Consider Galatians 5:16, which says, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Our flesh is drawn to pride, anger, fear, and self-righteousness (among other sinful emotions), all of which keep us from truly worshipping the Lord. "The sacrifice of worship," then, means that we willfully sacrifice the "right" to our human emotions and instead "offer to God . . . . the fruit of lips that confess His name" (Hebrews 13:15).
When is it a sacrifice to “praise God”, to “thank God”? (Hebrews 13:15) When is it a sacrifice to “do good and share”? (Hebrews 13; 16) When is it a sacrifice to “walk uprightly”, “work righteousness”, “speak truth”, not “backbite”, “not get even”, “judge evil”, “keep vows”, “lend without interest”? (Psalm 15) When is it a sacrifice to “humble ourselves, and pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways”? (2 Chronicles 7:14) When is it a sacrifice to “deny our self, take up Jesus’ Cross, and follow Him”? (Mark 8:34) When is it sacrifice to give our bodies “a living sacrifice”? (Romans 12:1)
I'm not sure if you're asking for specific examples, Doctor Vic, but as a "general" answer: Whenever we do all of those things with a humble, willing heart that seeks Him in grateful obedience, then they are sacrifices acceptable to God:
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. -Psalm 51:17
I like Trish's response very much. I also think there is a sense in which we can see these things as no "sacrifice" at all. When I was a follower of Pastor Matt, these were sacrificial, in part because they were hard but largely because they were not in my nature; they went against what I believed and IF I did them at all it was grudgingly, with gritted teeth, and often because I wanted to make myself look good or avoid punishment. But now that I am a follower of Jesus, what was once a sacrifice has become a joy, not because these actions do me good (although they do) or because I have to (there is no benefit in doing what I "have" to do). They have become a joy because they make God look good, that is, bring Him glory, and that is a grateful response of obedience in response to Jesus' sacrifice on my behalf. Just another perspective on Dr. Vic's question!
When first reading the passage from Hebrews, we may feel disconnected from the message. After all, how many of us get carried away with ceremonial foods or Old Testament sacrifices?
But if we look past the details and instead focus on the heart of the issue, we'll find that we have much to learn from this passage.
The Jewish believers addressed in the book of Hebrews were facing trials and persecution. As a result they were tempted (and proceeded) to return to the old ways which had "worked" for them in the past, when what they should have done was to look to the Lord for their comfort, strength, and salvation. We often do the same thing.
When we're faced with hardships and persecution, do we call upon the name of the Lord, worshipping Him and focusing on the hope that we have in Him -- or do we fall to past behaviors that "worked" for us in the past (a glass or two of wine, a shopping spree, a barrage of verbal insults, running away from the issue, etc., etc.)?
We know that the Old Testament sacrifices and religious ceremonies did not, in fact, work ("But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sough for another" -Hebrews 8:6-7). And if we're honest with ourselves, we know that the same is true for our own "old ways" -- they do not work.
Instead of falling to the desires of our flesh when we face trials, we should instead lift our hearts to the Lord and praise Him for His promise that "neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." The author of Hebrews alludes to the old "thank offering" described in Leviticus 7:12. "If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried." This was a familiar offering for the Jewish people to whom this letter was addressed, and it provided a way to connect what they used to do in order to praise God (a grain offering) and what they are called to do as followers of Christ (thanking God with their lips, which is on overflow of the thankfulness in their hearts; Matthew 12:34b). When we praise God, it is an overflow of our hearts and makes it plain what we harbor there. If our heart is dark and full of cursing, that is what overflows. If it is light and full of joyful thanksgiving, that is what overflows. What will overflow from your heart today?
In the flesh it IS a sacrifice to praise God, and to thank Him in all things – grief, rejection, cancer, lingering illness, a loved one into drugs; it IS a sacrifice to empty our pockets for that homeless man; it IS a sacrifice to bite our tongues when slandered or rejected; it IS a sacrifice to stay faithful to our vows; it IS a sacrifice to lay aside our own interests and goals to follow Jesus; it IS a sacrifice to choose a humble approach in every adversity.
