Chapter 10 - Throne of Grace

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 10 - Throne of Grace

We read in Hebrews 4:14, “Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God…Jesus, the Son of God.” (GNB)

We live in a world where it is so easy for us to be ensnared and in bondage to various sinful habits. Outwardly we may appear to be living a carefree life, but the truth of the matter is that, deep down we know that we are in enslavement to the passions and desires of this world.  

The Lord’s promise to us is that, irrespective of the kind of things that we are entangled with, He is able to deliver us out of them all, and set us free from every kind of bondage. 

Knowingly or unknowingly we have become slaves to many things in this world. Bondages don’t happen in a day, it is a slow and deliberate process.  Some people have relinquished their faith in God and backslidden because of these enslavements.

In Hebrews 4:14 we are exhorted to “hold firmly to the faith we profess.” For instance if we are travelling on a bus with a bag of rice and the bus ticket in our hand, it is obvious that we will be more careful with the ticket than with the bag of rice. If we lose our bag of rice we can always buy it back for the same price, but if we lose the ticket we may have to pay a fine ten times more than the ticket itself. So also in life, we often find ourselves holding on tightly to worldly things and lose out on the more important spiritual things, not realizing that we disinherit a lot when we do so. 

When we don’t focus on our relationship with God and on matters pertaining to Him, we will find that our prayer time, Bible reading, fellowship with other believer’s starts to dwindle and so does our faith in God. Since our faith is the fundamental element that overcomes the world, we are being admonished to ‘hold firmly to our faith.’

How do we hold on to our Faith?

      The Great High Priest

In Hebrews 4:14 we read that,“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession....”(RSV)

In the Old Testament we read about the role and functions of a ‘High Priest’.  The duty of the High Priest was to enter the ‘Most Holy Place’ once a year to offer sacrifices for the sins of the People. The presence of God is ‘Most Holy’ and so the High Priest who entered the ‘Holy of Holies’ did so with reverential fear and always with the offering of a lamb that was to be sacrificed and it’s blood shed for the sins of the people. 

Jesus became the ‘Great High Priest’ who took on Himself the sins of the world by shedding His blood on the cross for each one of us.  Since Jesus is the ‘Great High Priest’, He is now at the right hand of the Father in heaven, interceding on our behalf.  We are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ constant intercession on our behalf. No other person can intercede to the Father on our behalf.  

Jesus is the only one who can do that, because He alone has gone up to the Heavens and is beholding the face of the Father. All other High Priests who lived earlier died but Jesus was the only ‘Great High Priest’ who rose from the dead and lives on into eternity.

No matter how many times we sin and go back to God for forgiveness, it is the Lord who is constantly interceding for us to be set free from all our sins and bondages.

The only Mediator between God and Man

We read in 1Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem the whole human race.” (GNB)

There is only one God and the only person who is the intercessor between God and man is Jesus Christ. 

At the beginning of creation we see the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit at work when God says ‘Let us make man in our own image’ Genesis 1:26. Jesus was there, before the creation of the world, but the only reason He came down to the earth was to take on a human form, live a sinless life and give His life as a ransom for the sins of the world.  There was no one else who could live that sinless life.

When the Angel Gabriel brought the news of the birth of Jesus to Mary, we see how Mary magnifies the Lord.  In Luke 1:46 we read, “And Mary said, My soul magnifiesthe Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,” (ESV) It was obvious then that Mary being a human being herself, also needed a Saviour as much as anyone else did.

The Sinless High Priest

In Hebrew 4:15we read, “Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.” (GNB)

Jesus is also the Great High Priest, because He alone was sinless.  All other High Priests who lived before Jesus, were all sinners and so it was imperative that they take along with them a lamb to slaughter first for their own sins and also for the sins of the people.  Jesus on the other hand being a sinless High priest was able to enter the most holy place with His own blood.

We may wonder how Jesus could have been tempted in every way just like us.  All temptations we face can be broadly classified under these three main categories.

