Word for Today: Thursday, January 17, 2013

Hebrews 10:19-25 A call to persevere

Memory Verse: 10:22(KJV)

 "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".

Today’s passage exhorts us to draw near to God with sincere hearts full of faith in the completed work of Christ. We are being encouraged not to forsake the fellowship of believers. This is very important because we are in a time where most people find it difficult to go to church. The church of God should be a place where people can have fellowship with one another, grow in faith and love, pray for one another and also help one another. We should emulate the behaviours of the early churches. (Acts 2:42-47). We are spurred to hold on to our faith, by now we know that every believer will be persecuted for Christ (2Tim3:12) but we should not to swerve but hold on because God who promised will definitely fulfil it. (Verse 23). I pray that God will give us the grace to run this Christian race to the end especially now that we are already in the perilous times. Amen

In time past, entering the Holies of Holies was restricted to everyone except the High Priest and they had to make sacrifices of sin to go through the curtain and it could only be done annually. But now through the death of Christ we have confidence to enter God’s presence. It is so amazing that I don’t need to make animal sacrifices to talk to God; I don’t even have to wait for someone to talk to God on my behalf. I have a direct access to God through Christ.

The question here is how many of us really take time to talk to God? We are so busy pursuing our businesses. Most of us are too busy to even say a simple prayer. We don’t realise the privilege we have. Some people wake up in the morning and go about their daily activity without even saying a big thank you to the creator for the gift of life. Cultivate the habit of praying. Jesus is our perfect example, even at the peak of his ministry; he created time to pray. Sometimes early in the morning and other times in the cool of the evening. God is never too busy for you, so why should you be too busy for him?

 Let us look at Verses 19-22.  “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” 

We have been given certain privileges that the people of Old didn’t have. Ordinary people like you and I couldn't approach God in time past but now we have boldness of speech and can talk to God anything and anywhere. Upon Jesus death on the cross, the curtain of the Most Holy Place was torn into two and it opened the way to God. The curtain represents the body of Christ, through the blood of Jesus- note not the blood of animals, but through the blood of Jesus we have access to God.

Now that we have access to God, what should we do with such privilege according Verse 22-25? We are told to draw near to God. With a heart full of guilt? Nope, but with a sincere heart.

•        Approach him with a sincere heart

•        Approach him in faith- full assurance of faith.

•       Don’t approach God with a guilty conscience. Confess and forsake your sins immediately. Don’t feel condemned when you approach God, he is your father, and he understands your situation. He is waiting to have a lasting relationship with you. As long as we are in Christ, we shouldn't feel condemned. Guilt makes us run away from God and running away from God won’t do us any good, it will only pave way for the Devil to take over our lives. Run to God. Admit your sins and the blood of Jesus will cleanse you anew.

•       Be steadfast, unmovable. Hold fast to the hope we profess. What hope? That Jesus died to save us, and through him we have access to God and now we have the Holy Spirit working in us preparing us for the Promised Rest that Christ will give us at his coming.

•        Encourage one another in love and good deed.

•        Don’t forsake the gathering of believers.

•        Keep encouraging one another. Never stop. This is very important since we are in the last days.

 God wants a relationship with every one; he wants us to approach him freely. How would you feel if your father or best friend keeps avoiding you or is too busy to even talk to you? I don’t know about you but I will be very sad.

Have you sad down to think about this? If God didn’t want a relationship with us, why would he sacrifice his only son for ordinary people like you and I? I know I wouldn’t give my most treasured possession to someone who won’t obey me or is too busy for me. But god pitied us; he saw our wretched state and said there is no way I will leave these people and he sent his only son.

Jesus, our High Priest has opened the way for us to enter the Most Holy place, therefore we should approach him with a sincere heart.

Please I employ you, never be too busy for God. Take out time to talk to him. Jesus went through so much to unite us to God, don’t render his sufferings futile. Thank you and God bless.