But, as others have pointed out, with a willing spirit, and the Holy Spirit enabling us, we CAN make every sacrifice joyfully in any one of these situations, for the glory of God
The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:11-14)
God's Word is rich with symbolism, as is seen in these verses from Hebrews 13. When the author calls on believers to "go to Him outside the camp," he is telling us to separate ourselves from society -- to set ourselves apart and "be holy, for I AM holy" (1 Peter 1:16; Leviticus 11:44-45).
When we do this, we will be rejected just as He was ("bearing the disgrace He bore"), but we can rejoice in that rejection and offer praise to the Lord, because we have the hope of the "city that is to come," "the new Jerusalem, coming down from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband [where] 'The dwelling of God is with men' [and where] He will wipe every tear from their eyes [and t]here will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:2-4).
"Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?" (Psalm 15:1). If you continue reading Psalm 15, you will discover who may dwell in God's sacred tent. "Mr. Perfect," that's who. The one who is blameless, righteous, never lies, cheats or steals, that is the one who may live on God's holy mountain. That leaves pretty much everyone who ever was out. But what if there were Someone who was perfect, blameless, and righteous, who prepared a place for God's people to dwell? That would be Jesus, God's Son, who has imputed His righteousness to us, and made it possible for us to live righteously, and thus to dwell in His sacred tent and live on His holy mountain.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16)
The writer's encouragement that we not "forget to do good and to share with others" may seem a little disjointed from the call to "offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name" -- but the truth is that both are characteristics of our Savior, which is why the writer called us to do them "[t]hrough Jesus."
Beginning in Matthew 20:17, Jesus spoke to His disciples about His upcoming sacrifice. While foretelling the ordeal He would face, Jesus did not complain or worry, but instead spoke victoriously, saying in verse 19, "On the third day He will be raised to life!" These words--the outward proclamation of God's Will and His authority to raise Jesus from the dead--were a form of praise.
Later, at the start of what Jesus foretold in Matthew 20:17-19, He once again praised the Lord, while at the same time doing good and sharing with others:
"[Jesus] withdrew about a stone's throw beyond [the disciples], knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' . . . When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 'Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. . . . When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, 'Lord, should we strike with our swords?' And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting of his right ear. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And He touched the man's ear and healed him." (Luke 22:41-51)
Jesus worshipped and praised the Father when He prayed, "not my will, but yours"; He did good and shared with others when He rebuked the violence that the disciples were willing to commit (an act of teaching -- sharing) and when He healed the high priest's servant.
When the writer of Hebrews calls believers to "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise" and to "not forget to do good and to share with others," he is not making random statements, but encouraging us to live as true disciples of Christ.
"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." You might wonder why the author would need to remind us to do good and share with others. But then again, maybe not, since we are all more than capable of focusing so much on our own lives and our own problems that it is all too easy to overlook those around us. But one of the most transformational aspects of the gospel is the call to die to self and live for Christ; to let go of what we want and to live according to God's will. Here the author gently reminds those who follow God that we are to praise God not only through our lips, but with our hearts and our hands, doing good and sharing what we have in order to please God and bring Him glory.
As Pastor Matt mentioned in his post of 2/2/14, when the author of Hebrews wrote “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise,” he used a Greek word that specifically referenced the Old Testament thank offering (see Leviticus 7:11-21). As you would no doubt guess, this was no accident: (again, as Pastor Matt noted) the author was specifically calling to mind an act of worship that was familiar to his audience.
It may seem like I’m going on a bunny trail with the following observations, but bear with me:
The thank offering was a “sub-division” of the fellowship offering (called the ‘peace offering’ in the original Hebrew language), and was made voluntarily by people who had experienced some form of personal, earthly salvation (i.e., if someone had survived a grave illness or safely traveled across the desert).
In referring to the fellowship offering, Leviticus 7:12 states, “If he offers it as expression of thankfulness . . .” The word translated ‘thankfulness’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘adoration.’ In other words, the person presenting a thank offering was acknowledging the Lord’s divinity – His majesty.
What I am saying is this: When the author of Hebrews – using a specific word that referenced the Old Testament thank offering – called believers to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise,” he was directing us to continually acknowledge the Lord’s divinity and majesty, recognizing that He provided for our eternal salvation “[t]hrough Jesus.” He was not necessarily calling us to be happy (an emotion we often associate with praise), but rather to always keep our focus on the promise that, when the day comes we “will be caught up together . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
While the name "Jesus" is almost synonymous with "sacrifice", I have wondered, What literal sacrifices might He have made throughout His life at the Temple in Jerusalem?
