Salvation – Light from the Word

YASHUA, the Source of Our Salvation

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16)

It was God’s love that compelled Him to act in favor of mankind. His abundant grace overlooked men’s evil heart deserving of punishment, instead, He took all sins upon Himself and gave us life eternal through forgiveness by His shed blood. He submitted Himself to the most brutal treatment by those He was suffering for. There are no words to describe the extent of His sufferings. He was the sole source of our salvation and beside Him there are no other ways men can be saved. As the Way, He leads us to the Father; as the Truth, He teaches us His word, how to have a relationship with Him; as Life, He gives us life eternal that proceeds from Him. In His sovereignty, He rules over all from His throne in heaven. But men treated Him with contempt by placing a crown of thorns on His head, causing much bleeding. That was in response to His sacrificial love for them. The manner in which they treated Him was inhuman and abusive. In spite of that, He was fulfilling His Father’s will, that of “bruise Him, to put Him to grief and make Him sick.” (Isaiah 53). He suffered pains in His humanity, not in His divinity. He did that voluntarily to fulfill prophecy written about Him. When He entered into the world, He said, sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God – [to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book (Heb. 10:5-7).

Sacrifices according to the Law was annulled when He took the position of Redeemer of the world. He became God’s Lamb Who takes the sins of the world. That’s the way John Baptist introduced Him, saying, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn. 2:29, 36). He came in the humble state of a stable where the chosen lambs that were to be sacrificed stayed. These were perfect lambs who fulfilled the demands of the Law. YAHSHUA, the Lamb of God found room there among them, and by a single offering, He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy (Heb. 10:14). YAHSHUA’S redemptive sacrifice was not the only thing He did or does for us. He became our Highpriest. We have freedom and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies through the blood of YAHSHUA. We have such a High Prist, One Who is seated at the right hand of the majestic [God] in heaven (Heb. 8:1). He intercedes for us. The Bible says that when we pray, the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Through the redemption by His blood, we were made children of God, and as children of God we are entitled to all the spiritual blessings. He planned in love for us to be adopted as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah, in accordance with the purpose of His will- to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace, which he so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:5-6).

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Would That You Had Known

This is a solemn phrase of regret to those at the end the road. Facing the consequences, without a way to mend the decision made. We often regret certain decisions when facing the results of them. But the regret coming to us from God is serious and concerning, because it involves decision He is making against our actions. At the end of our Lord’s life on the earth, He called the attention of Israel, exclaiming, “Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For a time is coming upon you when you enemies will throw up a bank about you and surround you and shut you in on every side; and they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you ; and then will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ]. (Luke 19:42-44).

The days were getting closer for our Lord to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for His people and the world. A warning was given, but not received well, for there was not belief to apply to YAHSHUA’S words. His heart was bleeding for the people, as He wept over the city (Luke 19:41). Israel was deaf and blind spiritually to the reality of YAHSHUA’S prophetic words. O how He tried to save them from the coming disaster! His love flowed audibly over the city of Jerusalem; the city of God. Destruction was eminent if they did not repent; YAHSHUA saw the stubbornness of their hearts and wept, as He saw the consequences of their hard hearts looming in the near future. Another time He warned them saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together as a hen [gathers] her young under her wings, but you would not! Then He declared, Behold, your house is forsaken (abandoned, left to you destitute of God’s help)! And I tell you, you will not see Me again until the time comes when you shall say, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13:34-35).

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Eve and the Prohibited Fruit

No one knows what kind of fruit-tree was in the garden which Satan tempted Eve with. We know however, that it was a special tree, the tree whose fruit opened the eyes of Adam and Eve to know the difference between good and evil. The Bible only mentions it to be “The fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden.” Satan, the father of lies, presented the temptation to Eve by means of a question doubting God’s command: Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? Eve, then corrected the devil saying, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it lest you die was Eve’s answer (Gen. 3:1-3). This dialog resulted in the fall of mankind. It changed everything that man represented at his creation. Had Eve walked away, perhaps sin would not have entered into the world or into the soul of man, for when Eve and Adam ate the prohibited fruit, they lost the image of God and received the image of sin and their DNA was corrupted. The sin of rebellion shown through their disobedience penetrated into their DNA and into their soul, carrying to all generations after them. This is the reason why we became sinners and our tendency is to fall into sin. Man’s soul is directedly connected with its sinful nature. The mind, the will and the emotion are vehicles to cause the body to sin. Temptation started in the level of the soul. Our thoughts, our desires and emotions are all connected to perform evil. Sin is manifested through the flesh. It expresses anger in a hurtful and physical way, when one is angry; it expresses vengeance when one is emotionally hurt; when the mind of man is evil, it expresses corruption in the form of sexual perversion and other means. Without the renewal of the soul, we are lost and condemned to perish forever.

