JANUARY 31

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

***** *****

Psalm 2:11

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

Hebrews 4:16

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

1 John 1:7

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Hebrews 13:20-21

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 10:21-24

“and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 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 one another in order to stir up love and good works,”

***** *****

This month we’re reading  the new devotional   “Becoming New”,  written by  Warren W. Wiersbe and compiled by his grandson.  Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.  

THE LIVING WAY

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

In the early years of the Church, the Christian life and message were called “the Way”.  Of course, Jesus is “the way”  and He taught about the two ways: a narrow way that leads into God’s Kingdom and a broad way that leads to judgment (Matthew 7:13-14).  The writer of Hebrews informs us that the Christian way not only leads to life BUT ITS ITSELF NEW AND LIVING, and that gives us at least four encouragements:

IT IS A PRIVILEGED WAY BECAUSE IT IS A NEW WAY. It sets aside the old legal way of Moses that ended at the cross when the veil of the temple was torn in two in Matthew 27:52, opening the way into the Holy of Holies.  The high priest was allowed to go behind that veil only once a year to apply the blood of the sacrifice to the mercy seat, and anyone else attempting to do so was killed.

All believers today may freely come into the presence of God at the heavenly mercy seat and worship Him, pray, and “find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb 4:16).

 The Christian walk is not a static legal system but a growing, living relationship that brings abundant life!

IT IS A CONFIDENT WAY.

The Jews at Mount Sinai had to keep their distance in Exodus 19-21, and even Moses was frightened at the demonstration of God’s power and glory as told in Hebrews 12:18-21.  But God’s people today are invited to draw near “boldly”, which means “with freedom of speech and with confidence.”  Hebrews 4:16 and 10:19

Of course, we don’t  come to the throne of grace without spiritual preparation or in a careless or flippant manner.  The Jewish high priest had to bathe completely and put on holy garments before entering the Holy of Holies, and he also had to offer sacrifices.

IT IS A GRACIOUS WAY.

The high priest had to offer sacrifices for himself, his family, and the people of Israel, but the one sacrifice Jesus offered has settled the sin question for all who have been born again.  If we have confessed our sins sincerely to the Lord, we can come into His presence unafraid.

Because we belong to Christ, God’s throne is no longer a throne of judgment:  it is a throne of grace, and we can ask Him for what we need!  

“But He gives us more grace.”  (James 4:6)

IT IS AN ONGOING WAY.

We are going forward, making progress as we move ahead freely in the Christian life.  Whenever the Jewish people faced trials in their wilderness wanderings, they complained to Moses and longed to return to Egypt.  But why go back when you can move ahead?  A static Christian  life is not a happy or fruitful Christian life.  We must mature in Christ as we enter into what He has planned for us.  We must encourage others and look ahead and not back.  If we do, we will mature in faith, hope and love and bring help to others and glory to the Lord.

 We will claim our spiritual inheritance in Christ and experience His transformation along this new and life-giving way.

Published by liveinthelightofourlord

View all posts by liveinthelightofourlord