Either, Or

 

Isa 8:14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken."

 

It’s an either-or situation isn’t it. This passage is quoted several times in the New Testament as it concerns Jesus. He is either a sanctuary, or a deadly snare, there is no in-between.

 

Let us first examine the sanctuary. The word in the Hebrew language means asylum. Now I don’t know what kind of word picture you get with “asylum,” but let’s look at the dictionary definition and see where that leads.

 

Asylum is defined as “an inviolable place of refuge and protection to criminals and debtors.” First of all, let me remind you that you and I are criminals from birth! The Bible tells us that we are conceived in sin! “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” (Ps 51:5)

Further, the wage of our sin is death! Ro 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

We need refuge and protection from our sin and it is found through God-granted faith in Jesus who knew no sin and became sin for us that we might be righteous (pardoned in the eyes of God!) 2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When Jesus died on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” The word “finished” here is a financial term and it means “the debt has been paid.”

 

 His death makes the way for the release of our debt of sin and wipes out the charges of sin against us. By faith in Him, He is our sanctuary….our asylum. This sanctuary is inviolable. The devil can’t touch us when we remain in the faith. Jesus put it this way: Joh 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 "I and My Father are one."

Oh, the devil will try, he’ll buzz you and harass you like a mama blackbird, but as long as you remain in Christ, (your sanctuary) you are safe.

 

It’s either, or. There is no middle ground in the matter of salvation. It’s the safety of the sanctuary or the eternally deadly, “stone of stumbling.” May God grant you the safety of His sanctuary….faith in Jesus Christ.