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There Walked the Man Who Had Been Dead All Wrapped Up in Burial Cloths

This is a beautiful event in the life of Lazarus, but not only in his, but also, in the lives of all Christians, because it is prophetic in its meaning. It gives us the picture of the hope we have in our Lord and Savior, YAHSHUA Messiah, for it speaks of the Blessed Hope- “the glorious appearing of YAHSHUA Messiah, our great God and Savior, Who gave Himself on our behalf, that He might redeem us from al iniquity and purify for Himself a people eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds” (Titus 2:13). When YAHSHUA called Lazarus out of the grave, He was giving a future picture of the time when He will call His saints out of this world through a “cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God.” (I Thess. 4:16). YAHSHUA had to call the dead by name, otherwise, through the resurrection power expressed in YAHSHUA’S command, many would have risen with Lazarus. That coming glorious day was pictured then in the resurrection of Lazarus. “Your dead shall live [O Lord]; the bodies of our dead shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew [O Lord] is a dew of [sparkling] light; and the earth shall cast forth the dead [to life again; for on the land of the shades of the dead, You will let Your dew fall]” (Isaiah 26:19). Our names will be called on that day, when the trumpet of God will sound its blast.

It had been four days since Lazarus had died and buried. Martha, without hesitation, at the command to take away the stone that close the entrance of the cave where Lazarus was buried, exclaimed, “But Lord, by this time he throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days!” YAHSHUA then said to her, “Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe on Me, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:39-40). YAHSHUA’S affirmation and question move our hearts today to ponder on the meaning of His words. Believe in God is a verb that causes Him to reward us with a life of peace and in the future, eternal salvation. Believe is imbedded in faith and hope that moves mountains in our daily living; is the word that opens our eyes to see the glory of God been manifested while here on earth. Moses pleaded with God, “Show me your glory.” God’s action toward his request was, “I will make all My goodness pass before you…” (Exodus 33:18-19a). The glory of God is His goodness; Every day His glory is manifested to us in many ways we do not recognize. That day for Martha and those present who did not believe in YAHSHUA’S resurrection power, saw the glory of God shone through Him. The glory of God broke open Lazarus’ tomb and brought him out of the dead into the living. Every eye present saw it and marveled at His power, but still remained incredulous, with blindness that kept them in darkness. God’s goodness shone clearly also in YAHSHUA’S prayer before He brought Lazarus forth from the dead. He prayed to His Father, saying, “Yes, I know you always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and or the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me. When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths, and with a napkin bound around his face. YAHSHUA said to them, Free him of the burial wrapping and let him go” (John 11:42-44). This is a beautiful picture of when we will be undressed of our mortal body to the immortal one. Paul said, “For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable, and this mortal [part of us] must put on immortality; and when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up in and unto victory; O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:53-55).

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Out of the Womb of the Morning

Out of the womb of the morning is where the day starts; it is the beginning of things. Everything has a beginning from somewhere, or from someone. The womb of a woman holds her child for over nine months – a secure place where life starts and develops, provided the baby is not aborted. Life springs forth from the womb; the morning springs forth the day in its arrays of light sparkling on the dew, as the earth makes its turn, making it possible for a new day to be visible. In the spiritual sense, the death and resurrection of our Messiah YAHSHUA sprang forth the birth of His church. We are born again from His Spirit, for what is born of flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6). A new beginning, He gave to men through His death. He had to die to bring forth life everlasting to all who will. As the seed must die before it becomes a tree, He died that we might have life. His life was shared with us through His Holy Spirit. Out of the womb of His sufferings, His church was born and became His bride. We must be born again, YAHSHUA said to Nicodemus. For it is from Him that salvation springs forth. The Prophet Isaiah prophesized about His death many years before it happened. He said, He (YAHSHUA) shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself shall My righteous one, My Servant, justify many and many and make many righteous, for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt (Isaiah 53:11).

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5b). The anguish that embraces the soul is felt in the night. However, in hope we wait for our morning to arrive, when its womb will spring forth joy. Morning does not have to be a specific time, but it is that time when relief comes rescuing us from our troubles. In trials, we must always remember that there from out of a womb of a morning, joy will spring forth sooner or later. YAHSHUA was in the heart of the earth three days and three nights; His morning came with His resurrection and unspeakable joy to all His disciples, and to all of us who would accept His gift of life. YAHSHUA said, blessed are you who weep and sob now, for you shall laugh (Luke 6:21b). The Patriarch Job did not see his morning for a long time. The womb of the morning stayed closed for him until God opened it in His time. And then, the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning (Job 42:12), for the Lord will not cast off forever; but though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy (Lam. 3:31-32). The dew of a morning is life sustaining for the green of the earth; it is life expressed in the beginning of a new day, springing forth from the womb of a morning. The dew, in the spiritual sense, is resurrection of the Lord’s saints at the rapture. Isaiah said, Your dead shall live; the bodies of our dead shall rise, You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For the Lord’s dew is a dew of light; and the earth shall cast forth the dead [to life again; for on the land of the shades of the dead You will let Your dew fall] (Isaiah 26:19). The Lord’s supernatural dew will spring forth from the womb of that glorious day in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed (I Cor. 15:52). For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first (I Thess. 4:16). Therefore, comfort and encourage one another with these words (I Thess. 4:18).

