The Divine Exchange 4

The Divine Exchange 4:

He was rejected so that I can be accepted

When speaking about Divine exchange we are talking about the Lord taking something from us and giving us something from Him in exchange. One of the key verses that gives a great oversight of this exchange is found in

 

2 Corinthians  5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”

 

Paul says Jesus who knew no sin, became sin for us. HE took from us sin and in return or exchange has given us His righteousness. Now the Divine exchange does not stop at that but continues on to so much more the Lord has for us. We are so limited in our understanding of just how much the Lord wants to impart to us. As a child of God journeys with Him, through His Holy Spirit, He speaks to certain areas in order to offer an exchange. In this episode I am going to share how the Lord dealt with me about rejection, and took it away from me and gave me His acceptance.

 

When my mother was pregnant with me, my dad who was married at the time left us to return back to his wife. My mom was distraught but the Lord truly did a work in her life and in our life. I grew up without a dad in my life and to never even meet him or see him or even hear his voice brought a lot of hidden issues. One of those main issues is a since of rejection.

 

The idea of feeling rejected comes from a dad who had me but made the decision to never want to be a part of my life. What also tags along with rejection is feeling unlovable. The idea that you are not lovable and if anyone really got close to you or knew you, they would reject you and leave. When I got saved I had this love inside of me and looked to lavish it on everyone, but I noticed I was not able to receive that type of love in return from others. It was as if I had this huge wall up all around my heart and mind and would allow love to go out but would not allow any to come in. 

 

One afternoon I was praying and the Lord showed me this verse and it turned me upside down.

Matthew 13:45-46, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

 

If you look back over Matthew 13 and follow the parable of the sower, it will be easy to know that the Son of Man is the Sower mentioned in it. Thus in reference to that parable it would only be logical to assume Jesus would be the Merchant in this parable. With Jesus being the Merchant lets follow the story, A Merchant went seeking fine pearls. If Jesus is the Merchant and HE has come seeking for fine pearls, what would be the pearls? What is it that caused Jesus to come seeking? What has peeked His interest or what is valuable to Him? Yes, you guessed it. PEOPLE! Jesus came seeking to save people. To gather people. To bring people unto Himself.

 

Now, the parable does not stop there. It goes so much deeper. It says that the Merchant goes out seeking fine pearls and when He found ONE pearl of great value, He went and sold all that He had and bought it. He went looking for fine pearls, when He found 1, HE gave everything to make that 1 His. Well I read that and just started crying because I knew that I had been saved. I knew that Jesus gave everything to make me His. I knew that but the Holy Spirit made it very clear to me that if it was just me, if I was the 1 pearl He would still give everything to make me His. That is still an overwhelming thought. If you or I was the only 1 that would ever come to faith in Jesus, He would still give His life for us. That is how valuable we are to Him. That is how much He loves us.

 

This set me free. The Holy Spirit was saying Shaun I want to take your rejection, and give you my acceptance. I want you to know deep down inside of you that you are lovable and accepted.  How could this exchange even be offered. Isaiah’s prophecy speaks about how the Messiah’s ministry would provide such an exchange.

 

Isaiah 53:1-3

“Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

 

It says in no uncertain terms that this Messiah would simply be despised, forsaken and rejected. Jesus the Creator of the world would come unto His own and in John’s gospel it says, His own would rejected Him. In Mark’s gospel it says even His own family rejected Him and thought He was out of His mind. Later on in the Gospels some scholars believe it references His father turned from Him.

Mark 15:34 “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

 

 

They believe that it was at this point that Jesus endured the entire portion of humanity’s sin and thus causing the Father to turn from Him in rejection of sin. Jesus was despised, forsaken and rejected. He endured that so those who like me feel unlovable, rejected or forsaken could receive His exchange. The Exchange is being accepted and loved by the FATHER!

 

John 15:9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”

 

Jesus said, that HE LOVES US, just like the FATHER has loved Him. He commands that we live in that love. LIVE IN that LOVE! You see Jesus took our rejection, so we could have His acceptance. My dad left me, my dad didn’t love me, and it left me with a rejected spirit. Feeling unlovable, but once I realized that for the first time in my life someone truly knew me, knew everything about me, and yet wanted to be with me and would give everything to make me His, it gave me an opportunity to offer Jesus my rejection, so I could receive His acceptance. To be loved and able to receive that love is priceless.

 

The merchant went out looking for fine pearls, when He found one, He went and gave everything to make that ONE His very own. He knows you, He loves you and He wants you so bad that HE would be despised and rejected so we could be accepted.