Pastor John,
I just had one of those mind-blowing moments, similar to when I first started coming around and learned how much I misunderstood what it meant to take God’s name in vain. After reading today’s Thought for the Evening, Reconciled By His Death,* the Spirit finally let me understand what it means to be dead with Christ, or reconciled by his death. I didn’t realize how much of Christianity I still had in me until I recognized that I still put too much emphasis on His physical death at Calvary.
I know now that the death Jesus experienced before he died on the cross – the “death to sin, death to self and death to the ways of this world” is the one that we can be partakers in and has the power to reconcile us to God. It’s the only type of death where we can still live after we’re dead! Now that I understand this, all the verses in the New Testament that talk about how we’re saved by Jesus’s death, particularly those said by Paul, are crystal clear! I feel this will have a life changing effect on me. Learning things like this and letting it have its affect on me feels like what is meant to worship in “Spirit and in Truth”.
I’m sure this is one of those things where you’re like, “Well yeah, you didn’t know that? I have been saying that for years!” Well, now I know and it feels wonderful to know the Truth.
For those of us who grew up in Christianity, we’re so blessed to have you as a teacher to help us unravel from so much confusion.
Michael D
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Thank you, Michael.
It is wonderful feeling for us to finally get what the Lord has been saying for a while. I know how that feels! And that is how we “grow in Christ”.
Pastor John
* Going to Jesus.com – Reconciled By His Death