-
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
-
Many times Hebrews 13:8 is quoted correctly but taken out of the context of which it was penned by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews was written for the expressed purpose of getting the Jewish believers to complete the transition of trusting exclusively in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Even in the book of Acts the Jewish believers were still submitting themselves to the priesthood established under the law of Moses. It was called the Levitical Priesthood. Hebrews clearly established the superiority of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Some believers have unwittingly submitted to the wrong priesthood worshipping at the wrong altar. It is time for every believer to fully surrender to the correct altar of grace and truth.
-
John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
-
We have an altar to worship from; it is the altar of grace and truth. Many have been carried away with all kinds of false doctrine; however, there is a clear call from the Spirit of God for our hearts to be established by the word of grace. The altar we have been called to eat from is not from those who served at the tabernacle of Moses.
-
The question has been asked “does it matter?”. If we want to live in the high privilege Jesus prepared for us it matters absolutely.
-
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 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.
-
There is a new and living way to approach God. It is having the object of our faith exclusively in Jesus Christ! We as believers can enter the Holiest because the veil of His flesh was torn and broken. Jesus provided a way into the presence of God where the altar is. The blood of Jesus was applied to the mercy seat of God.
-
Hebrews 9:9 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; 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 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.
-
The practices of the law of Moses was symbolic for the present time. It pointed to the time we now live in. Under the law of Moses there was no cleansing of the conscience. In fact, the sacrifice needed to be offered at the altar time and again and it reminded them of their sin. However the practice was only to be imposed until the time of reformation. Jesus is our reformation! With the new priesthood being established we have been given a new and living way. Jesus with His own blood entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. We have an altar to worship from that has greater provision than the priesthood the Levites were in charge of.
-
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 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?
-
How much more shall the blood of Jesus cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? This new and living way provides for a clean conscience from dead works. What Adam and Eve gained from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is a sin conscience. Some call it the sin nature. Jesus came with provision so we are cleansed from our sin nature or if you prefer we are cleansed from our sin conscience. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things pass away and behold all things are new! We have been brought in by the blood of Jesus. So many try to be brought in by the altar of good works; it will never suffice. We can only place our trust in the obedient work of Jesus Christ Himself. If the object of your faith becomes any other thing you will fail to walk in the Christ provided victory.
-
Romans 5:17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
-
I often ask people whose obedience are you trusting in? It is one Man’s obedience that brings us righteousness. It is the Man, Jesus Christ. His obedience alone was the offering at the altar that the Father was pleased with. No other offering can be accepted; your complete and total reliance upon that perfect offering overflows into your own obedience. The object of your faith must ever remain in the atoning work of Jesus Christ; when placed anywhere else failure is sure to follow.
-
1 John 1:8-2:3
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
-
It is in the propitiation of Jesus Christ we gain victory over every sin; and there is no other way to victory! In this passage of 1 John the division by chapter and verse spilt up one truth and cause many to misapply the verses by taking part of the truth and leaving out the other part.
-
John the beloved lays down some foundational truth with this passage. As a believer if all you do is confess your sin and feel a cleansing you have missed partaking in the altar you have been called to! Many believers have been on a sin, repent, sin, repent cycle with never finding complete victory over the sin. John point to an awesome truth that has been under stated and under preached. My little children these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus Himself is the sole propitiation for sins; and there is no other propitiation. Jesus is the substitute offering for our sin; Jesus is the annihilator of our sin. Its time for every Christian to walk with victory over sin. Move beyond sin repent, sin repent… If you sin, repent but run to your Advocate only in Him is the purging to the victory over the sin.
-
In the Old Testament the worshipper came with a perfect lamb to be slain for the atonement of sin. The high priest would examine the sacrifice to see if it was good enough to make atonement. So much the more in this covenant, do sinners consider the Perfect Lamb of God? Is the sacrifice great enough? When we have sinned, repentance with a promise to do better is not enough. What if when we sin we walk in repentance with the atonement of Jesus Christ in mind; what would happen if we learn to rely exclusively on our Advocate? Reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God on the strength of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.
-
Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
-
Many a believer can relate to this Romans 7 passage trying to do good and failing. Not doing what you want and doing what you don’t want. This is Paul's testimony of how he partook of the wrong altar. While trying to serve at the altar of Moses sin gained strength in His life. We are no longer married to the law: our new husbandman is Jesus Christ. We must learn to partake at the altar of grace and truth; those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat from.
-
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
-
Jesus Christ freed us from the law of sin and death! There is a higher altar to eat from, it is the altar of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; it sets us free from the law of sin and death. Which altar shall we eat from? Run to the advocate, Jesus, and find your freedom from sin. He who the Son sets free is free indeed.
-
Romans 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-
Dare we believe we can reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin and alive unto God? It is the right and privilege of every believer to eat from the altar of grace!
-
Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
-
He offered His body so we must come to Him; He solely is our Advocate! We now come to Him and offer the sacrifice of praise to God! The fruit of our lips giving thanks to the name of Jesus. Praise you Jesus for becoming my sin offering! Your sacrifice was great enough to appease the Holy Father! Jesus, I will trust in the altar You have provided and will trust in no other!
-
-
Thank you for prayers for Cyril, and for posting on my blog. If you'd like a "Live Life Big" bumper sticker please email me you address and I will send you one. :)
ReplyDeletelakesmit AT gmail DOT com
thanks, again
your blog blessed me today!
Laurie