Hebrews

November 11, 2018

DON’T THROW AWAY YOUR SHIELD OF FAITH
After a season of suffering we are tempted to timidity and cowardice. We fear persecution and pain, so we hide from the fight. We lose a battle, so we retreat from the war. Yet, the Word teaches us not to “throw away” our “confident trust,” which is the boldness of faith.

There is a metaphoric reference here that compares losing one’s boldness to a soldier who throws away his shield. It is said that certain Greek mothers, when they gave shields to their sons, would say, “Either bring this back, or be brought back upon it.” Thus urging their sons to be bold in battle and in protecting their family and tribe. The captains of armies often urged their soldiers to beat their swords against their shields and shout in preparation for an assault. Thus building up their own confidence, while striking fear in the enemy.

Faithful soldiers do not throw away their shields. Nor do faithful believers cast aside their boldness. Faithful believers persevere, remembering the great reward that the Captain of our faith brings with Him at His coming.

November 9, 2018

CHRIST’S SINGULARLY SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE
The Mosaic sacrificial system was a copy of the “greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven” (Heb. 9:11). It existed to prepare God’s people for the true Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). In the Mosaic system, regular and recurring sacrifices had to be made. But Christ’s sacrifice was singularly sufficient. He does not need to repeat it. For it radiates out into time past and time future to cover the sins of those who believed both before and after His appearing. Christ died “once for all time.” Indeed, from God’s perspective, the Lamb of God was slain “before the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Christ’s sacrifice marked the “end of the age” for Temple sacrifices. For the sacrifice of animals was always like an IOU written on a future payment, which was paid-in-full when Christ declared from the cross, “It is finished!”

November 8, 2018

THE TEMPLE FORESHADOWED THAT WHICH CHRIST FULFILLED
The two rooms of the Tabernacle were symbolic of the spiritual separation existing between God and man. Only priests could enter the first room called the Holy Place. And only the High Priest could enter the second room called the Most Holy Place, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). Yet, when Christ died on the cross, the curtain of separation was rent and the way to the Father was opened. Because of Jesus we may approach the throne of God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Jesus has opened the way for us, not by having us keep religious “regulations,” but by believing in Him and receiving Him in relationship as Lord and Savior.

The Romans destroyed the Jerusalem Temple, ending its religious sacrifices and practices, in 70 A.D. It was always only a foreshadowing of that which Christ is the fulfillment. Christ has opened a new and living way to a right relationship with God.

November 4, 2018

ARE YOU BECOMING SPIRITUALLY DULL AND INDIFFERENT?
There are some of us who after hearing and believing the gospel become sluggish and slothful in loving others and living for Christ. How can this be since we are assured of inheriting God’s promises? Perhaps it is because we misunderstand our faith, thinking we can hold it passively, when instead, it must be acted upon. Since we have the promises of God in Christ, let us walk by faith, not becoming “weary in well-doing” (Gal. 6:9).

Are you becoming spiritually dull and indifferent? Your love for God and love for others has waned? Faith and endurance are the antidote. Fan into flame your spirit by faith. Endure hardship in your love for others. You have the promises of God. Live like it!

November 2, 2018

HUMAN ACCOUNTABILITY
We are born with a kind of moral compass, an intuition for right and wrong, called a conscience. We have a desire for justice and accountability in this world. From our earliest memories, we have a desire for fairness. Yet, the world is not fair. And justice doesn’t reign. Unfortunately, our idea of justice tends to focus more on others, while we make endless excuses for ourselves. We hide our true character not only from others, but in a kind of self-delusion, we hide it from ourselves. But God sees it.

God sees us as we truly are. When Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they did was to attempt to cover their nakedness and hide from God. But God came looking. They could not hide from God and neither can we. He sees everything. We may fool others and even ourselves, but we cannot fool God. We are all accountable to God. And one day, every member of humanity will give an account, for things seen and things hidden (Rom. 14:12). Nothing will escape God’s notice.

What can we do? We can plea the blood of Jesus, our Great High Priest. For in Him we receive mercy and grace, so we are able to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Heb. 4:16).

November 14, 2017

Don’t waste the pain. God cares more for your character than you comfort. His “chastening” may be painful, but it yields Christlikeness in you when you submit to its training. One day, you will look back on your life and see how God has disciplined you as His own child for your sanctification. He is conforming you to the image of Christ. Stop rebelling and start submitting. Pray as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

November 13, 2017

It was not Rahab’s status, but her faith that saved her. She believed that the Lord had already given the land to the Israelites. She believed the Red Sea crossing story and all the other miracles she had heard of their wilderness journey. By faith she protected the two Israelite spies and made them promise to save her and her family. By faith she hung the scarlet cord in her window as a sign to the Israelites when they returned to attack Jericho. By faith she and her family were the only ones who did not perish when the walls of Jericho fell. By faith she was included in Israel and married into the tribe of Joshua. By faith she bore Boaz who married Ruth and was included in the line of David and mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Matthew. She was saved by grace, but it was through faith that she received these many blessings.

November 10, 2017

When we have received Christ’s “offering,” we are already “perfected forever.” We are already made whole and complete in Christ, so that we are fully accepted by the Father for eternity. Positionally, we are already at the right hand of the Father in Christ. We are already holy. We are saints.

Yet, we are still “being sanctified. We still experience the battle between the flesh and the Spirit, and sometimes give into the flesh. But all our sins are already forgiven. The Spirit empowers us to repent and walk in His power, growing in maturity. This is our experience. This tension between our position and our experience has been called the “already/not yet” of the Christian life. In Christ, we are already perfected, but not yet perfect.

But on that Day, our position and our experience will be the same, for we “shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). Those that are in Christ, will become like Christ. This is God’s purpose for those who believe.

November 7, 2017

The old covenant, which was the law mediated through Moses, was written on stone tablets. But the new covenant, which is by the grace of God through Jesus, is written on human hearts. The purpose of the old covenant was never to save, but to prepare a people for the Savior. The new covenant supersedes the old. The problem with the old covenant was not its content, but the character of the people, for they could not keep it in the flesh. The superiority of the new covenant is evident in that it overcomes the flesh by the power of the Spirit that comes to dwell in those who receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

Has the Lord put His Word in your mind and written it upon your heart? Have you received the new covenant in Jesus Christ?