EASTER: Meditations for Addicts Week 5

by | Apr 11, 2022 | TAC Blog, Uncategorized

By TAC Team: summarized, and paraphrased from Miss Shirley Crowder and Dr. Mark Shaw’s Podcast Conversation about the book EASTER: Meditations for Addict, available at Amazon

April 2022 –  Podcast #155 “Easter- Week 5”

How Much Did Salvation Cost?

All through scripture we see that shed blood is required in order for redemption to occur. God teaches His people Israel about the sacrifices required so that throughout their generations they see how much sin costs. Old Testament sacrifices were a foreshadowing glimpse of the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. Israel’s Passover and God-given system of sacrificial sin offering system (sin offerings, burnt offerings, guilt offerings, etc) help us understand. (See the discussion in previous blogs in this series.)

Jesus: A Guilt Offering Pleasing to God?

“Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.” – (Isaiah 53:10-11) (CSB) [1]

There is a Cost to Salvation.

Our sinful rebellion cost Jesus his life. It’s free to us by faith, which is a gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8-10) but it still cost Jesus His life.

If you and I went out to eat at a restaurant, and the owner or operator offered our meal “on the house,” what does that mean? Our meal is free! So everything we eat and drink that night, the owner or operator of that establishment must endure or absorb the cost himself.

That’s what Jesus did for us. The next verse says that Jesus “bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” (v. 12) CSB

His last words before He yielded His life and died were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)  So it’s done. He wasn’t talking about his last breath that he was going to breathe; He was talking about the work that God had sent Him to do. The work is finished. No more blood sacrifices for sin because the best spotless Lamb had been slain. His work is done! What God sent him to earth to accomplish as fully god and fully man has been accomplished.

The Beautiful Cross

The cross magnifies the mercy and the grace and love of God, and that’s what draws us to its beauty. It’s not the horrendous evil of the crucifixion that we are glorifying. No we are not saying that is beautiful. But it’s the love of Christ and His mercy being demonstrated—that’s what we are saying is beautiful.

If you’ve been addicted to some pleasure or substance, (or diagnosed with SUD, AUD, or OUD- the disorder labels the world is giving out now) then you already know how to sacrifice—to lay down your life for a false god the god of self. But in the transformation that’s available through Christ, you can learn to lay down your life and give everything for the One True God. You’ve just been practicing your devotion wrongly! It’s just misplaced idolatry, and now you are learning to place it in the right place.

The Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading scripture in the account from the book of Acts, Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, and he said, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (see Acts 8:31)

If you have an addiction in your past, and you’re trying to make it on your own, you’re missing the point. You need a church! You need someone to disciple you—to guide you in the right interpretation of your life from God’s Word. All of us do. You need to join a group and get near people who can speak truth into your life. Just go ahead and expect correction to come though. Prepare yourself for the difficulty of listening and accepting feedback. Those who love Christ who speak hard things to you are wanting to help you see the beauty of the cross.

New Identity

Your identity now is different when you come to Christ. You are not simply recovering from an addiction by being a better version of your old self! No! Instead, you are transforming like a caterpillar that becomes a beautiful butterfly who can fly and be carried along by the wind (the Holy Spirit)! That transformation is found at the cross when you lay your sins at the feet of Jesus.

That gives us Hope- Capital “H” hope.

 

(Listen to the entire podcast here or find it on YouTube.)

EASTER: Meditations for Addicts was written by Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley Crowder and is part of a series along with the book ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts. Shirley is a co-founder of this ministry with Dr. Shaw and serves as The Addiction Connection’s Vice President. She is a gifted writer and speaker and teaches women all over the country.

The Addiction Connection is Here for You!

The Addiction Connection is a network of ministries who offer hope in Jesus for those struggling with addiction of any kind. Our network of encouraging resources, ministries, and biblical programs that stretch across America and the world will always point people to truth in Jesus Christ for answers.

 

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