04/03/10

Received blank cheque but it needs to be withdrawn

Mark 15:7 - And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection [fellow rioter] with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.


Previously I was told that Barabbas was a criminal in sense like a robber, murderer etc. Today as I read the scripture I was a little surprise to know that Barabbas was actually a rebellion and as a rebellion he had murdered people.

If the state was wrong then Barabbas would be considered a freedom fighter, but if the state was good then that would make Barabbas a terrorist.

This incident of Barabbas been saved by Jesus substituting him has multiple messages; I will take the one as seen through the spiritual bird's eye view.

When God created the world at every stage as He created He said 'it is good', but when He created man He stepped back saw everything and said 'everything is good'. God knew from the start (since He is God) that man was not perfect although made in His image and would be mislead and go through a testimony. In short God knew that man would also rebel against Him like Satan did.

Man thinks with his limited knowledge, that what he is doing is good and therefore all religions have an underline theme of 'being good'. But when one sees with spiritual eyes one sees the foolishness of man to pursue a religion and reject a relationship with the One and only One God (God Head).

The rebellious nature in man was shown in Eden when he was tempted to find the bad in all the good that God had created by eating the fruit of 'Good and Bad'. The irony is the only thing which was not 'good' was searching in other things not being good.

Man in reality was trying to prove God wrong and to be God over God, by correcting God.

We rebellious people still do the same as Adam and Eve even today; instead of following the instructions given by God for our salvation we try to modify it to suit our understanding, or change it to suit our convenience. Either way by doing so we will not get our salvation.

Barabbas [in Greek meaning 'son of the father'] although freed from death penalty would not be forgiven by the state had he done another murder. Similarly we too although forgiven for all that we have done by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ cannot expect to be continually forgiven unless we shed our rebellious nature.

Yesterday's message did say God forgives us a zillion times but yet we need to understand the entire write off needs to be en cashed. This cheque is withdrawal-able only when we step into the bank, and to step into the bank we need to go to the bank which is in the Kingdom of God. It is the Holy Spirit Who alone can lead us to the bank, and to follow the Holy Spirit we have to have a change in heart, by shedding our rebellious nature.

That is the reason Jesus said that unless we are baptized in Water and Spirit we cannot enter Heaven. By Baptism of Water; which is believing in Jesus as Christ, Mater, Savior and Lord, we receive the blank Cheque. But to cash it we need to enter the bank and that happen only when we follow the Spirit of God which is Baptism of the Holy Spirit.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we were doomed unto eternal death due to our rebellious nature, but it was your mercy by which You opened a door for us. You paid the price for us and made available for us a mean by which we can be saved. Lord help us to receive this salvation which You have made available for us by encashing the price paid by You. Lead us and change us for we long for eternal life with You...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Genesis 1:10,12,18,25,31
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.


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