The passage from Hebrews contains (in the NIV translation) 172 words, which come together to make strong statements about how we are to faithfully approach life here on earth. And while the entire passage is 172 words, at its center are just two: ‘grace’ and ‘Jesus.’
GRACE In the Bible the word ‘grace’ can be used in many ways. In Hebrews 13:9, the writer uses the Greek word ‘charis,’ which literally translates, ‘the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life’ (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers).
JESUS The name of our Savior appears twice in this passage of Scripture: First in reference to His sacrifice upon the cross (verse 12), and second in reference to His role as High Priest (verse 15).
Grace – the divine influence on our hearts – is the only way that we can live out the directives given in Hebrews 13:9-16; and Jesus, “the propitiation for . . . the sins of the whole world” who now sits at the right hand of God, is the only way that God can distribute that grace “through His Spirit in the inner man” (1 John 2:2, Ephesians 3:16).
This entry immediately brought to mind Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." More on that in the comment below, but how glorious it is that we are saved by grace through faith, which in turn equips us to respond with grateful obedience. Without grace, we can neither be saved nor live according to God's good purpose.
"Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." (Hebrews 10:13-14) When we turn to Jesus and receive grace (unmerited favor). When we follow Jesus, we receive "dis-grace." That is so because the world has no love for those who belong to Christ because it has no love for grace. That is why we will find ourselves at odds with the world; because we do not "work" the way the world works. (Titus 3:5) The world tempts us to focus on it; to live as if this world is all there is. But we are reminded again and again in God's Word, and even here in Hebrews 10, that this world is not our home, and that our eyes are to be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), as we anticipate the joy that is to come. We bear "dis-grace" here in the world while living in grace, knowing that something better awaits those who belong to God in the city that is to come.
Happy Sabbath, all! Thank you to everyone who posted this week, helping us to feast on God's Word. Today is God's holy day, so "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." See you at worship!
What is meant by "the sacrifice of worship"?
ReplyDeleteConsider Galatians 5:16, which says, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Our flesh is drawn to pride, anger, fear, and self-righteousness (among other sinful emotions), all of which keep us from truly worshipping the Lord. "The sacrifice of worship," then, means that we willfully sacrifice the "right" to our human emotions and instead "offer to God . . . . the fruit of lips that confess His name" (Hebrews 13:15).
When is it a sacrifice to “praise God”, to “thank God”? (Hebrews 13:15)
ReplyDeleteWhen is it a sacrifice to “do good and share”? (Hebrews 13; 16)
When is it a sacrifice to “walk uprightly”, “work righteousness”, “speak truth”, not “backbite”, “not get even”, “judge evil”, “keep vows”, “lend without interest”? (Psalm 15)
When is it a sacrifice to “humble ourselves, and pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways”? (2 Chronicles 7:14)
When is it a sacrifice to “deny our self, take up Jesus’ Cross, and follow Him”? (Mark 8:34)
When is it sacrifice to give our bodies “a living sacrifice”? (Romans 12:1)
I'm not sure if you're asking for specific examples, Doctor Vic, but as a "general" answer: Whenever we do all of those things with a humble, willing heart that seeks Him in grateful obedience, then they are sacrifices acceptable to God:
DeleteThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. -Psalm 51:17
I like Trish's response very much. I also think there is a sense in which we can see these things as no "sacrifice" at all. When I was a follower of Pastor Matt, these were sacrificial, in part because they were hard but largely because they were not in my nature; they went against what I believed and IF I did them at all it was grudgingly, with gritted teeth, and often because I wanted to make myself look good or avoid punishment. But now that I am a follower of Jesus, what was once a sacrifice has become a joy, not because these actions do me good (although they do) or because I have to (there is no benefit in doing what I "have" to do). They have become a joy because they make God look good, that is, bring Him glory, and that is a grateful response of obedience in response to Jesus' sacrifice on my behalf. Just another perspective on Dr. Vic's question!
DeleteWhen first reading the passage from Hebrews, we may feel disconnected from the message. After all, how many of us get carried away with ceremonial foods or Old Testament sacrifices?
ReplyDeleteBut if we look past the details and instead focus on the heart of the issue, we'll find that we have much to learn from this passage.
