The Jubilee of Pentecost

 

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.
—Leviticus 25:10


In the Bible, the number fifty holds great significance. It symbolizes completion. This verse in Leviticus describes the Year of Jubilee, which was celebrated every fifty years. During the Year of Jubilee, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and property was returned to its rightful owner. The Year of Jubilee represented a complete restoration. When the fiftieth year arrived, it signified the completion of what had been and the release of something new.

The period between Passover and Shavuot is called Omer. It consists of forty-nine days, which forms a perfect square, symbolizing balance, stability, and divine order. During Omer, there are seven weeks of seven days. The number seven represents completion or fullness. When multiplied by itself, seven signifies the completion of completion, or the fullness of fullness. Pentecost, which occurs fifty days after Passover, follows a pattern of seven sevens, similar to how the Year of Jubilee follows seven sevens or forty-nine days. This period following Passover is the countdown to Pentecost, when something perfectly complete is released. The fullness of the fullness of God is set free.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

Luke was quoting Joel’s prophetic message from the Lord. The Lord’s words are full of absolute authority and determination. “I WILL,” God declares. God didn’t say that he might pour out His Spirit, or He was thinking about it. He didn’t say that His Spirit depended on how much the people equipped themselves. Instead, He spoke with unwavering determination about the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples faithfully followed Jesus’ instructions and did nothing but wait in one place. They could not make the Spirit descend. It was all God’s timing. When the time of completion arrived, the Holy Spirit descended as a powerful rushing wind. God Himself filled each one present. The Holy Spirit infused each one with dynamic power, liberating them from their limitations and perfectly empowering them to spread the Gospel.

No effort you make can earn the promise of the Spirit. God pours out His Spirit on all flesh. This outpouring of God Himself isn’t limited to those who have tried to prepare themselves, but is true for all who expectantly wait with open hearts. God Word is true. When God says He will pour himself out on all flesh that is what He means. We can’t make anything happen. The Holy Spirit shall fill us if we choose to make ourselves available. 

Do you expect Him? He’s near. Abandon every preconceived notion and believe He wants to pour Himself into you. He’s determined for you to receive His promise.

The First Pentecost

 

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
—Acts 2:1-4

We read of Pentecost as that incredible moment when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, fulfilling Jesus’ promise and empowering the church to go into all in the world with His Good News. 

However, do we realize that Pentecost wasn’t the first Pentecost? The first Pentecost was called Shavuot. 

Pentecost comes from the Greek word, “pentekostos,” which means fiftieth. The Hebrew name for Pentecost is Shavuot and comes fifty days following Passover.

Shavuot is one of three pilgrimage feasts. Deuteronomy 16:16  says that God required Jewish males to travel three times each year to the temple in Jerusalem. Shavuot was one of these fixed times. God wanted to meet with His people in one place. Now consider the fact that we celebrate our New Testament Pentecost fifty days following Passover. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead at Passover. Before He ascended to the Father, He told His disciples to gather in one place and wait for the promise of the Spirit to come. It wasn’t an accident that “Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven” were gathered in Jerusalem on the day the Holy Spirit would come (Acts 2:15). They were there to celebrate Shavuot.
 
Passover celebrates the Israelites being delivered when the angel of death “passed over” them because the lintels and door posts of their homes were marked with lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:13, 23, 27). God's divine punishment that killed all the firstborn sons of Egypt, except for those of the Israelites, convinced Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves. Fifty days after the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, Shavuot, the first Pentecost, took place at Sinai. Moses came face to face with the Spirit of God (Exodus 33:11). He received the Law, which required the Israelites’ perfect adherence. Knowing we could never meet His Law, Jesus came as the Lamb of God to be slain at Passover one time, once and for all, to meet the Law in our place (Romans 6:10). On the cross, Jesus delivered us from the Law’s condemnation (Galatians 3:13). Fifty days later at Shavuot (Pentecost) the Holy Spirit came from heaven, to empower the great exchange that had taken place at Passover.

The Old Testament Shavuot pointed to a promise that that had not yet occurred. God had freed Israel from Egypt so they could meet the Spirit at Mount Sinai. Jesus freed us from the Law so we could receive the fulfillment of the Spirit. Jesus didn’t bring us out of bondage just to deliver us. He brought us out of bondage to bring us into His presence to fulfill His purpose in and through us.

At Passover, the kindling was lit, and at Pentecost the Holy Spirit breathed an inferno into each one present, eagerly awaiting His presence. God didn’t merely save you from hell; He saved you so that He could fill you and bring His purpose to life within you, allowing the world to experience the same new life you have received.