1 John 2:16we read,“the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (Webster)

In Luke 4:13we read, “When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.” (GNT)

It is obvious from the above mentioned verse, that Jesus underwent temptations several times all throughout His life here on earth, and it was not just the three that are recorded in Luke chapter 4.  It clearly mentions in Luke 4:13 that the Devil only left him for a while, so Jesus too was tempted many other times too.

All of us may go through these seasons of temptations. At certain times we face so many struggles and then we will have a period of peace. When we go through these stages of severe temptations, we must recognize that Satan is at work and draw closer to God so we can escape all his evil plans.

Jesus is the only Great High Priest, because He alone went through all the temptations and overcame every one of them and was able to live a sinless life. Therefore, He is the only one who can help us in our times of weakness and temptations.  If we run to Him, He will give us the strength to resist and overcome every temptation.

For example, if we were looking for coaching in IAS, and we had two options, one centre run by a person who failed the exam and the other run by one who cleared all the exams, it is obvious that we would choose the one who succeeded. So also, the only one who can help us overcome every temptation, is the Lord Jesus who Himself overcame every single temptation while He was here on earth. 

As long as we live on this earth, we will be subject to all kinds of temptations, because Satan is constantly on the prowl, seeking whom he can devour.  Every time we face temptations we run to the one who is the overcomer of all temptations and we seek His help with much prayers. The more the temptations, the more we pray. 

As we grow in the Lord we will find that we will face a lot more struggles and temptations.  But, we have the assurance that the Lord is with us and the Bible says that a man who overcomes temptation is a blessed man. If one wants to measure the strength of the wind, one needs to go against it.  When we are confronted by temptations we must confess that the Lord who is in us is far greater than the one who is in the world and we will definitely not succumb to temptations.  

We must read the word, hear the word and confess the word by faith. The word of God is full of promises that we need to personalize and confess daily in our lives so that we will grow in our faith.

In Hebrew 4:16, we read, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Webster)

There are three parts of the verse that we will look at: The Throne of Grace, Grace and Mercy.

It is only when we do something against God and His word that we feel guilty. When Adam and Eve were in relationship with God they could freely come and commune with God but when they disobeyed and ate the forbidden fruit, they hid from God because of the sense of guilt and fear that overcame them. 

Whenever we sin, and Satan accuses us we should not fear and go away from God, but rather boldly approach the ‘Throne of Grace’because the Lord is willing to forgive and pick us up every time we fall. We have a Great High Priest who is interceding for us and He is willing to lift us up every time we fall.

The question is ‘What can we obtain at the Throne of Grace?’ The answer is grace and mercy. If we were to define mercy and grace we could say it this way. Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and Grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.”

Mercy is the Lord being kind and compassionate to us and not punishing us and sending us to hell as we deserve but redeeming our lives. God’s Grace is the unmerited favour of God that qualifies us to go to heaven. God’s grace give us forgiveness and makes us His children.

A toddler who is learning to walk, may fall many times but we encourage the child to walk, but as the child grows older things change and we don’t expect the same behaviour.  So also a young believer may struggle to overcome temptation and may fall many times, but as we grow in the Lord we must be aware of all the darts of the evil one, and must overcome temptation and be victorious. 

David did a great sin in taking Bathsheba and killing Uriah but the Lord calls him ‘a man after His own heart’. It was not because David never sinned, but because he confessed his sins and the Lord in His grace and mercy forgave him. No one can say we are without sin.  But we can come with boldness and ask the Lord to forgive us and help us to be victorious because the Lord is interceding for us.

We have a Great High Priest who is at the Father’s right hand interceding for us. He is the Great High Priest who overcame all temptations and was the perfect sacrifice.  Therefore, we can approach the Throne of Grace boldly. Every area of our life that we are in bondage to, could be the lust of our flesh, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life, if we can confess our sins and come to the Lord with a repentant heart, He is willing to give us the victoryover every bondage in our lives. He will transform us to be overcomers. 

