Jesus preached the gospel and had miracles in Matthew chapter 4. The Sermon on the Mount is, in essence, His follow up booklet to new believers. The Sermon on the Mount by Jesus is all about the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us. Righteousness is right standing with God. Jesus will be contrasting our attempts at right-standing with God through our own works and discussing His righteousness, which is a free gift of God. Jesus is really preaching or teaching the gospel message, but He does not speak of His death for our sins and His resurrection. He will not speak of His death and resurrection until many chapters later. The gospel is about our right-standing with God given to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins and took our penalty on the cross. When we trust in Jesus and call upon His name, we receive His righteousness or right-standing with God. Many teachers seem to teach the Sermon on the Mount as if Jesus was speaking disjointed thoughts that had no connection. Jesus is speaking in a sequential, logical manner, explaining the kingdom of God within us and our right standing in it. Matthew uses the phrase kingdom of heaven. It is the same thing as the kingdom of God. Matthew was writing to the Jews, who did not like to write the name of God, so Matthew used the phrase kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." As we try to approach God by our own works, trying to keep the Law or the commandments of the Old Testament in an attempt to gain God's favor, we will fail and see that we are poor in spirit. When we know we can only receive the kingdom of God as a gift by His mercy, then we receive the kingdom of God in our hearts.
Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn (by trying to keep the Old Testament Law, we fail and see that we need mercy), for they shall be comforted (we receive His mercy and grace)."
Matt. 5:5 "Blessed are the meek (teachable; we learn from the Law that we actually need His mercy and grace), for they shall inherit the earth." Inheriting the earth is a reference to God supplying our needs in Matthew 6:33.
Matt. 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (with His righteousness)." When we recognize that we cannot gain His favor by our own works or our own attempts at self-righteousness, He fills us with His righteousness. God gives us right-standing with Him as a gift, by His mercy.
Matt. 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." As we see that we cannot gain right-standing with God through our own works or self-righteousness, we then receive His mercy. We begin to extend His mercy and grace to others; in turn, we obtain mercy from other people.
Matt. 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." God's grace and mercy flowing through us leads us to walk in holiness and purity of heart. As we are pure in heart, trusting in His gift of righteousness to us, we will begin to see or perceive God within us. We also see or perceive God as He is, that He is love and has mercy toward us.
Matt. 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." We begin to share that peace with God comes through His mercy and grace. He is not mad at people. He gives us right-standing with Himself as a gift. There is peace between God and man when we approach God through His grace and mercy in Jesus. People will see the love of God in us and call us the sons of God.
Matt. 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." People who are prideful and trust in their own works or self-righteousness will not like those who are trusting in right-standing with God through mercy and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. Persecution will result as we preach or declare right-standing with God through His grace and mercy instead of our own works.
Matt.5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." When we preach right-standing with God through His mercy and grace, those who oppose this message will say we are just using grace as an excuse to sin and cover up the evil we are doing. Notice Jesus said we are blessed if they say all kings of evil against you falsely for My sake. If we participate in evil and use His grace as an excuse to sin, their accusations against us are correct. This will cause self-righteous people to reject our message of grace instead of seeing the error of their way.
Matt. 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." If we proclaim right-standing with God through Jesus apart from our works by His mercy and grace, but do not walk in holiness, our message will have no effect with people. Men, not God, will reject us and our message of grace.
Matt. 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." When we declare that we are right with God by His grace and mercy, but we also walk in love and holiness before people, people will glorify God and accept our message of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.
From this point forward in His message, Jesus will raise the standard of the Old Testament Law to include not only our actions but our thoughts. None of us are perfect in our actions. We all do some good but we also do some bad things. We need mercy, not justice. Jesus will discuss your righteousness or attempt at self righteousness before God beginning in Matt. 5:20 and contrast it with His righteousness in Matt. 6:33. This is the key to understanding the rest of the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. The rest of Matthew 5 will discuss our failure to live up to the righteous standard of the Law in our actions or thoughts. Matthew chapter 6 will discuss wrong motives behind good deeds that we do, in order to look good before other people. This should cause all of us to cry out for His mercy and grace, which He will give to us freely in Jesus.
Matt. 5:17-20 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
The Old Testament Law was given to convict us of sin. When it does that and we cry out to God for His mercy and grace in Jesus, the Law has done its job and is fulfilled in our lives. The Law will continue doing its job of convicting people of sin until they realize that they need mercy and not justice. The key words to understanding the rest of Matthew chapter 5 and most of chapter 6 are your righteousness. This will be in contrast to His gift of righteousness in Matthew 6:33.
In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus raises the standard of the Old Testament law to include not only our thoughts but our actions. None of us have kept these standards perfectly. We have either failed in our actions or our thoughts. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus tells us not to do our good or charitable deeds before men in order to be seen by them. There is not one of us who would be completely pure in regards to this either. We have all sinned; we have all done good things with the wrong motive. In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus discusses the deceitfulness of riches and shows us how worried we get over material needs. After all of this, there is not a one of us that can stand in our own attempt at self-righteousness before God by our own good works. We need His mercy and grace.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added to you. As we can see, Jesus was contrasting our attempt at being right with God through our own works with God's gift of righteousness through His mercy and grace. Since Jesus is speaking logically and in sequence, He tells us to stop judging one another in Matthew chapter 7.
Matt.7:1-6 "Judge not, that you be not judged (by other people). For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged (by others); and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye, and look, a plank is in your eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank (of self-righteousness) from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy (your heart) to the dogs (self-righteous), nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." When we judge others, they will judge us and tear our heart to pieces.
Matt. 7:7-8 "Ask (for His righteousness as a free gift), and it will be given to you; seek (first the kingdom of God and His righteousness) and you will find; knock and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks (for mercy and grace) receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Jesus will then show us that God is more merciful and graceful than any human parent in Matthew 7:9-11.
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate (God's gift of right-standing through His mercy), for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Many people teach that few people will go to heaven by misinterpreting these verses. Jesus was speaking to the Jewish people. Comparatively few of the Jewish people accepted what Jesus was saying about grace because they were approaching God by trying to keep the Old Testament Law and be justified by their works. Billions of Gentiles have accepted the Lord over the centuries.
Matthew 7:15-23. Read this passage. This entire passage is referring to false prophets. Who are the false prophets Jesus was referring to? They were the Jewish teachers who were teaching that we are made right with God by trying to keep the Old Testament Law. This would have enraged those Jewish teachers of the Old Testament. Jesus said you will know them, the false teachers, by their fruits. The good tree is the one teaching the grace and mercy of God. The bad tree is the teacher teaching self-righteousness by trying to keep the Old Testament Law. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. This isn't talking about Christians struggling with sin. It is saying that those false prophets teaching self-righteousness by our own good works will be cut down and thrown into the fire, a reference to Matthew 3:12.
