2004-09-10
Good Morning Treasured Ones,
This morning I’m led by the Holy Spirit to write about how the new covenant solves the problem of wicked, deceitful human hearts. As those of you who have been reading my messages for awhile know, while the Law is a blessing to mankind, it was never intended to bring them salvation. It’s purpose as stated in RO 7: 7, is “to make us know what sin is.” Mankind needs to know what pleases God and what doesn’t, so that he would know what God wants him to do or not do. To a person who doesn’t realize our utter need for salvation, the Law seems to take care of all his problems if he follows it. The Law stops all human excuses for bad behavior and puts them under God’s judgment. However a problem with this arises. RO 3: 20, “For no one is put right in God’s sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make man know that he has sinned.” However, man does need to be justified, put right with God, deemed acceptable by God. Here is the real reason that the Covenant of Grace is so badly needed. The new covenant isn’t intended to turn its back on the Law, only to deal with mankind’s need for God’s grace. We simply couldn’t achieve much-needed salvation on our own.
God knew this from before the time of the creation. We know this from such verses as COL 1: 20 which tells us God made peace with sinning mankind through Christ’s death on the cross-that Christ was the means by which God brought back to Himself all things on earth and in heaven. Also, 1 PET 1: 20-21 tells us “He [Christ] had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from death and gave Him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.” Further illumination is found in 2 COR 5: 21, “Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him, we might share the righteousness of God.” I find this sacrifice to be unparalleled and believe we all should realize that. Just think; we are a group of undeserving sinners who simply can’t do anything on our own to save ourselves. Our loving Abba knows this and decided to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the cross to suffer and die for us, so that we could have a way opened to us for salvation. As with any covenant (two-way promise), we are called upon to do our part. I have often said, we shouldn’t waste a drop of the blood Christ shed for us by continuing to sin. Couple that with the awful, unthinkable consequence of a life of sinning -spiritual death-and the misery that it brings, what’s to be gained by refusing to let the Spirit lead in our lives instead of the flesh?
As a Jewish person, the question of the rich culture in which I had been raised arises. I wanted to know why all the rituals and practices that are a part of it were as they are and what this means in light of the new covenant. Even Gentiles need the answers to these questions, because the practice of faith in Christ arises from Judaism. The overwhelming question to examine here is how Christ’s sacrifice on the cross takes away sins. HE 10: 1-18, which I hope you will read, helps us to gain some insight. Remember that in the practice of ancient Judaism, animal sacrifices were made for various reasons, such as fellowship, unintentional sins, grain, repayment, etc. The most important of these was the annual sacrifice of a lamb, without spot or blemish, by the Jewish high priest for the nation during the Passover, and of course, the sacrifice made of one of two goats for the Lord while the other, the “Azazel” or “scapegoat” (which represented the nation’s sins, was sent out to the desert to perish. The net result was forgiveness for one year only. How could this perfect people who came to God?
A question that comes up in HE 10: 2 is: If the people were really purified from their sins, why do they still feel guilty and continue animal sacrifices? After all, verses 3-4 say, “As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.” The Covenant of the Law provided the people with a most difficult predicament indeed. The Jewish king, David, recognized this predicament in PS 40: 6-8 when he wrote, “You do not want sacrifices and offerings; You do not ask for animals burned whole on the altar or for sacrifices to take away sins. Instead, You have given me ears to hear You, and so I answered, ‘Here I am; Your instructions for me are in the book of the Law. How I love to do Your will, my God! I keep Your teaching in my heart.’” The problem was never fully understood in David’s time and still isn’t by traditional Jews in Israel today, who have built the equipment and trained people in preparation to reestablish animal sacrifices in a planned third temple to be built in the future on the Temple Mount where the Blue Mosque stands today. Even the red heifer and cornerstone for that temple have been found in readiness for this happening. What is to happen to the Blue Mosque is a question without an answer right now. Space limitations in today’s message force me to leave us hanging until next week, when I can return to this Hebrews passage at verses 5-7 and continue examining the question of how the new covenant solves the problem of wicked, deceitful hearts. In the meanwhile, we should each meditate on how the blessing of the new covenant’s purpose applies in our own lives and why we should spend the rest of our time on earth getting whatever sin still remains in them out them.
PRAYER: O Lord, You call us to rid our lives of sin and have given us the blessing, through Christ’s Atonement, of a way to salvation. We now have the choice as to whether we sin or not, now that we have repented and come to faith in Him. Our faith begins as the mustard seed in Christ’s parable in MT 17: 20 and then must be nourished, so that it will grow to full maturity. Part of that nurture is eradicating sin from our lives, so there will be room in our souls for the maturity You are so eager for us to have. Speaking in such general terms may begin to focus us toward this important task to which You call us, but we must go beyond that to action. Your call requires us to do the following: 1) we must know Your will for us through the Ten Commandments and all Your teaching [PS 119: 93; RO 12: 1-2]; 2) we must decide that no matter how painful it is for us to face our sins, we will do that; 3) we must come to You in humility and ask for Your help, because we are too weak and flesh-driven to accomplish this task without it [MT 5: 3]; 4) we must appreciate that the only way we have the opportunity for salvation is through the great sacrifice that You and Your Son made when He went to the cross for us [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25; 1 JN 4: 9]; 5) we must make the changes that are required in our individual and congregational lives to conform to the standard that Christ modeled for us [RO 12: 2]; 6) we must spend the rest of eternity acknowledging Your great attributes and blessings [PS 36: 9]; 7) [Your perfect number, Dear Abba], we must let the leadership of Your Spirit direct our lives, both as our changes are being made and afterward [PS 34: 8; JN 14: 16-17]. Yes, Lord God, we must live our lives loving You and loving each other. Love must be the foundation of all the decisions we make and actions we take [JN 13: 34-35]. Let us conclude with David’s words in PS 36: 9-10, which express what is in our hearts. “For You are the Fountain of Life; our light is from Your light. Pour out Your unfailing love on those who know You! Never stop giving Your salvation to those who long to do Your will.” In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
As promised above, my next message will continue looking at HE 10: 1-18 and the subject of how the Covenant of Grace solves the problem of the wicked, deceitful human heart. All of this may at times seem complicated to us, but our awesome God is giving us a way to see how human history has evolved from uncivilized behavior from which there is no escape, to the chance to know what is sinful and what isn’t, and finally to the opportunity for salvation. All of this is authored and offered by our One and Only Sovereign God, Whose greatest desire is to bring us back to Himself for eternity [JN 6: 39-40]. Just think; God is altering our perspective from a self-centered Satan-led existence leading to spiritual death to one which is a Spirit-led life of loving and serving Him and others. The latter life saves us from sin’s claim on us and leads us to bliss and fellowship for eternity with Him. Now, if that isn’t a blessing to those who don’t deserve it, I don’t know what is! My fondest hope is that each of us can enjoy that special supernaturally-forged fellowship that we have with each other and with God producing the fruits of the Spirit as outlined in GA 5: 22-23, “But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.” And yes, this is something we can do with God’s comforting and encouraging presence together for eternity.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn