TESTED FAITH

TESTED FAITH

Heb. 11:17-18 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, though God had promised him, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted."  NLT

      The faith that Abraham lived was one of absolute commitment, trust, and confidence in God. God promised Abraham that Isaac was going to be the one that God was going to use to keep His promise to him of a nation of people too numerous to count who would possess the land of Israel. We understand that God was pointing to Christ who would come from Abraham's seed. Abraham believed God explicitly. He knew it was going to happen. He knew Isaac was going to be the beginning of the fulfillment of God's promise.

       Yet, God tested Abraham's belief. He demanded that he take Isaac up to Mt. Moriah and offer him up there as a sacrifice before God. Abraham had no clue as to what God was up to. From all outward appearances, it would seem like God had changed His mind and had other plans to fulfill His promise. Yet, Abraham knew in his heart that God would keep His word. He absolutely trusted God's character and knew He would fulfill His promise through Isaac. Abraham did not know how God would do it, all he knew was that He would. Abraham was willing to obey God explicitly. Not only would Isaac die, but as far as he knew, so would the fulfillment of God's promise. Abraham did not waver in his knowledge of God's trustworthiness and faithfulness. God would keep His word.

      What an awesome challenge for our faith today! Do we know God well enough to trust Him no matter what appears to be going on around us? Do we have an absolute confidence in God's character that enables us to live without doubting His promises to us? Are we absolutely committed to God?

      When we fail to believe and trust in God absolutely, we are in essence casting doubt on who He is. True faith is that which is grounded in the perfect holiness of God's character. It is knowing that God is absolute Truth and He will always be true in all He says. The test of your faith is how you live out what you know to be true of God.

LIFE WITHOUT FAITH

LIFE WITHOUT FAITH

Heb. 11:6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  NLT

     You will never please God without faith actively working in your life. Faith is not just what we believe about God, it is putting into practice what we believe. It is living as if it were true. There is a huge difference between mental belief and living belief.

      If you want to have an audience with God, you are going to have to live connected to Him. You cannot get by with what you know to be true. You must let Jesus purify your heart and then live like you are pure. You must practice what you preach and then God will reward you.

      Of course, the reward every true believer longs for is heaven. We live for heaven and we die for heaven. We sincerely believe that what God has promised is true on earth and in heaven. We strive to do our very best to actively pursue Him and let Him live out His life in and through us.

      In a sense, the reward of heaven is ours to have today. When we are living a life of faith rooted in the life of Christ, we are living in heaven. We are living in the presence of God. Heaven is far more than what we have now in Christ, but it is also an eternal life in Christ. In Christ, the glory of heaven fills our souls and helps us deal with life on earth. Faith is the unleashing of heaven's glory and power in our lives.

      Do you have a faith rooted in a relationship with Christ or rooted in your knowledge of Him? Only those who take God seriously and live out their faith in Him will please Him and see Him someday.

       Life without faith is a life lived in hell eternally and a life lived in misery here on earth.  It is a life without hope and peace.  It is life lived without God in it

PLEASING FAITH

PLEASING FAITH

Heb. 11:6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  NLT

      There are many, many people today who try to please God without faith in Christ.  They are willing to confess belief in God, but not in Christ as the way to God.  They strive to be good people and convince themselves that it is enough in order to be accepted by God.  Some will profess to believe in Jesus but their belief in Him is nothing more than lip service.  They do not entrust themselves to Him for salvation and strive to make it to heaven on their own.

      It is impossible to please God apart from a living faith in Christ because Jesus is the only one who truly pleases God.  Jesus perfectly obeyed God and offered himself up as the sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus alone is the glory of God personified.  There is no way to please God outside of the righteousness and holiness of Christ which He bestows on those who trust Him to be their Savior.