Let me close with the definition of mercy and grace that I love so much – Because of God’s mercy I am kept from going to hell – But because of the grace of God, I am qualified to get into heaven. Don’t lose heart; the bondage breaker is our Great High Priest and we can always run to His ‘Throne of Grace’ and receive both mercy and grace!

A prayer :

Lord of grace and mercy, thank you for Your throne of grace, where I can come boldly because I have an intercessor who also walked this earth but remained pure and holy.  I thank you Lord, for the Great High Priest who is interceding for me.  Because of this confidence, I will overcome every form of sin and bondage. I will be victorious in the mighty name of my Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Throne of Grace - Audio message in Tamil

Chapter 9 - Accountability

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 9 - Accountability

In Genesis 2:18 it says, “Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." (GNT)

God in His divine plan knew that it was not good for man to be alone. When God created the universe and everything in it, the Bible records how ‘God saw that all of it was good’. However, when God created Adam, God said, ‘It is not good for man to live alone’ and that’s why He created Eve as a suitable companion for her. However, in today’s society many are opting to be single or unmarried and choose to lead solitary lives.

When a person decides to be single, no matter how good the notion may be, it first and foremost goes against God’s plan for mankind. It is therefore apparent then that a person who chooses to be alone, is more likely to fall into a bondage and trap that Satan sets up for them.  A person who chooses loneliness, gives room for his mind and thoughts to be captured by the evil one. We looked in detail in the previous chapter how our thoughts can lead to imaginations, and then end up being strongholds that Satan can control and enslave. If one can avoid this loneliness, and learn instead to be accountable to someone, we can certainly protect ourselves from becoming targets of Satan and his strongholds.

In Proverbs 18:1, we read, “One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.”(HCSB)

The one who does not incorporate himself with others but chooses a life of alienation, is usually as the verse explains someone who only pursues his own selfish desires.  Such people are also mostly rebellious and do not wish to heed any advice from anyone, and will get irritated when anyone suggests anything. A selfish and self-centred person will want to have their own way in everything and will not be willing to live in co-operation with others. Often the fault may lie with us, but instead of setting things in order in our own lives, we find it easier to find fault and blame others for all our problems.

In days gone by we used to communicate with each other by writing letters. It used to take a lot of time and effort to do this, but people went to great lengths to write and communicate only because they valued relationships.  Now, we have smart phones and internet which should technically have advanced our communication with each other, but sadly this is not the case. Our communications with others have dwindled down to minimal words and emoji’s. Many of us have become islands and prefer this isolated and lonely way of functioning.

A father went to his daughter-in-law’s parents with this complaint.  He said, ‘I imagined that when you said your daughter never looked up, that she was shy, but now I know what you mean.  It is indeed true that when she starts looking down at and gets hooked up on to her phone, she sure never looks up at anyone.’ This may sound funny, but the fact of the matter is the virtual world is not a real world, and we must decide and make a conscious effort to communicate with those real people who live right next to us. Instead of Parents handing over smart phones and tabs to children to keep them occupied, must make it a point to speak and listen and communicate with them in a meaningful way.  It is only in relating with others does one learn to be accountable. This is absolutely impossible in virtual relationships. 

Some of us fast for a day in a week, so we can discipline ourselves, forfeit a meal so we can spend time meaningfully with God.  It is a good idea from time to time to take a fast from our phones too.  Instead we can spend time meaningfully with our families and with other people.  This will surely prove to be beneficial to us in building meaningful relationships.

We must seek good godly companions to whom we can be accountable to. For a married couple their spouse should always be their best friend and spiritual mentor. Husbands and wives should motivate one another and also learn be accountable for each other’s spiritual growth.  Those who are not married should find a good friend to whom they can be accountable to. 

2 Corinthians 2:12-13, “When I went to the city of Troas, the Lord gave me an opportunity to spread the Good News about Christ. But I didn't have any peace of mind, because I couldn't find Titus, our brother, there. So I said goodbye to the people in Troas and went to the province of Macedonia. (GW)

Paul was going to Troas with the intention to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When he got there and discovered that Titus was not there, he decided to leave to move on to Macedonia. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ, but he was dependent on Titus a fellow brother because he not only knew the importance of being accountable to a fellow believer, but understood the strength that one derives from it.

