Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: PURE (09/06/24)
-
TITLE: Trailing Clouds of Glory | Previous Challenge Entry
By Terry R A Eissfeldt
09/12/24 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!” *
Ahhh, babies! Aren’t they all perfect, innocent and pure?
Even if there is some small imperfection, or impediment, it matters not.
Babies are miracles and miracles are pure.
The concept of such sweet souls chained to a sin nature is unpalatable for most.
How can anyone accuse an innocent child of sin? It’s preposterous!
However, in the scriptures we come face to face with that fact that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the “wages of sin is death.”
At creation Adam and Eve were perfect, innocent and pure . God also endowed them with a free will.
They had it made: naked and unafraid, daily communion with God, free from doubt, fear, shame, guilt… then one bite changed everything: the pure became putrid, fellowship filled with fear, Eden was exchanged for exile.
They chose the knowledge of good and evil over the fruit of the tree of Life.
Immediately sin compromised perfection, corrupted innocence and contaminated the purity of God’s children.
As James teaches: “…each one is tempted when he is carried away by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
So began the quest for the cure. How could man make his way back to God? How could he become pure again?
Eventually a man named Abram found favour with God. Abram was not perfect however he was persistent and patient. And he believed God when He promised Abram nations would originate from his seed.
Despite his advanced age, and the fact his wife was barren, Abram believed. This faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.
The next step toward reunification with God involved Moses, millions wandering in a wilderness, and the Law.
613 to be exact: commandments, sacrifices, holy days, purification rituals etc.
The problem with the Law is that “whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”
There isn’t enough sheep, goats, or purified water on this planet for mankind to become clean of sin and guilt!
God knows this but man doesn’t.
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil did more damage than introducing death.
It also corrupted man’s mind with the idea of becoming like God and that he can DO something HIMSELF to become clean again.
No, it's impossible.
According to Isaiah “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment”.
There is only one solution: a sinless man must die in place of all sinners. His pure blood, applied as payment for the debt of sin, is the only power to end the curse and restore mankind to perfection, innocence and purity in God’s eyes.
Jesus Christ is the sinless man:
God’s son, conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of a virgin; was crucified, died and was buried; descended into hell; rose again from the dead; ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. **
Hallelujah!
“in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”.
We are made whole!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; behold, old things passed away, behold, new things have come.”
Our corrupted, compromised, contaminated self is dead!
We are now a new creation - a pure, holy, righteous, child of God!
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice as the spotless lamb of God mankind can run back into God’s presence. Sin is no longer a barrier between us.
We “have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus” and can “draw near with a sincere heart in full of assurance of faith,” having our hearts “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” and our bodies “washed with pure water.”
Once more we are ‘trailing clouds of glory’ but this time it’s God’s, who is our home.
*********************************************************************
*William Wordsworth, Ode: Intimations of Immortality
Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, James 1:14-15, Romans 4:3, James 2:10, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:19-22
** taken from Apostle’s Creed
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
