Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”Acts 4:12 (NIV)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is a gift.
The most beautiful gift you could ever receive.
It is not because of what we have done but God’s Grace towards each and every one of us.
It is because of His love for us.
We can never repay the Lord for the gift of Salvation.
However, we can respond in reverence and obedience.
God chose to give His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins so that we can be in relationship with Him and have eternal life.
The Lamb of God became a human sacrifice just as the Israelites sacrificed a lamb on Passover all those years ago.
The symbolism of the blood shed on the wooden door post during Passover reminds us of Jesus’ shed blood on the wooden cross!
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12-13, NIV)
A spotless lamb…a sinless lamb.
The Israelites had to sacrifice a lamb without any blemishes and smear its blood on the doorposts of their homes, in order for their sons to be saved when the spirit of the Lord passed over.
We no longer have to sacrifice anything in order to be saved because Jesus took our place and became the sacrifice for us by shedding His blood on the cross.
We are saved by the blood – Not the blood of a spotless animal but the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, a sinless man!
Fully man and fully God!
What a beautiful gift!
A gift that we should not take likely.
Our response to Salvation should be to honour him, in all things.
One of those things being our health.
Being healthy, eating right and exercising, is not just about losing weight and feeling great.
It is about honouring God with our bodies, spirits and souls.
He died so that we can be saved.
By that, it means that He wants us to live our lives fully for Him, while we are on this earth and eternally.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV).
He wants us to be good stewards of our health so that we can live our life to the full and be fit for the Kingdom!
Let’s think about when you’re training and you’re waiting for that timer to go off to tell you you’ve reached your time limit.
How often have you thought, “Phew, saved by the bell!”
How many times have you thought you weren’t going to make it when you were running/cycling/walking or doing those dreaded burpees or planking?
But you made it, didn’t you?
How many times have you felt the same in your trials and sufferings?
But you made it!
What’s more important than being saved by the bell??
Being Saved By The Blood!!
“And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:10, NIV)
We have Resurrection Power and Victory running through our veins; we can find strength through Christ to run our race, spiritually and physically!
As we run our races marked out for us, let’s remember why we are here and how we are Saved By The Blood!
REFLECTION AND PRAYER
- What is your response?
What do you need to do in order to honour God in your health? - Are you reading your Bible everyday?
- Are you talking to God every day in Prayer?
- Are you eating fabulous foods everyday?
Are you moving your body everyday? - Take some time to reflect on your daily spiritual and physical journey.
Are you living out your life as someone who is Saved By The Blood?
Thank you very much for this reminder of what a loving Savior we serve. This was so sobering! I especially liked the questions at the end, because asking myself these questions allowed me to take self-inventory. This read was excellent! An awesome reminder of the depth of Love of Jesus! Although I make mistakes in my diet and lifestyle, he still loves me.
Hi Nadia. Glad it ministered to you!
Our God is slow to anger and it will take Him pretty much a lot a lot a lot of mercy before He really takes it out on us. That’s why His heart is always gracious and loving towards us!
Amen Nadia! So glad it ministered to you. It’s just almost un explainable how deep Christ’s love is for us. We are sinful in nature but we no longer live slave to it Amen? we are work in progress and we can only rely on His grace to grow into His likeness. Do stay updated with the blog, subscribe to it and if you would like to contribute too, let me know and get in touch!