On the cross Jesus delivered you from death.Three days later He rose, giving you new life. Pentecost was the purpose of Passover. Without it, the Israelites would never have known the God who had delivered them. Without Pentecost, the church would have died, and we would have never known the grace and love of our Father. Without a personal Pentecost, your faith won’t come to life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The day Hebrews celebrate each year is coming. The day Christians celebrate Pentecost is coming. The Holy Spirit has already come. Have you experienced a personal Pentecost? Has His tongue of fire rested upon you, filling you? Does He continually fill you?  

Come, Holy Spirit. Reveal to us Pentecost.

Walk Not After The Flesh But After The Spirit

Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1b


The Holy Spirit empowers us with new life. He’s eager to impart wisdom to guide us in everything and, especially, in our relationships. However, without a healthy relationship with God, we’ll find it challenging to build healthy relationships with people. When our hearts are not aligned with the Holy Spirit, our efforts won’t reflect God’s wisdom and strength. We’ll respond to other people out of the flesh. When we don’t grow in our relationship with God, there will be no profit in our relationship with others.

When we are aware of the things the enemy uses to create offense, jeaslousy, anger or emotional turmoil within us, then we are able to guard ourselves from responding as the world does. We can surrender to the Spirit, crucifying the desires of the flesh and refusing to carry unforgiveness as our hallmark.

We’ve all faced challenges in relationships. Some people bring persistent issues that require attention into a relationship. Others carry emotional and mental wounds from devastating experiences. The world offers numerous reasons to remain offended, wounded, and hurt. Yet, if you’re willing, the love of can God heal your issues and wounds, and He has the power to do so miraculously.

God’s Word—His truth—is an active and living force. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing through the soul and spirit, and separating the joints and marrow. It unveils our deepest thoughts and desires. It ignites faith in God’s eternal truth. Our hope lies in the Word and in the relationship we share with the Lord. Amidst the chaos of filthy, muddy, tangled, and messy emotions, God’s Word stands more powerful than anything else. It reigns supreme. It heals supernaturally.

As a child of God, you possess Christ’s spiritual authority to govern your emotions and reactions. You have His authority to bring your thoughts and the images they evoke under the control of the Holy Spirit. If God’s truth doesn’t permeate you, this authority seems beyond your reach. Instead, you are emotionally wrecked. You heart isn’t in tune with the Lord’s. Your senses declare your pain is simply too overwhelming to bear. However, the truth is that you have the authority to reject your issues and embrace the healing of the Holy Spirit. If God’s Word permeates you, you will receive God’s wisdom to deal with your flesh.

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (James 3:17, NLT).

God’s wisdom is pure, full of mercy, and willing to yield to others. However, aren’t we sometimes biased towards our own feelings and desires? God’s wisdom teaches us to be impartial, to prioritize others over ourselves. We have the ability to live peacefully with others and extend kindness towards them. We have the power to relinquish the grip of resentment and hurt. We can earnestly seek God’s wisdom to gain His perspective on an issue, determine the appropriate response, and decide whether an apology is warranted. My friend in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. We can draw from our renewed spirit and demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

God desires us to live in agreement with Him. We are called to walk after the Spirit and not our flesh. The Spirit has equipped and empowered us to do this. If we walk after the Spirit, we will remain in the Word, be open to His voice, and be always open to learn from Him.

When you know who you are in Christ, you are in tune with the Father. You never have to let pain or hurt define you. You have nothing to prove to anyone else. You don’t take offense, but allow any offense or emotional pain to roll off you shoulders. You walk after the Spirit and take authority over your emotions. You fulfill the desires of your Savior who brought you into perfect union with the Father.

Is your heart in agreement with the Father? Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. Remain in the Word, be open to His voice, and to always learn from Him. There is power in agreement. 

Exercise Your Faith

Sometimes, we pray about things God has already given us authority over. We implore God to restrain the devil, even though God has already instructed us to do it. We beg God to move for us when He has already commissioned us to step out in faith. We plead with Him to unlock doors He has already given us the keys to open. 

We label this disobedience as humility, when it’s really refusing to submit to what God has told us to do. It’s like Peter refusing Jesus' offer to wash his feet. His refusal appears as humility, but it’s really renouncing the gift Jesus wishes to give him.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:18: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Jesus instructs “you” to bind and loose. Not God to bind and loose. Jesus has redeemed and empowered “you.” His verdict of “not guilty” has already been rendered through the cross. It is finished. God has already seated you with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and given you authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). 

There’s no question that God is willing to move on your behalf. Are you prepared to exercise your authority and enforce the verdict He has made?

