Forbearance

There’s never a passing day, for me,  but what there’s at least a passing thought (and it should be more) about the forbearance of God; how grateful I am that my life has meaning and hope and that there’s a reason for trekking forward with optimism. The reason is HIs forbearance with mankind. When we sinned, He saw, and offered the ultimate to restore us. He offered this in the case of mankind’s  sin, even prior to the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:7). He never—not for even a moment—left us in eternal desperation, even though He knew it would require an ultimate and very personal blood sacrifice that would buy us back.  When I personally sin, He takes me back, over and over. In fact, because I am in Christ, my relationship is never severed, unless I am doing the purposeful severing from Him (1 John 1:7). 

The study of His forbearance this month brought us to the Passover in Exodus 12; that amazing painting on doorposts and lentils, done by a people desperate for salvation from death and redemption from slavery in ancient Egypt. Our amazing God showed them (and us!) a real-life visual of what it looks like for people in our slavery of sin to be redeemed by blood applied to the lentils and doorposts of our very hearts! This commentary on that could quickly turn into a book, but let’s focus on one aspect, for a bit. 

Have you ever thought about the fact that, when those Israelites left their dwelling places in Goshen for the last time, they had the precious lamb—the one that had been sanctified in their yards or houses for four days—in them, above them and beside them. That’s potent! The lamb was in them, because they had eaten him. The lamb was above them on the lentils of their doors. The lamb was beside them, on the doorposts. 

Do you have the Lamb–Jesus–above and inside and beside you? If you are a Christian, you do! 

He is above us in pre-eminence and power and authority. Some of the passages that inform  about our blood-washed “lentils”, are these: 

Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:6-11; John 17:1,2; Ephesians 1:22,23;Luke 10:22; John 3:35; John 5:22; John 13:3; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 3:1; and Romans 9:5. 

He is beside us. Having become man and having shared our human griefs, he yet intercedes. 

Hebrews 13:4-6; John 15:14; 2 Timothy 4:17; John 14:23; Ephesians 2:4-6; Ephesians 2:18; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:25; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1,2; Revelation 3:20; Revelation 21:3

He is in us, as we adhere to His teachings. 

Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 4:19; Colossians 1:27; Colossians 3:16; Philippians. 2:5-13; Philippians 1:20-21; John 6:51; John 14:20; John 17:23; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 John 3:24; 1John 4:13; 1 John 3:24.

He is, indeed, Christ, our Passover (1 Corinthians 5)—sacrificed for us. Let’s be sure the blood of His amazing forbearance with mankind, is personally applied.