     It is not enough to believe there is God; we must believe in God’s way to eternal life.  Anyone can make it to heaven if they believe in their heart that God has made himself known to man through the life of Jesus and trusts in Him to be his Savior.  Jesus rewards all who come to Him for the forgiveness of their sins with eternal life.  There is no other way that God is going to be pleased with you and accept you as His child.  

      Not only must we have saving faith, we must have living faith.  Saving faith translates into living faith for those who have sincere hearts.  We live lives that are consistent with our salvation.  We allow the Lord to continuously change us and teach us new things.  We grow into holiness of life as we live out our faith.  If you are not growing, you are not going to heaven when you die.  Life begets life.  If you are alive in Christ, you will produce evidence of it in your life.  Faith without works is dead.  There is no life in those who do not show evidence of it in their lives.

       Words spoken without actions to back them up are meaningless.  What we say does not please God unless it is backed up by godly living, which requires much faith to accomplish.  Anyone can claim to be a follower of Christ, very few actually follow Him. 

      It takes no faith to claim to be a Christian, but it takes great faith to actually live like one.  Those who actually live by faith are those who please God and will see Him someday face-to-face.

WHAT IS FAITH?

WHAT IS FAITH?

Heb. 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot see.  NLT

      How much confidence do you have in the Lord's ability to bring to pass what He has promised? Do you act like it's a done deal, or do you act like maybe it won't happen? The Lord often speaks to us through His Word about what He intends to do. He will speak to us through the voice of His Spirit disclosing His intentions for us. He will sometimes use other people to give us direction. The Lord gives us hope in our times of discouragement and despair knowing that we need a fresh voice from God. He spurs us on with His promises when we need help to keep moving forward.

       Often we need help to keep the faith. We need help to stay focused on the workings of the Lord in our lives. We cannot see God and often fail to see what He is doing. We need God's testimonies of what He is doing. We need to hear how God is living amongst us so we can open our eyes to see it happening. Faith is rooted in our awareness of God and His activities. It is letting God involve us in them. It is going beyond what we see and putting our trust and confidence in God's plan for us. It is living in the certainty that God is true to His word and will bring to pass what He has promised.

      Is your faith rooted in God, someone else, or yourself? Only God is trustworthy. He alone is able to deliver on His word. He alone is able to tell it like it is without the possibility of error. He alone is able to know the beginning from the end and work all things out accordingly. He alone knows what we need and lovingly supplies it out of the richness of His love and grace for us.

      Blessed is he who has a faith deeply rooted in God.

KEEP ON TRUSTING

KEEP ON TRUSTING

Heb. 10:35-36 Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.  NLT

      When the going gets tough, so many of us get going---in the wrong direction. We don't like the tough times of life and rather than face them with confidence and boldness in faith, we flee from them. We try to avoid tough times. We don't like confrontation and are prone to cower away when backed into a corner. When it makes things easier on us we are prone not to express our faith in Christ. We tend to speak out only when we know that it will be well-received by the company we are in. We act sometimes like we are ashamed of the fact we are children of God.

      We are reminded in today's verses that we should never be this way. We are going to face troubles in this life, but we should face them with our eyes fixed on Christ and not our troubles. We should always strive to please Him and represent Him well no matter what happens. What is important is what is before us and not what is around us or behind us. We can deal with whatever we encounter in life with confidence and boldness when we are centered in Christ.

     When we face difficult circumstances in life we need to pray for patient endurance so that we will not waiver or back down in our confidence in Christ or witness for Him. We need God's help if we are to remain faithful to Him in all things. Daily ask Him for whatever it takes for you to remain strong in Him and be a strong witness for Him. He has promised great rewards for us who are faithful to the end doing His will for our lives.

      May the Lord find you faithful today. May we be as faithful to Him as He is to us.

SINNING MATTERS

SINNING MATTERS

Heb. 10:26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins.  NLT

      I am not going to attempt to interpret this verse. As with any Scripture, it must be understood within the context of the rest of the Scriptures. I will let smarter people than me wrestle over it. What I want us to think about today is this: God takes seriously how we live. He never has and never will tolerate sin. He cannot for He is holy. There is not any part of His being that is not holy. He is absolutely perfect and sin can never be anywhere near Him. Sin is detested by God. It is what forced Him to allow Jesus to die a criminal's death on the cross.