My friend in Christ, you are no longer a pauper. Jesus has made you a royal priesthood. He has declared you worthy. He has washed you clean. Don’t renounce His instruction. Come boldly as a son, a daughter, and a joint heir with Jesus. Don’t plead for what is rightfully yours. Declare the excellency of the One who has saved you. Exercise your faith, and walk in your inheritance.

Wisdom And Revelation In My Knowledge Of God

The book of Proverbs isn’t meant only to help the foolish and ignorant. It will make a wise man wiser and give more understanding to those who already have understanding. As Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The fear of the Lord isn’t all there is to wisdom, but it’s certainly where wisdom begins. Those who have no fear of the Lord aren’t wise, regardless of how smart they are. This fear or respect of the Lord, honors His moral law and stirs obedience in us. Those who look for wisdom outside of the moral laws God has given are fools (Psalm 14:1, 53:1). Any search for wisdom must begin with seeking the Lord as the source of all wisdom.

“God gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21). 

Daniel realized that God was his total source. Many more of us would get more revelations from God if we would recognize Him as our only source. But many of us think our power and the strenght of our own hands have obtained us all we possess. 

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26). Trusting in yourself  is being self-dependent instead of God-dependent. It’s pride, and it’s foolish. It isn’t in man to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). We have that choice, but it’s the wrong choice. We need God as our source. We need His wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8). 

God gives wisdom liberally if I ask. But if I doubt Him, then why should I receive wisdom from Him? Why should I receive anything from Him? When I don’t recognize Him as my source instead of myself, I end up having not because I haven’t asked. I have not because I haven’t sought. I haven’t received because I have doubted His faithfulness. However, when He is my unchanging and never-ending source, I can ask for wisdom in faith and receive it. He never withholds His wisdom from those who truly seek Him.

When God’s wisdom is sought, His truth is revealed, but just because you know God’s truth doesn’t mean you will submit to it. What you know cannot become understanding until you apply it in your life.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). Godly wisdom comes as a gift through His Word. 

If I desire God’s gift, I’ll honor God and His Word as my only source. I’ll believe Him and not doubt. I’ll unceasingly seek wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of Him and submit to it so I can understand what He has given me. 

May “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:17-20).

Lord, give me wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of you. 


 

Confidence In Your Relationship With God

 

 

The only way we can come to God is in humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility before God doesn’t demand anything based on what you do or your accomplishments or your worth. Humility is also not groveling and begging God to answer your prayer. Humility before God is coming to Him in confidence knowing that He gives mercy and grace in your time of need. It's knowing the worth Christ has placed on your life.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

When you come boldly to the throne of grace, it doesn’t mean you come instructing God. That isn’t the surrender that expresses humility. That is pride. When you come boldly to God, you come knowing who you are in Christ. You come knowing your right-standing with Him. When you know and believe in your heart the righteousness that is yours in Christ’s “once for all” atonement for your sins, there is nothing standing between you and God. You have confidence in your relationship with Him. He’s your Abba Father.
 
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
 
Do you have this confidence? When you are confident in your righteousness in Christ, you are at peace in your relationship with God. You walk in the freedom His grace has given you. You come freely to God without fear of reproach or judgment or retribution. You come knowing what the love of Jesus has redeemed for you. You come knowing your Father loves you and you will receive His mercy and grace to help. You come with a heart of praise because you believe.
 
True humility isn’t promoting yourself. Neither is it demeaning yourself. True humility only glorifies the Father. When you have confidence in your relationship with God, you don’t need to beg for mercy and grace. You don’t need to beg God to give you anything that He has already provided in the finished work of Jesus. You don’t need to beg for forgiveness, or healing or your needs to be supplied. Jesus paid the price for all these things long before you even existed.
 
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).
 
You have received the grace of Christ. God pours more grace into the lives of those who have confidence in their relationship with Him and walk in true humility. You must believe there is nothing between you and the Father. No sin. No sickness. No need. In true humility, neither inflating or deflating yourself, present your needs to God with the confident assurance that Christ has made you worthy to receive the petitions you have asked of Him.

Complete In Every Good Work

There are two ways we work for God. One way is born of faith in Christ, and the other is born of the need for recognition and acceptance. One way is with the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, and the other is with our own strength. The first way surrenders to the righteous work of Christ in us. The second way works to prove its own righteousness. The first way is life. The second way is death.
 
“There is a way that seems right to a man,” Solomon said, “but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).  
 
What appears right to our natural mind is what we think is right. What we think is carnal. And to be carnally-minded is death (Romans 8:6).
 
