Hebrews 11 - A Good Reputation We have freedom. That’s the reality. God is so Sovereign that He gives men and women the freedom to choose what they do. People are proven to be righteous and faithful to God by what they do. Those who have unfaithful hearts and whose lustful eyes long for the things of this world prove God’s freedom and His justice. We can have as much faith as we want. There is no excuse at the end of the day. We have one life; we choose what to do with it (Ezekiel 6:13). Let’s be honest, life is a struggle. Our battle against sin is a struggle. Studying. Problem solving. Overcoming hardship, bad government, poor leadership, family relations, health issues, finances, business challenges, parenting, marriage, aging, etc. Life’s a struggle. And yet we are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith in Jesus Christ. God’s faithful alumni. Our ancestors and our brothers and sisters in Christ. God watched over them as they lived and di
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Hebrews 10 - Christian Standards One more quick thought from an old hockey goalie (a sinner saved by Jesus) on Chapter 10 before we move on to the exciting Hall of Faith in Chapter 11. There is this big warning in 10:26-31 that ends with this, “For we know the one who said, ‘I will take revenge. I will pay them back.’ He also said, ‘The LORD will judge his own people.’ It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:30-31). It reminds me of God’s message to Israel just before Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. God said, “You people have behaved worse than your neighbors and have refused to obey my decrees and regulations. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you. Therefore, I myself, the Sovereign LORD, am now your enemy. I will punish you publicly while all the nations watch. Because of your detestable idols, I will punish you like I have never punished anyone before or ever will again” (Ezekiel 5:7-10). Man, to
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Hebrews 10 - Confident Hope God calls us to his good work. As our LORD God commissions us, his workers and messengers, he gives us a realistic assessment of the tough tasks ahead. We will face hardships, threats, rebels and rioters, and opposition from those with hard hearts and stubborn resolve. And that’s just inside the church. The odds do not matter. Do not be dismayed. Whether people accept the message of God our job is to be brave - to fearlessly deliver on the task God calls us to do today. Do not fear. God provides. Hebrews 10 encourages us and strengthens our resolve. We are reminded that Jesus, our great High Priest, rules over God’s house (10:21). Christ is King. That is what matters. Jesus reigns and rules and He alone judges. In this passage (v. 26-31), we hear the penalty in Moses' time for anyone who refused to obey Moses’ laws. And that penalty is held up against the standard of our Holy God as light punishment compared to the penalty c
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Hebrews 10 - Motivate and Encourage Well, even for the most charmed, things get tough. If you’ve been on the Christian walk for a while, you’ve tasted spiritual and physical hardship, crisis, suffering, and loss. You’ve likely had something stolen from you - something like property, or something like a career role, a sports position, or your good reputation. Have you tasted that? Have you experienced life getting real? Injustice. I suspect you have. If we look back over our lives - especially for those of us getting long in the tooth - we can see God’s grace and His discipline through many situations. God’s way builds our character. This is one of the best chapters in the Bible. Let’s cherish it. It reminds us of who Jesus is. And that He waits patiently for the hour of His return. Likewise, we are to be patient and to persevere. Let this chapter motivate us and give us the resolve to do right by Jesus - no matter the cost. It’s funny, you know, challenges com
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Hebrews 9 - New Life Just a short note today. I’m thinking of Easter, of the celebration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our Rescuer and Savior. We can’t understand the power of God, the power of a resurrected God unless we understand the power of His death. The Good News covenant between God our Saviour and his people could not go into effect until Jesus' death on the cross. Under the new covenant of Jesus Christ, we are born again, purified, and completely cleansed. We are no longer guilty before God. Jesus took the penalty for our sins on the cross. Thank you, God! God’s justice is rooted in his goodness. Sin and awful evil deeds are the cause of death and destruction. Don’t blame God. He didn’t defile anything. God’s anger ceases with confession of sin, sorrow, and mourning. It’s God’s requisite justice. There is no cheap salvation. Restoration begins with repentance for what we’ve done. There is no forgiveness without admission of
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Hebrews 8 - Tents and Priests Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, died to set us free from the penalty for all the sins we have committed. God promises us an eternal inheritance. God’s people are now responsible to honor Him. We are free men and women, awaiting God’s return. Hebrews is required reading for every growing Christian. I love chapters 7-10 regarding the new covenant of Christ. We won’t grow, I suggest, if we don’t understand this. Indeed, as explained in this Scripture, the rampant moral therapeutic deism, so common in the modern church, must be refuted with God’s truth. Thankfully God makes his point clear so that even a simple farm boy from Saskatchewan like me can grasp it. The main point is that Christians have a High Priest who ministers from the heavenly tent (Tabernacle) (8:2). Where Jesus ministers today is the true place of worship. It was not built by human hands. It was built by the Master Carpenter himself, Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only o
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Hebrews 7 - The Source of Grace God’s promise and oath to bless Abraham and to make him the spiritual father of God’s people is unchangeable. It is impossible for God to lie. God’s promise of entering His rest still stands - for you - and for me. God has prepared and planned an eternal home for us - a new earth. We must follow Abraham’s example of faith, endurance, courage, fear of God, and patience. We must not disobey God as Israel did (4:11), or we will fall. We must keep loving others as long as life lasts (6:11). Our hope will come true. We will enter God’s promised rest. Jesus Christ is the source of our salvation. That is our hope. That is what we hold to. Our hope in Jesus is trustworthy; it is a strong anchor for our souls. No matter the suffering, the raging storm, obey Jesus. Trust Him for He goes before us. How God acts and intervenes amongst people of all nations from all time is mysterious, but we get insight into His ways in the Bible. Melch