The Greatest Trade-In Program Ever

With Good Friday and Easter coming up this weekend, I have been thinking a lot about what Jesus did for us.  Through salvation, we were invited to participate in the greatest trade-in program of all time.  When we said yes to Jesus, He came and changed everything, He took our sin and gave us righteousness.  He took all the things the enemy meant to destroy us with and gave us victory and peace in return.  He took eternal separation and gave us the ability to be with Him forever.  He gave us the opportunity to “be made whole” with Him.

Somewhere along the line in Christian culture we stopped believing that to be true in all areas of our lives and we took on responsibility that doesn’t belong to us and started managing ourselves to complete the trade-in program on our own.  If you don’t believe this, just step back and look at your behavior and that will lead you to look what you believe to be true in what areas of your life.  We have forsaken the greatest trade-in program of all time and what He instituted at the beginning of our relationship together – SALVATION.  I went back to find anywhere in scripture where it says that salvation stops, and that I must take on full responsibility without Him, and I couldn’t find it anywhere.  Salvation is not just the initial salvation experience but is the process of being made whole.  Being saved, healing on the inside, healing on the outside (physical healing), deliverance from demonic torment – the whole package.

I was talking to a business colleague today about the fact that the questions we ask ourselves is an indication of what we believe and what position we are asking the questions from.  Are you asking yourself questions from a position of disappointment about what is or is not happening or, are you partnering with Papa to bring His truth?  Are these questions the Father is asking or just stuff you are asking yourself by yourself?  Stop and write down your questions and then ask Papa if these are the questions you should be asking and then write down what He shows you.  It is time we start thinking with God as we have the mind of Christ, I Cor. 2:15-16 – 15 “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”  You will notice the questions change, they will become less about what you need to do or get people to do and become more what He made available on Easter, a partnership to experience your true identity with Him, life to the full!

Good Friday is where Jesus took all the destruction of the enemy and then Easter Sunday Jesus instituted opportunity for life to the full with Him.  I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  Celebration of Easter is participation with Him in what He made available to us and to stop trying ourselves.  Let this Easter be a time where we stop trying without Jesus to make ourselves whole and take Him up on His offer and plan to do this with Him.

Blake Schellenberg – Co-Labor Ministries