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God’s Forgiveness Opens the Door of Heaven

For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son, for whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16). This is a well-known verse among the Christian community. The message it conveys is rich and assuring of God’s deep love for humankind. How can God, holy and perfect in every way love a world so unholy and voided of love for Him? It is hard to understand the unconditional love that He has for all of us, for “we all have sinned and have become short of His glory.” What did it mean to us in the situation we were in before our Lord remediated? The glory of God is His goodness. In that, we became unworthy of His glory toward us. We were separated from Him and hopelessly lost in sin, and under His condemnation. For the Jewish nation, under the Law, they sacrificed animals to atone for their sins. However, the time came when that was no longer satisfactory to God. That’s when His Son, YAHSHUA volunteered to take the place of animals to redeem the human race. The letter to the Hebrews says, For since the Law had merely a rude outline of the good things to come-instead of fully expressing those things-it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. Because, the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away, hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offering You have not desired, but instead, You have made ready a body for Me[to offer]. In burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God- [to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book (10:1,4-7).

The Law, from the beginning, pointed to the One Who would fulfill it to the letter. “A shadow of things to come,” Paul said. But when YAHSHUA laid down His life as a sacrifice once and for all for the entire world, this act of love poured forgiveness for all those who turned to Him by repenting of their sins. As many as received Him, the Bible says, He gave the authority to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in His name (Jn.1:12). YAHSHUA’S death opened the way for men to be reconciled with God. In His death-His demonstration of love, forgiveness flowed from His heart to men’s. Now, no longer under God’s condemnation, and short of His glory, men are free through His forgiveness. It is a powerful and unselfish act of love toward those who received the gift of YAHSHUA’S sacrifice. Through forgiveness, they “are constantly being transfigured into YAHSHUA’S own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another…” (II Cor. 3:18). That’s the process of their sanctification through the Holy Spirit of YAHSHUA. How beautiful, is the work of the Holy Spirit in each one of us who desire His touch of sanctification! So, God’s forgiveness restored men to Himself and men became sharers of God’s glory once again. God’s goodness is so important in one’s life; it would be hard to live without the benefit of it. Because being separated from God’s glory is to be without hope and voided of God’s promises, although available to all. The Bibles says that the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds, preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the Image and Likeness of God, for God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God in the face of YAHSHUA the Messiah. (II Cor. 3:4,6). We believers, who stand in the presence of the Lord, must shine His glory to the world, as Moses shone God’s glory to Israel, when coming down the mountain, after spending time with Him. From glory to glory, Moses, the servant of the Lord, experienced God face to face, and it showed on his face.

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Strongholds of the Mind

(II Cor. 10:3-6)

For though we walk in the flesh we are not serving as soldiers according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful in God for the tearing down of strongholds, tearing down reasonings, even every high thing being lifted up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every though in obedience to Messiah, and being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience would be achieved (II Cor. 10:3-6).

A stronghold is defined as false statements Satan establishes in our mind. They control and direct our mind to believe his lies. After a while they become reality. The Word of God confirms this in Proverbs 23:7. It says, For as man thinks in his heart so is he (Prov. 23:7). As someone said, “To think on what we believe, in time we will become.”

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “The brain, the most important part of the body as the command center for the nervous system, receives input from the sensory organs and sends output to the muscles. It is the main organ of the human central nervous system. It is the most complex part of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, and initiator of body movement and controller of behavior.” It is no wonder Satan goes after this important part of the body. He knows that if he can control man’s mind, he has control of his body. Of course that started at the Garden of Eden. He planted doubt in the mind of Eve and she believed. From that time on, men became slaves to Satan’s lies and fear took control of his emotions, and our trend of thoughts became open to Satan. He has taken every opportunity to control and torment the mind of man. The evidence of Satan’s control of the mind is seen in the way we behave, in the decisions we make. Many times our decisions are based on fear. In no way those decisions are directed by God, for the Word says, For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but love and sound mind (I Tim 1:7) and in another passage it says There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (I John 4:18).