      God will never allow us into His presence with sin in our lives. Jesus makes us presentable to God by forgiving our sins and making us holy. But if we spurn Jesus and reject His holiness by deliberately sinning, there is no hope for us, regardless of how far along we are in our walk with Him.

      We must deal with our sins by throwing ourselves at Jesus' feet and plead with Him for His mercy. We must not take sin lightly. There simply is no hope for us if we neglect our salvation and refuse to walk in holiness of life.

      Do you have any sin hanging around in your life that you have not let Jesus take care of? Don't let spiritual pride keep you from admitting and confessing sin. No one is immune from sin. We are not God and we do sin. Deal with it. Don't let it hang around and fester in your soul. The longer we let sin hang around, the more of a hold it has on us, and the more likely we are to sin against God. We need to be constantly vigilant over our souls and take our sin to Jesus whenever it rears its ugly head. Today is the day of salvation. Don't blow your opportunity to be forgiven.

DELIBERATELY SINNING

DELIBERATELY SINNING

Heb. 10:26-27 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.  NLT

     We must always let the Word speak for itself.  It is a dangerous practice to fit it into our theology and make it say what we want it to say.  Let us hear what the Word says to us today.  A keyword in our understanding of these verses is the word if.  This is a conditional state.  The consequences of our abandonment of faith are severe.

     If we DELIBERATELY continue sinning after we know better, we are in deep trouble with God.  Deliberate speaks of intent.  Deliberately sinning is not done accidentally, but on purpose.  It is a determined way of life.  It is true of those who have a cheap concept of grace.  The thought is that once we are saved we are not going to be punished for sin so it doesn’t matter whether or not we sin.  It is taking lightly God’s hatred for sin and abusing His grace.  It is essentially saying that Jesus’ dying for our sins wasn’t that big of a deal; it doesn’t affect the way we live.

      Receiving the full knowledge of the truth can be interpreted to mean just intellectual knowledge or heart and mind knowledge.  I will let others determine that.  What matters is the attitude of the heart towards sin.  There is no saving grace for those who determine in their hearts to live a sinful life.  Sinful conduct breeds sinful consequences.  God will never condone sin or excuse it.  Sin in the heart will be punished.  A sin-infested heart will not enter into heaven.  The reality of it is God will condemn all who insist on living in sin and not grace.

      Saving grace changes the attitude we have towards sin.  We no longer can tolerate living in it.  We strive to overcome it.  We seek God’s continuous help in identifying it and ridding ourselves of it.  Godliness becomes our way of life instead of sinfulness. 

       How do you feel about sin?  Does it bother you when you do it?  Are you deliberately striving to not sin?  Are you more concerned about your soul’s standing before God than you are the pleasures of sin?  When we deliberately sin against God, it is showing God great disrespect.  It is abusing His wondrous grace.

DON'T NEGLECT CHURCH

DON’T NEGLECT CHURCH

Heb. 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back is drawing near.  NLT

       I cringe when I hear of people who profess faith in Christ and seek to justify staying away from the fellowship of God’s people in worship.  I know how bad churches can be.  I know the hurts that are inflicted by church people on each other.  I know that church life can be detrimental to one’s mental and emotional health.  I understand how avoiding the church can seem like a good idea at times.  The church is made up of sinners and sometimes it really shows.

      However, I believe it is very damaging to the soul to totally dismiss church life because of the actions of people.  There is an ample supply of churches available to us so that we can find a church where we can worship the Lord without strife.  And if the only church available to us is full of problems, we can still worship amongst God’s people without participating in the strife.

