Monday, March 18, 2024

There has been a Change

 Read Hebrews 7.

Under the Old Testament Law, there was a professional priesthood.  Access to the very presence of God in the Tabernacle was restricted.  No work could be done on Saturday (the Sabbath).  Animal sacrifices were continually made to cover personal sin.  But then Jesus came. 

A change was made.  Step by step, in these middle chapters of Hebrews, Jesus is presented as the new and forever High Priest of our faith.  "For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessity a change in the law as well." (v.12)

Believers in Jesus are not under the Old Testament Law administered by the Aaronic priesthood.  We live by the grace of God under a New Covenant.  Therefore:
1. With Jesus as the High Priest, every follower of His is a priest of God.
"You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  (1 Peter 2:5)  Under the New Testament, we have pastors and ministers who serve the local church, not priests at a Temple.

2. With Jesus as the High Priest, we have direct access to God.
At the crucifixion of Christ, God the Father tore the curtain in the Tabernacle that separated direct access to His holy presence.  Now, there is no one, living or dead, who can stand between the believer and throne of grace.  "For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 1:5)  "...a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God." (v.19)  "...he always lives to make intercession for them." (v.25c)  "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

3. With Jesus as the High Priest, we worship on the first day of the week.
Sabbath is the seventh day, commemorating the completion of creation.  The work was done and a day of rest was established by God.  But, since the resurrection of Jesus on that Sunday morning, believers have historically gathered on Sunday, celebrating the day of resurrection and new beginnings. (1 Corinthians 16:2)

4. With Jesus as the High Priest, we no longer offer sacrifices for sin. 
The New Covenant was established by the blood of Christ on the cross over 2000 years ago.  "...he did this once for all when he offered up himself." (v.27b)  The atoning sacrifice of God's Lamb has been made.  It is senseless to call upon Him to symbolically bleed again and again, as some do.  Through the personal acceptance of that gift to us, we stand forgiven before God.

5. With Jesus as the High Priest, there will be no more change.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is forever our one and only access.  Jesus said, "...No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6)  "...the Son of God continues a priest forever." (v.3)  "You are priest forever..." (vv.17 and 21)  "But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever." (v.24)  "...since he always lives..." (v.25)  "...who has been made perfect forever." (v.28) 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

God's answer to those in Doubt

 Read Hebrews 6.

Any thinking person will ask serious questions about their faith.  This is especially true when we are shaken by adversity or living under constant stress.  The pressure may cause us to wonder about the validity of our beliefs.  Many followers of Christ have struggled at one time or another with the assurance of their salvation.

The writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sought to encourage extremely stressed believers to get a firm grip on their faith.  Time and again, he presented how superior Jesus is in every way.  He took them from the foundations of their beliefs in the Old Testament to point them to hope in Christ.

Here in chapter 6, he urged them to be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (v.12).  But how can we be sure those promises are still good?  And, what do God's promises to Abraham have to do with us?

When the God of this book makes a promise it is based upon His nature, His name, and His character.  Humans will offer promises but may not keep them.  Human promises may be documented and publicly announced.  But everyone has experienced the disappointment of broken commitments.  Not so with God. 

God's ultimate answer to our doubts is found in verses 17-18.
1.  His promises are unchangeable.
The base of that statement is in God's character.  Malachi 3:6-"For I the LORD do not change."  His promises are announcements fulfilling His eternal plans.  "...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for the adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will." (Ephesians 1:4-5)  Therefore, the Apostle Paul could write, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

2. His promises are guaranteed.
The LORD not only made promises but He made certain that they were written down and made available to us.  We can read and study what God said.  We can see how hundreds of those promises in the Old Testament came true.  There were four hundred fulfilled in the first coming of Christ alone.  "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire the possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14) 

And, if that were not convincing enough, the absolute statement is then made concerning the character of God Himself.  "...it is impossible for God to lie."  Doubting the love and care of Jesus in our daily lives does not come from God.  Satan is a liar and deceiver.  He will do anything he can to rob of us the certainty of our relationship and fellowship with Jesus.

 

3. His promises are the anchor for our soul.
Everything in this life is temporal.  All things will change, disappoint, or one day be gone.  There is only one source of eternal hope.  It is both "sure and steadfast".  Our belief in Jesus is not a "hope so" but a "know so".  This trust in Jesus gives us eternal life now.  Paul wrote concerning the suffering of Christians in Romans 5:3-5.  This "hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

A faith confirming exercise is to read the entire book of 1 John aloud, underlining every time the word "know" appears.  Try and see.

