Freedom House Church and Healing Centre

Have you ever read or seen something that describes exactly what is on your heart in a way that you find difficult to describe in your own words? 

Last week I was praising Jesus for who He is and for His salvation, freedom, healing, protection, preservation and provision and I heard, “So great a salvation!”  So I looked up the scripture, Hebrews 2:1-4, and started to reflect on it and I was reminded of 2 pictures that describe so well my heart towards Jesus and my response to so great a salvation.  I would like to share these with you.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Heb 2:1-4 NKJV)

This first picture of the woman with the costly jar of oil anointing Jesus’s head and feet, is a picture of worship, devotion and love for Jesus. (Lk 7:36-50)  Years ago, when I read vs 47 and came across this picture, it put words to what was in my heart.  My only response to knowing how much Jesus has forgiven me is to worship, love and follow Him with my whole heart and life.  Jesus gave His life so that I could have life so I owe Him nothing less then mine!  

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Lk 7:47)

Many other scriptures have impacted my response to so great a salvation.  They have been written on my heart, changed my life and Holy Spirit has helped me and reminded me to practice these words in my daily walk with Jesus.

Here are a few of these scriptures:

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:38-42)

I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long.  I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. (Ps 27:4 The Message)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Ro 12:1-2 NLT)

 

This second picture of a girl clinging to a cross is actually a gravestone.  The Lord has impressed upon me that this is where I need to spend my life.  This is my response to so great a salvation-  clinging to Jesus, relying on Him alone and believing, receiving and living the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus .  The cross for me is about death and life.  Death to my old life of sin.  Death to my way.  Daily dying to myself and living for Jesus!  The cross is also about victory over sin, freedom and healing.  It is about living a life set apart for Jesus!

Here are some scriptures that have been meaningful to me: 

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal 2:20 NKJV)

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38 NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isa 61:1-3 NKJV)

Jesus has done everything for us.  He has given us everything.  Our only response to so great a salvation must be to love Him, follow Him and humbly serve Him and others.  Jesus says, if you love Me you will obey my commands (Jn 14:15).  The greatest commandment is to love God and others as ourselves.  Jesus says that if we do this we will live!  Jesus is our greatest example and we have Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to obey Jesus’s commands.  How else are we to respond to so great a salvation!

Here are a few more scriptures to meditate on and live! 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5:13 NKJV)

But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:42-45 NKJV)

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (Jn 13:13-17)

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” (Lk 10:27-28 NKJV)

This blog was not easy to write because it was difficult to express the deep things of the heart.  Words seem inadequate to describe what is in my heart about Jesus and what He has done for me.  I hope that you are blessed by my attempt to share a bit about my response to so great a salvation.  I pray that what is in my heart and what I have written in this blog is evident in my life.  I’m definitely not there yet but I know with God’s help I will continue to progress in my desire for Jesus to be lifted up and glorified in and through my life.

What about you?  What is your response to so great a salvation?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...” Rev 2:7