What His power looks like in us...

It is an important concept to understand upon salvation that Christ's righteousness is counted to the believer. This is the basic process of justification. It's a "one and done" deal. We are now holy because He is holy. We are forgiven because He made the sacrifice. We are loved because He chooses to love us. We are because He is.

Nothing that we do is of our own accord; it is by His will that we are able to even blink.

So what does His power look like?

One of my favorite songs that speaks of Jesus' power is Casting Crown's "Set Me Free". Let's watch a dramatized video of this powerful story and song:

The demoniac's story can be found in Mark 5. If you've never read it, you should. It's full of drama and intrigue and - most importantly - healing. And it's in this story that we see one aspect of Jesus' power.

Another famous story that tells of Jesus' power is found in John 11:

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

This past week, we began hosting prayer walkers at the Center. Local pastors, invited to come and pray over the building, the staff, the volunteers, the clients...any and every aspect of this ministry that they can think of. It's a unique opportunity to bring people to the Center and have them see for themselves what this ministry is truly about.

One of the pastors that came and prayed with us this week brought several verses of Scripture to read over us and the Center, one of them being Luke 4:18-19.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

He spoke at length of the importance of Jesus' anointing by the Father to do good works in His name while here on earth. He stressed the reason that so many of our political leaders, family, friends, co-workers, customers, clients are blind to the evils of this world is because they have not experienced the same anointing Jesus received. The scales covering their spiritual eyes have not been lifted.

That was his prayer for us: that when clients walk through our doors, they would experience the anointing of Jesus in their lives. That when they walk through the front door, the scales covering their eyes from seeing truth would be lifted. That the power of Jesus would change their lives.

He also prayed that the staff and client advocates would call upon the power that we have in Jesus as we minister to our clients. That we would realize that as Jesus and the Father were one, we and Jesus are one, and, as such, have a claim to the righteousness and power of Christ.

I must share with you one other instance in Scripture where we see Jesus' power made manifest. (I know there are many, many more instances, but this blog post can only go so long before you'll quit reading!) Turn with me to Luke 23:32-43.

Let me draw your attention specifically to verses 40-43: But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

What's Jesus' power in this particular intrigue? It's not clearly evident, and maybe that's why it's so powerful. Forgiveness. An act that requires humility in a world full of pride and self-indulgence. An act of outward love in a world of selfishness and insecurity. An act of freeing one's self in a world of bondage.

This, I think, is one of our greatest powers, forgiveness. Forgiveness is what allows us to live freely, set loose from the chains of sin. Forgiveness of sins is what set the demoniac free from his chains. And it can set you free, as well!

That was and is our prayer here at Sav-A-Life, that everyone involved would experience the power of Jesus through forgiveness of sins and then use the anointing that comes through saving faith to speak life in love to those we meet. Because they are divine appointments, not coincidences. Because they are beloved children of God, not people to ignore. Because Jesus died for them - just as He died for us.