We must start with the basic proposition that man is made in the image of God and has a spirit that is a miniature replica of Him. Except that each person’s spirit is marred by sin, resulting in it being damaged irreparably. Because of this, we bear true moral guilt before a holy God. When the Bible talks about conviction of sin, this is not just feeling guilty because of childhood conditioning. True moral guilt is the experience of the human spirit responding to God’s Holy Spirit.
The result of this human condition is brokenness on a human psychological and psychiatric level. Jesus’ blood is the key that unlocks this brokenness. We lock ourselves in with our own spiritual pain. The 1851-53 painting by William Holman Hunt depicts Jesus knocking on a door with no knob on the outside. Who is inside? Why is Jesus outside?
Keys these days have very fine serrations that are customized to the specific lock that they are designed to open. Properly designed, no other key than that specifically designed for it will open the lock. Each person’s soul is unique, and only Jesus can unlock it. The key is uniquely tailored to that person’s wound due to sin, and the pattern of redemption uniquely glorifies God. Question for contemplation: How does the beauty of redeemed brokenness compare to the beauty of unfallen holiness?
This process displays an attribute of Jesus that was/would otherwise be hidden, unique to each person’s redemption and healing. It is intrinsic to God’s nature and character that He chose this method of self-revelation. [The last book of the New Testament is titled the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In it, Jesus’ glory is revealed to those who rejected Him.] To those who believe in Him, the essence of Jesus is demonstrated in the love that shed the Lamb’s innocent blood on the cross of Calvary; it is revealed to us individually and personally as He works in our lives to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin.
The amazing thing is that Jesus’ unlocking of the human soul is not just the healing of our core brokenness, but opens the door to enormous spiritual blessings. Perhaps Joseph’s slavery in Potiphar’s household and imprisonment on false charges, Moses’ forty years hiding from Pharoah, David’s years on the run from King Saul, Israel’s Babylonian captivity, and so on, do not seem like blessings. That is because we do not have the whole picture. God chooses the best for His children. Unlocking the door to blessings in His kingdom may require difficult schooling. The blood of Jesus is not a magical incantation. To partake of His blessings, we must participate in His suffering on the cross, not simply verbally or symbolically, but in a real and experiential way; call it life experience therapy. Jesus is the key that unlocks this door. Perhaps that is why we hide from Him.
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