Sometimes it's hard to wrap my head around something.
Some believe that we, on our own merits, are good people and therefore do not need to follow God. After all, we might believe, it's our good works He will recognize and that's how we will be accepted by God. After all, we surmise, most others think like this and often avoid this "relationship" with Him others seem to want to impress upon us.
Wanna know the truth? That's all wrong. I believed that lie just like most people do.
I got to thinking about how so totally ugly, evil and self-centered man is. This includes myself. But one day nearly 16 years ago that changed. I'm still basically evil and always will be here on earth. But here's the difference. I am now in Christ. In Christ...and He in me. That makes all the difference. God does not see the old me anymore.
Christ is the Mediator between God and man. Without this Mediator God sees us with all our sin. When we come to Christ, however, and He comes to live in me and I in Him, God only sees that Mediator. He sees Christ first then sees me in Christ. I am nestled within Him spiritually. While I still sin, being in this earthly human body, spiritually I am in Christ. This is what I have trouble wrapping my head around sometimes. He only sees me in Christ. He only sees His only perfect, Holy Son who died for me.
Jesus shed His blood on the cross for each of us and when we choose to follow Him, to die to ourselves like He died to Himself here on earth, He becomes our righteousness. We cannot be righteous on our own, only through Christ. His blood has covered our sins, has washed away those sins that we be like Christ.
In the Old Testament the people brought animals to sacrifice for the atonement of their sins. These people would be responsible for slitting the animal's neck that the blood would run out all over their hands. They would become so much a part of this sacrifice...but the animal, for the time being, was the temporary atonement for their sin.
Does this remind you of anything? Does it remind you of Jesus whose body was bloodied by man's hand? Does it remind you that it is because of our sin that He had to die? Does it remind you that each of us should have died instead of Him? Does it remind you of the purpose for His death, for each of us? Does it remind you that with His death all who would receive Him would also have their sins atoned for by His precious blood? The only difference is His death was once for all unlike the constant animal sacrifices prior to Him. But it's about that blood.
In Egypt the Jews were told by God to sacrifice a lamb and take the blood and place it on either side and atop the door that He might prevent their deaths when He came through Pharaoh's land to kill all firstborn children as a judgment upon Pharaoh for his treatment and captivity of God's people. That was a prophetic act to the Lamb of God who would one day take away the sins of the world, whose blood would cover the doors of our hearts against eternal death.
When we receive Christ, not just know who He is, we become one with Him. I in Him, He in me. The righteousness of Christ. God only sees that righteousness. God only sees His Son. He stands between His Father and us, if we have received Him to ourselves. Imagine that if you can....
Colossians 1:21-22 - And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
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