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                                  Forgiven By His Death - Saved By His Life
                                                              by Lani W. Finley

The birth and death of Jesus Christ were certainly two of the most universally astounding events that will ever occur. However, as great as these events were, they are just the beginning of God's plan of redemption for the human race. When God looked upon mankind, He not only saw the necessity for forgiveness of sins, but He also saw that death had claimed His future children. Man not only needed forgiveness, but also needed life. We sometimes focus so intently upon the crucifixion of Jesus that we fail to understand the importance of why it was necessary for mankind to be forgiven and cleansed. For what purpose have Christians been cleansed?

This question can be answered by a simple illustration used by Bob George. It is so simple and basic, yet clearly demonstrates the process God uses to beget us as His children. This idea is paraphrased in the following words:

Most of us have witnessed our mothers canning preserves and vegetables in the family kitchen. First, our mothers would boil the jars to sterilize them. However, why did they sterilize them? To just sit on a shelf and decorate the kitchen? No, the jars were sterilized so that they could be filled with something.1 (Emphasis mine).

That is exactly the reason it is necessary for Christ's sacrifice to sterilize (or cleanse) us. So that He can fill us with something - with the same Spirit that God filled Jesus. Christ's purpose in cleansing us is to give us HIS LIFE. For it is Jesus, who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit (In Mark 1:8). We must always remember that we are forgiven by the death of Jesus, but we are saved by His life. "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Rom 5:10). The whole purpose of Christ's sacrifice was to prepare us to receive God's seed of life - the Holy Spirit.

There is another aspect of the canning process that also relates to the Believer. When the canning jars are sterilized and filled, then they are sealed.  We have also been sealed with the Spirit of God. "Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Cor 1:21-22). The Greek word for sealed literally means, "to stamp with a private mark for security or preservation". God gives us this seal to preserve us for a role in His wonderful family.

The scriptures remind us that we are mere vessels (11 Tim 2: 21). The American Heritage Dictionary defines a vessel as, "a hollow utensil used as a container." This is a fitting description of the state and condition of mortal man. Although he was created as an empty mortal vessel, his destiny was to be filled with the Life of God, through the indwelling Christ.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Rom 8:10-11).

The Holy Spirit could not be given, until the blood was shed. For God could not inhabit a vessel that was filled with sin. However, in Christ, the believing and obedient Christian has been cleansed by His blood, filled with His life and sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30)