“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
 
We don’t work our way to God on our own merit. We come to God on Christ’s merit. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to experience God’s acceptance and approval is by understanding spiritually who we are in Christ. And to be spiritually-minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
 
Yet, don’t we sometimes work for God hoping that He will heal or bless us—not seeing that if we spiritually understood the right-standing we already have in Christ, we would experience His life and peace? If we would labor with His power working in us and not on our own strength, wouldn’t we live the truth of the new person He has made us?
 
“To this end I also labor,” Paul wrote, “striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29).
 
Paul strived with God’s guidance and power. He shared the Gospel out of His right-standing in Christ. He knew He had nothing to prove to God. Christ had already proved him righteous.
 

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6).
 
It is Christ’s mercy that saved us and His righteousness that works in us—not our own. The Holy Spirit draws and empowers us to work for Christ. We surrender to the righteousness that is ours in Him. We have God’s power but we must surrender our natural understanding—our ways—our ideas—our circumstances—our issues—our opinions—and everything to the new life we have received in Christ. Any work born of our need for acceptance and approval has no power. 

 

We are called to work for Christ. However, works born of our need instead of faith in Christ have no life (James 2:17). The difference lies in the motivation for our work. Is our work born of the incorruptible seed of God's Word in our heart or born of our own corruptible need to prove ourselves? 
 
When you know how much Christ values you, your life is no focused on self. It is focused on Him. You have no need to prove yourself. God’s Word transforms your understanding. You conform to your salvation by being renewed by His Word (Romans 12:1-2). Allow the incorruptible seed of God’s Word to take root and grow in your heart (1 Peter 1:23), and then you can labor out of the righteousness Christ has earned for you. Working without faith is death. Working out of the faith that is yours in Christ is life (James 2:20-22).
 
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
 
It is God’s power that energizes us (Colossians 1:29).  It is His work in and through us that brings life to our “yes.” 

“May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21). 
 

Follow God's Peace


And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
—Colossians 3:15


If there is one thing we can learn from hardship or worry, it’s that they can steal our peace. When we endure hardship or experience fear, we often look for encouragement from someone else or in improving circumstances. We attempt to reach a mental place of peace instead of allowing the spiritual peace God has given us to rule in our hearts. His peace isn’t the peace we receive from better circumstances or feelings. His peace comes from the perfect love we received in Jesus. And God’s perfect peace carries us through any hardship without fear if we choose to draw upon it (I John 4:18, Isaiah 26:3).

The peace of God is our guide to what the will of God is in different situations. We have to learn to listen to what the spiritual peace of God is trying to tell us. We need to give it priority in our lives and follow it. We cannot find God’s spiritual peace trying to reason out His plan with our carnal minds. The only way to life and peace is to be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6).

God’s peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is something that every born-again believer possesses. His peace continually attempts to guide us, but many times we just don’t listen. We go against the peace of God instead of letting it rule in our hearts, and we act according to our plan. Later, when tragedy results from a bad decision, we acknowledge the unease we initially felt in our hearts. That unease was the peace of God trying to guide us, but we were too determined to go by our rules instead of His.

There are some things we can do to help the peace of God guide us. 

We should contemplate all our options. Wrong decisions are made when all options aren’t considered in prayer.  And we can’t let doubt rule out what might be God’s possibilities. As we visualize the results of each different option, we should perceive greater peace when considering the option the Lord wishes for us. This doesn't mean there will be total peace with any choice. Since we aren’t always spiritually minded, it’s not unusual for us to have some questioning and unrest. We need to be courageous enough to follow the decision that gives us the most peace. 

Often, we must step out in faith before the peace of God gives us direction. Sometimes we will make a mistake. When we make a wrong decision trying to follow the peace of God, the Lord will certainly bless it more than indecisiveness and indecision (Proverbs 16:3).

God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). God’s peace is the spiritual state of mind in which we are always called to live. When we allow His peace to rule our hearts, it settles the questions that arise in our minds. When we step out in faith following God's peace, He will guard our thoughts. Praising God for His spiritual peace, regardless of our circumstances, will guard our hearts and acknowledge His spiritual priority in our lives.

A naturally minded man will only know fear, and fear is death to his faith. A spiritually minded man will know life and peace (Romans 8:6). We have God’s power to be spiritually minded. We have received the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), but it is our choice to exercise the peace that is ours in Him.

Let the peace of God direct your thoughts, deciding and settling your questions. Surrender to His peace, and let it guide you. Follow His peace.


Already There In Christ

 

 

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
—Romans 6:4, ESV


Jesus’ burial in the tomb wasn’t the end of His life. His burial was the burial of sin itself. 