Finally, in Matthew 7:24-27, the rock that Jesus refers to is God's gift of righteousness apart from our works. That is the rock upon which we build our foundation. That rock is the mercy and grace of God given to us in Jesus.
We are made right with God by what Jesus did for us. He paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. He gives us right-standing as a gift by His mercy and grace. Praise the name of Jesus!
Keith Oliver
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Hebrews Highlights Part 8
Hebrews 12:1-4 "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 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. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
Jesus is both the author and finisher of our faith. He is the author of our faith when He died for our sins on the cross and purged us from the guilt of our sins before God. This work is complete. He is also the finisher of our faith. This is walking out our faith in love and holiness before men. Holiness does not gain us favor with God. Jesus did that for us when He paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. But for men to see the Lord in us, we must learn to express His nature of love through us. Our bodies are not yet redeemed. We still have sinful desires in our flesh. We must lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us and learn to walk in love instead of selfishness.
Remember Hebrews 5:13-14. It says that by reason of use of the word of righteousness, the gospel, we would discern both good and evil. We discern an evil conscience within us that condemns us before God. We need to hold fast to the gospel that Jesus purged us of our sins. This will cleanse us of an evil conscience before God. Hebrews 13:18 describes the good conscience, that we should desire in all things to live honorably before men. If we do not walk in love and holiness before men, they will reject our message of grace. They will say we are using grace as an excuse to live selfishly, and they will be right.
Hebrews 12:9-11 "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Notice that God is teaching and training us to walk in holiness. He does this by His word of righteousness or the gospel. As we hold fast to the gospel, it cleanses our thoughts. This will lead to cleansing of our actions. Notice this verse says that holiness is the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Righteousness before God apart from our works is the root of our faith. Holiness is the fruit of our faith. Let me give an example. Romans 14:17 says that the kingdom of God within us is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Notice when we understand righteousness or the gospel, that Jesus bore the penalty for our sins, it begins to produce peace and joy in us. As we focus on the gospel, our anger and frustration give way to peace and tranquility. That draws others to the Lord and to us instead of alienating them with selfish behavior.
Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord:"
This verses means that if we don't walk in holiness, no one will see the Lord in us. They won't see His nature of love and holiness expressed through us. It is not a threat that we won't go to heaven if we don't walk in holiness.
Hebrews 12:18-25 "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.........But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven...."
Remember Hebrews 1:2-3. How is God speaking to us in the New Testament? By His Son Jesus, when He had by Himself purged our sins. These verses in Hebrews 12 are comparing again how God spoke to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai and gave them the Law. This produced fear of punishment in them. They were afraid of God and did not want to hear His voice. Hebrews contrasts that with God speaking to us under the New Testament of grace. Jesus purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of God. We should have no more fear of punishment from God. He wants to lead us into walking in love and holiness. He will accomplish this in us as we respond to Him in love because of His great love for us. If we turn away from Him Who is speaking grace to us now, we are turning back and rehearsing what He said under the Old Testament. This will leave us fearful and leave us in bondage.
Hopefully these blogs have been a good summary of the book of Hebrews. It is such a wonderful book. We are to hold to the gospel, the message of His grace in Christ Jesus, and not to fall away back to hearing or rehearsing the Old Testament Law. The sins of our entire lifetime have been purged through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once and for all. We can draw near to God in complete peace, without any fear of punishment. He loves us so much and wants to hold us close.
Keith Oliver
Jesus is both the author and finisher of our faith. He is the author of our faith when He died for our sins on the cross and purged us from the guilt of our sins before God. This work is complete. He is also the finisher of our faith. This is walking out our faith in love and holiness before men. Holiness does not gain us favor with God. Jesus did that for us when He paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. But for men to see the Lord in us, we must learn to express His nature of love through us. Our bodies are not yet redeemed. We still have sinful desires in our flesh. We must lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us and learn to walk in love instead of selfishness.
Remember Hebrews 5:13-14. It says that by reason of use of the word of righteousness, the gospel, we would discern both good and evil. We discern an evil conscience within us that condemns us before God. We need to hold fast to the gospel that Jesus purged us of our sins. This will cleanse us of an evil conscience before God. Hebrews 13:18 describes the good conscience, that we should desire in all things to live honorably before men. If we do not walk in love and holiness before men, they will reject our message of grace. They will say we are using grace as an excuse to live selfishly, and they will be right.
Hebrews 12:9-11 "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Notice that God is teaching and training us to walk in holiness. He does this by His word of righteousness or the gospel. As we hold fast to the gospel, it cleanses our thoughts. This will lead to cleansing of our actions. Notice this verse says that holiness is the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Righteousness before God apart from our works is the root of our faith. Holiness is the fruit of our faith. Let me give an example. Romans 14:17 says that the kingdom of God within us is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Notice when we understand righteousness or the gospel, that Jesus bore the penalty for our sins, it begins to produce peace and joy in us. As we focus on the gospel, our anger and frustration give way to peace and tranquility. That draws others to the Lord and to us instead of alienating them with selfish behavior.
Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord:"
This verses means that if we don't walk in holiness, no one will see the Lord in us. They won't see His nature of love and holiness expressed through us. It is not a threat that we won't go to heaven if we don't walk in holiness.
Hebrews 12:18-25 "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.........But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven...."
Remember Hebrews 1:2-3. How is God speaking to us in the New Testament? By His Son Jesus, when He had by Himself purged our sins. These verses in Hebrews 12 are comparing again how God spoke to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai and gave them the Law. This produced fear of punishment in them. They were afraid of God and did not want to hear His voice. Hebrews contrasts that with God speaking to us under the New Testament of grace. Jesus purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of God. We should have no more fear of punishment from God. He wants to lead us into walking in love and holiness. He will accomplish this in us as we respond to Him in love because of His great love for us. If we turn away from Him Who is speaking grace to us now, we are turning back and rehearsing what He said under the Old Testament. This will leave us fearful and leave us in bondage.
Hopefully these blogs have been a good summary of the book of Hebrews. It is such a wonderful book. We are to hold to the gospel, the message of His grace in Christ Jesus, and not to fall away back to hearing or rehearsing the Old Testament Law. The sins of our entire lifetime have been purged through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once and for all. We can draw near to God in complete peace, without any fear of punishment. He loves us so much and wants to hold us close.
Keith Oliver
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Hebrews Highlights Part 7
Hebrews 10:35-39 "Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in Him." But we are not those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul."
