King Jesus keeps his people Sacrosanct

Do you dream when you’re sleeping? I do. Very often. My dreams are rarely positive because of painful events in my past. I often re-live moments in my life that were destructive and harmful to my soul. I would love to be able to block these traumatic memories, but my dreams will not co-operate. A few years ago, I had a particularly startling dream. After a restless night of tossing and turning, I got up, went into the kitchen, and drank a glass of orange juice. I laid down on the sofa with the TV playing quietly, trying to find something to bore me to sleep. After a few episodes of Sports Center, I finally dozed off. I was dreaming that I was in an urban neighborhood, where I grew up in inner-city Atlanta. I was standing outside a club or something, talking to some people about Christ. These people looked really sketchy: poor, angry, tattooed, and hostile – just like where I grew up. Anyway, my family was with me in the dream and I was worried about them and their safety. So I looked up and started praying to the heavens, “Jesus, I want to follow you, but this situation isn’t safe. Why did you lead me here? Why did you give me this family if I can’t keep them safe? I’m too weak, too faithless, too confused.”

Just at that moment, in my dream, a voice spoke to me. It was loud and commanding and it spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, “Tim! You are Sacrosanct!”

At that word, I woke up in a cold sweat.
“Sacrosanct?”, I muttered. I heard Martha Jo rustling in the kitchen and I caught the aroma of coffee wafting through the air. “Martha Jo?”
“Yeah?”
“Hey, what does ‘Sacrosanct‘ mean?’
“What?”
“Sacrosanct? What does that word mean?”
MJ walked over to the sofa and handed me a cup of coffee, “I don’t know. I’ve never heard that word before. Why?”
“I just had a dream. It was weird. I was talking to these sketchy dudes about the Gospel and I think they were planning to hurt me, you, and the kids. I was yelling at God about it when a loud voice said, “‘Tim Melton, You are Sacrosanct?‘ Weird huh? I don’t even know what that word means. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that word. Have you?”
“No, I just said that I hadn’t.”
“Yeah. That’s pretty weird. Don’t you think?”
“Yes. Really weird. Maybe God is telling you something. Why don’t you look it up?”
“Good idea.”
I went to the computer and booted up the internet. I Googled the word ‘sacrosanct’ in the search line. The definition was perfectly related to the situation in my dream.

Sacrosanct:
1. extremely sacred or inviolable (not able to violate)
2. not to be entered or trespassed upon
3. secure from violation, profanation, assault, or trespass

I whispered to myself…”Tim Melton. You are Sacrosanct. You are sacred and inviolable. You and your household cannot be broken into, violated, profaned, assaulted, or trespassed upon.”

For whatever reason, when I whispered this to myself, recalled one of my favorite passages of Scripture, which is found in Colossians 3:3, ” You died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” I got it! I understood. What can you do to a dead man? When King Jesus called me to himself, the old Tim Melton died, and the new life that is mine in Christ, is Sacrosanct. The true me, the ‘Resurrection Me’ is hidden with Christ in God. My true self cannot be eternally threatened. This is true of my family as well. Because of Jesus, we are all hidden in Christ. We are eternally Sacrosanct!

The broader passage in Colossians 3 says, “Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

How beautiful this is. What a comfort. I sometimes cling so tightly to this world, trying desperately to find my identity here, to protect my little domain, to preserve my tiny kingdom. Yet Christ proclaims, “This is not your home, Tim! Even the life you now lead is not yours, for you have died! And you have been raised with Me – set your mind on these things, not on earthly things. Your eye has not yet seen, your ears have not yet heard, your tongue has not yet tasted my Kingdom. Nor have you seen who you really are. When I appear, you will appear with me in Glory! Till then, do not fear what this world can do to you. Your life here is dead. Your true life is in the life to come. You are Sacrosanct!”

When I think about the resurrection, I need to remind myself that death has no victory over King Jesus. Because of His perfect righteousness, Jesus is Sacrosanct from the horror of death. Death could not violate him and the grave could not hold him. The resurrection was the proof of his perfect righteousness and His complete victory over death. And now, because of the Cross, the perfect righteousness of King Jesus is ours, and so we too are Sacrosanct from death. We have nothing to fear. Just as no one could ultimately harm Christ, now no one can ultimately harm us. We are dead. And our life is hidden with Christ, whose resurrection is the first fruit of many people yet to be resurrected. Just as Christ arose, so we too shall be raised with Him in the glorious Kingdom of Love that He is preparing for us.

Hallelujah Church! If you are in Christ, then you too are ‘Sacrosanct‘ in the grace of King Jesus!