Christianity Oasis Forum

[Netchaplain]

One can be thankful that there are multitudes who believe that the Blood of the Savior is before the eye of God; it is a good beginning, but it’s not all. It is an immense gain to believe that because of the Blood, “the Jude of all the earth” passes by (Gen 18:25; Exo 12:13). A familiar phrase quite conveys it: “I know that I am saved.” So with Israel; they were inside, they were safe from the judgment; but they were not at liberty, they were not happy.

When the children of Israel were in Egypt, though they were inside feeding on the paschal lamb (Exo 12:3), they were not in freedom (one can be saved from the old man’s guilt and not yet free from its oppression—NC). They had yet to leave Egypt, they had still to leave the place of judgment; for they were not clear of the power of the Egyptians (analogous to not understanding the full implication of deliverance from sin’s guilt—NC), nor of the reign of Pharaoh (Satan), by which they were oppressed; they were not yet delivered (i.e. in their walk—NC).

It is true they were sheltered; the word “shelter” implies that the oppressor has not been removed. They were also sheltered from the Judge, but they were unable to rest in the favor of God. They were not assured that every disturbing element between God and themselves had been removed (nullified—NC); they could not have peace while the enemy was still in power. Hence we find they were in terrible fear; Pharaoh and his army were behind them. Jehovah now said to Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward” (Exo 14:15; for Christians now, forward means Heb 6:1, 2—NC).

This is a very critical moment in the history of a soul. Do you believe that the Blood is before the eye of your Father? Then you are sheltered (from judgment—NC); it is the right way to begin, but you will not have true peace until you see the offender removed in judgment (Rom 6:6; 8:9—NC), and the power of the oppressor broken (devil’s defeat - Rev 1:18, and “dominion” of the old man nullified – Ro 6:14, which means no more willing after it, but instead after “His good pleasure – Phl 2:13—NC). Then, with Israel, you “will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” They sank as lead in the mighty waters.

The Passover prefigured the death of the Savior. Many have the deep consolation that God has accepted the shed Blood of His Son; they call it assurance, but it is not peace; nor are they consciously in the favor of the Father (though truly ever in His favor they have yet to realize it, and cannot walk in the freedom of it, i.e. eternal security—NC). They do not yet see that all has been removed which caused the judgment. Hence God said both to Israel, and to us, “Go forward!”
I trust you see that everything under judgment has been judicially removed in the judgment of the Lord Jesus’ death unto sin (Rom 6:10). Though Satan is still here, he is never again as Pharaoh to the believer; and though the Egyptians are here—that is, the flesh is here (old man—NC), yet “Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the sea shore” (Exo 14:30).
So we should see our “old man is crucified with Him” (Ro 6:6). If Israel attempted to revive an Egyptian dead on the shore it would be unaccountable. Christians are more so when they revive the flesh which was set aside in the Cross. We should rejoice that our old man was crucified with Christ. But no one will be free from the reign (though free from its guilt, yet not from its oppression—NC) of the old man until he is glad that it has gone into death by the work of the Cross; and you never can know that it is gone into death until you travel through faith in your crucifixion with Christ out of the place of judgment.

Until you see the old man removed from the eye of your Father, and therefore removed from before your eye (consciously, as it truly is spiritually—NC), you are occupied with yourself—the distance between you and the Father has not been fully removed (in your understanding—NC). You will be able to enjoy the love and favor of your Father when you believe that the work of the Cross removed all the distance between you and your Father, and that now (and from now on—NC) “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).

—J B Stoney


MJS devotional for July 29
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/