Sanctified

Note: This post is dedicated to all of my BlogNation friends whom I have met through the online Mercy Me concerts where the Lord continues to do an amazing work. Thank you for our times of worship and edifying the Body of Christ, you are a tremendous encouragement to my life. May the Lord always bless you!!

This afternoon I went for a run on the treadmill, and of course I always enjoy listening to Mercy Me when I run so that was playing. However, about halfway through my run, the Lord began to speak to me through the song “Sanctified”, to the point that I had to play it several times. As I continued running, I was suddenly awestruck by a portion of this song that I have heard dozens of times before. It goes:

No greater love has ever been known,
than He who came to find the lost.
No greater sacrifice has been shown,
than He who laid upon the cross.

Let all creation sing for He has come and He's changed everything!

Sanctified I have been set free,
Grace divine has swept me off my feet.

John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”, and to me I just cannot understand why Jesus would die for someone like me. Why the creator of everything that ever is or was would look at me and say that I was His leaves me without words. There is no greater sacrifice that has ever been shown than to consider the cross and what it means. It is not a piece of jewelry; it is not a symbol at the front of the church; but it means that on that place a man, the very Son of God, laid down His life willingly so that you and I could redeemed. Did you get that? He laid it down. He was not was thrown down, nor was He forced to give it up – but He gave it so that this world might find hope. Amazing …

I confess that there is nothing I could ever do to repay that sacrifice. There is nothing I could ever do to say “thank you” enough to repay Him. Yet, as Jesus was about to be arrested, He is seen praying for those that would come after Him (that would be you and I). He prayed to His Father (recorded in John 17:19), “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” My friend, Jesus knew what He was about to do, and in doing it (laying down His life) He knew that it would not only complete Him, but complete everyone who followed Him.

Tonight I must admit that my heart is simply over-flowing with His love, for which I am so incredibly unworthy. How does one express how thankful they are that on April 19, 1994 Jesus Christ became my personal Lord and Savior and forever changed the course of my life? How could I ever begin to repay someone who willingly died for me, just so that I might be sanctified? This evening I feel swept off my feet, because I know that I belong to Jesus – and there is nothing I could ever do to earn it, but it was a gift given freely to me.

What about you? How do you feel? Sanctified? Free?

Or maybe, imprisoned? You too can be free, if only you would admit that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died for you, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

Would you?