It’s important for us to find someone to whom we are accountable to, to whom we give the right to question us and help us grown in our walk with the Lord. Husbands and wives should also take responsibility for each other. Being accountable not only edifies and strengthens us, but also is a good protection from falling into Satan’s trap. We must also encourage our children to be accountable, especially in matters pertaining to the Lord and His word. 

2 Corinthians 7:5-6, Paul says, “Even after we arrived in Macedonia, we did not have any rest. There were troubles everywhere, quarrels with others, fears in our hearts. But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us with the coming of Titus.” (GNB)

Paul moved on to Macedonia and there also he was faced with untold difficulties and fears.  However, he recalls how he received encouragement when his fellow brother Titus came to him.

In Ecclesiastes 4:9 we read, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively.” (GNB)

If we have godly friends and companions we can be sure that we will not only be stronger, but we can definitely achieve a lot more together. Each of us have our own problems and issues, but when we have a person who can stand with us in those hard times, we will find it far easier to face the challenges, as we have someone who can pray for us and support us through all of it.

We read about an incident in 2 Samuel 10:9-12,“Joab saw that the enemy troops would attack him in front and from the rear, so he chose the best of Israel's soldiers and put them in position facing the Syrians. He placed the rest of his troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who put them in position facing the Ammonites.  Joab said to him, "If you see that the Syrians are defeating me, come and help me, and if the Ammonites are defeating you, I will go and help you. Be strong and courageous! Let's fight hard for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD's will be done!"  (GNB)

The people of Israel were in battle with the Syrians in front of them and the Ammonites behind them. This is what Joab the commander of the Israel army and his brother Abishai plan and strategize as they face this attack.  Their arrangement was that if the Syrians whom Joab and his troops were facing were more powerful, then Abishai and his troops would rush in to help them and if it was vice versa then Joab and his troops would come in to stand by Abishai.

It’s always good to have someone who can stand with us and to whom we can be accountable to.  Accountability to another person keep us humble, there is more strength and boldness and certainly no room for fear.

When Joab and Abishai were willing to do what God wanted them to do, they had the assurance and boldness to fight the battle because they knew that the Lord would do the rest for them.  They encouraged each other to be strong and not fear the mighty troops that they were going to face, but to fight for the people and the cities of their God.

It is important for us to do all that the Lord requires of us to do.  Many people have a faulty understanding that it is enough to just pray and do nothing on their part. For instance, if a farmer who wanted to see his fields flourish, decided to only pray and not go out to work in his fields, we can be sure that he will have nothing but thorns and thistles growing in his field. It’s only when we do our best that the Lord will do the rest. The same is applicable to handling of our finances and to every other area of our lives. God expects us to be responsible and accountable in every aspect of our lives; our personal life, with our families, at work and at Church too.

The early church grew in leaps and bounds because they gathered together to pray, to break bread and fellowship.  It’s a great blessing for families to come together to pray for one another and for our communities. It’s also important that we keep the focus of our gatherings in mind and not lose out on the purpose of the same. As we pray together the Lord will bring work mightily and bring about a great revival all around us. Praying together is a sure way for us to be accountable to each other.

In Genesis 3:1, we read, “Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the LORD God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"(GNB)

We are not sure if Eve was alone at the time of being tempted by the Serpent.  It is indeed a great probability that she and Adam were not together at the time of the temptation for if they were, Eve may not have fallen so easily into Satan’s trap. 

As being accountable is a great blessing to us, let’s choose to practice being accountable in every area of our lives. As husbands and wives we must be accountable to each other, to assist and build each other up in our spiritual walk and growth in the Lord. Let’s motivate one another to read the word and pray more.  So also those who are single, find a godly fellow believer to whom you can be accountable. It’s only when we continue in fellowship with others and practice being accountable to one another, can we overcome Satan and be set free from every form of bondage and enslavement.