This is one of the most touching passages I have ever seen in the Bible when we see it clearly in context. We are not to cast away our confidence that our sins have been purged by Jesus. This has great reward. We are rewarded with the Presence of the Almighty God! You have need of endurance in the gospel, so that after you have done the will of God, which is to believe the word of His grace, you may receive the promise of His Presence without fear of punishment. Verse 37 shows the loving Father heart of God. He is coming to us to see who will draw near and fellowship with Him. Now the justified shall live by faith that our sins have been purged by Jesus. But if anyone draws back from God due to fear of punishment, instead of drawing near to Him without fear, God does not receive the pleasure of our fellowship. God is not mad at us and is not counting our sins against us. But if we believe that He is, then we will draw back in fear. If we believe He is counting our sins to us, we have reverted back to an Old Testament mindset. We are not those who draw back to the judgment under the Old Testament law, but of those who believe the gospel to the saving of our soul or the cleansing of our conscience. It makes me love God as I write this when I see He loves us so much.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This has been quoted so many times. What is the actual context? Now faith in the gospel, that our sins have been purged by Jesus, is the substance of things hoped for, entering into His Presence without fear of punishment, the evidence of things not seen. We have the Presence of the Unseen God in our hearts. Hebrews 11:27 confirms this. Speaking of Moses, it says that by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." It means that without faith that our sins have been purged by Jesus, it is impossible to please Him by drawing near to Him. We will be afraid of Him otherwise. He who comes to fellowship with God must believe that He is and that He will reward us with His Presence and love as we diligently seek Him. Why do we have to diligently seek Him? We have a conscience that needs to be cleansed and renewed by enduring in the message of the gospel, that He by Himself purged our sins.
Hebrews 11:39-40 "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith ,did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." This verse opens up the whole chapter of Hebrews 11. Some people have called this chapter the Hall of Faith. These two verses are saying that these Old Testament believers obtained a good testimony before God and people, but they did not receive the promise of God living within them. These Old Testament heroes lived before the cross of Jesus and were not born again. Verse 40 says that they should not be made perfect apart from us. The book of Hebrews has used the word perfect in regard to the conscience. So until Jesus shed His blood on the cross, these Old Testament believers could not be perfected in their conscience before God.
We have seen the focus of the first 11 chapters of Hebrews. God wants us to hold fast to the gospel, that Jesus purged our sins on the cross and sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Holding to this Good News will cleanse our conscience before God so that we can approach Him without fear. Before the writer of Hebrews ever begins to discuss walking in holiness, know that our hearts are to be established in the word of righteousness. Jesus purged our sins once and for all. We are not to draw back to an Old Testament mindset. We are to draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance that our sins have been punished in Jesus and there is no more punishment for us. When this is complete and our conscience is cleansed, then God teaches us to walk in love and holiness. We do not walk in holiness to gain God's favor. We already have His favor when we trust in Christ. We walk in holiness to properly express His true nature of love in and through us to other people. We will see this in Hebrews chapters 12-13.
Keith Oliver
This is one of the most touching passages I have ever seen in the Bible when we see it clearly in context. We are not to cast away our confidence that our sins have been purged by Jesus. This has great reward. We are rewarded with the Presence of the Almighty God! You have need of endurance in the gospel, so that after you have done the will of God, which is to believe the word of His grace, you may receive the promise of His Presence without fear of punishment. Verse 37 shows the loving Father heart of God. He is coming to us to see who will draw near and fellowship with Him. Now the justified shall live by faith that our sins have been purged by Jesus. But if anyone draws back from God due to fear of punishment, instead of drawing near to Him without fear, God does not receive the pleasure of our fellowship. God is not mad at us and is not counting our sins against us. But if we believe that He is, then we will draw back in fear. If we believe He is counting our sins to us, we have reverted back to an Old Testament mindset. We are not those who draw back to the judgment under the Old Testament law, but of those who believe the gospel to the saving of our soul or the cleansing of our conscience. It makes me love God as I write this when I see He loves us so much.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This has been quoted so many times. What is the actual context? Now faith in the gospel, that our sins have been purged by Jesus, is the substance of things hoped for, entering into His Presence without fear of punishment, the evidence of things not seen. We have the Presence of the Unseen God in our hearts. Hebrews 11:27 confirms this. Speaking of Moses, it says that by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." It means that without faith that our sins have been purged by Jesus, it is impossible to please Him by drawing near to Him. We will be afraid of Him otherwise. He who comes to fellowship with God must believe that He is and that He will reward us with His Presence and love as we diligently seek Him. Why do we have to diligently seek Him? We have a conscience that needs to be cleansed and renewed by enduring in the message of the gospel, that He by Himself purged our sins.
Hebrews 11:39-40 "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith ,did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." This verse opens up the whole chapter of Hebrews 11. Some people have called this chapter the Hall of Faith. These two verses are saying that these Old Testament believers obtained a good testimony before God and people, but they did not receive the promise of God living within them. These Old Testament heroes lived before the cross of Jesus and were not born again. Verse 40 says that they should not be made perfect apart from us. The book of Hebrews has used the word perfect in regard to the conscience. So until Jesus shed His blood on the cross, these Old Testament believers could not be perfected in their conscience before God.
We have seen the focus of the first 11 chapters of Hebrews. God wants us to hold fast to the gospel, that Jesus purged our sins on the cross and sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Holding to this Good News will cleanse our conscience before God so that we can approach Him without fear. Before the writer of Hebrews ever begins to discuss walking in holiness, know that our hearts are to be established in the word of righteousness. Jesus purged our sins once and for all. We are not to draw back to an Old Testament mindset. We are to draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance that our sins have been punished in Jesus and there is no more punishment for us. When this is complete and our conscience is cleansed, then God teaches us to walk in love and holiness. We do not walk in holiness to gain God's favor. We already have His favor when we trust in Christ. We walk in holiness to properly express His true nature of love in and through us to other people. We will see this in Hebrews chapters 12-13.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Hebrews Highlights Part 6
Hebrews 9:12-15 "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."
The scripture uses the word 'eternal' three times in four verses. It says that Jesus obtained eternal redemption. He did not need it for Himself. He obtained eternal redemption for us, so that we might receive an eternal inheritance. God is trying to give us the security that comes with eternal redemption. We don't have temporary redemption until the next time we sin. The blood of Christ is meant to cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we can serve the Living God. We can enter into God's Presence without fear of punishment. The penalty for our sins has been paid.
It is ironic that Hebrews 6 and 10 are used as examples where Christians might lose their salvation, when the whole book of Hebrews is trying to assure us of our eternal redemption when we accept the Lord Jesus into our hearts.
Hebrews 10:10-14 "By that will (New Testament) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 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."
Hebrews 10:2 says that those Old Testament sacrifices can never make anyone perfect in their conscience. The goal of Jesus' sacrifice is that we have no more consciousness of sins before God.
Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever. He is not dying over and over again each time we sin. His one sacrifice paid the penalty for all sins forever. Notice verse 14. By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. The scripture is saying that our conscience can be perfected forever before God even as we are in the midst of being cleansed or sanctified from sin in our outward actions. We have peace with God forever, even though He is in the process of teaching us to walk in love and holiness toward others! Wow. This is the Good News!
