The Gospel Wound

See now that I, I am He, and 

 there is no God besides Me; 

it is I who put to death and give life.

I have wounded and it is I who heal...

Deuteronomy 32:39

Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;

save me and I will be saved,

for You are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

For the word of God is living and active

and sharper than any two-edged sword,

and piercing as far as the division of

soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, 

and able to judge the thoughts and 

intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

There is the wound of the gospel. The conviction of sin which breaks the heart and makes the soul contrite. There must be the gospel wound before there can be the healing of the gospel. It is the wound of the sharp two-edged sword of the gospel that cuts into the very heart and soul and mind of man.  

As such, it cannot be and will not be a superficial wound; but it is also never a mortal wound, no matter how deeply it penetrates. Therefore it is a most unusual wound, in that it is the wound which heals. It is the wound which lays bare and then heals the sin sick soul. It is the deep cut which circumcises the heart and makes it new. It is the wound which brings conviction of sin, and the wound which brings one to repentance. It is the wound that causes the blind to see and the deaf to hear. It is the wound which makes man cry out for salvation. It is the wound that renews the mind.

Yes, faithful are the wounds of our covenant friend. So our God, the faithful God, has designed the gospel so as to wound us, and he has also designed that very same gospel so as to heal us. He wounds us, so as to save us. He wounds us, so as to restore us. He wounds us for our good. The same gospel whose blows beat us up is also the same gospel that picks us up. Faithful are the wounds and blows of the gospel, for He has made it so.