Unity With Christ April 16, 2019
WE ARE HIS BODY
There is something so sacred about the sacrifice of Jesus; it is challenging to grasp the words. They seem inadequate to the task, like trying to harness the concept of His love and examine it. Jesus humbled Himself, far beyond human imaginings, setting aside the glory of His complete Divine nature, to enter into that which He created, uniting with humanity. At the cross, He humbled Himself even further, taking the sin of all humanity onto Himself, paying the ultimate penalty for all that sin, death and separation from God. In doing this, He provided the means by which humanity can be reconciled to God. The absolute wonder of this is that Jesus was still God, above and beyond the grip of death. He humbled Himself, even to overwhelming physical suffering, giving up His life for us who struggle against the sin that entangles us, and picked up His life again, to absolute glory.
When Jesus shared communion with His disciples, He said to continue to do it in remembrance of Him, of His astoundingly gracious gift to us, the gift of forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting. He admonished us to remember his body, broken for us and his blood, which was shed for us, that we may experience the ultimate of His purpose, life in everlasting unity with Him, the Father, and the Spirit.
The most beautiful privilege of being a Samaritan has been soaking in the wisdom of God. It is literally wisdom from on high, far beyond what I have ever heard in a church setting. Bettie Mitchell set an example of being so willing to teach nothing but the Word of God that her endeavor has been imbued with divine wisdom. During the Spring Intensive at GSM, I was in awe of new concepts that were taught. Cindy Womack shared the foundation of counseling, the fact that the Lord is fully able to see beyond the muck that individuals find themselves mired in and know the divine original that He placed in each person, for every single person was created in His image. When we set aside our preconceived ideas of trying to fix someone, we open ourselves to the truths of what God is doing in the individual’s life and to the process of partnering with God in the accomplishment of it.
Cindy continued to blow apart my incomplete notions about God’s Word. Her presentation took me back to communion and all that happened during His intense suffering, death, and resurrection. She shared that Jesus not only gave His broken body and shed blood for us, but that we are His body and blood. Even though I had read in the Word that we (the church) are the body of Christ, I had not comprehended the fullness of it. Cindy affirmed that we are so united with Jesus through faith, that we enter into His suffering and His offering of Himself to bring healing and restoration of relationship with God. We are literally the body and the blood of Jesus, broken and shed, for the healing and restoration of those whom God brings into our lives.
The truths of God’s Word that I am learning through Good Samaritan Ministries are transforming my life; faith in my Lord is vivacious because it is His truth being permeated deep into my soul, at the deep gut level. May you also, be blessed lavishly during these most precious of days.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Freda experienced physical and sexual abuse. She was broken and confused for years. As a young woman, she sought counseling for 12 years. When she began to grow in her Christian faith, she realized the depth of healing in the words of the Bible. She then combined tiny steps of healing with those comforting Scriptures and wrote Flame of Healing: A Daily Journey of Healing from Abuse and Trauma, a devotional with a journal, for in-depth, personal healing. Flame of Healing is helping people in 6 countries to heal from deep emotional pain from abuse and trauma.
Freda is also an inspirational speaker, addressing issues of abuse and trauma with compassion. She is a wife of 39 years, mother of three adult children, grandmother of one, and a child of God.
Her second book, Resurrection Hope, is a Christian novel about Heaven, angels, and living in the Presence of God. Freda’s website is: www.fredaemmons.com.