Hebrews 10:19-22 "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."
These verses really show the true meaning for the forgiveness of sins. We can draw near to God and enter into His Presence without fear of punishment. That is a heart in full assurance of faith that our sins have been put away and a heart that is cleansed from an evil conscience. He also wants our bodies washed with pure water. This means that He wants us to walk in love and holiness toward others.
Hebrews 10:23-32 "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. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' Law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy, who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord" And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings....."
These verses can be scary if you take them out of context. What are we commanded to do in verse 23? We are to hold fast to the confession of our hope, that our sins have been purged, without wavering. Wavering is the same as falling away or drifting away, phrases we have already seen earlier in Hebrews. Remember Hebrews 1:2-3. God has spoken to us in these last days, in the New Testament, through His Son. When Jesus had purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. We are to hold fast to this confession. What does it mean to sin willfully in this context? We sin willfully when we waver or let go of our confession that Jesus has purged our sins. What happens when we let go of our confession? We then begin to rehearse or hear again what God spoke under the Old Testament Law to previous generations that is no longer applicable to us in the New Testament. There is only a certain fearful expectation of judgment because we will not be perfect in our own works. We trample underfoot what Jesus did in our thinking. We count His blood the same as the shed blood of an animal sacrifice under the Old Testament Law. We go back to receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. We discount that He made one sacrifice for sins forever. We insult His grace and then try to approach God by our good works again. This does not mean that the person has lost their salvation and is going to hell. It means the person has stopped listening to New Testament truth and has fallen back to Old Testament thinking.
These Jews were suffering reproach and persecution for believing in Jesus. They were surrounded by people who were still participating in Old Testament rituals and sacrifices. They were being persecuted for believing that Jesus had already paid for their sins and that animal sacrifices were no longer needed. They were experiencing a very painful transition from Old Testament thinking to New Testament thinking.
There are hundreds of millions of believers today who have never left or reverted back to Old Testament thinking, believing that they are forgiven one sin at a time. They are in an ongoing cycle of repentance and confession, trying to find rest for their conscience. Rest comes when we trust that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Keith Oliver
The scripture uses the word 'eternal' three times in four verses. It says that Jesus obtained eternal redemption. He did not need it for Himself. He obtained eternal redemption for us, so that we might receive an eternal inheritance. God is trying to give us the security that comes with eternal redemption. We don't have temporary redemption until the next time we sin. The blood of Christ is meant to cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we can serve the Living God. We can enter into God's Presence without fear of punishment. The penalty for our sins has been paid.
It is ironic that Hebrews 6 and 10 are used as examples where Christians might lose their salvation, when the whole book of Hebrews is trying to assure us of our eternal redemption when we accept the Lord Jesus into our hearts.
Hebrews 10:10-14 "By that will (New Testament) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 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."
Hebrews 10:2 says that those Old Testament sacrifices can never make anyone perfect in their conscience. The goal of Jesus' sacrifice is that we have no more consciousness of sins before God.
Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever. He is not dying over and over again each time we sin. His one sacrifice paid the penalty for all sins forever. Notice verse 14. By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. The scripture is saying that our conscience can be perfected forever before God even as we are in the midst of being cleansed or sanctified from sin in our outward actions. We have peace with God forever, even though He is in the process of teaching us to walk in love and holiness toward others! Wow. This is the Good News!
Hebrews 10:19-22 "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."
These verses really show the true meaning for the forgiveness of sins. We can draw near to God and enter into His Presence without fear of punishment. That is a heart in full assurance of faith that our sins have been put away and a heart that is cleansed from an evil conscience. He also wants our bodies washed with pure water. This means that He wants us to walk in love and holiness toward others.
Hebrews 10:23-32 "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. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' Law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy, who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord" And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings....."
These verses can be scary if you take them out of context. What are we commanded to do in verse 23? We are to hold fast to the confession of our hope, that our sins have been purged, without wavering. Wavering is the same as falling away or drifting away, phrases we have already seen earlier in Hebrews. Remember Hebrews 1:2-3. God has spoken to us in these last days, in the New Testament, through His Son. When Jesus had purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. We are to hold fast to this confession. What does it mean to sin willfully in this context? We sin willfully when we waver or let go of our confession that Jesus has purged our sins. What happens when we let go of our confession? We then begin to rehearse or hear again what God spoke under the Old Testament Law to previous generations that is no longer applicable to us in the New Testament. There is only a certain fearful expectation of judgment because we will not be perfect in our own works. We trample underfoot what Jesus did in our thinking. We count His blood the same as the shed blood of an animal sacrifice under the Old Testament Law. We go back to receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. We discount that He made one sacrifice for sins forever. We insult His grace and then try to approach God by our good works again. This does not mean that the person has lost their salvation and is going to hell. It means the person has stopped listening to New Testament truth and has fallen back to Old Testament thinking.
These Jews were suffering reproach and persecution for believing in Jesus. They were surrounded by people who were still participating in Old Testament rituals and sacrifices. They were being persecuted for believing that Jesus had already paid for their sins and that animal sacrifices were no longer needed. They were experiencing a very painful transition from Old Testament thinking to New Testament thinking.
There are hundreds of millions of believers today who have never left or reverted back to Old Testament thinking, believing that they are forgiven one sin at a time. They are in an ongoing cycle of repentance and confession, trying to find rest for their conscience. Rest comes when we trust that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Keith Oliver
Hebrews Highlights Part 5
Hebrews 8:6-13 "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant (the Old Testament) had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second (the New Testament). Because finding fault with them (Israel under the Old Testament Law), He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, "Know the Lord", for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deed I will remember no more." In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
The Old Testament Law was a conditional covenant. If you obey God and follow the commandments, you receive blessing. If you do not obey God and do not follow His commandments, you would be cursed. This is the covenant described in Deuteronomy 28. This covenant did not work because the people could not keep His commandments perfectly. Verse 9 says "because they did not continue in My covenant and I disregarded them, says the Lord."
God had to establish the New Covenant that was not based upon our performance but upon His grace shown through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Verse 12 shows us why the New Testament works. "For (because) I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." God no longer remembers our sins because He punished all of our sins in Jesus.
Much of the confusion in the body of Christ occurs because we are trying to blend the Old and New Testaments. They are two separate covenants and cannot be blended. The Old Testament Law is based upon our performance. The New Testament is based upon Jesus and His mercy shown to us at the cross. When we try to blend these covenants, we end up believing that God is forgiving us one sin at a time. We end up with a mixture of condemnation and grace, depending on what verses we focus on.