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (ESV). 

Jesus bore our sins in His own body so we might die to sin and live the righteousness He has given us. When His body was placed in the tomb, everything that separated us from God was gone. Sin wasn’t being controlled or momentarily removed. The death Jesus died for our sin was once for all (Romans 6:10). When Jesus died, sin was destroyed once and forever.

My friend in Christ, you don’t have to try to bury your past. You don’t need to clean yourself up enough so that God will accept you. You have received what He has finished. Your old identity has already been placed in the tomb with Him. It’s dead and buried. This is the reason Romans 6:4 says we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as He was raised, we too might walk in newness of life.

We have died to sin so that we can live to righteousness! This is the new person you are in Christ. This changes how you handle guilt, shame, and past failures. When those thoughts of condemnation come, you don’t have to struggle trying to fix yourself. You tell yourself that what you are being accused of has already been buried. That body of sin has already been placed in the tomb with Jesus. You’re no longer that person.

You don’t have to strive to become new. You are living from what has already been finished. Just like Jesus’ body was completely placed in that tomb, your sins—your old life has been completely dealt with. There is nothing left undone. You can rest in the finished work of Jesus, knowing that when that stone was rolled in front of that tomb, it was sealing your old life away for once and for all. Just as Jesus was raised from death by the glory of the Father, you are also raised to walk in your new life.

Jesus didn’t die to help you become righteous. He died to make you righteous. He didn’t die to somewhat deal with sin and let you handle the rest. He took it away completely. He didn’t die to help you get to God. He brought you into perfect unity with His Father through His finished work.

Your life is no longer about trying to get there. You are already there in Him. It’s no longer about trying to be whole. It’s no longer about proving who you are in Christ. When you seek Him with all your heart, you will know you have found Him. Your burial clothing will remain in the tomb. You will walk out, living the new life He has given you.

Forgiven—Healed—And Whole

Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;
they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
—Psalm 125:1 (NLT)

 

Trust is the ability to rely upon or place confidence in someone. When you trust someone, you rely on the integrity of that person and the security they give. You have faith in them. Those who trust in the Lord, the psalmist proclaims, have confident faith in His security. They know that in trusting God they will not be overcome but victorious.
 
The Old Testament God that Moses encountered on Mount Sinai offered security to the Hebrews if their behavior met His. Their security in God was conditional on their performance. They staggered in fright when God commanded them not to touch the mountain. Moses himself trembled in fear (Hebrews 12:20). The law defined what righteous living is. God blessed or cursed them based on their conduct. 
 
On the cross, Jesus changed everything. His grace defined righteous living as not performing according to the law but by walking according to the Spirit. When someone is reborn in Christ, the righteousness of Christ becomes God’s standard of judgment for that person. Conduct no longer remains God’s standard of judgment. The law gives sin its power (Corinthians 15:56). God has given us victory over sin in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). Grace has overcome sin. Sin is no longer master over us. We are no longer under the law but now under grace (Romans 6:14). Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The law is no longer our judge. Christ took our judgment. He took our condemnation and punishment and gave us His righteousness. 
 
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, NKJV).

The flesh can never fulfill the requirements of the law. Jesus has fulfilled them. We walk according to the Spirit who gives us life and peace (Romans 8:6).
 
"You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people” (Hebrews 12:22-24a, NLT). 
 
You have come to Jesus, my friend, who negotiated the New Covenant between God and you. You have no reason to fear God who became flesh and gave His life for you. His love is no longer conditional on your performance. God revealed His true character in the gift of His Son. He is love. He is grace and truth. Now you run to Him—without shame or dread. He is tangible. He is touchable. He is forgiveness, healing, and grace. You are His firstborn. Your name is written in heaven. You can trust God, your Father, who loved you enough to send His Son to perfectly meet the conditions of His law you could never meet.
 
Do you trust Him? If you trust Him, you know you are secure in Him. You have peace. You have joy. You believe His truth, and you receive His love. You have His faith to understand the integrity of the security He has given you. You have confident faith in Him because you know how much He loves you.
 
If you are dealing with trust issues with God, you must understand who you are in Him. You are His beloved. You are His child. He is your righteousness—your healer—your provider—your Abba Father. You can draw from the wellspring of His love for you. You can share your heart and leave your burdens in His care. You don't need to fear punishment. Yes, God is the judge over all things, but Jesus has negotiated a New Covenant for you. Jesus took the judgment for your sins on the cross and received your punishment. 

God sees you through the finished work of His Son. Forgiven—healed—and whole. How do you see yourself?