Hebrews 5 the Author of eternal salvation brings God's righteousness to the believer!
Hebrews Chapter 5 “The Author of Eternal Salvation”
Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
In Hebrews chapter 3 we begin a comparison between the household of the law and the house of grace. The comparison is continued to the end of Hebrews. In these opening verses of chapter 5 we look at the high priest from the law. Using animal sacrifice they offered sacrifice for sin not only for the people but also for themselves. The high priest under the law were born with a sin nature just like every other man! These high priest had compassion on those who were ignorant and going astray since he shared in the same weakness. The order was for the high priest to offer sacrifice for his own sin and then for the sin of the people!
Hebrews 5:4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.“
The sons of Aaron were where the high priest which the scriptures call the “Levitical priest hood. Chosen by God for this service and likewise Jesus was chosen by the Father for this priesthood.
Psalm 2:7 "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Here prophetically speaks of the Father calling His Son! Jesus is indeed the only begotten of the Father.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus is the One and there is no other one! The object of your faith must be in the only begotten!
Hebrews 5:6 As He also says in another place: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek";
Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Moses household had the Levite priesthood; we have the Melchizedek priesthood! Jesus is the High Priest that lives forever!
Hebrews 5:7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Have you ever imagined what this prayer meeting between Jesus and the Father looked like? The Holy Spirit opened the windows of a most private moment between Jesus and the Father. Jesus prayed vehemently and with tears He cried out to the Father to save Him from the moment of death!
Luke 22:41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.“ 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke describes this prayer between Jesus and the Father. This was no wimpy little prayer. Jesus was pouring out His heart to His Father asking if it would be possible to not partake of this baptism of suffering! After agony Jesus agreed with the will of the Father! Nevertheless not my will but Your will be done. There is a little secret not revealed in the Hebrews 5 or in Luke 22.
Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
After the agony Jesus faced the cross with joy! You are the joy that was set before Him. He was able to handle the shame and suffering because He seen you as a great prize to be had by God, if He would but suffer! The Father revealed to Jesus the many sons that would come to glory. That was the joy set before Him. Jesus did not remain in the agony, He came to the place of the joy set before Him. It was the strength He needed to endure the cross!
Hebrews 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek,“ 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
Jesus became the author of eternal salvation! Praise the Lord salvation has been brought down to man by the One perfect Jesus Christ! The quality of the salvation is eternal salvation!
1 Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
Our great example suffered for us! We now follow His example of entrusting ourselves to our heavenly Father! Jesus - Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness! Old testament priest only rolled sin back. Jesus bore the sins of the world and God the Father was appeased, completely appeased. Jesus did a finishing work on the cross of Calvary !
Hebrews 5:12 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. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 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 the solid food belonging to the mature, is the word of righteousness! How righteousness comes exclusively by faith in Jesus Christ is the only righteousness God offers. Every other form of righteousness falls short of God holy standard. When you come to exclusively trust in Jesus Christ and the cross, you have come to the place to discern both the good and the evil. Hebrews chapter 1 declared that Jesus rules with the scepter of righteousness.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
The just shall live by faith; there is not another way to walk to please God!
John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
The word of righteousness brings the believer to abide in Jesus Christ! Jesus taught it first! We abide in Christ and He abides in us! He is the vine and we are the branches to the vine! Abiding in Him makes us fruitful; abiding in Him makes every desire be fulfilled! God calls His children to abide in Jesus! Paul said to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of us! Intimacy of relationship with Jesus!
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The word of righteousness can not be ignored if we want to mature out of the sandbox of Christianity! Righteousness is exclusively found by faith in Jesus Christ. Heaven’s court of justice freely justifies by divine influence all who put the object of their faith exclusively in Jesus! It is a just and righteous act of God to justify the one who has faith in Jesus! It comes by faith in Jesus, it is nurtured by faith in Jesus, and it is completed by faith in Jesus!
1 John 2:12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
The word of righteousness keeps reminding the children of the faith their sins are forgiven. The word of righteousness to the young men causes them to love the word and overcome the enemy. The father’s of the faith continue in knowing God in intimacy! However, the children must know the path to maturity is in knowing God! When you love the Father you long to do His will! The greater the revelation of His love toward you the more you love what God loves and abhor what He abhors! Maturity leaves one longing to do the will of the Father!
Hebrews 6:1 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, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES
v 1. Repentance From Dead Works: Luke 24:46-47, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19, Luke 18:10-14, and Hebrews 9:14.
v 2. Faith Towards God: Romans 1:16-17, Hebrews 11:1,6, Acts 14:27, Acts 20:21, Acts 26:17-18, John 5:24.
v 3. The Doctrine of Baptisms: Into Christ Galatians 3:26-27, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 5:1 Into water 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 8:35-37, and the Holy Spirit baptism Mark 1:8, Acts 2:32-33,38.
v 4. The Laying On of Hands: James 5:14-15, Acts 5:12, 6:3-6, 13:3-4, 19:11-12, 1Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6
v 5. The Resurrection of the Dead and The Eternal Judgment: John 5:24-29, 12:38-31, Romans 2:5, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11, 1 Peter 4:17-18, 2 Peter 3:7, 1 John 4:17, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Indeed the elementary principles of the word of God need to be founded and established. However we must ever be mindful we have been called to the word of righteousness!
Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
I am so thankful the demons have to flee at the name of Jesus! However I am even more grateful that my name is written in the lambs book of life. Only Jesus can provide God’s righteousness! This is the word of righteousness God calls us to preach! Jesus is indeed the author of eternal salvation!
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