A prayer :

Our loving heavenly Father, thank you for creating Adam and Eve, as companions, so that they could be caring, helping each other. Please help me to find someone who is spiritual to whom I can be accountable, so that I will be motivated to grow more strong in my faith and overcome Satan. Thank you Lord that by this I will be set free from any form of bondage or enslavement. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Accountability - Audio message in Tamil

Chapter 8 - Released to worship

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 8 – Released to worship

In this Chapter we study the Bible further, to understand God’s divine plan that He purposed in order to free us from every form of bondage and enslavement in our lives.

In Exodus 2:23, we read, “Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God.” (NLT)

The people of Israel were in slavery and bondage to the Egyptians. Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, was not only a hard man, but one who ruled the people with an iron hand. Anyone who was captured by the Egyptians had almost no hope of escape from Pharaoh’s cruel reign, as his heavy hand made them his bond servants. 

A person who was in bondage functions like a machine with absolutely no will of their own.  They have no direction, no way they could fulfil any of their desires and are subjected to a life of routine and drudgery. 

Pharaoh was using the people of Israel as slaves to build and establish his own Kingdom. The spirit of Pharaoh didn’t care about the feelings or desires of those whom he had subjected. The people of Israel were in deep distress and as they struggled with their lives day in and day out, they called out to the Lord to have mercy on them and deliver them. The rule of Pharaoh was such that he gave the people of Israel no freedom or the time to seek God or worship Him.

For those of us who are so caught up in this rat race, where work and earnings becomes our top priority, so that we have no time for God, His word, prayer or fellowship with other believers, it’s time we realized that we too are in bondage. If we continue this way, we will come to a stage in our lives when we will look back to realize and be saddened by the fact that we have only grown older but have not accomplished anything substantial in our lives.

The people of Israel were crying out to the Lord so they could be brought out of their bondage, and be set free to worship the Lord once again.

If we sincerely seek the Lord to deliver us from our bondages, He will come to set us free.  However, we must always keep in mind that the freedom and deliverance God brings us, is so we will worship the Lord and fulfil His purposes for our lives. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with our cares, worries and difficulties that we hardly have time to seek after God. In the midst of our problems we must call on the Lord, and He will do things way beyond our thinking and understanding. There is absolutely no situation or problem that is too hard for the Lord to handle.

The cry of the people of Israel reached the ears of the Lord and He sends Moses to deliver them from the hands of Pharaoh.  God’s ways are strange and mysterious.  Moses whom the Lord called to liberate the people of Israel, was raised in the very Palace of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt as his own son.  

Pharaoh did not realize that the child he was rearing in his Palace, would one day come back as a leader of Israel, to break the power of his iron hands and free the people of Israel. If Pharaoh had an inkling that this Moses would one day come against him, he might have tried to kill him but the Lord had a purpose and protected Moses all through the time he was growing up in Pharaoh’s Palace.

In Exodus 7:16, the Lord said to Moses, “Say to him (Pharaoh), ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, “Let my people go to worship me in the desert.” So far you have not listened.” (GW)

When Moses went and requested Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go so they could worship the Lord in the desert, Pharaoh’s retort was that they could very well worship their God right where they are.  The Egyptians were an idolatrous people. They worshipped the Nile River and the Sun because they believed that they were two main sources of their sustenance.  

In a place where people worship the creation instead of the Creator the land gets defiled.  Pharaoh was a hard man and would not agree to allow the people to be set free to go and worship the Lord. There was no way the people of Israel would have the freedom to worship the Lord in a place like Egypt.

We will study briefly from the history of the people of Israel and try to understand and correlate significance of what Jesus did to bring about freedom from our captivity.  This will help us realize that, the solution for our problems does not come from man but only from the Lord Jesus.  Whatever be our enslavement, it is the Lord alone who can free us from every form of bondage.

