{"id":4850,"date":"2010-06-22T14:43:53","date_gmt":"2010-06-22T19:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/?p=4850"},"modified":"2020-01-10T17:18:52","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T17:18:52","slug":"for-love-of-the-lamb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buddymartin.org\/blog\/2010\/06\/22\/for-love-of-the-lamb\/","title":{"rendered":"For love of the Lamb&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Lamb.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4867\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"Lamb\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Lamb.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a>\u201cIsaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, \u2018My father!\u2019 And he said, \u2018Here I am, my son.\u2019 And he said, \u2018Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?\u2019 Abraham said, \u2018God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.\u2019 So the two of them walked on together.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> (Gen 22:7-8 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\">R<\/span>eaders,<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In Bible hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) there is a rule that is called \u2018the law of first mention.\u2019 This rule has to do with doctrinal studies or Bible teachings. The emphasis of this rule is that when a doctrine or Bible teaching first appears in the Bible, the fundamental meaning in that occurrence will carry through to its greatest fulfillment in Christ Jesus.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A good example for the law of first mention is where we find the term righteousness first used in the Old Testament. The first time the word righteousness appears has to do with the Lord appearing to Abraham. Here are snippets of that meet as found in Genesis 15:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201c<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, \u2018Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great \u2026 And He took him outside and said, \u2018Now look towards the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.\u2019 And He said to him, \u2018So shall your descendants be.\u2019<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u201cThen he [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as<a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/prophet.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4870\" title=\"prophet\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/prophet.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"315\" \/><\/a>\u00a0righteousness.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice that Abraham\u2019s right standing with God depended on one thing alone, that he truly believed in the Lord. How then does this find its fulfilling in the new covenant? Listen to Paul:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">\u201c<em>Therefore [Abraham\u2019s believing in the Lord] was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, <\/em><em><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/em> (Rom4:23,24)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so the fact of how a a believer attains righteousness before God never changes. Righteousness has always been a matter of faith. It is now perfectly fulfilled in a person&#8217;s faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul again draws attention to this faith cause by calling it &#8216;the law of faith&#8217;.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">&#8220;<em>Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">by a law of faith.<\/span><\/strong> For we maintain that a man is justified [<strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">declared righteous before God<\/span><\/strong>] by faith apart from works of the Law.&#8221; <\/em><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(Rom 3:27-28 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>This doctrine of the Lamb<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are many other new covenant doctrines that can be found in embryo form in the Old Testament. The one I want to draw special attention to has to do with the term \u2018Lamb.\u2019 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The very first time the word Lamb is used in the Scriptures also has to do with Abraham. It is where Abraham says to Isaac, <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201c\u2018God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/sacrifice.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4872\" title=\"sacrifice\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/sacrifice.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"192\" \/><\/a>The doctrine of the Lamb is at the<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> <span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">v<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">ery heart of the Christian experience. What makes a Christian a Christian has to do with an intrinsic love factor. This love factor encompasses itself around Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The doctrine of the Lamb is the\u00a0underlying truth of what redemption entails. This doctrine speaks to the faith of the Old Testament saints, to the spiritual freedom of the new covenant children of God, and to a redemption love that becomes the outflow in a believer&#8217;s heart. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Lamb becomes the whole of our life. Love for the Lamb fills out the heart of that one who has come to personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The apostle said,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">&#8220;<em>But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=1+cor+6:17\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(1Cor 6:17).<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px; color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The Lamb is called the Father&#8217;s glory.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Not only is the doctrine of the Lamb a doctrine of progressive revelation, but the doctrine of the Lamb is also about the people of the Lamb. The doctrine of the Lamb is about \u00a0&#8216;<em>beholding<\/em>.&#8217;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The apostle John wrote,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;For this is the will of My Father, that <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>everyone who beholds the Son<\/strong><\/span><\/em><em> and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(Joh 6:40 NASB) &#8212; <span style=\"color: #003300;\">Beholding Jesus is an activity of the heart. We behold Him with our heart.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From out of the &#8216;beholding &#8216; the Lamb will come forth a people. <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Lamb and the people of the Lamb will be eternally linked. <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This why we hear Paul say,<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=eph+2:10\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(Eph 2:10).<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><br \/> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>To discover life is to discover the Lamb. <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To discover the Lamb means that you belong to the Lamb. To discover the Lamb is to fall deeply in love with Him. But it isn&#8217;t a love that is common to man. It is actually the Father&#8217;s love filling out our hearts.<a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/water.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4875\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"water\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/water.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"270\" \/><\/a><br \/> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The discovery element is a key issue in the Christian walk. This is why Paul said that in Christ <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In another place he says that as we gaze upon the glory of Christ through the Scriptures, our inward man experiences spiritual transformations. It is the glory of Christ that fills our hearts. While this may sound mystical, it is a spiritual reality to those who are partakers of the new covenant.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The testimony of the blood.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The clearest picture of the redemption Lamb in Genesis is when God directs Abraham to the mountains of Moriah. The &#8216;testing&#8217; of Abraham was to show God&#8217;s real purpose in the test. The test was about the Lamb. On the Mountains of Moriah we are given our first composite picture of God&#8217;s redeeming program.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When it came time for Israel to be formed as a nation there were two particular sacrifices to be offered. The Lord&#8217;s instruction to Moses was, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=exo+29:39\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(Exo 29:39)<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The lamb offerings were to be perpetuated throughout their generations. Their minds were to think on the lamb offering every morning and every evening.