Serving God acceptable should be every believer's heart's desire. Divine order must be followed.
Serving God Acceptable
Hebrews 12:12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Correction from the heavenly Father brings healing and strength. It will give your hands strength to do all God has called you to do. It with strengthen your feet to walk in the paths of holiness. God’s call is for us to pursue peace and holiness; without the pursuit of holiness and peace we are unable to see the Lord. Our hardness of heart blinds us to see God working in our lives. The warning goes out very clearly, the danger of bitterness of heart can bring turmoil for the individual; however, that bitterness of heart affect all those around that individual. Bitterness comes from rejection of the correction of God. Esau became so bitter of heart he was willing to sell birthright for a bowl of soup. Your birthright is your confession of faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ; the danger of walking in sin is you begin to value your confession less. It is a slippery slope. Sin will take you further than you intended to go, and will keep you longer than you intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever imagined you would pay. Allowing God’s correction saves from this grave danger.
Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, 19 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. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")
As Hebrews has done so often, it once again begins to compare the covenant of the law of Moses with the covenant of grace and truth. You have not been brought to Mount Sinai ! The scriptures is referencing when the law of Moses was given. The mountain was a very fearful sight and at this time the children of Israel begged not to hear the voice of God. From that time forward the children of Israel came under the law that was given on that mount. Moses the leader of the Israelites said “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. This is not the mountain God has brought the new covenant church to! Those who try to bring the church back up under the law of Moses make a grave mistake. Coming to serve under the law of Moses after coming to freedom in Jesus Christ have put many believers into bondage.
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar; 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
The covenant that came from Mount Sinai gives birth to bondage. The covenant of grace brings freedom. God’s correction does not come from surrendering to the law of Moses. We must allow the word of grace to establish us correct us and make us partakers of the goodness of God. Within the body of Christ there are many who have tried to serve God under the auspices of the law. It has the same results every time! Sin gains strength from the law!
Galatians 4:27 For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband." 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Those who have found the freedom of grace will always be persecuted by the children of the bondwoman. Verse 30 is clear, we must kick out the bondwoman and her son! There is no room for mixing the serving of the law and grace.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
We must distinguish between the covenants and learn to live under the covenant which we have been birthed.
Hebrews 8:6 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.
Jesus brought a better covenant. Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry; He is the Mediator of a better covenant which is established on better promises.
Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem , to an innumerable company of angels,
You have been brought to the covenant of grace. It is Mount Zion you are living from. You have been seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are part of the city of the living God. It is the heavenly Jerusalem ! In this place of grace we have been surrounded by an innumerable company of angels working on our behalf.
Hebrews 12:23 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,
Your name is registered in heaven you are part of the church of the firstborn! You have been brought into the covenant where the Father has perfected the spirits of men who accepted Jesus as the Messiah.
Hebrews 12:24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
This covenant speaks through and by the blood of Jesus. It speaks better than the blood of Abel. Abel’s blood spoke of justice needed and spoke of judgment needed. Jesus' blood speaks of forgiveness. Jesus' blood speaks that sin has been dealt with once and for all. Jesus' blood speaks of men can be made righteous. He bore our sin so we could have His righteousness. The blood of Jesus is still speaking. Some of the old saints use to say we need to plead the blood of Jesus.
Hebrews 12:25 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,
The voice of grace should not be refused. Again the contrast is between serving the law of Moses or serving from the heavenly Jerusalem . Don’t refuse the great grace of God found exclusively in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." 27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
God’s zeal for this covenant of grace will become more clear as Jesus' voice and blood speak. That which clings to the law of Moses will not stand in the shaking of grace. We have received the kingdom of grace and it can not be shaken. Serving under grace is the safest place to be. Let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We must serve God through and by the covenant of grace for God will not accept any other kind of service.
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