Hebrews 8:13 says that the Old Testament is obsolete. This means that the Old Testament is no longer used. It is out of date. It cannot be applied under the New Testament. I did not write this. Read the verse. The Old Testament is obsolete. We are no longer offering animal sacrifices on a daily basis in the Temple. We need to stop our Old Testament thinking. God is not forgiving us one sin at a time based upon an animal sacrifice. Jesus has made one sacrifice for sins forever. We are forgiven of the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present, and future sins. So many are quoting Old Testament verses and examples as if they apply today. We can learn how God was dealing with people back then by reading the Old Testament. But we are not under that covenant anymore.
Does this mean that we can just sin and run wild, because Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever? Absolutely not. Hebrews chapters 12-13 will be addressing these issues. But recognize that the writer of Hebrews is spending the first 11 chapters assuring us that our sins are forgiven. That is 11 chapters assuring us that our sins are remitted and the last 2 chapters on holiness. Our teaching and preaching should reflect this also. As we hold on to the gospel truth that our sins are forgiven and we are made righteous before God apart from our works, then He will lead and guide into holiness and walking in love.
Hebrews 9:7-9 "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience--"
When the book of Hebrews was written, the Jewish people were still offering animal sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. This did not cease until Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 70 A.D. They were offering animal sacrifices on a daily basis for sins that they were conscious of. Then once a year, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies where God's Presence dwelt in the Temple. He offered a sacrifice once a year for the sins of people committed in ignorance. So the Jewish people were receiving forgiveness one sin at a time and, at best, one year at a time for sins committed in ignorance. These sacrifices could never cleanse or perfect their consciences. Unfortunately, many Christians are continuing in this Old Testament line of thinking. Our consciences are cleansed and made perfect before God when we change our thinking and accept that Jesus shed His blood for the remission of the sins of our entire lifetime. This is the gospel. This is what brings lasting peace. This is the Sabbath rest discussed in Hebrews chapter 4.
Keith Oliver
The Old Testament Law was a conditional covenant. If you obey God and follow the commandments, you receive blessing. If you do not obey God and do not follow His commandments, you would be cursed. This is the covenant described in Deuteronomy 28. This covenant did not work because the people could not keep His commandments perfectly. Verse 9 says "because they did not continue in My covenant and I disregarded them, says the Lord."
God had to establish the New Covenant that was not based upon our performance but upon His grace shown through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Verse 12 shows us why the New Testament works. "For (because) I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." God no longer remembers our sins because He punished all of our sins in Jesus.
Much of the confusion in the body of Christ occurs because we are trying to blend the Old and New Testaments. They are two separate covenants and cannot be blended. The Old Testament Law is based upon our performance. The New Testament is based upon Jesus and His mercy shown to us at the cross. When we try to blend these covenants, we end up believing that God is forgiving us one sin at a time. We end up with a mixture of condemnation and grace, depending on what verses we focus on.
Hebrews 8:13 says that the Old Testament is obsolete. This means that the Old Testament is no longer used. It is out of date. It cannot be applied under the New Testament. I did not write this. Read the verse. The Old Testament is obsolete. We are no longer offering animal sacrifices on a daily basis in the Temple. We need to stop our Old Testament thinking. God is not forgiving us one sin at a time based upon an animal sacrifice. Jesus has made one sacrifice for sins forever. We are forgiven of the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present, and future sins. So many are quoting Old Testament verses and examples as if they apply today. We can learn how God was dealing with people back then by reading the Old Testament. But we are not under that covenant anymore.
Does this mean that we can just sin and run wild, because Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever? Absolutely not. Hebrews chapters 12-13 will be addressing these issues. But recognize that the writer of Hebrews is spending the first 11 chapters assuring us that our sins are forgiven. That is 11 chapters assuring us that our sins are remitted and the last 2 chapters on holiness. Our teaching and preaching should reflect this also. As we hold on to the gospel truth that our sins are forgiven and we are made righteous before God apart from our works, then He will lead and guide into holiness and walking in love.
Hebrews 9:7-9 "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience--"
When the book of Hebrews was written, the Jewish people were still offering animal sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. This did not cease until Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 70 A.D. They were offering animal sacrifices on a daily basis for sins that they were conscious of. Then once a year, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies where God's Presence dwelt in the Temple. He offered a sacrifice once a year for the sins of people committed in ignorance. So the Jewish people were receiving forgiveness one sin at a time and, at best, one year at a time for sins committed in ignorance. These sacrifices could never cleanse or perfect their consciences. Unfortunately, many Christians are continuing in this Old Testament line of thinking. Our consciences are cleansed and made perfect before God when we change our thinking and accept that Jesus shed His blood for the remission of the sins of our entire lifetime. This is the gospel. This is what brings lasting peace. This is the Sabbath rest discussed in Hebrews chapter 4.
Keith Oliver
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Hebrews Highlights Part 4
Hebrews 6:13-20 "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying "Surely blessing I will bless you , and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
What is the main goal of the gospel? Is it only the forgiveness of our sins? These verses open up the rest of the book of Hebrews. The forgiveness of our sins is only the means to an end. The end goal is that we can enter into the Presence of God without any fear of punishment and enjoy fellowship with Him. He wants to enjoy talking with us, leading us, guiding us, loving us. He can't do this if we are afraid of Him. If we believe that He is holding our sins against us, we will pull away out of fear. As we believe the gospel, we are rewarded with His Presence!
As Abraham patiently endured, he received the promise that God would bless him and multiply him and his offspring. We are to patiently endure in believing the gospel. As we do, we are rewarded also. Our reward is His love, His peace, His joy, dwelling in His Presence without fear of punishment. He is so kind and gentle to us.
A covenant between men is confirmed by an oath. God confirms His covenant with an oath also. The two immutable things are God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a reference to Genesis 15. Read the story. God made a covenant with to show Abraham that He would be faithful to His promise. When Abraham fell asleep, a burning oven and a burning torch passed through the midst of the sacrificed animals. This represented God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This covenant was between God the Father and the Lord Jesus, and Abraham was able to get the benefit of it without being able to mess it up. If God cut a covenant with Abraham directly, Abraham would have been the weak link and would have failed. In the same manner, the New Testament is completed by our Lord Jesus Christ. He bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. All we have to do is believe the Good News of the Gospel! We cannot mess it up with our performance.
Hebrews 6:19 says this hope we have as an anchor of our soul or thinking. An anchor holds a ship in place so that it does not drift away from shore. Knowing that Jesus has purged our sins allows us to enter into His Presence without fear of punishment. It cleanses our conscience and gives rest to our soul.
Hebrews 7:25-27 "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."
Notice that He saves us to the uttermost when we come to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This uttermost is a reference to eternal salvation mentioned in Hebrews 5:9. Jesus is not offering Himself up on a daily basis as we sin. He offered Himself once for all, once for all people and once for all sins for all time. When we trust in what Jesus did for us, we are born again. We need never fear punishment from God anymore. This is the gospel.