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the minds of the Old Testament saints the picture of God&#8217;s Lamb was being painted, or, as our metaphor goes, they were seeing the sculpture as it was being sculptured.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Exodus out of Egypt was based upon the lamb sacrifice and its blood placed upon the homes. Moses wrote his song, which is referred to in Revelation as<\/span>, <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">&#8220;The song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800000;\"><strong>A voice crying in the wilderness.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then we hear a voice crying in the wilderness, <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;Make way the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.&#8221; <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The cry gets louder, and the people come by thousands to be baptized by John. Then one day, they hear him shout,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.&#8221;<\/em> (Cf. <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=rev+15:3\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Rev 15:3<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">; <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=john+1:29\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">John 1:29<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Listen! Do you hear the voice still crying in the wilderness. The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world is with us.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The apostle Peter said it this way, <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;For He [the Lamb] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God.&#8221; <\/em><\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=1+pet+1:20-21\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(1 Pet 1:20,21)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The Lamb upon the throne. <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But just who is this Lamb of God? No less that twenty-nine times the phrase <em>&#8216;the Lamb&#8217;<\/em> is used in the book of Revelation. In all these references the Lamb is directly associated with God. As <a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/child1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4877\" title=\"child\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/child1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"185\" \/><\/a>Revelation begins its closure we are looking at a picture of God fully manifest as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It says,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;Then he showed me a river of the water of life (Holy Spirit), clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God (the Father) and of the Lamb (Son of God).&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John is using archetypal images found through the Old Testament to describe God in His awesomeness. Notice carefully that there is only one throne.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Father&#8217;s throne has become the Son&#8217;s throne.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John&#8217;s gospel draws attention to the vision of Isaiah, where the prophet writes,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;In the year of King Ussiah&#8217;s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with His robe filling the temple.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John tells us that Isaiah actually saw King Messiah, that is, the Lord Jesus Himself. (Cf. <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=isa+6:1\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Isa 6:1<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">; <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=john+12:41\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John 12:41<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">x<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>For love of the Lamb<a href=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/rose.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4880\" title=\"rose\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/rose.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"224\" \/><\/a><br \/> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so to love the Father unseen, is to love Jesus the only begotten Son. He is called the image of the invisible God. In fact Jesus was very plain in saying to one group,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=john+8:42\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(John 8:42)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But how can we possibly love someone we have never seen? When we embraced the cross, that is, when we truly believed in Jesus Christ, it was then that the Father pours His own love into our hearts. Jesus simply said, <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;The Father loves the Son.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here it gets quite mystical. We love the Son with the Father&#8217;s love. Jesus said,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;So that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=john+17:26\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(John 17:26)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The mystery doesn&#8217;t stop here. Out of this we can actually call God our very own Father because the Spirit of His Son cries in us, <em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">&#8216;Abba! Father!&#8217;<\/span><\/em> Thus all believers carry in themselves a Father consciousness. Jesus said,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;This is eternal<\/em> <em>life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=john+17:1\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(John 17:1)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is the Lamb of God who gives us our freedom.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every person born from above is made alive in the Lamb. And because our lives have been perfectly joined to God&#8217;s Christ, this allows our hearts to overflow with themes of life. (By the way, this is what the Spirit filled life is really all about.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Spirit-filled life is about the power to show ourselves as a testimony to Christ. We witness to Him by our love. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they would become His witnesses. He wasn&#8217;t simply speaking of them giving verbal testimony. He was speaking of what they would become. They would become the people of the Lamb, out of whose hearts would flow a love that was not common to man. It would be God\u2019s love.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This love for the Lamb is so powerfully felt in believers that Christians through the ages have literally given their lives for Him. The Scriptures take note of this, in saying,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>&#8220;And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/bible?language=english&amp;version=NASB&amp;showxref=no&amp;passage=rev+12:11\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(Rev 12:11)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">How about you \u2013 Do you love the Lamb? Would you really like to behold the Lamb? You can, you know. Just open your Bible. The Holy Scriptures wrap themselves around the Lamb of God.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Take time to listen to &#8216;Ancient Words&#8217; by Michael W. Smith.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n[youtube]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3vmTkXNpwzs[\/youtube]\n<p>Much love coming your way in Jesus,<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 36pt; font-family: Dynalight;\"> Buddy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Views: 88<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIsaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, \u2018My father!\u2019 And he said, \u2018Here I am, my son.\u2019 And he said, \u2018Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?\u2019 Abraham said, \u2018God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.\u2019 So the two ofContinue reading &rarr;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_crdt_document":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[28,45,93,383,415,554,769],"class_list":["post-4850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abraham","tag-ancient-word","tag-blood-of-the-lamb","tag-lamb-of-god","tag-love-of-god","tag-righteousness","tag-word-of-god","has-thumb"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Buddy","author_link":"https:\/\/buddymartin.org\/blog\/author\/buddy\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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