“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light…put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ…” Romans 13:12,14
In Moses’ account of God’s instructions concerning the Passover, when the people were to slay a lamb or goat, take its blood and put it upon the doorposts and lintels of their homes, God’s instructions were both simple and specific. The application of the blood of the sacrifice was to be the sole deterrent from the death of the firstborn in every household throughout Egypt. That blood spoke of Another’s blood which would be shed about 1400 years later on Calvary. It would be the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, so that man could be forgiven and cleansed from all sin. The gift of the perfect righteousness of Christ’s life would be God’s provision for acceptance before God, and the knowledge of peace with Him. On the eve of the Passover, there was another very important event that was required by God to occur. After the blood of the sacrifice was put upon the door posts and lintels of the homes, the slain lamb or goat, was to be roasted that night. Accompanied by unleavened bread, the sacrifice was to be eaten by every person, nothing being left until morning, the remains being burned in the fire. Why was the sacrifice to be eaten? If the blood would speak of forgiveness of sins, and being justified by God, so that God’s judgement would not come upon the people, likewise, the sacrifice must be eaten, or partaken of, made one’s own. By faith in the blood the Israelites escaped the death angel, but also, by faith Israel would partake of the blessing of God, and the knowledge of Him. God’s call to Israel was not only to be delivered from the penalty and judgement of the sin of unbelief but be ushered into a new relationship with God whereby she was to come to know God as her Redeemer, Deliverer, Provider, and Keeper. Eventually, with the coming of Christ, the new testament in His blood would speak of His perfect work to forgive all sins and justify the believer. But also, there would be the matter of partaking of Him, the living Bread. The call to know cleansing by the blood would equally apply to living by the very Life of Christ. The key to both issues was faith, but faith in the finished work of Christ. One aspect dealt with sin and redemption, the other dealt with righteousness and sanctification, where the believer partakes of the very nature of Christ, lives by and for Him, by the Spirit. Christ’s words, “Abide in Me, and I in you,” ring out today with the same force as they have throughout the centuries since the first Passover. Every believer is called to partake of Christ daily. How?
The basis for partaking of Christ, His Life, and all that that means with regard to knowing Him, having communion with Him, lies in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, and the continuing work of the Father by the Spirit. Christ’s work was perfect, and complete. A part of that work was the Father taking the believer by the Spirit, and putting him IN living union with Christ, forever sealed and kept by Him. The moment one was placed in Christ at the moment of the new birth, Christ was MADE UNTO HIM, “…wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30) Inseparably one with Christ, the believer is called now to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” as his life and power. The answer to every need is found in Christ. Being complete in Christ, the call is always to receive all from Him. “Putting on Christ” is the deliberate act and attitude of taking Christ by faith to be one’s life. By the unalterable promise, the call is to derive ever increasingly all from Christ. That which was impossible to man, is now made possible with God.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.