Keith Oliver
What is the main goal of the gospel? Is it only the forgiveness of our sins? These verses open up the rest of the book of Hebrews. The forgiveness of our sins is only the means to an end. The end goal is that we can enter into the Presence of God without any fear of punishment and enjoy fellowship with Him. He wants to enjoy talking with us, leading us, guiding us, loving us. He can't do this if we are afraid of Him. If we believe that He is holding our sins against us, we will pull away out of fear. As we believe the gospel, we are rewarded with His Presence!
As Abraham patiently endured, he received the promise that God would bless him and multiply him and his offspring. We are to patiently endure in believing the gospel. As we do, we are rewarded also. Our reward is His love, His peace, His joy, dwelling in His Presence without fear of punishment. He is so kind and gentle to us.
A covenant between men is confirmed by an oath. God confirms His covenant with an oath also. The two immutable things are God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a reference to Genesis 15. Read the story. God made a covenant with to show Abraham that He would be faithful to His promise. When Abraham fell asleep, a burning oven and a burning torch passed through the midst of the sacrificed animals. This represented God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This covenant was between God the Father and the Lord Jesus, and Abraham was able to get the benefit of it without being able to mess it up. If God cut a covenant with Abraham directly, Abraham would have been the weak link and would have failed. In the same manner, the New Testament is completed by our Lord Jesus Christ. He bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. All we have to do is believe the Good News of the Gospel! We cannot mess it up with our performance.
Hebrews 6:19 says this hope we have as an anchor of our soul or thinking. An anchor holds a ship in place so that it does not drift away from shore. Knowing that Jesus has purged our sins allows us to enter into His Presence without fear of punishment. It cleanses our conscience and gives rest to our soul.
Hebrews 7:25-27 "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."
Notice that He saves us to the uttermost when we come to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This uttermost is a reference to eternal salvation mentioned in Hebrews 5:9. Jesus is not offering Himself up on a daily basis as we sin. He offered Himself once for all, once for all people and once for all sins for all time. When we trust in what Jesus did for us, we are born again. We need never fear punishment from God anymore. This is the gospel.
Keith Oliver
Hebrews Highlights Part 3
Hebrews 5:9-14 "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek," of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Notice that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. What is our obedience in the context of these verses? We are to believe the gospel and not be moved away from it back to an Old Testament mindset. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. We are forgiven and saved eternally. If we believe that we are forgiven one sin at a time or, at best, one week or year at a time, that is not eternal salvation. Notice that the writer uses the phrase dull of hearing. This is the same as drift away or fall away. All of these phrases are referring to drifting away from the word of righteousness.
These Jews had accepted Christ but were under intense persecution from the people around them. They were under intense pressure to revert back to the Old Testament thinking and practices. They had accepted Christ for long enough that they should have been teaching others. But when they became dull of hearing the gospel, they had become unskilled in the word of righteousness before God apart from our works. They had become babies again in their thinking. We move into maturity through reason of use of the word of righteousness. As we face temptation or even failure, we declare that we are righteous before God apart from our works through the shed blood of Jesus. As we continue in this, we will discern within us both an evil conscience and a good conscience. Hebrews 9:14 says that our conscience must be cleansed from dead works to serve the Living God. When we try to approach God by our works and fail, our conscience will condemn us and cause us to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. This is an evil conscience that we must be cleansed from. Hebrews 13:18 describes a good conscience as desiring to live honorably in all things. We should live godly lives before the people around us. It benefits us and those around us. But we don't live godly to try and earn God's favor. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. That is why God is pleased with us.
Hebrews 6:1-8 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it it cultivated, receives blessing from God, but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."
These verses have been used to teach that a mature believer can reject and lose their salvation. Notice the phrase fall away. We have seen it already in Hebrews. It is speaking of falling away from the word of righteousness, not rejecting your salvation. It is speaking of reverting back to an Old Testament mindset of being forgiven one sin at a time. These verses are describing a person who has moved into maturity but then falls away from the word of righteousness. When we fall away from the gospel or the word of righteousness in Christ Jesus, it is impossible to renew us to repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Why? Hebrews 6:6 says that we crucify again for ourselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. Notice the word "again". It is in contrast to Jesus being crucified once for the sins of our entire lifetime. Hebrews 10:12 says that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever. If we fall away from the gospel that Jesus made one sacrifice for the sins of our entire lifetime, then we are saying He needs to be crucified over and over again each time we sin. We have moved back to the Old Testament mindset of forgiveness one sin at a time. If we hold to this Old Testament mindset, then it will be impossible to renew us to repentance from dead works and faith toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean that you have lost your salvation and can never be saved again. The subject of these verses are people who had accepted Christ long enough ago that they should have been teaching others, but they have reverted back to the Old Testament mindset. Notice verses 7 and 8. They refer to the Old Testament Law of blessing or cursing based upon our actions. That is what our thinking will be when we fall away from the gospel, and it will produce fear of punishment in our thinking. But God is dealing with us by His grace and mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it any wonder that Christianity has not worked very well for many people? Many Christians believe that God has forgiven our past sins, but then each new sin that we commit is a new offense to God that has not yet been paid for. We will never receive rest for our conscience when we believe this.
Keith Oliver
Notice that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. What is our obedience in the context of these verses? We are to believe the gospel and not be moved away from it back to an Old Testament mindset. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. We are forgiven and saved eternally. If we believe that we are forgiven one sin at a time or, at best, one week or year at a time, that is not eternal salvation. Notice that the writer uses the phrase dull of hearing. This is the same as drift away or fall away. All of these phrases are referring to drifting away from the word of righteousness.
These Jews had accepted Christ but were under intense persecution from the people around them. They were under intense pressure to revert back to the Old Testament thinking and practices. They had accepted Christ for long enough that they should have been teaching others. But when they became dull of hearing the gospel, they had become unskilled in the word of righteousness before God apart from our works. They had become babies again in their thinking. We move into maturity through reason of use of the word of righteousness. As we face temptation or even failure, we declare that we are righteous before God apart from our works through the shed blood of Jesus. As we continue in this, we will discern within us both an evil conscience and a good conscience. Hebrews 9:14 says that our conscience must be cleansed from dead works to serve the Living God. When we try to approach God by our works and fail, our conscience will condemn us and cause us to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. This is an evil conscience that we must be cleansed from. Hebrews 13:18 describes a good conscience as desiring to live honorably in all things. We should live godly lives before the people around us. It benefits us and those around us. But we don't live godly to try and earn God's favor. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. That is why God is pleased with us.
Hebrews 6:1-8 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it it cultivated, receives blessing from God, but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."
