“Blood Diamonds”
We have now studied all of the 4 Cs of diamond grading and used them to illustrate aspects of a Christian’s Character & Faith. The 4 Cs of a diamond are cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
We began each week with the analogy of how people who have just become Christians can be referred to as diamonds in the rough, because of the moral and spiritual condition they are in at the time they met the Lord and experienced salvation.
In fact, we were all diamonds in the rough before salvation, no matter how good or bad we thought we were, but then the Holy Spirit goes to work on us with His sanctification process. Your salvation was a once-in-eternity experience, at which time you were born-again in the spirit.
Your sanctification is a process in your soul that will go on until you die and go to heaven. Your spirit is saved forever at the time of the new birth and your soul (mind, will, emotions) begins its spiritual growth process towards Christ-likeness.
The 4 Cs of diamond grading in review:
The First “C” was the “Cut”, which is the process of shaping a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem, that determines a stone’s proportions and its ability to reflect light.
God’s First “C” was “Conviction”, where the Holy Spirit penetrates deep into the moral and spiritual veneer to reveal the false concepts we have of ourselves. This allows us to see ourselves the way God sees us spiritually and we will feel the great need to be saved (born-again spiritually). The conviction process can be characterized by:
...A lost sinner coming to the realization (conviction) that he or she is not just “a sinner” or one of many sinners, but “the sinner” in desperate need for the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation.
...During the “spiritual cutting” we were recreated with the needed facets of Christ’ character to reflect His holy/righteous light in whatever environment, circumstance, condition, or situation we might encounter...as we live life one day at a time.
The Second “C” was the “Color” (or specifically...lack of color). A colorless diamond is the rarest of all. The more color (like blue, red, pink, yellow, or brown) visible in a diamond, the less it is worth.
God’s Second “C” was the “Colorless Christian” who is as close to totally transparent as possible, where others can see right through us, without any carnal color (baggage) blocking the image of Christ. His truth and purity will be reflected back to them. As God’s Colorless spiritual diamonds, we will be spiritually and morally transparent.
The Third “C” was “Clarity”, which referred to the purity and rarity of the stone (diamond) and the degree to which it presented blemishes and inclusions. Remember the natural microscopic characteristics that can be trapped within (internal) or on the diamond (external) during formation, that are inspected by gemologists to assign a numerical value (clarity grade) to each diamond.
The lower the number of imperfections and flaws in a diamond’s aesthetic appearance, the higher the clarity grade, from the lowest rating (INCLUDED) up to the highest rating of (FLAWLESS). No diamond has ever been found to be entirely pure, but the closer it gets to purity, the clearer it becomes and the more it is worth.
God’s Third “C” was “Moral & Spiritual Clarity”. As Christians, our Moral and Spiritual Clarity will affect how we shine and appear when illuminated — when the lights are turned on us and everything is showing (exposed).
The fewer moral and spiritual inclusions in us, as God’s spiritual diamonds, the more brilliantly we will sparkle and shine (revealing more of Christ). The closer we get to the purity of Christ (as impurities and flaws are removed from our souls), the clearer our lives become. The more people will see Christ in the things we say and do. We will conduct ourselves above and beyond reproach (beyond justified criticism) or blameless.
The Fourth “C” was “Carat Weight”, which is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of diamonds and the most objective grade of the 4 Cs. Remember how it would require over 2,265 carats to equal 1 pound! As the carat weight increases, the value of the diamond increases as well.
God’s Fourth “C” was “Spiritual and moral Substance”. This is a heavy, dense faith, which comes from the Holy Spirit cutting down and polishing believers into finished spiritual gems. He removes things that are in the way, leaving more Christ-likeness (through the sanctification process). Think of a huge mass growing in some part of your body that should not be there. The only way for you to be healthy and free is to have it removed, like in the before and after pictures below.
How much happier, freer, and lighter this woman felt after that mass was removed. That physical mass is an analogy of spiritual and moral baggage the Holy Spirit begins to remove from our lives after we get saved.
Our heavy, dense faith will:
- Always rely on God’s promises even during the hardest, most challenging times we might face.
- Always look beyond the circumstances and see the Sovereignty of God and the Lordship of Christ.
- Always be persistent and keep seeking and trusting God until He meets our need, answers our prayer, or gives us peace and contentment...like the Apostle Paul coming to terms with his thorn in the flesh.
- Always keep waiting upon the Lord. We will not get up and walk away or turn our backs on Him. We will continue serving anyway we can, while we wait.
NOW WE GET TO THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR OF ALL!
Perhaps the biggest controversy facing the diamond trade today is conflict diamonds. These stones are also known as blood diamonds, because of the blood shed to obtain them. A conflict diamond has been stolen or illegally mined and then sold to raise money for rebel militia or terrorist groups.
These groups earn money for weapons by forcing men, women and children to dig for diamonds under very harsh conditions. Anyone who protests is killed or threatened by having a limb cut off. Most conflict diamonds come from Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
YOU ARE ONE OF GOD’S BLOOD DIAMONDS!
Before the Holy Spirit could begin refining you into one of His spiritual diamonds (eternal gems), God the Father had to own you! Before He could own you and take possession of you and refine you, He had to buy you. He had to purchase you. He had to pay for you. You had to become His diamond first. He had to redeem you. This is why you can literally be referred to as God’s Blood Diamond.
