December 4, 2013
Central Truth
God's new covenant with man went into effect when Christ shed His blood on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind, and we have a chance to experience for ourselves and share God's grace with others.
[S]o Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (Hebrews 9:28)
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 1 9:15 The Greek word means both covenant and will; also verses 16, 17 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
In order for a person's last will and testament to go into effect, that person has to die. It's the same with God's new "will" (covenant) in Christ, which went into effect only when Christ's blood was shed on the cross. His death had to happen for the beneficiaries (us) to experience any effects of the will.
With Christ's death on the cross, our sins are forgiven, and we have the opportunity to experience a restored relationship with God. As the ultimate High Priest, Christ secured our free access to God's presence. The new covenant that went into effect with Christ is much better than the old way, where someone had to atone for sins through repeated animal sacrifices. Because Christ died for our sins, we need not fear condemnation after death (Romans 8:1), but we can live with hope and joy in expectation of our ultimate deliverance and glorification when Christ returns.
Praise God that He forgives our sins -- past, present, and future, that He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us, and that we can take heart because He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). I look forward to the day when Christ will return to usher in the new Jerusalem where the "dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. . . . He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV 1984).
We all are sinners who fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). As such, there is no amount of obedience or good works that we can do to live up to God's standard of perfection to earn our salvation. Fortunately, God offers us His grace as a free gift that we need only receive (Ephesians 2:8-9). John 5:24 tells us that whoever hears God's Word and believes in Him who sent Christ has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. Praise Him for His grace and that, through Christ's death, we can experience eternal life!
1. Have you heard of, believed in, and accepted God's free gift of grace?
2. If you have, are you eagerly awaiting His return? Do others see evidence of this in how you live and in your actions?
3. What are you doing to deepen your relationship with our Heavenly Father?
4. When was the last time that you shared this amazing story of Christ and your story of redemption with someone else who doesn't know Christ?