Noun or Verb?

 

My dreams are often nonsense and I wake up laughing. The dream I had last night was like that. A woman kept asking people to answer a riddle with a verb instead of a noun. This dream ran through my mind when I read several hundred words in my devotional about the blood of Christ, ending with this statement: “Nothing is more practical, more important, or more delightful to the people of God than the blood, the precious, effectual, cleansing, redeeming blood of Christ.”

The dream made me think: is the blood (noun) what is stressed here, or is it the verb — Jesus died that all these benefits would be mine?

The reading begins with telling how those who heard the gospel and “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’ ” (Acts 11:18)

In English, the dictionaries say ‘repentance’ is a noun. In Greek, the dictionaries affirm it as a verb, an action word. I don’t think this is a riddle. It seems that all the verses quoted about the blood of Christ are using this noun as a euphemism for the verb that Jesus died for my sin, an action that is a riddle to those who are blinded by their sin.

The idea of atoning blood is first suggested in Genesis when God killed an animal to provide skins to cover Adam and Eve. Then His people were commanded to kill a lamb so the angel of death would pass over them when He destroyed the firstborn in Egypt. His law said “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:1–14) And the NT often points to the blood of Christ as vital to forgiveness, how God purchased His people and justified them. It says we were bought with a price, brought near to God, and can walk in His light because of the blood that cleanses us from all sin.

While the Bible clearly says that through Christ, God “reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20) these statements all refer to one action — the death of Jesus Christ which is identified by words about His shed blood. And He did it for us:

He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:12–14)
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10–14)
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh…” (Hebrews 10:19–20)

We have victory over Satan because Jesus took our place: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11) and because He has cleansed us, we “have washed (our) robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

PRAY: Jesus, Your actions on my behalf made possible all things: repentance, forgiveness, redemption, justification, cleansing, victory — a page of positives… including the grace and enablement to obey, love, reject self and sin, go out, share, and more action verbs. And You remind me of all this with a silly little dream and the rich language of Your Word. Oh, what a wonder You are!!

The Bride wears White

Our youngest son and his fiancé are planning their wedding. As mother of the groom, I want to wear an appropriate garment for this occasion. Since this wedding is going to have a vintage theme from the 1940's, my choices are limited, yet exciting.

With the Internet, it is not difficult to find out what people wore in that era. I was even able to find a Vogue sewing pattern that I like. Selecting fabric will be interesting. I want to make sure the color and design conform to the theme and are in harmony with what the bridal party will be wearing.

This morning, Spurgeon’s devotional tells of the standard garments that Jewish people wore during Bible times for a party. He says they wore white. I’ve not had time to check that out, but assuming he is correct, then the implications are interesting, even exciting.

Some say white is the absence of color, which is not true. When light hits an object and bounces to our eyes, we might see any combination of the seven main colors in the spectrum. If there is no light reflected, the object is black. If all seven colors reflect back, we see white.


In Scripture, white symbolizes justification, that is, purity from sin. Two verses illustrate this. The first is God pleading with His people. The second is from David’s confession after he sinned with Bathsheba and murdered her husband.

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)

In the New Testament, a white garment symbolizes the same purity that happens to those who have confessed their sin. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, these are proclaimed clean, and our purity is because of His purity.

These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (Revelation 3:4–5)

However, purity also refers the joy and gladness of knowing God accepts me. Because I am His, I am part of the Body of Christ which the Bible also calls the Bride of Christ. At the end, when all of God’s people are with Him, there will be a “marriage feast” and the Bride of Christ will be clothed in white. Solomon even hinted that those white garments are party garb, suitable for a great feast and great joy. He wrote, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head” (Ecclesiastes 9:7–8).

Those who experience the grace of God and His acceptance through faith in Jesus Christ always wear white garments of joy and gladness while we walk in communion with Him. We have no reason for doubt, misery or gloomy faces, unless we defile our party clothes with sin and disobedience. David asked that God would “restore the joy of my salvation” when he sinned. The only way to be joyful and fully assured of my salvation and acceptance with God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not filled with sin and selfishness. I’m to keep my garments spotless, my life pure.

Another biblical mention of white concerns a white stone. A little research and I discovered that white stones were given to conquering soldiers as they returned home. These were also used in courts to designate a vote of innocence. This cultural background adds significance to this verse:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:17)

These days, colors still have symbolism attached to them, yet the biblical associations are often lost. Black is now chic, not the color of darkness and sin. Red is exciting and trendy, not the color of sin or sacrificial blood. White is clean and uncluttered, not often associated with the amazing freedom of full forgiveness and communion with God. Thinking of color as the Bible describes it is not old fashioned; it is wonderfully symbolic of great realities.

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Lord, As I look at the world of color around me, I am grateful that You did not make a colorless world, but I’m also delighted at the symbolism where You link spiritual realities with color, even light and darkness. I’m also amazed how much richer these associations are through knowing that Your people have always connected white (a combo of all colors) with joy, approval and victory, as well as the purity of Jesus Christ, my spotless Savior and Lord.