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If we are ever to live victorious Christian lives, we must first seriously seek to live obedient sacrificial lives. It's not more 'churching', it's not louder singing, it's not even better preaching that's going to transform us. We will be transformed when we "offer ourselves as living sacrifices" to God (Romans 12:1-2): when we sacrifice our will to live in obedience to His will.

It is the love we share (by our actions, not just words!) that makes people believe we are sincere. It is how much we sacrifice for each other that opens the door for the gospel message. It is by bearing each other's burdens that we fulfill the Law of Christ.

Just as a loving mother restricts her baby's motion to help it to rest more comfortably, let us allow God to swaddle us with His Word so that we might find true peace. And may God swaddle us with His Will so that we will love and serve our fellowmen, putting their needs ahead of our own.

Love is neither theoretical nor abstract. The lover pays a price to love the loved. Jesus gave His life and thereby proved His love for us. He didn't, and indeed couldn't, just stay in Heaven and wish us into salvation; a price had to be paid. We too must be willing to pay any price to love our brethren; because each person has value and that value is the Blood of Christ, for that is the price He paid for each man, each woman.

Despite the damage sin does to us spiritually and physically, the Blood of Jesus Christ washes us clean and makes us new. From human eyes, it might not look like much, but we have everything we need to build up our spiritual wall of salvation. And that wall is indestructible, because God is its architect. Therefore, if/when we fall into sin let us not doubt our spiritual growth (if indeed we have been growing!). Rather, we should keep an eye on the gates watching and praying so that the enemy does not infiltrate our spiritual wall and lead us into temptation (Mark 14:38).

The story of the shepherd seeking his lost sheep became very, very real to me that night, and I'm not ashamed to admit that those stupid lost hens brought me to tears of humility. Do we not do the same to our Heavenly Father? He shows us green fields, and we race back to the emptiness of what's familiar… even those with years of experience in walking with God, we can be caught unawares. All of us, at some time or another, stray away from God's best, and need the Shepherd to come find us. 

Some treat the blood of Christ as nothing special, they say it was no different from any other blood, but that is NOT what God says in His Word… Only through faith in the blood of Christ can we be saved…