Home »
We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, by His great mercy, to hear from Him, afresh this day. We have a living Savior, who can move the mountains that challenge us and, because He lives, you and I can face tomorrow without fear that those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing. [Psalms 34:10] The goodness of God, comes into your life as a gift from above, through the goodness of His salvation. How it came about, by Christ humbling Himself to go through death on the Cross, is what the apostle Paul has wonderfully described in his letter to the Philippians. [Philippians 2:5-8] The fruit of it is what happened His death; He rose again on the third day. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the Name that is above every name, So that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow, In heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, And every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father. [Verse 9-11]
NAME above every other name:
As earthly parents, we often name our children, hoping they would live up to that name. And of course, whether it takes place or not, is a different question! But, in the scriptures, every name is given with a reason. As a man Abraham gave the Almighty God, the Name, Jehovah Jireh, meaning ‘The Lord will provide’, on Mount Moriah, after sacrificing the ram that God miraculously provided in the place of Isaac. And what Abraham prophetically saw, was fulfilled, when Christ offered Himself, as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, on Calvary. All that you need in life has already been taken care of.
The Name of JESUS:
The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, who in the fullness of time was born into this world as a baby, of the virgin Mary, was to be called, ‘Jesus’, for He would remove the sins of the people. What exactly He was going to be doing, the purpose and result of it are the majestic prayers of the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. [Ephesians 1:18-23] Great is the resurrection power that is now available to you, when you believe in the God who raised Christ from the dead, to be seated at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And He has put all things under His feet and made Him the head over all things, for the church, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all. His Name is Jesus. And one needs to know, what He has done, what He is doing even now, and what He is going to do in the days to come, for there is salvation in no one else, no other Name under heaven, given among mortals by which we must be saved. [Acts 4:12] And it is so, for it is not merely a name. It is a person and a relationship with the person, becomes necessary, for all that He has accomplished, on Calvary, needs to become your experience. And then as the scripture declares, Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. [Acts 2:21] A revelation knowledge becomes a relational experience, a closer relationship with Him. And calling on the Name of Jesus is so very important because only that can save you. As Paul writes to the Romans, If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [Romans 10:9] And confession is not merely about confessing your sins but confessing the power of Christ, who died and rose again, and through which forgiveness of sins comes to you. It is confessing the truth that your sins have been removed as far as the East is from the West. It is also true that if you do not believe that Christ died for your sins, you will have to die in your own sin. But if you believe that He has died and risen again, just as He lives, you too will live.
At the crossroads of life:
To modern society, believing in someone being raised from the dead often appears to be something ridiculous. Also, if Christ died because the wages of sin is death, and did not rise again, then He must also have sinned, is their logical conclusion. But, He arose victorious on the third day, breaking the shackles of death and the grave. And at the crossroads of life, as even the philosopher was pondering which road to take, there is only One person, who can say,‘ I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, and also say, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’. Therefore, you and I, consult with the One who lives in us, for we serve a Risen Savior.
Christ has the final say:
A Christian can die well, for He knows the One, who died and came back to life again. Therefore, in the darkest of the night, there is light. The final day of our lives is with Christ, and we need to confess with our mouths that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’. For to be absent in the body, is to be present with the Lord. And that He Himself will come and take you to be with Him forever, when you die in the Lord, is what will certainly remove any vestige of the fear of death in you. For, when it comes, He will be there; and now, He is here. It is why Paul was able to say confidently to live is Christ; to die is gain. The forgiveness of sins: All the prophets testify concerning Him, that everyone who believes in Him, receives forgiveness of sins through His name. [Acts 10:43] His Name Jesus means He removes the sins of His people. And you receive forgiveness of sins as you believe in His name, the scripture declares, an assurance that is birthed in you very powerfully, even as you go through the waters of baptism. But it can return anytime later, as the evil one assaults you with memories of past sins that can lead to a feeling of guilt, grief, or grudge. It is then that surrendering it all to the grace of God sets you free. When reminded of past sins, the Holy Spirit fills you with gratefulness, that on the cross, your sins, and sorrows have been carried away, as you open your mouth to confess what Christ has done on Calvary, the relationship that you now enjoy, with Him, knowing him as your personal Savior. And, He is your Risen Lord; It is the wondrous truth of the resurrection; He is not a dead savior, but One who rose from the dead, and is now living in you, to give you power over sin. [Acts 3:26] He is your Living Redeemer. And victory comes to you, over sin and the grave through Him, when He is your Lord and your Jesus, as the apostle Paul exults in triumphant joy. Where O death, is your sting? Where O grave is your victory? The sting of death is sin; The power of sin is the law. But, thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ, [1 Corinthians 15:55] Death has been swallowed up in victory! And victory has a NAME; it is JESUS! Let all fears be dispelled as your heart reverberates in the matchless and sweetest Name of Jesus, as you give thanks unto the Father, for giving you His Son, for all that He has accomplished on Calvary. Behold what love He has lavished upon us that we should be called His children, that we may live without fear, basking in the richness of His love. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
