In CHRIST JESUS, through the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, we are a people of astonishing potential. The HOLY SPIRIT indwells us so that this awesome potential in CHRIST JESUS is developed, in accordance with the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets..
The enemy understands this and, satan is actively involved in building spiritual strongholds that will prevent our progression into the things of GOD. The enemy does this by cultivating lawlessness within the fabric of our being.
One of the most destructive strongholds that the enemy builds over our lives is the stronghold of offense. Offended people live out of their offenses, instead of living out of the abundance of CHRIST JESUS. Offense is sin.
Others may have sinned against us; but through offense their sin finds actual application in our being!
Our offenses manifest in our thoughts, words, deeds and relationships – in conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious terms. Offended people are hurt and angry people and, hurt and angry people will inevitably hurt others, even those who have had nothing to do with their offenses.
I have seen so many people at all levels of the Body of MESSIAH, including myself, being imprisoned by offense. Offended people become isolated. Offended people also become divisive and destructive because of their pent up rage and anger.
The enemy’s purpose for building any spiritual stronghold is to imprison us, to immobilize us in CHRIST and, prevent us from moving forward into the plans and purposes of GOD. Offended people become hindrances and stumbling blocks to the plans of GOD and to others they are associated with.
We need to get out of all forms of our offenses. Whatever the reasons for our offenses – physical, mental or sexual abuse; discrimination; injustice; manipulation by those in power; being hurt and let down by others; being exploited and used by others; being deprived etc. – we need to get out of our offenses.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST commands us to get out of our offenses by declaring that we must love and forgive those who have done evil to us.
In Matthew 5:43-48, YESHUA declares the following: < “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. >
In Matthew 6:14-15, YESHUA declares the following: < “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” >
YESHUA had many valid reasons to be justifiably offended by what He went through during His life and ministry, leading ultimately to His crucifixion. YESHUA chose to love and forgive and, manifest by Testimony an eternal and ever-present reality and actuality by which we each are healed and delivered of/from our offenses.
This is the Witness of the Cross alive in every born again Christian in Spirit, Water and Blood (1 John 5:10a, 7-8, NKJV).
The Scriptures present healing and deliverance in two distinct realities: (i) In predestined terms in the reality of the finished work of the Cross; and, (ii) In present continuous terms as a reality we appropriate by faith through the stripes and wounds of JESUS CHRIST, the scourging of JESUS CHRIST.
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB) presents the foreordained/predestined reality of healing: < and He (YESHUA) Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. >
Isaiah 53:4-5 presents the reality that we are healed by His scourging: < Surely our griefs He (YESHUA) Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. >
We should never deal with issues of our offenses in our own strengths.
We must deal with our offenses by faith in YESHUA, in the finished work of the Cross understanding that the healing and deliverance foreordained stands in the fact that “He (YESHUA) Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross”; and, because of what is foreordained, we must continuously appropriating our healing “by His scourging”.
“By His scourging we are healed” is a reality that stands in the Mystery of CHRIST. His Scourging is a living expression of His faith and love for us. His Scourging releases us from the scourging of our offenses through the spiritual mystery of YHWH’s Shabbat-Shalom manifested into us in the substance and witness of YESHUA.
The Shabbat-Shalom communicates the actuality of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, by the SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS (Rom 8:2).
The Logos Word of the Cross presents to us the foreordained reality of our healing which we must understand (Matt 13:23) and accept (Mark 4:20) and hold fast to in a good and honest heart (Luke 8:15) in the reality of the finished work of the Cross.
The Rhema Word of the Cross unveils in the Witness alive within us, by the HOLY SPIRIT, in Spirit, Water and Blood. In Spirit, Water and Blood, in the faithful and true Witness, stands the Mystery of Healing: “By His scourging we are healed”.
Spirit, Water and Blood is the reality of the power (of YESHUA’s faith, love, forgiveness) that works within us (see Eph 3:20; Heb 1:3b).
In this Witness, energized by the SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS, we battle our fleshly realities (rising from our past and present offenses) as opposed to what stands in the SPIRIT in the finished work of the Cross.
In the Shabbat-Shalom of YHWH, given to us by the SPIRIT, in MASHIAH YESHUA, we can by faith in YESHUA, appropriate our healing. We must pray as often as is necessary, to ensure that the Shabbat-Shalom of YHWH stands in our inward parts.
When we fail, we repent and get back into the Shabbat-Shalom through prayer and worship. We must forgive those who have offended us and break the yoke of lawlessness.
Tongues are an effective and powerful tool for our application by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS (see Rom 8:2).
GBU in your battle for freedom from offense – by the SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS. Amen!.