There is a new song by a Christian music group that I really enjoy listening to. I love their music and I love the messages in their songs. But there is a line in their newest song that says, "The cross has the final word..." This sounds good, right? We all know what the cross is a symbol of. We all know the cross held our Ransom to it...but did the cross really have the final word? Was the death of Jesus where it ended? Remember the cross is an instrument of death...not life. When He was hanging on the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished." Then He gave up His spirit to the Father. But that wasn't the end of the story.
If you grew up on hymns in church, then what about many of our older hymns? "Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!"
Or, "I surrender all. All to Jesus my blessed savior...I surrender all."
What about the words we say to each other. "Be blessed and highly favored today!" or "I love you with the Love of the Lord." and there are so many more cute little phrases we have that we use everyday. But...have we surrendered all? Have we come to Him just as we are or are we waiting to clean up our lives first for fear of rejection? Jesus just wants us to come to Him. How we get there is immaterial. Do we really love others with the love of the Lord? Do we understand what it means to love someone the way the Lord loves them? The word says,
John 15:12-13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
Are we ready to lay our lives down, if necessary, for our friends? That is how Jesus loved us...So, do we really love someone with the love of the Lord?
Or how about this one: question: "How are you today?" answer: "Oh, I am okay under the circumstances." My response to this answer is always, "Why are you under the circumstances?" After all, Paul said we are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:27)
But beyond that:
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
What testimony is passing your lips today? How are you laying hold of the victory Jesus Christ has already given you? Are you overcoming by your testimony? What are you confessing with your mouth that gives away your victory to an enemy that does nothing but roam to and fro looking for whom he may devour? (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Has Christ not redeemed you out of darkness?
Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Oh what a reason to rejoice! Oh what a reason to guard our mouths and be mindful of the testimony we give to others.
We have to remember that what we speak is so very important and we need to have an understanding of what we are saying. We know life and death is in the power of the tongue. Are our words empty that are providing nothing to those we encounter...or even to those we love? Or are words weapons we use to make others around us feel small so we look bigger? Or do we bring life into the lives of those we encounter each day? Do we give away our victory instead of overcoming by the word of our testimony?
So today, I am going to think about what I say before I say it and make sure I mean it. Today, I am going to do my very best to make sure my thoughts and my words line up with the Word of God. Will you join me?
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