"May my only boast be found in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm, and the natural realm is dead to me and no longer dominates my life." ~Galatians 6:14 tPt
In my previous blog, I talked about the importance of contemplating the details of Jesus' crucifixion. https://www.alissajoydaughter.com/post/pause-to-behold-the-cross
Today I want to dive deeper into celebrating the victory obtained through the cross.
As we remember the cross, we must not forget this story ends in triumph and not defeat. I am confident Jesus' death crashed many people's hopes and dreams to the ground as they witnessed the dead body of their perceived "Deliverer." They did not realize suffering and death were the conduits to wholeness and life.
Isaiah 53:5 in the Passion Translation says, "He endured the punishment that made us completely whole, and in his wounding we found [emphasis added] our healing."
Because Jesus endured excruciating suffering, we now can view suffering as empowering instead of debilitating. We no longer have to be defined by our brokenness because we embrace by faith His brokenness that made us completely whole. We exchange His payment for our punishment and His accursed state for divine blessing and favor.
His death and resurrection overcame all barriers impeding us from intimacy with God. The Kingdom of God now lives within us; therefore, spiritual healing for our hearts and physical healing for our bodies is possible.
Paul, one of the apostles, asserts, "May my only boast be found in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm; and the natural realm is dead to me and no longer dominates my life." Galatians 6:14 tPt
According to the world (natural realm), traumatic experiences or difficult situations give us a reason to feel and act defeated. We are often told, "Your past defines who you are."
Yet, I am learning when I allow Jesus' cross to define me, others' actions cannot ruin my destiny. Pain and suffering cannot steal my victory.
By faith, we can learn to define ourselves through Christ's past actions on the cross and not our failed past actions. Believing God suffered willingly and gave His life to bring new life into me redefines life for me and empowers me to embrace the unknown and release the uncomfortable.
When we see that the cross meant to kill Jesus brought Him to His most remarkable victory, we can also believe the same for ourselves. After all, we share the same divine, powerful father.
I have found the situations that could have "killed" me refined my character and better defined my future. Although in the natural realm, I appeared to accumulate significant loss. In the Heavenly realm, I experienced great gain.
During my most difficult seasons of suffering, I found myself being raised to higher and stronger places spiritually and emotionally. These "sufferings" brought me into a deeper relationship with my Savior.
The disciples thought their story was over when Jesus died. As a result, they left their mission. They were looking in the natural realm instead of holding on to the words of Jesus. Hence, they were ready to give up hope rather than believe their most extraordinary story was beginning.
In my previous struggles with depression, I was always using my painful experiences to define my identity, my life, my future, and my theology of God. As I watched terrible things happen around me, I inwardly convinced myself God didn't love me and had abandoned me. Of course, I never said this out loud; I kept it buried in my heart.
Some of these "struggles" were during seasons of fully surrendering myself to the Lord and striving for total obedience to His commands. Still, everything around me seemed to be falling apart. At times, I felt like a "living" contradiction of the promises in the Bible.
One day when I was reading about the cross, I began meditating on Jesus' words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)." As I read, I became aware of Jesus' feeling of rejection by God during his time on the cross. But, I did not stop there. I soon realized Jesus' perceived feeling was not actual reality.
If God had essentially abandoned His son during his suffering, the resurrection could have never happened. All along, God saw His son and was working behind the scenes to perfect Him. He was implementing a plan to bring more incredible life, glory, and goodness to His Son and the entire world. God knew where His precious Son was in the present, but He also saw His destiny.
The death and resurrection of Jesus sealed the identity of God. It is a permanent reminder of who our God is and what He can do.
The cross teaches me God uses the worst experience as a step ladder to raise me higher, so I can more clearly see through God's perspective and not my own.
When I recognize that Jesus already did all it would take to bring me closer to God, I no longer shy away from His presence. As I continue to draw closer to God, I better display His character and bring Him glory. My attention is not on myself. It is entirely on God and His righteousness.
Hebrews 12:2 in The Passion Translation says, "We look away from the natural realm, and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith's perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!"
As we choose to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can conclude there is redemption, restoration, and renewal for any painful or lifeless situation in our lives.
At one point during my struggle, I made a conscious effort to remind myself, "The story isn't over. God has not abandoned me. He is bringing life and victory to me. I am already whole because the Spirit of God is dwelling inside of me, and that same Spirit will teach me every day how to better live and walk in that wholeness."
In closing, I want to mention the process of inner transformation did not happen overnight, nor did it happen in three days. It happened one day at a time, as I chose to keep putting my faith in Christ.
Even when I felt God had abandoned me, I did not abandon Him. I still sought after Him. I went to church, read my Bible, and kept praying and listening for His voice above all the noise in my life and head.
My focus wasn't on gaining victory out of my circumstances or being an overcomer. I was focused solely on Jesus, my overcomer. I let the truth I found in Scripture and the faith and hope of Christ dominate my life. Subsequently, His empowering presence and peace enabled me to soar above my circumstances.
I continue to use these truths in my life, especially in my most difficult seasons.
Today, if you are going through a season of loss, suffering, confusion, or trial, I encourage you to look away from your pain and revisit the victory Jesus accomplished through His deep turmoil. As you do, I believe you will find new strength, courage, and perspective to raise you high above all that is seeking to destroy you. You will experience victory in your life and refreshing joy in your heart.
Let's Pray.
Dear Precious Savior,
Thank you for giving your life to gain life and victory for me. I receive the healing and wholeness you offer me today. Thank you for defeating death, darkness, and evil to provide me with total freedom from their debilitating effects. I love you.
Amen
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