Time

The crucifixion of Jesus was an act that took place outside of time.

We know that the scripture says that Jesus is the Lamb of God, and that He was killed before the foundation of the world. John the Revelator who saw visions of heaven recorded seeing the Lamb of God freshly killed.

So we know by this, that the crucifixion happened outside the boundaries of time.

And we know that it also occurred IN time, at a specific point in time, in history.

These thoughts came to me on my drive into work as I calculated various things in my head:
5 minutes to get to I-96
5 more minute to get to M-39
10 more minutes to get to another point in my drive

All of these are points in time, time markers on my way to work.

However, if Jesus' death took place outside of time markers, what does that say about the way I think and order my day and my thoughts? I know that just thinking like this first of all fills up my mind with trivial, useless thoughts.

Not only that – it imposes LIMITS on me. God can work outside the boundaries of time – he is not limited by it. I am in union with God, (see previous day's post). If my thinking is limited by time, that may limit my experience or notice of the works of God.

This is an area where I need to meditate and contemplate more… perhaps it’s a jumping off point for others, too.

Meditation on My Union with Christ

Flesh ripped and torn open

I am compelled

drawn in

into the body of the sacrifice

I am become the sacrifice together with Him,

In union with Him.

He took on the scourging, the horrible punishment

Thorns driven into the precious head

The nails piercing first one hand and then other, and his feet

The spear in his side

Yet, I feel none of the pain

He drew me into this

In union with Him

One flesh

But no one can see

It is in a secret place

A place of union

Joining

Becoming one

At once and forever one

I don't have to earn it

I just have to be

One

Drawn in

In Union

License Plates Speaking to Me

Yeah, I know this will be odd... but I believe God is always speaking, whether or not we're tuned in to listen is the question.

The first week back to work of this month, I saw a "vanity" plate on my way to work that said GODSFAV.

Indeed, I do have God's favor on me and my life. I am transferring to a new department and I'm very happy and excited about it. Interestingly, I have talked to the Lord about this during the summer - about how much I would have liked to move to this new department rather than stay where I was. I really didn't think anything of it until I was presented with the opportunity.

On the way home from work on the same day I saw another vanity plate that proclaimed GODSWRK.

It reminded me that all this favor is coming down on me, not because of anything that I have done, but because of the completed work on the Cross which opened up for me every single blessing in Deuteronomy 28!

Does familiarity breed contempt? Or rather disregard?

Sometimes, when we are so familiar with a passage we lose what the true meaning of the passage really is. We read of children's renderings of nursery rhymes that the child learns by memorization and we laugh. We share this because we have all been through it.

There is a lesson to be learned here - that we don't become so familiar with a passage that the words and their meaning don't truly register with us any more.

This morning I woke up thinking about Romans 6:6 and the beauty of this passage. So, as an exercise I wrote it out in various translations/versions/paraphrases and will share with you here.

So grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath and read Romans 6:6 with me:

NIV: For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--

MSG: Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life -- no longer at sin's every beck and call!

WEYMOUTH: This we know -- that our old self was nailed to the cross with Him; in order that our sinful nature might be neutralized so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin;

PHILLIPS: Let us never forget that our old selves died with Him on the Cross that the tyranny of sin over us be might be broken--

WUEST: ..that our old [unregenerate] self was crucified once for all with Him in order that the physical body [heretofore] dominated by the sinful nature might be rendered inoperative [in that respect], with the result that no longer are we rendering a slave's habitual obedience to the sinful nature, for the one who died once for all stands in the position of a permanent relationship of freedom from the sinful nature.

NLT: We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

JERUSALEM: We must realize that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin.

NASB: Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

LIVING LETTERS: Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin;

AMP: We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body, [which is the instrument] of sin, might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.

COTTON PATCH VERSION: We are convinced that the person we used to be has been strung up with him, so that the sinful nature may be wiped out, and we no longer need to be addicted to sin.

MOFFAT: knowing as we do that our old self has been crucified with him in order to crush the sinful body and free us from any further slavery to sin...

NEW AUTHORIZED VERSION: Know this: that our old self is crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that from now on we would not serve sin.

ROTHERHAM: Of this taking note--that our old man was crucified together with him in order that the sinful body might be made powerless, that we should no longer be in servitude to sin;

RSV: We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.

KJV: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little journey through the various renderings of Romans 6:6. After this, realize with me that it is impossible to have contempt or disregard for the marvelous work of Christ on the Cross encapsulated in this one verse.