Awaken Day 9: Covering through Christ
There is One whose humiliation did bring covering for us all. He was a perfect man who suffered death on a cross. He was a God who stepped down from Heaven to become a lowly man. Talk about humiliating – the One and Only God in a man’s body? A God who deserves the praise and worship of every man, who was spat upon, scolded, shamed, and humiliated? Who was beaten, cursed, and crucified? He was a man stripped and placed naked on the cross. He was completely vulnerable in that moment in time. Nothing could be as humiliating. And He did it to cover your humiliation. He who needed no sin covering before man or God the Father became covering for your sin.
Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain equal with God.
Instead he gave up everything and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Philippians 2:6-11 (CEV)
Photo credit: hang_in_there
Friends, you are fully known, and you are still fully loved. He sees you completely as you are – a mess, a failure, a wretch, a sinner. He sees your deformities, your blemishes, your pride, your jealousy, your rage, your heartache. When He created you, He said, “She is good.” He knew all that you would do and He loves you still. The only thing that is not good about you is your sin and your “aloneness.” This sin and this aloneness create a vacancy for God. He did not create you to sin, but He created you with a need for Him, so that you would not be alone anymore, so that sin could be removed and covered. Naked we are born and naked we die. The only covering that passes with us from this life into the next is His.
Maybe you’ve never been covered by the blood of Jesus. You’ve been doing all you can to hide your sins, your past life, you current life, but you are tired of carrying all the bags around with you everywhere you go. You can lay those bags down at the feet of Jesus, and He will gently remove your self-made covers which are so heavy and cover you completely with Himself. When you come to Him, you can rest assured knowing that His yoke is easy.
If you are a child of God, when He looks at you He sees Jesus and His blood on you and none of your sins. Romans 4:7 says, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Colossians 3:1-4 says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is yourlife, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Friends, freedom is found in sin covering. We are no longer naked and exposed in sin; we are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3).
As we close out God’s covering of us, do you have any thoughts or questions? Anything else you want to see addressed?
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