All for Love - Part X

Hear is the secret to the Death/Life Cycle : 2 Corinthians 4:10-12: “ Always carrying about in the body of the death of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also maybe manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life and you.” For those who really live, who are experiencing what Jesus promised, “I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly,” are “constantly being delivered over to death.”

This principle stands, for every time the Lord has used me in a significant way, he has first sent a series of death blows that brought me out of myself, caused me to open the door of abiding , and thus enabled me to move in his power and accomplish his supernatural intent.

Sometimes we feel that these deathblows are going to crush us, but we must let them do just that, for it is in crushing that the precious life of the Lord encased in clay vessels is released. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

The proof of resurrection life will always be the marks of death. One who radiates the life of Jesus and who is a fragrant aroma will have these marks in his life. On the other hand, the one who carries the marks of self-life, boasting in ability, talents, programs, knowledge, wealth, family, or anything else from the endless list, has yet to know real life.

Christians who are walking in all the joy and power that the Lord has for them have two things in common: they understand the necessity of abiding moment by moment, and on the other, they all have faith. Surely, the greatest sources of power must be prayer and abiding.

All that is needed for success will come as we abide in him moment by moment, and it will come no other way. We are always to have our eyes on Jesus, which will produce fruit. John 15:2. Our one purpose in life is to bear fruit, not to do something for the Lord. Take your eyes off the idol, and put them on the Lord who supplies a life that overcomes bondage.

What is needed is the supernatural action of God that comes only when we have our eyes off the problem but rather on him through abiding. The Lord has delivered me from all sorts of manifestations of the flesh, but not one time has he delivered me when I had my eyes focused on them. Only when I have been in an abiding relationship has the Lord delivered me from those exasperations, and I usually never noticed until sometime later that they had naturally fallen aside. If you are focused on your troubles right now, you will not find deliverance. The Vine is always to have first place. “I am the vine, you are the branches; He who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. “

If somehow I could get the precious Holy Spirit and place Him in my human body and soul, I would be completely victorious! In fact, if I could release the Holy Spirit who has already overcome all the enemies of a human, the end result would be that of which Jesus spoke of in John, “truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” John 14:12

The blood of Jesus released in our life moment by moment means secure victory over every temptation, lying emotion, fear, frustration, and any other enemy. Once God does something in eternity, it is always being done. This blood possesses indestructible life qualities:  vitality that has torn the veil top to bottom, life that is obedient to the Father, vitality full of all the esteemed fruits, life that is not self pleasing, and possesses the very nature of Jesus! The cross and it’s resulting blood cannot be separated; both have a one time effect and a moment by moment consequence on our lives. I was crucified with Christ once on the day I received him, but placed in his eternal life I am now crucified always. I was forgiven and restored by the blood of Jesus the day I received Jesus as Savior, but once in his eternal life, I am delivered moment by moment by His precious blood. The blood of Christ was not given without the sacrifice of self, nor will it be received without the sacrifice of myself at the cross of Christ.

Suppose I purchased a very old truck with the intent of rebuilding it. When I made the acquisition I was sure that very little effort and money would have to be extended for restoration, but as the work progressed I found more and more wrong and spent a greater and greater amount of money. The more I fixed the more the vehicle seemed to break. One day as I worked, I finally became sick of it and decided to take my losses; I wanted nothing more to do with it. Hoping to remove even the memory of it, I called a wrecker and asked him to tow it away. When the garage was empty, I still had one momento- my hands were dirty! If I wanted no more remembrance of the truck or proof that I once owned it I would have to wash my hands! Think of that truck as your old Adam-life that you tried so hard to change until you decided to have it taken away by co-crucifixion. However, the pollution of that old life still remains in your mind, habits, and desires. You now need the blood of Jesus to cleanse all those old contaminations away, and as you open the door of abiding and allow the blood to flow, even the remembrance of these things will go. The blood takes away the feeling of defilement that sin brings. “But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin “1 John 1:7 This cleansing that the blood accomplishes takes away every hindrance that we might have and creates in us a pure heart.

The presence of God is now accessible to you, but only with the blood of Jesus which you possess; because of its immense value and eternal power, it allows admission not once a year but every moment. All you need do is bow before God and enter in with boldness by the power of his blood.

What the blood of Jesus accomplished once it continues to accomplish.

What benefit does the blood achieve for the children of God? Redemption and forgiveness Ephesians 1:7, sanctification Hebrews 13:12, fellowship Ephesians 2:13, total commitment Revelation 5:9, confidence in the presence of God Hebrews 10:19-21, heaven held open for us Hebrews 9:12, overcoming of death in the grave Hebrews 13:20, justification Romans 3:24-25, Peace Colossians 1:20, Overcoming of Satan Revelation 12:11. Do you see the beauty of the blood?

Stop one moment and dwell on the precious blood of Jesus, on the merit which at this moment you have access to the Father. You stand making requests not on the basis of your attainments but on the success of his blood. The blood of Jesus is so precious to the Father that he will not refuse you; actually, he expects you to take full advantage of this costly flow, never letting one drop be wasted; he wants the blood maximized. This is not to say, “sin so Grace will abound, “but that the blood is so costly the Father and the Son want the Christian to experience every possible benefit that can come from it.

Are you afraid of making requests to the Father? If you are, I fear it is because your request is based on your merit, not the value of the blood. Can you be as bold in making an appeal when you have failed God as you are when you have been a success? If not, then your standing is not based on the blood but on your own perceived righteousness. When you have failed, enter boldly before the Father and you will discover just how precious this blood is to him. Once you understand the unparalleled worth of the blood, you will find yourself always before him with confidence. Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 10:19.

The believer does not operate under the world system of performance-based acceptance, but under Christ-based acceptance.