[Faith-talk] FW: [masterslist] Christ: Refuge For The Unclean

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Dean Masters" <dwmasters at earthlink.net>
To: "masters list" <masterslist at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [masterslist] Christ: Refuge For The Unclean
Date: 
Mon, 6 Jun 2011 10:35:17 -0400

Christ: Refuge for the Unclean

Hebrews 6:18b ." we might have strong consolation, who have fled for
refuge 
to lay hold of the hope set before us."

Today if in your sin you are fleeing-flee to Jesus, the safest and
nearest 
refuge for the unclean.

If you fear your past, hate your sin, long to have some deep dark stain 
removed, some painful memory healed, some horrible guilt forever 
banished-Jesus
has His gates open wide. His Door is unlocked and He stands with open
arms 
to believers and unbelievers alike this very moment.

The Wonderful Benefit of Staying in the Safest Spot in the universe is 
finding Christ as our Lifelong Refuge

KEDESHmeans a "holy place" or "righteousness," and this is our first
need. 
When we come to Christ, He gives us His righteousness and forgives all
our 
sins.
(2 Cor 5:21,Col. 2:13).

So Jesus is the refuge for the unclean. There is no sin He can't forgive;

there is no stain He can't remove; there is no failure He can't forget. 
Remember
these words from Christ's lips:

Mark 1:40-45 "Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to
Him 
and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then
Jesus, 
moved
with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him,

"I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the 
leprosy
left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him
away 
at once,  and said to him,  "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go
your
way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those
things 
which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and

began
to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no 
longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they

came
to Him from every direction."

This is Christ's first meeting with an individual in Mark's Gospel. All 
other events have been with groups. This meeting is captured because it is

the most
beautiful reminder of how Jesus cleanses us completely as individuals.
Today 
we see Jesus as the perfect refuge for this unclean leper.

Physically, leprosy is awful. Leprosy was the scourge of the ancient
world. 
Nothing evoked more fear, more dread, or more revulsion than the sight of

these
walking dead. That is what a leper was called, a walking dead man. The
smell 
of his decaying flesh would announce his coming long before the tattered 
scraps
of his clothing would be seen, or his raspy "Unclean! Unclean!"
announcement 
he was required to declare, could be heard. The stumbling shuffle of
toeless
feet, the wandering of sightless eyes and the moan of a cheek less mouth,

all pointed to leprosy; this unseen attacker that slowly destroyed human 
bodies,
and made the individual an untouchable to society.

Spiritually, leprosy is a vivid and graphic picture of the horrible power
of 
sin.  Sin is ugly, loathsome, incurable, and contaminating; it separates
men
from God and makes them outcasts. The instructions given to the priests
in 
Leviticus 13 help us understand the nature of sin:

To continue this message in Leviticus 13 please copy and paste this URL
into 
your browser bar:
http://www.dtbm.org/sermon/christ-refuge-for-the-unclean/

For more from Discover the Book Ministries, please visit
discoverthebook.org
and
Listen to
Dr. John Barnett
 at OnePlace.com.



Online Bible Study Tools
Read through the Bible and
other Bible study resources:
bible.christianity.com



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

.
Free Christian Book

.
A degree will make a difference!

.
Fundraising? Get FREE kit

.
Orphans need your help!

.
Are We Servants or Slaves? hcsb.org

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including:

. Crosswalk.com

. LightSource.com

. ChristianJobs.com

. CrossCards.com

. SermonSearch.com

. Oneplace.com

table with 7 columns and 4 rows
Send a FREE Ecard!
More FREE Ecards




Psalm 118:24




Crowned with Glory




Palm Sunday




John 3:16



table end

Click Here

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Read about SWN

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Salem Web Network | Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. | 111 Virginia
St., 
Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219
Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List
I personally know someone who is literally older than dirt.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/masterslist