In Exodus 12:3 we read, “Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family one lamb for the household.” (TLV)

In Exodus 12:5 – “a male, one year, unblemished”

In Exodus 12:6, says, “Then, on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, the whole community of Israel will kill the animals.”(GNB)

In Exodus 12:7-8, we read, “They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.  They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (NRSVA)

The people of Israel were in a crisis, they were in gruesome slavery and the Lord was planning to deliver them from the cruel hands of the Egyptians.  In order for the Lord to do this, the people of Israel had to listen and obey all that the Lord instructed them to do.

So also in our lives, if we seek to be freed from every bondage we must first and foremost choose to listen and obey all that the Lord commands us to do. For instance when we go to a Doctor for an ailment, if we want to recover, we must do exactly as the Physician instructs us or else our going to him or her would be pointless.

The command of the Lord to the people of Israel was to take a male lamb, a year old without any blemish to their house, on the tenth day of the first month.  The lamb became a part of the family for four days and on the fourteenth day in the evening the lamb was to be killed.  Their hearts must have been broken as they killed the lamb, but they did not question but obeyed because they were wanting their freedom from their life of slavery and bondage.

The Israelites were then to take some of the blood of the lamb and smear it on the two doorposts and lintels of their houses. That night they were to eat the meat roasted on the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The people of Israel did not understand why the Lord was instructing them to do all of this, but they only knew that the Lord had a solution to their slavery and all they had to do for their freedom was to simply obey His words.

When we go to the Lord with our problems and He gives His word of instruction, we must be willing to obey Him no matter what He says. When the Lord is giving us a solution to be freed from our bondages, we must give heed and not try to reason it out with our finite minds. Only then will be set free from every enslavement.

The people of Israel obeyed and now were waiting to see what would happen. Before the night began there was the sound of the death of the lamb in the Israelite homes, but as the night proceeded this was replaced by the sound of death of the first born son in every Egyptian home. The protection of the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintels was available to all, but only to those who accepted it and actualized it did the Lord give His divine grace and protection.

In Exodus 12:23 we read “For the LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down.”

Wherever the blood of the lamb was not smeared, the angel of death struck the firstborn in that house but the angel of death passed over all those who had the blood on their doorposts and lintels. Pharaoh and all of Egypt was so filled with fear and sorrow that they begged the people of Israel to leave.  The Lord did not wage a war with the Egyptians to save his people from bondage and slavery, but all that He instructed them to do was slay a lamb.  The blood of the lamb saved them from death and also freed them from the life of enslavement and captivity.

This was being commemorated by all the Jews, year after year, as the Passover Festival, to remember their great redemption from slavery. But the best was yet to come.

In Luke 22:7-8 we read, “The Day of Unleavened Bread came. This was the day when the Jews always killed the lambs for the Passover. Jesus said to Peter and John, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat." (ERV)

Jesus being a Jew Himself, asked His disciples to prepare to celebrate the Passover Feast.

In Luke 22:19, we read, “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (EMTV)

In Luke 22:20we read, “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (EMTV)

As Jesus broke the break He was now giving it a new symbolism and telling His disciples, the bread represents ‘My Body’. In the same way He explained to them that the cup they were participating in was ‘My Blood’ representing the New Covenant through His blood which was going to be shed for the sins of the world. This was now a new covenant the Lord Jesus was establishing with His disciples, which extends to all who believe in Lord Jesus.

All of us who live in this world are in bondage to sin, wickedness and to Satan and his schemes.  None of us can come out and break free from any of these bondage with our own effort. But just like the lamb without blemish was slaughtered by the Israelites on the evening of the Passover, Jesus Christ the sinless Lamb was crucified for all of our sins, our curses, our sicknesses and our bondages. The reason Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood was so that, we too may pass from death unto eternal life.

That is the reason why we celebrate communion in Church.  The bread is the representation of the body of Christ and the cup is the representation of the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross.