The Jewish believers addressed in the book of Hebrews were facing trials and persecution. As a result they were tempted (and proceeded) to return to the old ways which had "worked" for them in the past, when what they should have done was to look to the Lord for their comfort, strength, and salvation. We often do the same thing.
When we're faced with hardships and persecution, do we call upon the name of the Lord, worshipping Him and focusing on the hope that we have in Him -- or do we fall to past behaviors that "worked" for us in the past (a glass or two of wine, a shopping spree, a barrage of verbal insults, running away from the issue, etc., etc.)?
We know that the Old Testament sacrifices and religious ceremonies did not, in fact, work ("But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sough for another" -Hebrews 8:6-7). And if we're honest with ourselves, we know that the same is true for our own "old ways" -- they do not work.
Instead of falling to the desires of our flesh when we face trials, we should instead lift our hearts to the Lord and praise Him for His promise that "neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." The author of Hebrews alludes to the old "thank offering" described in Leviticus 7:12. "If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried." This was a familiar offering for the Jewish people to whom this letter was addressed, and it provided a way to connect what they used to do in order to praise God (a grain offering) and what they are called to do as followers of Christ (thanking God with their lips, which is on overflow of the thankfulness in their hearts; Matthew 12:34b). When we praise God, it is an overflow of our hearts and makes it plain what we harbor there. If our heart is dark and full of cursing, that is what overflows. If it is light and full of joyful thanksgiving, that is what overflows. What will overflow from your heart today?
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
ReplyDeleteIn the flesh it IS a sacrifice to praise God, and to thank Him in all things – grief, rejection, cancer, lingering illness, a loved one into drugs; it IS a sacrifice to empty our pockets for that homeless man; it IS a sacrifice to bite our tongues when slandered or rejected; it IS a sacrifice to stay faithful to our vows; it IS a sacrifice to lay aside our own interests and goals to follow Jesus; it IS a sacrifice to choose a humble approach in every adversity.
But, as others have pointed out, with a willing spirit, and the Holy Spirit enabling us, we CAN make every sacrifice joyfully in any one of these situations, for the glory of God
The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:11-14)
ReplyDeleteGod's Word is rich with symbolism, as is seen in these verses from Hebrews 13. When the author calls on believers to "go to Him outside the camp," he is telling us to separate ourselves from society -- to set ourselves apart and "be holy, for I AM holy" (1 Peter 1:16; Leviticus 11:44-45).
When we do this, we will be rejected just as He was ("bearing the disgrace He bore"), but we can rejoice in that rejection and offer praise to the Lord, because we have the hope of the "city that is to come," "the new Jerusalem, coming down from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband [where] 'The dwelling of God is with men' [and where] He will wipe every tear from their eyes [and t]here will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:2-4).
"Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?" (Psalm 15:1). If you continue reading Psalm 15, you will discover who may dwell in God's sacred tent. "Mr. Perfect," that's who. The one who is blameless, righteous, never lies, cheats or steals, that is the one who may live on God's holy mountain. That leaves pretty much everyone who ever was out. But what if there were Someone who was perfect, blameless, and righteous, who prepared a place for God's people to dwell? That would be Jesus, God's Son, who has imputed His righteousness to us, and made it possible for us to live righteously, and thus to dwell in His sacred tent and live on His holy mountain.
ReplyDeleteThrough Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16)
ReplyDeleteThe writer's encouragement that we not "forget to do good and to share with others" may seem a little disjointed from the call to "offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name" -- but the truth is that both are characteristics of our Savior, which is why the writer called us to do them "[t]hrough Jesus."
Beginning in Matthew 20:17, Jesus spoke to His disciples about His upcoming sacrifice. While foretelling the ordeal He would face, Jesus did not complain or worry, but instead spoke victoriously, saying in verse 19, "On the third day He will be raised to life!" These words--the outward proclamation of God's Will and His authority to raise Jesus from the dead--were a form of praise.
Later, at the start of what Jesus foretold in Matthew 20:17-19, He once again praised the Lord, while at the same time doing good and sharing with others:
"[Jesus] withdrew about a stone's throw beyond [the disciples], knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' . . . When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 'Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. . . . When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, 'Lord, should we strike with our swords?' And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting of his right ear.
