Brought Near By The Blood
By Darlene Edmondson
"You, who were once [so] far away, through the blood of Christ have been brought near" (Eph 2:13 Amplified).
God created a garden paradise for the first humans, Adam and Eve. The couple broke God's one rule---which He warned would kill them [spiritually]. Disobedience alienated them from God, severing their perfect and intimate relationship with Him. Sadly, they were far from their Maker.
Later, the dispensation of the Old Covenant was one of distance. Even the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies (only) once a year and everyone else remained at bay. The Jewish masses weren't allowed to enter certain sanctified areas, while the Gentiles experienced complete isolation.
That's a short description. Yet, God foreordained a plan that would bring His fallen creation near: a sinless Lamb's blood-atonement, decreed before creation took place (Rev 13:8). It's that simple and profound at the same time. Jesus' sacrifice provided the way for reconciliation with Father God.
"You, who were once [so] far away, through the blood of Christ have been brought near" (Eph 2:13 Amplified).
God created a garden paradise for the first humans, Adam and Eve. The couple broke God's one rule---which He warned would kill them [spiritually]. Disobedience alienated them from God, severing their perfect and intimate relationship with Him. Sadly, they were far from their Maker.
Later, the dispensation of the Old Covenant was one of distance. Even the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies (only) once a year and everyone else remained at bay. The Jewish masses weren't allowed to enter certain sanctified areas, while the Gentiles experienced complete isolation.
That's a short description. Yet, God foreordained a plan that would bring His fallen creation near: a sinless Lamb's blood-atonement, decreed before creation took place (Rev 13:8). It's that simple and profound at the same time. Jesus' sacrifice provided the way for reconciliation with Father God.
A price had to be paid for sin and Jesus gave His life that we may be restored. Therefore, we're granted an undeserved privilege of drawing near the Lord's grace-throne, finding mercy (Heb 4:16). God's wrath should have been ours, instead it was poured out on His Son. Because of Jesus, every person who trusts in Him alone for salvation, Jew or Gentile, begins a spiritual union of eternal security with God.
You may be familiar with a song lyric that summarizes our situation nicely, 'I owed a debt I could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe'. Jesus' half-brother James encourages us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us (James 4:8 NKJ). The moment we relinquish our sinful sorrows, His all-consuming peace floats inward.
You may be familiar with a song lyric that summarizes our situation nicely, 'I owed a debt I could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe'. Jesus' half-brother James encourages us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us (James 4:8 NKJ). The moment we relinquish our sinful sorrows, His all-consuming peace floats inward.
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