Based on Hebrews 10:11-25 (New King James Version)
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 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, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Do we truly understand what the Lord did for us? And do we live our lives in such a way that demonstrates that we value His great work for us? If we observe our behavior as a group in general, it would be difficult to say that His work is valued. For starters, there is much corruption within the universal church of Christ, from those that preach and teach to newer believers. Quite simply, we don’t look well as a group. It’s really sad. We know that none of us will be perfect until we get to the goal, but at the very least, something of Christ should be visible in our lives, enough so others are stimulated to want to believe and follow the Lord. That is how we should affect people that surround us, regardless of their sins and how lost they may be. We are the ones that should be salt and light in the world, those of us that say that we believe and follow God. The big problem that I believe that has happened in the people of God is that too much sin has infiltrated the church, and like that, evil doctrines that support more the things of the flesh and sin than the purposes and will of God have become popular. We have lost our direction as a group. We are so focused on desiring the here and now that we have become even more problematic than the world that surrounds us. The world cannot tell the difference between us and them. Almost every believer desires for their lives to be comfortable and pleasant, just like the world. The great majority of the supposed Christ followers don’t want to have problems with anyone, just like the world. And in general, much of so-called God’s people do not worry about the needs of their fellow man, just like the world. And finally, the Christian only looks to fulfill their will and satisfy their desires, of course, just as the world desires. So then, what is the difference? None. There is no difference between one and the other. And, if there is no difference, then what incentive does the unbeliever have to look to believe in Christ? None.
The deviation of the group in general has happened because we do not understand clearly the sacrifice of the Lord, and as a result, we do not value what God has done for us. We do not have our eyes on the goal, but rather, we are more desirous to listen to things that feed our flesh than to try to understand and value what produces life, the Word of God. But, that doesn’t mean that we need to stay on that course. God always encourages us to change, to turn from our evil ways, to understand His will and be able to fulfill it. So, what should happen? We need to come back to the foundation of faith in Christ, to the why of things, to the reason for why we should follow the Lord. And the only way that this can happen is if we renew or try to understand more clearly what God has done for us.
To be able to understand what God did for us, we need to see where we were before knowing Christ, what was (or still is if you have not come to truly be born again in Christ) our background. The Bible teaches us this: “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:9-10. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. So then, we were God’s enemies. That was our reality (and still is your reality if you have not come to true faith in Christ). And every person, whether they have sinned a lot or a little, their souls were dead, completely subjected to the penalty of sin. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, the destiny of the entire human race was to die in hell for all eternity. That is the truth, because all that have sinned in one way or another fall short of the glory of God. We had no access to heaven, or to eternity, or to any of God’s promises on our own. That was our reality before Christ. So then, absolutely no one has anything to feel proud of, and far less, feel deserving of what God has done.
This is what God has done: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. We deserve to die, but God gave us a great gift through the Lord. Even though we were God’s enemies, the Lord treated us like friends, as it is also written: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:13-15. What else could be desired? Can anything else be greater or have greater priority than this in our lives? If you truly understand this, it is not possible.
And finally, it is mentioned that a day is approaching, and that is judgment day. Christ did and finished everything, but now, every human being must fulfill God’s will in their life through Christ to be able to obtain what was promised. Otherwise, why would we be urged to move forward? Because it is also written: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Hebrews 12:1-3. So then, are you living your live in such a way that it demonstrates that you value the sacrifice Christ did for you? Lord bless! John