 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The number one indicator of spiritual Maturity

 Read Hebrews 5.

An old adage says, "People know more Bible than they are practicing."  That saying was then used to teach less Scripture and talk more about personal and social issues.  My experience has led me to believe the opposite.  Most people do not know enough Bible to practice.

Such was the case with the original readers of Hebrews.  The writer desired to share even more insights concerning Jesus as the High Priest of our faith, but they could not absorb it (v.11).  The reason had to do with their spiritual immaturity.  Being bombarded, perhaps even enamored, by the culture around them, they proved slow in learning the difference between right and wrong, evil and good (v.14).  They knew more about sin than holiness.

In that state, their need was to be taught the ABC's of the faith all over again.  They had forgotten the spiritual alphabet, if you will; those initial things that every follower of Jesus should know.  The chastisement here is not because they had not been taught these things and more, but they had failed to put them into practice.  Indeed, "by this time you ought to be teachers." (v.12)  The goal of knowing God's word is not for personal information.  It is first so that we may live a changed and transformed life by knowing God and His expectations of us.  Then, we are to communicate with others what we are learning.  The result will be a growing maturity in the faith.

Scriptural information is called the milk of the word.  One's inability to communicate the Scriptures they have been taught reveals this need.   Solid food, or meat, is the practice of the word.  Spiritual maturity does not happen in a class or a study group.  Real life application of God's word requires wisdom and discernment (v.14).  Such opportunities for practice occur throughout each day in our choices of speech and behavior, the use of our time and other resources.  These actions show everyone around us the level of our faith.

In other words, what we do not use we lose.

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

What happens when we do not trust God?

 Read Hebrews 3.

A prime message of the book of Hebrews is a warning, an exhortation, to Jewish believers who are living under pressure.  It is a call to endurance and spiritual maturity.

Whenever reading or studying the Bible, one should always ask some key questions.  Among them include: To whom is this originally written?  Why is the writer saying this to them?  Answering these and other contextual questions will prevent one from wrongly applying verses or phrases.

To clarify once and for all, in verse 1 the original readers are called "holy brothers...who share in a heavenly calling".  These were believers in Jesus.   The encouragement is to hold on to the confidence of one's faith while living under extreme stress and/or persecution (vv.6 and 14).  Naturally, some became discouraged and even loosened their grip on the hope that is in Christ.

When adversity arises, needs become overwhelming, prayers go unanswered, bad things happen, or tragedy strikes, the disillusioned will be tempted to think, "Where is God when I need Him?"  Yet, such times are never a test of God.  He does not change.  Indeed, those times only reveal the depth and grounding of one's true faith.   The test is of us!

The illustration is how God tested Israel during the wilderness wanderings.  Though God took care of their every need and visibly led them each day, many voiced their dissatisfaction.  Their discontent "provoked" the LORD (v.10).  Their sinful and rebellious attitudes led to hardened hearts.  The root problem was that they did not believe God was taking care of them (vv.12 and 19)).  Over the forty years of the Exodus, that entire generation died without ever enjoying the Promise Land.

Everyone goes through tough times.  God has great things in store for us.  We need each other and we need to encourage one another "every day...today"! (v.13)

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

3 unique claims about Jesus

 Read Hebrews 2.

In continuing to present the true identity and superiority of Jesus, the Holy Spirit next guided the writer to how this personally affects us all.  After an admonition in the opening verses that "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard", chapter two moves from the uniqueness of the person of Christ to the uniqueness of His position.

1. Jesus is the Sovereign of the universe. (vv.5-8)
Notice how exclusive these statements are.  To Jesus, God the Father has "subjected the world to come" (v.5).  "...putting everything in subjection under his feet...he left nothing outside his control." (v.8)  Yet, it is not all future.  Jesus said in present tense, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18)

The point is this:  Jesus Christ is the One in control.  He has all power and authority over everything.  That is why He is called the LORD.  Therefore, He is worthy of our humble submission.

2. Jesus is the Savior of the world. (vv.9)
He did not die a martyr's death on the cross that day.  Jesus was crucified as our substitute.  He died according to the plan and purposes of God.  "...so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."  Because all have sinned (Romans 3:10-11), Christ died for all.  As the writer will go on to clearly explain in later chapters, the blood of Jesus shed on the cross was the one time, full and final payment for all sin.  Therefore, we have forgiveness solely through receiving that gift.