In 1 Corinthians 5:7 reads, “Take away, then, the old leaven, so that you may be a new mass, even as you are without leaven. For Christ has been put to death as our Passover.” (BBE)

Paul refers to Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb who was slain on our behalf and it is indeed His death that brought us victory. If we are covered with the blood of the Lord Jesus, Satan will have no power over us. We must believe and accept this fact that Jesus died on the cross for each one of us and when we make this personal decision to follow Jesus, He comes to break every bondage and frees us from everything that enslaves us.  It’s only when the Lord lives and reigns inside of us that we can defeat Satan.

As the Israelites fled from Egypt towards their freedom the Egyptian army pursued them and tried to overcome them but God made the very sea that parted and brought deliverance to the Israelites, a death trap for the entire Egyptian army. In I Corinthians 10:2 Paul refers to the Israelites passing through the Red Sea as an imagery of a person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, repents and is passed through the waters of baptism. 

It is important therefore that for one to come into this New Covenant with the Lord Jesus that they not only believe and accept Him as their King and Master but must also be baptized. Baptism is that act of faith whereby we identify with what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Just as Jesus died and rose again so we too confess by being baptized, that we are dead to our old self and rise again to a new life and that just like Jesus rose again we too will rise again in the last day.  That is why Jesus said, ‘unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.’

Regardless of the kind of bondage we are in, we must sincerely desire to be set free so we can truly worship and serve the Lord. As we worship and praise the Lord, He breaks all those things that bind us. Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, but they praised the Lord in spite of all their chains, and the result was all their chains and fetters fell apart and they were freed. As we continue to walk in obedience to the Lord and worship Him, the Lord will set us free from everything that enslaves us and we be transformed to be those who fulfill the purposes of God in our lives.

A prayer : 

Our loving heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your son, Lord Jesus into this world just like the lamb that was killed by every Jewish household when they were under bondage in Egypt.  The purpose of Your coming to this world, was to set me free from every bondage so that I can worship you, the one true God in spirit and in truth. Thank you for setting me free to worship you. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Released to worship - Audio message in Tamil

Chapter 7 - Repentance - Change of mind

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 7 - Repentance - Change of mind

Matthew 3:1-2,“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)

Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)

The central message of John the Baptist and Jesus as we can see from the above mentioned verses was on Repentance. The word ‘Repentance’ is essentially a ‘change of mind’. Since our thought life is secret and hidden from others many are negligent about keeping a check on the same, but repentance is the transformation that begins from within one’s mind. 

Repentance is rightly an alteration of our thought process. People can sometimes control our actions, but our thoughts are totally under our control and as our thoughts are hidden from others, we often don’t give much importance to controlling our thoughts. However, if our thoughts are not kept under control as they should be, they can cause many problems and complications for us.

The message of both Jesus and John the Baptist were echoing the same thing; if one wants to enter the Kingdom of God, then repentance is the prerequisite. The word Kingdom rightly implies, that there is a King who rules, and everything that happens there should be under His divine Lordship. The message is categorical; only when one brings the mind under control will one come under the Lordship of Christ and gain entry into the Kingdom of God.

Many are leading defeated lives because they have tried to change the outside but they have had no victory in their mind. If our mind is not renewed we will not see any real change.

In Romans 12:2,“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” (GNB)

If our mind is not changed there will be no change of life style. If the thoughts are new then the mind will be renewed, but if our thoughts are held captive by Satan there will evidently be no transformation of our lives.

What are the things that enslave the minds of people?

    Wicked Thoughts

Proverbs 21:27says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!”(WEB)

Many are trying hard to cope with thoughts that are wicked and evil. They are unable to think anything good because the mind is filled with negative and vile thoughts.

    Proud Thoughts

In Daniel 5:20, we read, “But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him.”(LITV)

The above verse talks about King Nebuchadnezzar, whose heart was hardened with pride. Many are struggling with proud and lofty thoughts.  A person with proud thoughts can easily be identified, as their talk with always be centered on themselves and their achievements. They will also constantly compare with others, to prove that they are far better than them.  A proud mind is a clear sign that the Lord is not in command but the devil is, because humility is the Lord’s hallmark and pride is the trademark of the evil one.

    Fearful Thoughts

In John 20:19,we read “That Sunday evening, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!" (GW)

After the resurrection of Jesus, we see the disciples were hiding behind locked doors because their minds were filled with fear. Many are gripped with all sorts of fear and are living in a state of constant fear.  These could be fears from the past, fears of the immediate or even fears regarding the future, but whatever it may be, many are unaware that fear is contagious. It surely affects the lives of those around us. In the list of those who will not find entry into the Kingdom of God, is mentioned those who are fearful and the reason for this is that, where there is fear there is no room for faith.

    Doubtful Thoughts

Luke 12:29, says, “And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts.” (BBE)

The above mentioned verse clearly admonishes that our minds should not be filled with doubts. Some people doubt everything. A colleague shared an experience of working with a boss who was extremely suspicious and doubted everything.  One day when the employee took a photocopy of a letter, and handed it over to the employer, he was shocked to see him study the photocopy intently to check if it was the same as the original.  It might sound hilarious, but a lot of people live in constant doubt and suspicion. If Satan has his control over our mind, he will make everything and everyone look suspicious and will not let our mind trust anyone.

Thoughts that Blind

2 Corinthians 4:4 reads, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (NLT)

The above mentioned verse talks about a mind that is blinded by the god of this age. The reason Jesus came to the earth, was to give His life and bring us a wonderful salvation. He offers us victory by overcoming death and leaving His word and His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us, but many people are blinded to this glorious good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan’s plan is to blind our minds so we can never comprehend the beautiful message of the Gospel. 

Only if we win the battle in our mind we will be able to see and experience victory in every area of our lives.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4 we read, “The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”(AMP)

God has given us certain weapons to overcome the battle that rages in our mind. It is indeed true that Satan has built fortresses in our mind which we need to break down and destroy. In order for this to happen, we require God powered weapons.  It will not be possible with our own human effort to break down these strongholds. Some people give a worldly advice that the best way to overcome evil thoughts is to keep it occupied, but that will only be a temporary solution.

How are the Strongholds Built?

In 2 Corinthians 10:5we read, “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” (EMTV)

If we were to investigate how strongholds are built, the first step is when thoughts are instilled in our mind. The next step is that these thoughts stimulate our imagination which start to linger in our minds. These thoughts and imaginations when not brought under the Lord’s authority will definitely become strongholds.  It is so much easier for one to control the mind at the thought level, than to allow it to develop into imagination and let Satan build a stronghold in our mind, which then becomes a struggle to overcome. 

We must categorize our thoughts and not let self-pity, fear, doubt, failure and pride become the evil one’s strongholds in our minds. Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” It’s simple, we must learn to stop the thoughts at the very outset, rather than let them dawdle on and become tools that the enemy uses to enslave and keep us captive.

How do we overcome these Strongholds?

If we notice most of our struggles with our thought life is when we are alone.  It is at those times we need to speak the word of God loud and clear. We should not give room for any negative thoughts. It is entirely in our hands.  We must take the conscious effort to cast out every thought that is not pleasing to the Lord and bring our minds under the captivity of God and His word.

Instead of constantly telling ourselves what we are not supposed to think, we should train our minds to think those things that really edify and build our faith.  That is why Paul gives this admonition to the Philippian Church in Philippians 4:8,“In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.” (GNB)

It is important for us to analyse each of our thoughts and see they are as Paul exhorted in the above verse.  It is paramount for us to deliberately break down and destroy every one of the strongholds that Satan has managed to build in our minds. May the Lord renew our minds to think and speak those words that build and edify us and others. May we fill our minds with those things that are good, that deserve praise, things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable.

A prayer :

Heavenly Father, help me to analyse every thought, to take every thought seriously and be careful that no wrong thought remains, leading to wrongful imagination in turn giving an opportunity for Satan to have a stronghold in my life.  I speak the Word of God and fill my mind with it, so that it will be the source of all my thinking and imagination. I break every stronghold of Satan in my life by the power of the Living Word of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I pray. Amen

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Repentance - A change of mind - Audio message in Tamil