      Neglecting the church because of the actions of some of her people is not a good solution to the problem.  We need the fellowship of the church.  We need to know that we are not alone in our walk with the Lord.  We need to know that other people are hearing the Gospel message and identify with it just like we do, even if they don’t live it.  We need to come underneath the spoken Word.  We need to be in an environment where we will hold ourselves accountable for how we live out our faith.  We need to be around people who encourage us in our faith and spur us on to greater faith.  We need to be where we are warned about what happens when we get careless and even neglect our faith.  We need to be challenged by others to stay connected to the Lord through prayer and the reading of the Word.

      The Lord is coming soon.  No one knows how soon it will be, but He is coming for His church.  It is imperative that we stay connected to the church through faithfully being a part of it so that when the Lord does come, we will be ready.  It is very dangerous and damaging to the soul to let other people or things interfere with our need to be involved in the life of the church.  We participate in church life because we love He who is the head of the Church and because we need it for the sake of our souls.

BE AN ENCOURAGER

BE AN ENCOURAGER

Heb. 10:24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.  NLT

       When was the last time you gave any thought at all to ways you can encourage others?  Chances are this is not one of the things on your list of priorities to do.  If we do encourage someone, it’s more of an accident than an intentional behavior.  Let us take a few moments and think about this today.

       First of all, who do you know that could use some encouragement today?  Everyone needs it at various stages of life, so it shouldn’t be hard to come up with someone.  Give a name to someone you know who could use some encouragement.  Now, ask the Lord to give some ideas on how to best encourage them.

       Perhaps your someone is going through some physical issue that is causing much anxiety for them.  Perhaps there is anxiety over financial issues.  Perhaps there are marital issues going on.  Maybe there are relationship issues that need to be resolved.  Maybe there is frustration and discouragement over a lack of success with goals being pursued in life.  Perhaps your someone is being criticized and not being treated well by others.  Whatever the issue, think about ways that you might be able to do good and lighten the load on their shoulders.

      Sometimes just being a compassionate friend is enough.  Sometimes words spoken help.  Sometimes something we personally do is what is needed.  Everyone needs to know that someone cares and is there to support them in their journey of life.  You cannot truly say you love someone until you are willing to act it out.

     Notice that we are to be encouragers to outbursts of love and good deeds.  Outbursts are spontaneous reactions.  When we are motivated lovers of Christ it generates outbursts of love and good deeds.  When we purposely set out to encourage others, we will always find ways to do it.  It should come naturally for us.  We cannot truly love Christ and it not show in how we relate to one another. 

      The good news is that when you are an encourager, you will be encouraged by the love of others in your times of need for encouragement.  Godly love is characterized by being encouragers.  It is simply getting involved in each other’s lives and ministering to needs where needed.  Don’t just talk love talk; live it out for the glory of Christ.

UNWAVERING FAITH

UNWAVERING FAITH

Heb. 10:23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.  NLT

       Do you waver sometimes in your faith? Be honest. Are there times in which you question whether or not it’s all true, or if it’s worth all the struggles? I believe it happens to all who live in faith. Because we cannot see or be with Christ physically in our daily walk, we are sometimes overwhelmed by life’s circumstances to the point where it is hard to hold onto our faith. In moments of weakness or weariness, we begin to wonder and perhaps wander. Today’s verse reminds us to hold on tightly to our faith.

      The journey can be very rough. Some of the faithful are persecuted to the point of death. Some are ridiculed and in the eyes of man made out to be fools. Whatever responses we may encounter or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we must hold on tightly without wavering. What we know to be true in the light is always true in the dark. What is true when things are going well for us is true when the going gets rough. God is faithful and true always. He can be trusted to keep His promises to us regardless what life may bring our way. In sickness or health, in life or death, God is true and faithful. God’s Word is trustworthy. What He has spoken is backed up by who He is. Hang on tightly to what you know to be true about God and what comes from Him.

      If you are going through a time in which your faith is weakening, I urge you to go to the Word and remind your soul of who God is. Read what John says about Him in the Gospels and in his epistles. Read through the Psalms and hear what the Psalmists say about Him. Read the Gospels and meditate on Jesus and what He has to say about His relationship with God. Read the Word and let it refresh your soul.

      God’s promise is that when we believe and not doubt our faith will be rewarded. He promises great victory for those who hang on tightly with an unwavering confidence and hope in Him. God will deliver on His promise, so keep on keeping on in your trust in Him.                   

BOLDLY APPROACHING GOD

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BOLDLY APPROACH GOD     

Heb. 10:19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.  NLT

      We have no right to approach God’s throne apart from Christ.  We have no merit to approach Him.  We have no access to God apart from Jesus.  God can tolerate only those who come to Him through Jesus.  Because Jesus is our Savior, we can boldly approach Him.

       As His children, we do not have to fear approaching God.  We need to fear Him, but not fear to approach Him.  We must never lose our respect and reverence for God when we approach Him.  He is holy God and holds the fate of our souls in His hands.

       As His children, we have the right to approach God.  We have an open invitation to approach Him.  Jesus shields us with His righteousness.  We can boldly bring anything we desire to Him.  We can be honest with Him about anything.  We can vent our emotions before Him.  We can share with Him everything on our hearts and minds.  We might as well, He knows all about what we are thinking and feeling anyways. 

      We can approach God boldly because He has promised that if we ask Him anything within His will we shall have what we ask for. 

      We can approach Him boldly because He already knows what we want and need before we even ask for it. 

      We can boldly approach Him because He encourages us to ask and not give up our asking.  He hears us and answers the prayers of the sincere, humble heart before Him.

      We can boldly approach God because we know that He loves us and wants to help us.  We know that He wants to take our burdens off our shoulders.  We know that He wants to shower us with His goodness and bless our ways.  We know that He wants to help us make our way home to Him.  We know He wants to redeem the soul of every man.  We know that He wants to pour love into our souls.  We know He wants to heal us and make us whole.  Knowing these things are true, let us therefore boldly enter into the presence of our God and dwell there until He calls us home.

PERFECTED

PERFECTED

Heb. 10:14 For by that offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy.  NLT

      When Jesus offered himself on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, something absolutely amazing took place; He perfected all those whom He is making holy.  Being perfected is not the same thing as being perfect.  No one on earth aside from Christ himself has ever been perfect.  It is impossible for us to be perfect.  We will never get to the point where we cannot be tempted and then fall into it.  Being perfected means that we are completely saved when we come to Christ for our salvation.  There is nothing else that can be done for us.  Christ completely makes us presentable to God as His children.  We are seen by God through the righteousness and holiness of Christ.  We are fit for the Kingdom of God. 

      It is a mysterious and wondrous thing Christ has done for us.  No one can fully grasp how amazing it is to be seen by God as perfectly fit to come into His presence. No one can fully grasp how a perfect God can tolerate a sinful man in His presence. 

      Those who are perfected are those whom Christ is making holy.  This is an ongoing process that never stops.  We are always being worked on.  It is Christ’s mission to make us holy.  We cannot have fellowship with Him if we are not letting Him make us holy.  He will not change us against our will, but if we are willing, we do become a holy people.  If we resist His work within us, we cannot claim to be His children.  There is a definite working of God in us that causes us to change if we are indeed His children.  We are permanently declared to be perfected when we let the Lord have His way in us. 

     A perfected soul is a holy soul, pure and ready to go and be with the Lord.

ONE DEATH FOR ALL

ONE DEATH FOR ALL

Heb. 9:27-28 And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him.  NLT

      After we die, our fate is sealed. We will go before God in judgment. It will be the only time some will ever see God. If they have rejected Christ during their lives, His memory will be etched on their mind for all of eternity as they reap what they have sown in the pits of hell. For some, it will be the beginning of an eternity in which they will see and enjoy God in all His holiness and glory for all eternity.

      Death is the finality of life lived on earth. We die once and that is it. In the same way, Jesus died once. There was no need for Him to do anything else. His death on the cross was everything that needed to be done for our salvation. He perfectly satisfied God’s wrath and made it possible for sinful man to be united with God in oneness of heart and life. The door to heaven was opened up for all who come to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins to enter in.

      When Jesus comes again to earth, it will be to gather together all of His children and usher them through the door He opened to heaven where they will live forever.

      Are you eagerly serving the Lord, waiting for Him to come and gather together His children? Or, does the thought of it make you uneasy and frighten you? Jesus may come for you today.  Are you ready? Are you living for Him daily?  Have you invested your life in Him?  Are you actively seeking to grow in grace and your knowledge of Him?

       It’s not too late to make a commitment to Christ.  Set aside your pride and self-righteousness right now and turn to Him for the forgiveness of your sins.  It will be the best decision you will ever make in life

CHRIST, OUR ADVOCATE

CHRIST, OUR ADVOCATE

Heb. 9:24 For Christ has entered into heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate.  NLT

       Christ is in heaven today.  He is there because of His own merit.  He lived life without sin in His heart.  He lived in perfect obedience to God.  He even went beyond living a sinless life.  He became a sinless sacrifice for our sins.  He willingly went to the cross to make it possible for us to be forgiven for our sins.  He didn’t need forgiveness, but we do.  He willingly took all of our sins upon His shoulders and went into the depths of hell and threw them into Satan’s face.  He did away with the curse of the law for all who would believe in Him and accept Him as their Savior. 

       When He declared, “It is finished”, there was nothing else for Him to do.  He had completed all that needed to be done for our salvation.  He could now go back to heaven to sit at our Father’s right hand.  It is there where He now ministers on our behalf before God. 

      The ultimate proof of His sinless life was the cross.  Jesus came into the world to die for our sins.  If He had not gone to the cross He would have died a sinner, for the cross was God’s predetermined will for our Lord.  He would have died, and so would everyone else die in their sins.  We would still be trying to appease God with our sacrifices and offerings for our sins. 

      Christ is in heaven today actively representing us before God.  Only Jesus is qualified to stand before God as our representative.  He is there continuously proclaiming us to be His own.  He is there to stand between us and God.  He is there to be for us our righteousness even when we mess up.  He is there to keep us pure before God so that we can have an audience with Him.  He is there to defend us and keep us safe from God’s wrath.

     Christ is in heaven today for us.  Let us bow before Him and worship Him today.  Let us sing forth His praises.  Let us give Him our thanks and unwavering devotion today and always.

CHRIST'S SHED BLOOD

CHRIST’S SHED BLOOD

Heb. 9:22b  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.  NLT

       Early in the life of the Israelites, God established a way for sinful man to deal with his sins.  It involved the sacrificial offering of approved animals.  Blood had to be sprinkled on the altar and around various parts of the Tabernacle.  It was essential because God put the life of all living creatures in the blood.  It is the most essential part of the body.  It is what carries the oxygen throughout the body.  If there is no blood flowing, there is no life.

       In doing this, God prepared the way for the death of Christ for our sins.  Life had to be given for life.  Animal sacrifices had to be made often because they could only cover up the sins of the people, not do away with them.  As long as the sacrifices were made, they would not be subject to God’s holy wrath.  They were imperfect offerings that were acceptable until Jesus came.  Jesus was the perfect offering.  He lived life without sin and went to the cross as a perfectly righteous and holy sacrifice.  His death was the perfect sacrifice and it is sufficient to take away the sins of all who come to Him for all time. 

      If Jesus had not died, we would still be lost in our sins.  We would still be under the Law and have to offer animal sacrifices.  But, Jesus did die, was buried, and rose from the dead.  He is seated in heaven at God’s right hand and ministers on our behalf before God our Father.  Anyone who desires to be made right with God must first be made right with Christ.  He must come to Christ acknowledging his sins, confess them to Christ, and ask Him for forgiveness.  Only then can God forgive us and adopt us into His heavenly family.

       Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you?  If you haven’t, you are going to hell unless you do.  If Jesus is your Savior, live like it and tell all you can that they can be saved, too. 

OUR HIGH PRIEST

OUR HIGH PRIEST

Heb. 7:26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.  NLT

     The high priest is he who stands before God on behalf of others and offers a sacrifice for their sins. Before the coming of Christ, the high priest was allowed to enter the holiest part of the Temple to offer blood before God on first his own behalf, and then the people's. First for his own sins because he too was a sinner in need of forgiveness. Once his heart was pure he could then go to God for the people. It was the most sacred duty he had and he could only do it once a year. He had very strict procedures to follow, and if he didn't do it he would die.

      Jesus did away with the high priestly role when he died for our sins because He became our high priest in heaven. He is holy and blameless having never sinned before God. He did not have to make atonement for His sins since He had none. His death was the ultimate sin sacrifice, sufficient to wash away the sins of all people for all time. His sacrifice was the perfect sacrifice sufficient to appease God's wrath against sin.  He is now in heaven working to make holy all who give their hearts to Him, preparing them for heaven when they die. 

      He is now in heaven where there is no sin, standing before God on our behalf. He makes it possible for God to look upon us with favor and pleasure because He is our righteousness and holiness from God. He has the highest place of honor in heaven as He sits on God's right hand ministering there on our behalf.

     He is heaven’s sunlight, her glory.  He is worthy of all our adoration, worship, and praise. Let us never take Him for granted and give Him on earth the honor and glory He deserves, even as He receives it in heaven.  Glory be our Lord and King!  Let your life bring Him glory until He comes.

JESUS IS ABLE TO SAVE

JESUS IS ABLE TO SAVE

Heb. 7:25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf.  NLT

       Never doubt the ability of Jesus to save you or anyone else who comes to Him for salvation. Anyone who wants a personal relationship with God can have it. Anyone who wants God on their side can have Him. All that anyone has to do is to come to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. It is very easy to enter into a relationship with God, but one of the hardest things for anyone to do. Why? Because we don't want to lose control over our lives. Satan convinces us that if we let Jesus have control of our lives we will no longer be happy. We will no longer be free to do what we want. What Satan doesn't tell us is the truth. He is the father of all lies. He is incapable of telling the real truth.

      Letting Jesus take control of our lives and being our Savior and Lord frees us from the self-destruction that happens when we live in sin. He frees us up so we can participate in and enjoy the blessings of eternal life instead of temporal life. He frees us up so we can make sense out of ourselves and life.

      When we let Jesus take over, He becomes our defender before God. There is no one else who is worthy to approach God. He alone is able to move the heart of God. The Father, Son, and Spirit are all perfectly one. They are God. Therefore, when we let Jesus control us, we have God on our side. And, God is our protector and provider. He will take care of us and not allow harm to come our way. He will never look the other way when we come to Him with Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

       Jesus lives forever to plead with God on our behalf. He is never, ever, off-duty. There is never a moment in which Jesus is not before God on our behalf. He prevents God from, in His anger over sin, sending us into hell. Jesus alone is able to keep us from self-destruction. He alone is able to keep us right with God.

      Make sure you never let Jesus out of your sight or shut the door of your heart on Him. He is the only hope you have for life in and with God.  Will it be an easy life?  No.  Anyone who tells you that living in Christ is easy and free from the stresses and valleys of life is lying to you. 

       Jesus never promised us an easy life.  He told us to daily take up our cross and follow Him.  He told us to count the cost before we start out on our journey of faith.  He said that broad is the way that leads away from God and many travel it; narrow is the road that leads to God and few walk on it. 

        However, with our eyes focused on Jesus and our trust is rooted in Him, we will do it.  We can be among the few who make it to heaven when we give Jesus all of our heart, mind, and soul.

SPUR EACH OTHER ON

SPUR EACH OTHER ON

Heb. 6:4-6 For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were once enlightened--those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come--and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people to repentance again because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to public shame.   NLT

      There is much division within the Church as to how these verses are to be best understood and applied to life.  There are many Biblical scholars on both sides of the fence as to whether or not a true believer can forfeit his salvation.  Taken at face value, these verses clearly teach that if he can, then it’s impossible for him to be brought back to repentance if he turns away from God.  I will let those more knowledgeable than I am debate the issue.

      What I want us to consider today is that this should never be an issue to be debated in the Church.  We should be spurring each other on to a deeper walk with the Lord at all times.  We should be watching out for each other’s soul and caring enough for each other to bring to light those things which are not right before God.  We should be praying for each other consistently.  We should be holding each other accountable for the disciplines of faith.  We should be mentoring each other so that the desire for God would not grow cold or go out.  We should be so involved in each other’s lives that we will never want to stray from God. 

      If anyone’s love for Christ does die out, it’s because we have failed that soul.  We have not lovingly embraced and nurtured that soul.  We have not prayed for that soul as we ought.  We have not done our part to draw that soul back into a loving fellowship with Christ.

      There is no chance whatsoever of losing our salvation if we stay connected to Christ.  It is a moot point if we are living obediently to Christ and taking responsibility to help others in each other’s walk.  No one should ever be left alone to fend for themselves in spiritual matters.  No one can stay connected to Christ without help from others.  Surround yourself with godly people and embrace others in their faith.  Together we will make it to heaven. 

      Let us not get hung up on the finer points of doctrine and miss out on opportunities we have to help one another grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord.  Arguing over what we understand differently accomplishes nothing except to alienate us from each other and depriving ourselves of one another’s fellowship. 

       We need to know what we believe and why and then agree to disagree agreeably with those who see things differently than we do and do what the Lord commands us to do, go into the world with the Gospel message and make disciples for Him.

ON TO DEEPER THINGS

ON TO DEEPER THINGS

Heb. 6:1 So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.  NLT

      How much do you know about the deeper things of the faith?  Are you knowledgeable about how to live a holy life?  Do you know how to distinguish between truth and error?  Are you knowledgeable about God’s history with man and His future plans for him?  Are you keenly aware of what God calls sin and the consequences we face if we do sin against Him?  Do you know enough about holiness to make you want to live in it?  Are you able to handle whatever comes your way because you are well-grounded in the Word of God?

      There is a great lack of maturity in the thinking of God’s children.  There is a sad contentment with the minimal understanding of the Christian life.  There is so much emphasis placed on salvation and little placed on growth in faith.  Discipleship is not a priority in most Christians' lives.  We put all our energy on evangelism and neglect the nurturing of the faith of those who are saved.  Quantity trumps quality.  We shy away from the training of the soul in righteousness.

      It is not God’s will for you.  God wants you to go deeper in grace.  He wants you to grow in your ability to put into practice holiness of life.  He wants to teach you greater truths and increase your understanding of His ways.  He wants to make you into an effective servant.  He wants to equip you so that you can be of help to others.  He has much better plans for you than the elementary things of the faith.  He has great blessings in store for you that are reserved for those with pure hearts before Him.  God longs for you to become a victor over sin and not a victim to it.

      Surround yourself with those who can help you on this journey of faith.  Get close to those who will challenge you and inspire you to greater faith.  Don’t settle for less when God wants you to have more.

       Move on to the deeper things of faith.  They are the things that hold you steady in the storms of life.  They are what keeps your head on straight in the confusing world we live in.  They are what enables you to not doubt in the dark what you know is true in the light.  Move on to grab hold of the treasures God has for you in a surrendered life.  Move on and you will never settle for what the world offers you.  Move on; it’s the pathway to God.