These verses have been used to teach that a mature believer can reject and lose their salvation. Notice the phrase fall away. We have seen it already in Hebrews. It is speaking of falling away from the word of righteousness, not rejecting your salvation. It is speaking of reverting back to an Old Testament mindset of being forgiven one sin at a time. These verses are describing a person who has moved into maturity but then falls away from the word of righteousness. When we fall away from the gospel or the word of righteousness in Christ Jesus, it is impossible to renew us to repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Why? Hebrews 6:6 says that we crucify again for ourselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. Notice the word "again". It is in contrast to Jesus being crucified once for the sins of our entire lifetime. Hebrews 10:12 says that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever. If we fall away from the gospel that Jesus made one sacrifice for the sins of our entire lifetime, then we are saying He needs to be crucified over and over again each time we sin. We have moved back to the Old Testament mindset of forgiveness one sin at a time. If we hold to this Old Testament mindset, then it will be impossible to renew us to repentance from dead works and faith toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean that you have lost your salvation and can never be saved again. The subject of these verses are people who had accepted Christ long enough ago that they should have been teaching others, but they have reverted back to the Old Testament mindset. Notice verses 7 and 8. They refer to the Old Testament Law of blessing or cursing based upon our actions. That is what our thinking will be when we fall away from the gospel, and it will produce fear of punishment in our thinking. But God is dealing with us by His grace and mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it any wonder that Christianity has not worked very well for many people? Many Christians believe that God has forgiven our past sins, but then each new sin that we commit is a new offense to God that has not yet been paid for. We will never receive rest for our conscience when we believe this.
Keith Oliver
Friday, October 9, 2015
Hebrews Highlights Part 2
Hebrews 3:5-6 "And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end."
This verse is saying that Jesus comes to live in us when we are born again. We become His house or His expression in our physical body when we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. What confidence do we hold fast? Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus by Himself purged our sins. We are to hold fast this confession, that Jesus has purged our sins, from the beginning of our faith to the day we leave this earth.
Hebrews 3:7-11 "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years......" These verses used to condemn me before I understood it. When we have a sin consciousness, we will always see verses from a condemning standpoint.
What did we hear that God is speaking to us in Hebrews 1:2-3? When we hear His voice, what is He saying? He is speaking to us through His Son, that Jesus had by Himself purged our sins. We are not to harden our hearts to the gospel, that our sins are purged by Jesus.
Hebrews 3:12-15 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today", lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
As we shall see, an evil heart of unbelief is an evil conscience within us that causes us to depart or draw away from God due to fear of punishment. We must hold fast to the idea that Jesus shed His blood to purge our sins. This idea cleanses us from an evil conscience so that we can draw near to God in full assurance and without fear of punishment. Sin is deceitful in two ways. It causes our conscience to condemn us when God is not condemning us. Jesus purged our sins. We do not have to be afraid of punishment from God. Sin can be deceitful in another way. We may know our sins are purged. But when we sin, we still suffer earthly consequences. So sin is deceitful in two ways.
Again, we are to hold the beginning of our confidence, that our sins were purged by Jesus, steadfast to the end. If we don't hear at the beginning of our faith that the sins of our entire lifetime were purged, how can we hold that steadfast to the end? This is not a subject for mature believers only. Every person needs to hear upfront that Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future. We hold to this idea from the time we hear it to the time we leave this earth.
Hebrews 3:18-19 "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Our obedience under the New Testament is to believe the gospel. When we believe it, we find rest for our conscience, which has been trained to condemn us when we fail. The reference to not obeying is unbelief in the gospel. When we hold to the Old Testament idea that we are forgiven one sin at a time, we are in unbelief of the gospel spoken in Hebrews 1:3, that Jesus had by Himself purged our sins.
Hebrews 4:10-14 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God (the gospel or word of righteousness) is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."
Our conscience finds rest as we hold fast to the gospel and stop trying to find approval before God by our works. We do good works to benefit those around us, but not to try and please God. Jesus purged our sins on the cross. That is why God is pleased with us. The word of God, specifically the gospel or word of righteousness, will divide between spirit, soul and body. It will discern the thoughts and intents of our heart. As we shall see in chapter 5, it will discern both a good conscience and an evil conscience within us. An evil conscience causes us to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. The gospel will cleanse our evil conscience. The gospel will also discern a good conscience within us, causing us to live honorably before men. The way this happens is by holding fast our confession that Jesus has purged our sins. Notice also verse 11 uses the word fall and disobedience. We fall back to an Old Testament mindset when we disobey by not believing the gospel. This disobedience is not when we commit a sin.
I hope this is making the book of Hebrews clear. We must learn to separate the Old and New Testaments, otherwise we will be left in confusion and fear. Jesus purged our sins. He bore the punishment for the sins of our entire lifetime. That is the gospel. When people hear that their sins are forgiven, many people hear that as only their past sins. But Jesus paid for sins, past, present and future. He did not give us an installment plan!
Keith Oliver
This verse is saying that Jesus comes to live in us when we are born again. We become His house or His expression in our physical body when we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. What confidence do we hold fast? Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus by Himself purged our sins. We are to hold fast this confession, that Jesus has purged our sins, from the beginning of our faith to the day we leave this earth.
Hebrews 3:7-11 "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years......" These verses used to condemn me before I understood it. When we have a sin consciousness, we will always see verses from a condemning standpoint.
What did we hear that God is speaking to us in Hebrews 1:2-3? When we hear His voice, what is He saying? He is speaking to us through His Son, that Jesus had by Himself purged our sins. We are not to harden our hearts to the gospel, that our sins are purged by Jesus.
Hebrews 3:12-15 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today", lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
As we shall see, an evil heart of unbelief is an evil conscience within us that causes us to depart or draw away from God due to fear of punishment. We must hold fast to the idea that Jesus shed His blood to purge our sins. This idea cleanses us from an evil conscience so that we can draw near to God in full assurance and without fear of punishment. Sin is deceitful in two ways. It causes our conscience to condemn us when God is not condemning us. Jesus purged our sins. We do not have to be afraid of punishment from God. Sin can be deceitful in another way. We may know our sins are purged. But when we sin, we still suffer earthly consequences. So sin is deceitful in two ways.
Again, we are to hold the beginning of our confidence, that our sins were purged by Jesus, steadfast to the end. If we don't hear at the beginning of our faith that the sins of our entire lifetime were purged, how can we hold that steadfast to the end? This is not a subject for mature believers only. Every person needs to hear upfront that Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future. We hold to this idea from the time we hear it to the time we leave this earth.
Hebrews 3:18-19 "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Our obedience under the New Testament is to believe the gospel. When we believe it, we find rest for our conscience, which has been trained to condemn us when we fail. The reference to not obeying is unbelief in the gospel. When we hold to the Old Testament idea that we are forgiven one sin at a time, we are in unbelief of the gospel spoken in Hebrews 1:3, that Jesus had by Himself purged our sins.