3. Jesus is the Source of belonging to the family of God. (v.10-18)
He is the "one source" (v.11) of being "sanctified" (set apart) from sin to God's holiness.  As Paul wrote concerning those who have placed their eternal faith in Jesus, "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.  In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)  As a result, believers become brothers and sisters in Christ (v.11), members of the praise congregation (v.12), and "the children of God" (v.13).  As the resurrected LORD, He is alive today to help believers live for His glory (v.18).

I AM LORD.
I DIED FOR YOU.
I AM WITH YOU.

 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Who is the real Jesus?

 Read Hebrews 1.

Some have called Him a good man.  Some have referred to Him as an example who went about doing good things.  Most admit he was an historical person.  Some claim He was an angel in heaven, a created being.  Some say He was God in the flesh.  Others say He was just a man.  Some have called Him the prophesied Messiah.  Others have rejected Him.  Some have placed their eternal faith in Him and seen their lives radically changed as a result.

So, when a person states they believe in Jesus, it is appropriate to ask what they believe about Him and on what do they base their belief.  Many religious groups will say they believe the Bible, yet their view of Jesus contradicts what is written in the Scriptures.  A quick read of just three chapters in the New Testament clearly defines the Biblical Jesus: John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1.

In verses 2-4 of this chapter of Hebrews, we are given eight characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. He is the heir of all things.
Not only is Jesus the heir, but the Apostle Paul wrote that those who place their faith in Him become "fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
2. He is the Creator.
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)  Therefore, any contrary view of origins is a direct attack on who Jesus is.
3. He is the radiance of the glory of God.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
4. He is the exact imprint of the nature of God.
Exact, not a reasonable facsimile or one of many.  "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." (Colossians 2:9)
5. He is the upholder of the universe by the word of his power.
"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)  Just as He spoke the creation into existence, in His sovereign control He sustains it in the same way.
6. He is the purifier of sins.
"...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:14)
"...he appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26b)
7. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
When Christ cried out on the cross, "It is finished", there remained no need for any further sacrifices.  The work of atonement was done.  Romans 8:34 states that Jesus is there now "interceding for us".   "...who is gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." (1 Peter 3:22)
8. He is superior to the angels.
Angels are special and separate beings Jesus created.  "Let all God's angels worship him." (v.6)  And, perhaps, the strongest statement of all comes from the Father concerning Jesus, the Son.  Verse 8 is a quote from Psalm 45:6-7.  Here, in Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, Jesus is directly called God.

"So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Mercy: Pass it On

 Read Philemon

This letter from the Apostle Paul is truly an excuse note.

Onesimus was a Colossian slave.  Evidently, he decided he did not like where he was and what he was doing.  But he had no money to escape.  He then stole from his master and ran to Rome.  However, even in the big city he could not avoid being caught.  Roman law supported the slave owners to the limit.  At best, he would be sent back home, severely punished, and serve as a slave again.  At worst, he would be executed as an example to others.

But something happened when he was arrested and put in prison.  In the sovereignty of God, Onesimus came in contact with one of his master’s closest friends.  Paul introduced this runaway slave to Jesus.  In Colossians 4:9, Paul referred to Onesimus as “our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”

Receiving Christ changed the slave’s eternity, but it did not change the problems he faced.  Paul faced a problem as well.  Onesimus needed to own up to his rebellion and thievery.  Also, it appears that Paul had led Philemon to Jesus.  These were now two Christian brothers and personal friends.  How can Pual somehow reconcile a runaway slave and a slave owner so they both behave in a way that pleases God?

Paul took some practical steps of writing this powerful and personal note of appeal.  Next, he sent Tychicus to personally escort Onesimus home.  This would, perhaps, insure not only a safe arrival but a confirmation of all that Paul wanted done.

The appeal in this letter is based upon that fact that since believers have received the mercy of God through Christ, we should pass that mercy on to others who have wronged us.  Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.  Justice would have demanded a different approach.  “Yet for love’ sake I prefer to appeal to you…”(9a).  Maclaren wrote, “Love is the weapon of  a strong man who can cast aside the trappings of superiority, and is never loftier than when he descends, no more absolute when he (yields) authority, and appeals with love to love.”