Agony of Sin

[Christ4Ever]

"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."—Luke 22:44.​

The mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love.

It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphire-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound.

This sets forth the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, "Spring up, O well;" of itself it flows in crimson torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart. The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Saviour in His agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth.

The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fulness of the offering which he made for men.

Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us? "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.

Charles Spurgeon

 

[Chopper]

There are times in every believers lives when sin doesn't seem so bad. This is when we need to go to this verse that you have quoted and say, O yes it's bad!! Look what my sin caused in my Savior before He went to be my propitiation. It seems difficult to explain the "fear of God" to people who don't take sin as serious as ought. All thru the ages, our Loving God did not want His Children sinning. The truth is, we should fear sinning, not fear God, fear sinning against Him and what He might do in response to my sin especially if I don't confess it.

It seems to me that the more God saw Israel sin and not really take it seriously, the more God knew how tragic the payment for those sins would have to be.

I amused myself one time imagining that if the sin of Adam and Eve were the only sin that would ever be committed, would Jesus have had to go to the cross and be tortured the way he was. I suppose one sin is as bad as a million in the eyes of the Almighty.

Thank you Christ4Ever for this thread. Today, I'll be remembering how terrible sin really is. Look how my sin had to be paid for so I could be forgiven so I could enter the Kingdom of the One Who died to pay my debt. I can't imagine being rewarded for faithful service to the One Who died such a horrible death so that He could honor me with a crown. WHAT?? He really should slap me upside my head and say, you jerk, see what you did to me?

Hmm, it seems that all He asks is that I love Him and be His servant to reach others. Sometimes I say to Jesus, "I love You with all my heart." Wait? Do I really? With ALL my heart? O Boy, now that's almost impossible isn't it? Perhaps a thread should be started to explore what it means to love God, Jesus with all my heart. Hey Christ4Ever, that's right up your alley.

Love You!!

 

[Christ4Ever]

@Chopper Thank-you brother.

I have an even more powerful one I'm going to post tonight (Lord willing), which brought me many tears in just reading/typing it. My thought is to place it in the forum for "Seeking Jesus". For everyone should know the cost of sin. I'm at work at the moment and the tears are starting to well up just at the thought of it! Some say the imagination can be worse than the reality, however, in this case I don't believe this can be true. In fact the opposite.

I'm also placing a warning on it, because truly it is not for the faint of heart to read. Yet for us who hold Him (or Him holding us) near to heart realize the horrible nature of sin and the consequences that wound up with our Lord Jesus on the Cross.

From that very first promise with reconciliation as a possibility that we can still find ourselves rejoicing with tears in our eyes for how great and loving our God truly is as seen through this sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus!! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen!

Love you brother. Back to work!
YBIC
C4E
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