Hebrews 4:10-14 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God (the gospel or word of righteousness) is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."
Our conscience finds rest as we hold fast to the gospel and stop trying to find approval before God by our works. We do good works to benefit those around us, but not to try and please God. Jesus purged our sins on the cross. That is why God is pleased with us. The word of God, specifically the gospel or word of righteousness, will divide between spirit, soul and body. It will discern the thoughts and intents of our heart. As we shall see in chapter 5, it will discern both a good conscience and an evil conscience within us. An evil conscience causes us to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. The gospel will cleanse our evil conscience. The gospel will also discern a good conscience within us, causing us to live honorably before men. The way this happens is by holding fast our confession that Jesus has purged our sins. Notice also verse 11 uses the word fall and disobedience. We fall back to an Old Testament mindset when we disobey by not believing the gospel. This disobedience is not when we commit a sin.
I hope this is making the book of Hebrews clear. We must learn to separate the Old and New Testaments, otherwise we will be left in confusion and fear. Jesus purged our sins. He bore the punishment for the sins of our entire lifetime. That is the gospel. When people hear that their sins are forgiven, many people hear that as only their past sins. But Jesus paid for sins, past, present and future. He did not give us an installment plan!
Keith Oliver
Hebrews Highlights Part 1
Since the book of Hebrews is 13 chapters, I will attempt to hit the major highlights to open up the book as a whole and passages that may have been misinterpreted or cause people to feel condemned.
The theme of Hebrews is laid out in the first three verses. Hebrews 1:1-4 "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people Israel at various times and in various ways. But in the New Testament, He has spoken to us by His Son. How did God speak to us in Jesus? How is He speaking to you now? Verse 3 says that Jesus Himself purged our sins. Did you hear that? God is speaking to us, saying that our sins were purged. That is past tense language. It is an accomplished fact. Jesus died once, 2000 years ago. He paid the penalty for every sin that you and I have ever committed in the past or will ever commit in the future. He paid the penalty for us for all sins, past, present and future. The book of Hebrews will be contrasting what happened in the Old Testament with what Jesus accomplished under the New Testament. If we don't recognize the difference between the two covenants, we will be left in confusion. Under the Old Testament, the blood of animals was shed on a daily basis. The people were receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. Then once a year, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies in the Temple and offer a yearly sacrifice. This yearly sacrifice was to cover the sins of people committed in ignorance. The book of Hebrews says that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever! We no longer receive forgiveness one sin at a time. He paid for the sins of our entire lifetime! What grace and mercy He has for us. The whole world needs to hear THIS GOOD NEWS!
Notice also that Hebrews chapter 1 shows Jesus in heaven, worshiped by the angels, after He had purged our sins. As we shall see, Hebrews chapter 2 shows a picture of Jesus coming down from heaven to be among His creation. Chapter 3 declares that we have become the house of Jesus when we believe and hold fast to the gospel, His word of righteousness by faith apart from our works. What a beautiful and touching picture of God pursuing us! He moves out of heaven in the person of His Son, bears the penalty of our sin, all so that He can live in us.
Hebrews 2:1-4 "Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels (the Law of Moses) proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation (our sins were purged), which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Remember, how did God speak to us in the New Testament? Jesus, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The book of Hebrews will be using phrases like drift away and fall away. This is not talking about losing your salvation. It is speaking of drifting away from the central truth of the gospel, that Jesus purged our sins. What do we drift or fall back towards? The Old Testament mindset that our sins are not purged, that we need to receive forgiveness one sin at a time. Notice also that the gospel is the message that God confirms with miracles. As we declare the truth of the gospel, that Jesus has purged our sins, God will confirm this with miracles.
Hebrews 2:14-15 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Through His death, Jesus bore the penalty for our sins. If He took my punishment, I no longer need to fear punishment from God. What is this fear of death? I believe it is the fear of punishment from God after we die. This is what leaves people in fear. We look for all sorts of things to comfort ourselves apart from God because we are afraid. When we realize that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, we experience peace and joy. We can draw near to God without fear of punishment. This is what brings us out of bondage. People need peace! We have the message of the Prince of Peace!
Keith Oliver
The theme of Hebrews is laid out in the first three verses. Hebrews 1:1-4 "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people Israel at various times and in various ways. But in the New Testament, He has spoken to us by His Son. How did God speak to us in Jesus? How is He speaking to you now? Verse 3 says that Jesus Himself purged our sins. Did you hear that? God is speaking to us, saying that our sins were purged. That is past tense language. It is an accomplished fact. Jesus died once, 2000 years ago. He paid the penalty for every sin that you and I have ever committed in the past or will ever commit in the future. He paid the penalty for us for all sins, past, present and future. The book of Hebrews will be contrasting what happened in the Old Testament with what Jesus accomplished under the New Testament. If we don't recognize the difference between the two covenants, we will be left in confusion. Under the Old Testament, the blood of animals was shed on a daily basis. The people were receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. Then once a year, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies in the Temple and offer a yearly sacrifice. This yearly sacrifice was to cover the sins of people committed in ignorance. The book of Hebrews says that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever! We no longer receive forgiveness one sin at a time. He paid for the sins of our entire lifetime! What grace and mercy He has for us. The whole world needs to hear THIS GOOD NEWS!
Notice also that Hebrews chapter 1 shows Jesus in heaven, worshiped by the angels, after He had purged our sins. As we shall see, Hebrews chapter 2 shows a picture of Jesus coming down from heaven to be among His creation. Chapter 3 declares that we have become the house of Jesus when we believe and hold fast to the gospel, His word of righteousness by faith apart from our works. What a beautiful and touching picture of God pursuing us! He moves out of heaven in the person of His Son, bears the penalty of our sin, all so that He can live in us.
Hebrews 2:1-4 "Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels (the Law of Moses) proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation (our sins were purged), which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Remember, how did God speak to us in the New Testament? Jesus, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The book of Hebrews will be using phrases like drift away and fall away. This is not talking about losing your salvation. It is speaking of drifting away from the central truth of the gospel, that Jesus purged our sins. What do we drift or fall back towards? The Old Testament mindset that our sins are not purged, that we need to receive forgiveness one sin at a time. Notice also that the gospel is the message that God confirms with miracles. As we declare the truth of the gospel, that Jesus has purged our sins, God will confirm this with miracles.
Hebrews 2:14-15 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Through His death, Jesus bore the penalty for our sins. If He took my punishment, I no longer need to fear punishment from God. What is this fear of death? I believe it is the fear of punishment from God after we die. This is what leaves people in fear. We look for all sorts of things to comfort ourselves apart from God because we are afraid. When we realize that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, we experience peace and joy. We can draw near to God without fear of punishment. This is what brings us out of bondage. People need peace! We have the message of the Prince of Peace!
Keith Oliver
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