David Lee Martin

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 KJV)

The cross addressed all that was lost in Adam.

Joy, healthy strength – won! Sin, sickness, poverty, confusion, disease. All were nailed on the same stake that dealt our sins their final blow.

In Christ, we step into liberty. Sickness and disease have no place in the life of a believer. In the same way we resist sin and temptation, we resist symptoms that speak of the fall. The old world was subjected to futility and fear. The new creation steps into a new Eden.

Dead to sin, alive to Christ.

Our bodies given as instruments of righteousness.

The Holy Spirit Himself has taken up residence in your body.

Faith, my friends, comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

It is too easy in a fallen world to be afraid to challenge the sin and sickness-soaked status quo for fear that you might offend. Being fearful to call out a lie and fanfare the truth however, gives free-rein to the ravages of satan to stand unchallenged.

Instead, we declare the free reign of God. Regardless of the common wisdom, we count the blood of Jesus uncommon, and expect and welcome uncommon results!

A thousand may fall at our side, ten thousand at our right hand, but it will not come near us!

Today I’m celebrating an exchange that took place, a giving of gifts.

I give Him my sickness, He gives me health.

I hand over my weakness to Him, he bestows strength.

He bore my sickness and carried my diseases.

What a gift!

Mine is a story of rags to riches.

Jesus gave me …

“the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)

In the Scriptures we see Joshua dressed in rags dragged before the courts of heaven, satan baying at his heels. Spirits flank his sides and accusations shower his burdened soul.

The entire passage is worth reading:

“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.” (Zechariah 3:1–7 KJV)

Who are these standing by? The Spirit asks. I’ll give you place to walk among them. Take his filthy garments and clothe him from above. Place a mitre upon his head.

With this new authority and entrance to the heavens, you have the highest privilege of all – the ability to praise the King in spirit and in truth. To step with confidence from the realm of men into the realms of God. You are a co-citizen or two worlds.

No longer an outsider, an alien from the covenants, your place of authority and seat in the heavenlies is set. Your garment of praise is prepared.

Beautifully arrayed you stride without shame or fear into the presence of a holy God, and call Him Father.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4–7 KJV)

Jesus gave me…

“the oil of joy for mourning” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)

Joy is the atmosphere of Heaven. Streets of gold are made for dancing not dragging your feet.

Delight pervades the air, and every atom sings praise to the one who made them.

Man’s last enemy, death, is dead in the dust. No more tears shed for sorrow, but an eternity’s worth for joy.

Mourning a memory, a long-forgotten shadow of a sinful world set free.

Heaven’s oil now drips from beard to skirt. Old things passed away and everything made new. This is the world we ache for.

“For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the sons of God. … And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19–23 WEYMTH)

This is the dream we dream weeping as we imbibe the bitter waters of Babylon, longing for the clean rivers of Zion.

But that great day is coming. Soon, and very soon.

Zion’s joy will flood our soul and we’ll sing songs of deliverance done and Kingdom come!

This is the hope we carry. Mourn not for the man or woman crucified, your old unrenewed self. Nothing of the old life will pass through the gate of eternity, only that which has been redeemed.

This world and all its glory are like dung compared to the glory to be revealed.

“… what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7–9 KJV)

He gave me…

“… beauty for ashes.” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)

My life was burning to the ground.

The relationship I considered the great love of my life had crumbled. My dream of being an artist was slapped in the face by the art school I’d set my desire on. Spiritually I was shipwrecked. In my confusion I figured there must be more, a way out, an avenue to meaning.

I thought I would find it through smorgasbord spirituality and a cocktail of hallucinogens.

Into my mess stepped majesty.

Onto the ash heap walked an unexpected guest.

Jesus visited. The Holy Ghost burst in. Everything changed.

From my shivering frame he stripped the ugly scars, the filthy rags, and beauty clothed my humbled soul with righteousness.

Sin had left my life in ashes with little else to burn.

Only divinity can turn ashes back to fire.

My heart awakened to a new creation. Old things gone, new things come. The past pinned to the savage tree on Calvary, and a clean road of forgiveness stretching before me.

… and so my grateful adventure began.

The glory of the gospel is the exchange that took place through the cross, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Christmas is a time we exchange gifts but nothing can compare to the gifts that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost exchanged with us through Christ.

To say that Jesus was just a teacher completely misses the point.

Jesus did not say He came not teach a moral law, or even a new way of living.

In his fervent prayer to the Father He proclaimed,

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” (John 12:27 NKJV)

“For this purpose I came.”

To die.

Not as a martyr for a cause.

Not as an example to follow.

As a perfect, spotless, lamb in exchange for the darkened sinful soul of mankind.

In that body on a tree He became you, He became me. The exchange. He died, you died.

His life was the greatest gift, one that opened the way for every other gift to be bestowed.

“… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV)