Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25, ESV
Jesus, our Great High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin. He entered into the holy of holies in the heavenly tabernacle and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. This is our confession. It is what we believe. In our passage today we are reminded that we who believe must act in ways fitting that belief. In the words of our passage, “since we have confidence . . . let us . . . let us . . . let us.” Our confidence in Christ compels us to draw near to our God. His grace creates in us the desire to be near Him. Since we believe that Christ has cleansed us from the filth of sin, we can draw near our Holy God. Confident in Christ, we do so in praise and prayer. Our confidence in Christ is anchored in His divine reliability. Therefore, we need not drift from our faith. If our faith was anchored in itself, we would be in a perilous situation. Our weak faith tends to shift like desert sands. But Jesus is a solid bedrock. Faith that is anchored in Him will hold. Our confidence in Christ motivates us to gather together and encourage one another in “love and good works.” Why is getting back together as the physically gathered body of Christ such a strong pull in these days of isolation? It is in part because we recognize that the work of Christ that draws each one of us to God is drawing us together so that we might motivate one another to reflect the love and righteousness of God in our individual lives. Confident in the person and work of Jesus, we go to God. We stand firm in Jesus. We gather together to promote love and righteousness. May God grant us grace that we may soon be gathered together to do just that. Pastor Don Comments are closed.
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From Pastor DonWriting about the Bible and praying that it will be of some good for someone. Archives
June 2021
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