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
8. “For this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” Matthew 26:28
9. “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.” 1 Corinthians 15:3
A close look at each of these scriptures will reveal two very important truths:
· The sins of the sinner,
· The sacrifice of the Savior.
But there is more. Just as the sun gives off different light rays, Jesus Christ, the Son of righteousness radiates a number of light rays from His atoning sacrifice.
1. He was manifested to take away our sins, 1 John 3:5
The word “manifested” means that he revealed Himself as one who had been hidden behind a curtain. The Greek word is “phanerao”, and it means “to show or to reveal oneself.”
John 21:1, 14 (RSV)
“After this (His resurrection) Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias …” this was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
The Apostle Paul, in 1 Timothy 3:16 (RSV), specifically tells us that He was revealed for one specific reason — to take away our sins — “And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great; He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Sprit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”
(Please take time to meditate on what you just read.)
Folks — in verse after verse, we are told that Christ was manifested, revealed for one specific purpose — to take away our sins. 1 John 1:1-3
2. Another ray of light that Jesus Christ, the Son of righteousness portrays is the idea of ‘Perfection’ In Hebrews 10:10 (ESV), we read “By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once and for all.”
The focus in this verse is on the word “once”. The Holy Spirit wants us to realize that Christ’s one sacrifice was sufficient to meet the need created by our sin. Please read for yourself the following verses and see how often the Holy Spirit uses the word ‘once’ and ‘one’.
Hebrews 9:12, 26, 28 and Hebrews 10:2, 10, 12.
Christ was the perfect sacrifice who was offered once for all to take away our sin. Praise God!
3. A Third ray that Jesus is the Son of Righteousness radiates in ‘Consecration’. In Galatians 1:4 (KJV), we read “Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” WOW! “He gave Himself.” Talk about consecration and commitment.
In Acts 19:31, we read that some of Paul’s friends pleaded with Him to not enter (adventure) into the amphitheater at Ephesus, lest he be harmed. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul is writing about the consecration of the poor saints in Macedonia and their desire to participate in the love offering for those suffering in Jerusalem. In verse 5, we read “… instead they gave themselves especially to the LORD, then to us by God’s will.”
Now let’s apply the words ‘enter’, ‘adventure’ and ‘gave’ to our LORD. He did enter, or adventure into our world and He gave Himself once for all, first to the Father and then for us.
The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:21 wrote “He (the Father) made the One (Christ) who did not know sin to be sin for us (an atoning sacrifice) so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
May we be like the Macedonian Christians and give ourselves first to God and then to each other for the glory of God.
(More Next Issue)
May Christ be praised!
Pastor Leonard