But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And He touched the man's ear and healed him." (Luke 22:41-51)
Jesus worshipped and praised the Father when He prayed, "not my will, but yours"; He did good and shared with others when He rebuked the violence that the disciples were willing to commit (an act of teaching -- sharing) and when He healed the high priest's servant.
When the writer of Hebrews calls believers to "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise" and to "not forget to do good and to share with others," he is not making random statements, but encouraging us to live as true disciples of Christ.
"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." You might wonder why the author would need to remind us to do good and share with others. But then again, maybe not, since we are all more than capable of focusing so much on our own lives and our own problems that it is all too easy to overlook those around us. But one of the most transformational aspects of the gospel is the call to die to self and live for Christ; to let go of what we want and to live according to God's will. Here the author gently reminds those who follow God that we are to praise God not only through our lips, but with our hearts and our hands, doing good and sharing what we have in order to please God and bring Him glory.
ReplyDeleteAs Pastor Matt mentioned in his post of 2/2/14, when the author of Hebrews wrote “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise,” he used a Greek word that specifically referenced the Old Testament thank offering (see Leviticus 7:11-21). As you would no doubt guess, this was no accident: (again, as Pastor Matt noted) the author was specifically calling to mind an act of worship that was familiar to his audience.
ReplyDeleteIt may seem like I’m going on a bunny trail with the following observations, but bear with me:
The thank offering was a “sub-division” of the fellowship offering (called the ‘peace offering’ in the original Hebrew language), and was made voluntarily by people who had experienced some form of personal, earthly salvation (i.e., if someone had survived a grave illness or safely traveled across the desert).
In referring to the fellowship offering, Leviticus 7:12 states, “If he offers it as expression of thankfulness . . .” The word translated ‘thankfulness’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘adoration.’ In other words, the person presenting a thank offering was acknowledging the Lord’s divinity – His majesty.
What I am saying is this: When the author of Hebrews – using a specific word that referenced the Old Testament thank offering – called believers to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise,” he was directing us to continually acknowledge the Lord’s divinity and majesty, recognizing that He provided for our eternal salvation “[t]hrough Jesus.” He was not necessarily calling us to be happy (an emotion we often associate with praise), but rather to always keep our focus on the promise that, when the day comes we “will be caught up together . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
While the name "Jesus" is almost synonymous with "sacrifice", I have wondered, What literal sacrifices might He have made throughout His life at the Temple in Jerusalem?
ReplyDeleteThe passage from Hebrews contains (in the NIV translation) 172 words, which come together to make strong statements about how we are to faithfully approach life here on earth. And while the entire passage is 172 words, at its center are just two: ‘grace’ and ‘Jesus.’
ReplyDeleteGRACE
In the Bible the word ‘grace’ can be used in many ways. In Hebrews 13:9, the writer uses the Greek word ‘charis,’ which literally translates, ‘the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life’ (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers).
JESUS
The name of our Savior appears twice in this passage of Scripture: First in reference to His sacrifice upon the cross (verse 12), and second in reference to His role as High Priest (verse 15).
Grace – the divine influence on our hearts – is the only way that we can live out the directives given in Hebrews 13:9-16; and Jesus, “the propitiation for . . . the sins of the whole world” who now sits at the right hand of God, is the only way that God can distribute that grace “through His Spirit in the inner man” (1 John 2:2, Ephesians 3:16).
This entry immediately brought to mind Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." More on that in the comment below, but how glorious it is that we are saved by grace through faith, which in turn equips us to respond with grateful obedience. Without grace, we can neither be saved nor live according to God's good purpose.
Delete"Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." (Hebrews 10:13-14) When we turn to Jesus and receive grace (unmerited favor). When we follow Jesus, we receive "dis-grace." That is so because the world has no love for those who belong to Christ because it has no love for grace. That is why we will find ourselves at odds with the world; because we do not "work" the way the world works. (Titus 3:5) The world tempts us to focus on it; to live as if this world is all there is. But we are reminded again and again in God's Word, and even here in Hebrews 10, that this world is not our home, and that our eyes are to be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), as we anticipate the joy that is to come. We bear "dis-grace" here in the world while living in grace, knowing that something better awaits those who belong to God in the city that is to come.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sabbath, all! Thank you to everyone who posted this week, helping us to feast on God's Word. Today is God's holy day, so "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." See you at worship!
ReplyDelete