FROM A PURE STAND

Jesus, the Christ, suffered,

like what falls from a pure stand;

with majesty stripped and beauty no more, 

bearing sin and hurts and a whipping strand—

the punishment humbly He bore.

Jesus, God’s Son, perished,

like what dies low on the ground;

left to waste and decay, where the grave takes back,

cast away, disowned, but not making a sound—

obedience, none did He lack.

Jesus, our Lord, descended,

like what goes under the floor;

where there is no esteem in the length of the day,

smitten and stricken, where shadows grow more—

the price He did willingly pay.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces 

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:3                                                      

FROM A PURE STAND

A wooded area that is not mixed with any other type of tree is said to be a ‘pure stand’. There are pure stands of oak, pine, beech and maple trees. In these splendid groves, one can be reminded of our Creator who sent His Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, from the realms of Heaven to commune with mankind by way of sacrifice.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Jesus willingly went to the cruel cross for us and poured out His life for the remission of our sin, a great cost for a great debt. He could have called a thousand angels to His side but He didn’t. He humbled Himself and obeyed His Father’s command to go to Calvary, to the shedding of His own innocent blood for us, the guilty, knowing not everyone would believe in Him. In a sense, He left His pure stand of the Heavenly realm to die for us. Creation itself speaks of the holiness and determination of our Creator to have a relationship with us.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Be born again! Be saved! Not all will see the kingdom of God.

All the illustrations in the Bible about Jesus separating the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, the wrath like pressed-out grape juice from a winepress point to the fact that God makes distinctions.

Enter repentance, which accompanies salvation.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Basic sorrow is just a feeling. But godly sorrow causes us to turn away from the things that God is against, both in our flesh and spirit. Godly sorrow produces diligence, a clearing of our guilt and shame before God, indignation, a healthy fear of sin, vehement desire for purity and dependence on God through prayer, zeal for the Lord, and vindication. (2 Corinthians 7:11)

The stain of sin remains with regular, worldly sorrow because it didn't produce anything for our souls. When we sin, there is pleasure that passes quickly but the sorrow remains. But when God works in our hearts in conviction and there is sorrow at first, it quickly passes away from God's pouring the oil of gladness into us as the stain of sin is removed!

The Man of Sorrows took our sorrow. Now, apply that to your soul if you haven't already done so.

I don't often mention (actually, I don't think I have yet!) a book other than the Bible, here on my Poems and Prayer blog, but I think it is good to look at the novel Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. The main character Jane tells her employer Rochester that repentance is said to be the cure for error in life (chapter 14). But his curt reply is that repentance is not the cure. We then read a story that includes Rochester's struggle to change his heart, mind, and life until chapter 37. Finally, he experiences remorse. His desire to be reconciled to God drives him to change his mind, pray, and repent of his wrongdoings, much to Jane's joy.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God.

Ephesians 2:6-8

Dear forest dweller, let us echo our Lord's words to repent.