Hello. I Am Forgiven

Day 248 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

This is my favorite painting. Ever. I totally relate to the man that is pictured in it. My hand held the hammer of sin that drove the nails into the hands of Christ on Calvary.

As you can see, the painting by Thomas Blackshear II depicts Jesus holding a man up, even though he is the one that pierced his hands, feet and side. The blood of Christ flows in the painting, to me depicting the never ending cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb. It reminds me of the hymn "Praise for the Fountain Opened", which is better known as "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood". It states that "E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die." Wow! That is Good News!

It amazes me that God has mercy on anyone because of our rebellion and self serving attitudes. We deny Him daily, but yet He still holds us in His arms. We cling to the hammer (sin) that drove the spikes into His flesh, even as He still holds us in His arms. What a wonderful depiction of Grace and forgiveness.

Blackshear is a very talented artist. I thank God for men like this that use their gifts in order to glorify the Father. So many people squander their talents and will one day stand in judgment because they did not properly use those God given talents to point to God. People like Jimi Hendrix that had great talent, but yet fueled their own selfish desires. So many others that never became popular that are just as much sons of disobedience as Hendrix was. I praise God that He saved me from me and my self idolatry. I often looked up to musicians when I was growing up and thought of Hendrix (and others) as gods whom I wanted to emulate. If not by the grace of God and His mercy shown (and still continually showing) to me I would be just as lost as Hendrix.

My hope is to use any talent that I may have to bring glory to God. I may not be a musician, artist, actor or speaker, but in the things that He has given me I must be true and must exalt His Name.

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.