Joanna Eccles founded Words from the Honeycomb to provide resources that encourage people to grow in Christ. As a blogger, podcaster, and writer, she desires to shape culture through her writing by addressing truths in relatable ways. Joanna has led Bible studies for over 10 years and completed the year-long C.S. Lewis Fellows Program. She loves coffee and traveling, and lives in Virginia.
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (NKJV)
Jesus only had to offer Himself once to make us spotless for eternity.
When He died on the cross, His blood flowed backward to cover the sins of humanity. Romans 3:24
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
b-26a says,
"Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness ..." (NKJV)
God knew His Son Jesus would obey the Father and drink the cup of wrath that we deserved, so He passed over those sins for a time. The coming Messiah made it possible for everyone who ever lived to go to heaven. All salvation pivots on the work of the cross where every sin was washed white.
Jesus not only paid for the sins of people in the past, but for our sins on this side of the cross. We can come to the Lord with confidence when we request forgiveness. First John 1:9
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
says,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NKJV)
We will be restored by the blood of the Lamb when we acknowledge our sins before God. We agree with God that our actions violate His commands. Then we thank God that He has already forgiven us through the finished work of the cross. We hide our lives in Christ so the Father sees His righteousness when He looks on us.
While you’d never wash your clothes in blood, His blood is the only detergent that can cleanse our consciences. Hebrews 10:19-22
And so, dear brothers and sisters,* we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death,* Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
says,
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (NKJV)
Guilt and shame, once inevitable, are now banished by the blood. We are free to have peace with God.
The cleansing power of the blood encompasses all people, past and present, permanently. Jesus’ gift of laying down His life provides the means to restore our evil minds to an inconceivable purity. I thank Jesus for the stain-removing power of His blood to wash me clean from the inside out so I may walk in new life.
“I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me” (NKJV).
Jesus’s heart melted as He hung on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He emptied Himself of all of His rights and bore the fullness of God’s wrath so we could be reconciled to the Father.
Jesus’ love for us honored God and became a pleasant scent to the Lord.Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us* and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
says,
“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (NKJV).
We are called to share the same love that Jesus showed us on the cross and become living sacrifices to God. We must give of ourselves to worship God.
Romans 12:1
And so, dear brothers and sisters,* I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.*
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
says,
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (NKJV).
I can be selfish at times and don’t always want to surrender my dreams and demands to God. Yet, when I decrease and God increases, my life becomes a lovely fragrance to the Lord.
Sometimes, my life comes under fire as I am pressed by the cares of this world. When that happens, I have a choice. I can allow the flames to release a sweet-smelling aroma as an offering to the Lord or choose to make a stink about my hardships. As I sit on my couch in the middle of an island breeze, I realize I want to be a sweet-smelling aroma too. I decided that even if I melt away in the process, I want to be a fragrant incense offering before the throne of grace to fill all of heaven with the smell.
The children of Israel set up memorials after encountering the Lord’s provision. These stones were designed to help them remember God the next time an issue arose.
David also excelled at remembering God in rough times. He often started a psalm in dismay, only to change his song after recalling all of the Lord’s blessings.
David said, “This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.” (Psalms 77:10-12
And I said, "This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me." But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
NKJV)
We are not only to think about God’s goodness, but also talk about how great God is with others. This encourages them and provides them ways to remind us of God’s work when we are down.
Remembering what God has done breeds gratefulness. Thankfulness is a spiritual weapon that brings peace.
Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NKJV) says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
God’s peace comes from thankfully acknowledging all God has done in our lives so far.
God hasn’t brought us this far to drop us on our heads. I pray you find your happy thoughts nestled deep in God’s provision for you. May they sustain you through the ups and downs of life. If you are in the storm, ask God to shower gold sparkles of joy on you. Let His hope carry you through to the light.