The first step to free yourself from the control of Satan is to accept the sacrifice YAHSHUA made for you. His sacrifice was the purchase of your salvation and deliverance from the enemy I Peter 1:19, 23: But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Messiah, like that of a [sacrificial ] lamb without blemish or spot; you have been regenerated not from a mortal origin, but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God; ( 2) Acknowledge your sins, repent and renounce them I John 1:9: If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness; (3) study the Word of God II Tim. 2:15-16: Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing the Word of Truth; but avoid all empty talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. (4) Accept God’s forgiveness Psalm 103:1,3-4: Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us; (5) give the Holy Spirit complete control of your mind Romans 12: 2: Stop being conformed to this age, but you must from the inside continually be changed into another form, by the renovation of your mind, to prove what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God for you (6) hold onto the truth of God’s Word; (John 8:32: and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free; (7) be ready to go to the battlefield dressed with the full armor of God Ephesians 6: 10: From now on, you must right away become strong in the Lord and in the power of His strength; you must continually be clothed with the full armor of God to enable you to stand against the strategies of the devil; (8) offer Him sacrifice of praises; worship Him in spirit and in truth John 4:23-24: In fact an appointed time is coming and is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such as these who worship Him; god is Spirit, and it is necessary for those who worship Him to worship in spirit and in truth; (9) walk in God’s love and forgiveness I John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and he who loves is begotten of God and is coming to know and understand God; Psalm 139: 23-24: Search me O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting; (10) submit to God, then resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

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Prayer, the Key to Open Heaven’s Door (part 2)

YAHSHUA cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit; and at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27:50-51). Before the death of the Son of God no one, with the exception of the High Priest and once a year, could enter the Holy of Holies of the temple. The sanctuary of the temple was designated for the presence of the holiness of God alone. The High priest performed the duty of burning incense to atone his and the sins of the people by sprinkling the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the ark (Lev. 16:2). The Holy of Holies was separated by a veil to provide a barrier between God and man; between His holiness and the sinfulness of man. The tear of the veil or curtain is of great significance for all who profess to be a believer in YAHSHUA, for it provided access to all men to enter the presence of God, as the writer of Hebrews said, We have full confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of YAHSHUA…Let us all come forward and draw near with true hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith, having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water (Heb. 10:19-20, 22). When we pray, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groaning too deep for utterance (Rom. 8: 26). When we enter the presence of God, we do so with the help of the Holy Spirit. We enter heaven in the name of YAHSHUA by the power of His blood. We must be reminded every time we enter the presence of God, that that privilege cost His son’s life. When we pray in His name we are acknowledging His sacrifice for us and that it is only by His name that we can come to the presence of God. When we pray in YAHSHUA’S name, we are presenting all that He is. YAHSHUA said that the Father will grant whatever we ask in YAHSHUA’S name (John 15:16b; 16:23 b). But the believer must dwell in YAHSHUA and His words must remain and continue to live in his hearts for whatever he/she asks to be done or given them (John 15:7).

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The Hope that Will Never Fade Away

Hope, as I have said before, is a product of faith. It feeds on it to be alive in every circumstance that presents itself. When hope is deferred, the soul is affected and the heart, too. The word deferred means to put off or drag out, as hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov. 13:12). One example of hope deferred is found in the life of Jacob, after he labored for seven years to marry Rachel, only to end up with her sister, Leah. Imagine the emotional pain he suffered! Seven years of hope and then been deferred is hard to swallow. That’s the hope that the world offers. Despair and anxiety with depression is often the fruit of a deferred hope. Man in his sinful nature, offers nothing that is not tainted with his sinful nature. Applying hope on the wrong dream, on the wrong person and on wrong things, often results in disappointments. We all have suffered from deferred hope embed in false promises from jobs, relationships, family and friends. Everything in this world that originates from man, is prone to be uncertain and deserving of wisdom on our part. In whom to believe? It is the question echoing in the voices of those depraved of hope, for having had bad experiences. If the hope we have is only on the physical world, we are most miserable and hopeless people, for hope that comes from God is hope that brings us joy, and peace. By believing in Him, His Holy Spirit will empower us to abound in hope (Rom. 8:24-25).

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If You Are Willing to Receive and Accept It

YAHSHUA affirmed to the disciples that if they were willing to receive and accept it, John was Elijah. After the wonderful experience the three disciples had at the Mount of Transfiguration, on their way down they asked YAHSHUA an interesting question: Why do the Scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to come first? YAHSHUA then answered: Elijah, it is true, does come first to restore all things and set them to rights. And how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be utterly despised and be treated with contempt and rejected? But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and (people) did to him whatever they desired, as it is written of him (Mark 9:11-13). What did He mean by that? Was John the incarnated Elijah? It is natural for us to think that for lack of scriptural knowledge related to the subject. But as it is, Isaiah specifically prophesized about John saying: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will make ready your way. A voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (Mark 1:2-3) prophecy from the Isaiah chapter 40:3).

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