Before He ever created the world or anything in it, He chose to redeem you, so He could transform you into one of His spiritual diamonds, that could become a divine gemstone of unrivaled magnificence, reflecting the moral elegance and spiritual desirability of HIS ONLY SON...HIS CROWN JEWEL...Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God’s “Royal Orb”. Visualize the majestic, pristine, flawless, radiant, dazzling, diamond on the left as representing the Lord Jesus...God’s son...the eternal gem of the ages (even though the analogy falls so short). To the right side, you are represented by one of the smaller diamonds conformed to His image and designed to adorn and magnify Christ.
When He bought and paid for you, what did you cost Him? You were literally and physically bought and paid for with the blood Christ, which Jesus willingly poured out on the cross for you. Therefore, you as a child of God are literally God’s blood diamond! You cost Jesus His blood! You cost Jesus His life!
You are God’s conflict diamond or blood diamond, because the blood Christ had to be shed (poured out) on a Roman cross to obtain and secure your salvation (eternal life). Consider how these verses explain this so clearly.
In Leviticus 17:11, God revealed how “the life is in the blood”. For Christ to give His life for you, He had to give His blood for you.
@ Hebrews 9:22: Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (or salvation/eternal life).
Consider this from God the Father’s perspective
@ Romans 3:25: God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement (for you), through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins (your sins) committed beforehand unpunished.
@ 1 Corinthians 6:20: You were bought with a price (you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own). So then, honor and glorify God with your body (your physical body).
@ Hebrews 9:12: Yet, because God is love, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be born in the likeness of sinful flesh and to offer up His perfect life as an atonement for sin (your sin). Jesus entered once for all into the holy places, not by the means of the blood of goats and calves...but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption (for you).
Consider this from God the Son’s perspective
@ Isaiah 52:13-15: See, my servant will act wisely and He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at Him —His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form was marred beyond human likeness (for your sake )— so He will sprinkle many nations (with His blood), and kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
@ Isaiah 53:4-6: Surely He took on our (your) infirmities and carried our (your) sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our (your) transgressions, He was crushed for our (your) iniquities. The punishment that brought us (you) peace was laid upon Him and by His stripes we (you) are healed. We (you) all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
@ John 1:29: The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (took away your sin by shedding His own blood on the cross for you).
@ Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new covenant (testament), which is shed for many (you) for the remission of sins (your sins).
@ Ephesians 2:12: Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Many years ago, an eight-year-old boy had a younger sister who was dying of leukemia. He was told that without a blood transfusion she would die. His parents explained to him that his blood was probably compatible with hers, and if so, he could be the blood donor. They asked him if they could test his blood. He said sure. So they did and it was a good match. Then they asked if he would give his sister a pint of his blood and it could be her only chance of living. He said he would have to think about it overnight.
The next day he went to his parents and said he was willing to donate his blood. So they took him to the hospital where he was put on a gurney beside his six-year-old sister. Both of them were hooked up to IVs. A nurse withdrew a pint of blood from the boy, which was then put in the girl's IV. The boy lay on his gurney in silence while the blood dripped into his sister, until the doctor came over to see how he was doing. Then the boy opened his eyes and asked, "How soon until I start to die?" {“Chicken Soup For The Soul” listed the source for this story as “ON COURAGE” by Dan Millman.}
This young boy loved his sister and thought he would was going to give all of his blood and then die...to help save her...but he only had to give a pint. Jesus Christ loved you and knew He would have to give all of His blood and die. That little boy laid on that gurney and watched his blood leave his body and go into his sister’s body. Jesus hung on that cross and watched His blood leave His body to take the punishment for your sinfulness. You personally were in His heart and His mind, as He died for you that day.
On July 3, 1887, pastor Charles Spurgeon taught his church in London on the supreme importance and value of Christ’s blood in securing our salvation. His great burden that day was to see people experience personal salvation (not just know about it), by experiencing the cleansing of their sinful natures and forgiveness of their sins, by receiving Christ into their lives as the Lord and Savior...who sacrificed His blood for them. Here are a few crucial sentences from his message to his people that day, but also for you today.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon - July 3, 1887
Beloved, we must come into personal contact with the death of Christ. This is essential. We must each one say, “He loved me and gave Himself for me”. In His blood you must be personally washed. By His blood you must be personally reconciled to God. Through His blood you must personally have access to God and by His blood you must personally overcome the enemy of your souls. As the Israelite’s own door must be smeared with the blood of the Passover Lamb, so must you individually partake of the true “Sacrifice”, and know each one for himself the power of His redemption.
(https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-blood-shed-for-many/#flipbook)
Now – if you have never recognized that your eternal life (salvation) was earned through the unfathomable suffering and pain Jesus endured on the cross for you (as His blood was poured out), will you do it now? Will you realize and confess your SIN so you can become His blood diamond? Here is an example of a simple prayer you can pray to ask God for His salvation through Jesus Christ.
...Lord - this is the day and the hour that I call upon you to save me from my sinful self.
...I ask you to forgive all of my sins and cleanse me personally through the precious blood of Jesus.
...I know that Jesus shed His pure, innocent blood for me as He took my punishment that day on the cross.
...Lord Jesus You suffered and paid the costs for my redemption and eternal life!
...So right now - I surrender myself totally to you as my Lord and Savior.
...I recognize from this day forward, that you own me as your servant for the rest of my time on this earth and forever in heaven.
In Jesus Name I pray - AMEN!
Thanks again for your precious time!
Gene
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Absolutely phenomenal Gene!
Thanks!