Full assurance

When I am struggling and having a hard time, I find comfort often in Andrew Murray's writings. I am not sure if you have read them or if they have impacted or inspired you, but they are such a treasure. So much I have yet to glean from his writings! Some of his library is available online here for reading: http://www.ccel.org/m/murray

The book that I love most is called The Power of the Blood. It's a powerful declaration of the full assurances that we have received through the blood of Christ. I remember the first time I read this book, I thought, "Lord there is so much to be worked in me, in regard to really truly understanding what your precious blood has done for me, & Lord it will be a continual work in me of gaining understanding of the perfect, entire work of your blood on the Cross."

Murray talks in this book of many things, and I am not doing it at all justice to point out just a couple things. But as an introduction, initially he talks about how the blood of Jesus cleanses us from the sense of defilement and the impurities that sin has brought into our life. The inner cleansing as being from the stain of sin. This is so much more than knowing our sins are forgiven. The stain of sin, as in knowing we are free from the power of sin, it's holds, influences, and effects against us. Free from the guilt, shame and pollution of sin, so that we can truly experience a full deliverance, and thus, have the kind of fellowship with Him that this brings. It's God's good pleasure to cleanse us so deeply, so completely, to bring this into focus. Have a purity in us so that we see Him, love Him, devote ourselves, completely. Cleanse our conscience so deeply of this pollution that is inward, so that we are living as completely redeemed, "in the fullness of God's good pleasure."

He talks about the blood as being a fountain, a spiritual fountain flowing unceaselessly, that can be ever experienced moment by moment. How can this not be deeply encouraging to us! cleansing as Murray says, "until there is no shadow of separation between God and us!"

As I said, this is just a tiny portion in regards to the introduction of what this book offers. It is so refreshing, it's like returning to experience restoration and renewal in Him. Satan so wants to hinder us and weary us against the knowledge of what truly Christ's blood has done for us all. In whatever measure he can effect, he is seeking to destroy our faith and apprehending of this full measure that Christ has bestowed upon us. To overcome satan it is of utmost importance and to do this, we must lay hold of and be deeply convinced of what the blood of Jesus Christ has done, has truly done for us.

This comes through conflict - conflicts and struggles that come and go in our lives. Conflicts which are always aligned against this truth of the sufficiency and completeness of the blood of Christ. But as we apprehend the blood of Christ, we can truly overcome, and be overcomers against satan's wiles and tactics. Meaning, that we can experience unhindered continual joyful communion with our Lord which is no longer determined by our circumstances and situations. That there is a constant and uninterrupted experience of His Life flowing in us, through us, and around us. Satan is truly put to flight more and more as we gain this understanding: understanding of the fullness and of the power of what His blood has done on our behalf. Understanding that our life is no longer under the influence of satan or our circumstances, but it is dwelling in the place of Christ where the blood has redeemed us and delivered us.

Experiencing Him and having a relationship with Him that is not dependant upon anything else except the blood of Jesus Christ! We are so free! It's the one thing satan despises and seeks to destroy, is our assurance, our full assurance in Christ. It's like a great announcement ringing forth continually from the the heavens, as we gain this understanding of Christ's blood. There is a continual shift that declares over and over, "we are redeemed" " we are overcoming" but it comes through a battle! Truth against the lies. We truly overcome (him) by the "blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and that we love not our lives unto death".

I would like to paste one paragraph here below that I read this morning:

(page 158)

"What avails the church is available also for each Christian. In "the blood of the Lamb," he always has victory. It is when the soul is convinced of the power which that blood has with God in heaven to effect a perfect reconciliation by the blotting out of sin, to rob the devil of his authority over us completely and forever; to work out in our hearts a full assurance of the favor of God; and to destroy the power of sin - it is, I say, when the soul lives in the power of the blood that the temptations of satan cease to ensnare."