Daily Bread: Friday 19th Dec 2008

The Bible passages can be read here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

We now look at Chapters 9-13 of the book of Hebews.

Heb 9:12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
Heb 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.


We start with the simple but essential truth that Jesus accomplished salvation, atonement for his people at the Cross. It was achieved totally at that point. This secures an eternal redemption. I think this nails to death the idea a person can lose their salvation. Eternal redemption is just that eternal, without end.

Without the blood we are dead to God and unable to serve him or please him.

Heb 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Those that are called receive the inheritance. This verse shows that the work of Jesus in the New Covenant pays for the sins of those that believed under the Old Covenant.

Heb 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Heb 9:25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
Heb 9:26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Heb 9:28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Christ entered back into Heaven as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He was a living sacrifice, perfect and pleasing to God. He died for many. All are appointed to die, the Judgement comes after death, only those in Christ will live eternally with God, the rest will perish in Hell.

Heb 10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
Heb 10:17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
Heb 10:18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
Heb 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Heb 10:22 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.

This is hard to accept because we are so wretched and sinful yet all our sins are removed. God sees them no more, it is as if we have not sinned in his sight. Knowing we are forgiven lets us draw near to him, love him and serve him.

Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

This verse shows that salvation as a free gift does not mean Grace abuse, it is not a licence to sin. Christians will sin, we will not be perfect, but we hate it and fight it and grow in Holiness.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This Chapter shows that it is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is believing him, trusting in him, resting in him, his word and obeying him as he enables you to do so.

Heb 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
Heb 11:40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

The great statement we all wish to hear. That we have served God to the degree that the World is not good enough for us. We have loved our God and hated our own lives and this sinful world.

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are reminded that all Heaven watches us, we are cheered on to serve Christ and bring him glory. We have a vapor of life here and to live it in sin is madness indeed. We get one chance to serve him.

Heb 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Heb 12:29 for our God is a consuming fire.

In this life we can seem crazy to serve God. It can seem like we are all alone and losing the battle, waisting our lives. Yet we look to eternal reality. This life is passing away, only God, his Kingdom and those that do his will remain...

Heb 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

We are all in this together, we need each other and we need God most of all. We can look at others, see those that followed God, were faithful and prospered Spiritually for it, and those that rejected God and fell into decay and destruction. The fact that Jesus is God and does not change is our hope. We cannot trust ourselves at times, others may fail us, yet he will not!

How lost would we be if we had to keep ourselves saved but for a second.


Martin R Gough