Hebrews 2
Hebrews
{2:1} Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
*We have to listen. We have to give MORE earnest heed to the things we know so we don't forget them.
{2:2} For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward.
*God's angels speak true, God's angels can't lie. Every single sin, every disobedience is accounted for. As soon as we sin there is a record of that sin and an accounting will be made unless our sins are covered in the blood of the Lamb and He claims us as His and our names are written in the book of life.
{2:3} How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
*Salvation is in Christ and only in Christ. We can neglect salvation. We can. Salvation isn't ours automatically we have to accept it. We can neglect is and there is no escape if we do, none.
{2:4} God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
*God used signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. There can be no mistaking the fact that God made manifest all these things that weren't typical, special, amazing gifts that could only come from Him. Healing, delivering people possessed of evil spirits, juice into wine, fish where there were no fish, bread where there was no bread. Miracles that didn't promote selfish gain in any way but rather turned the minds, the thoughts to God to eternal life, to Jesus our Lord and Savior, to salvation.
{2:5} For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
{2:6} But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
{2:7} Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands
{2:8} Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Psalms {8:4} What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man,
that thou visitest him?
{8:5} For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast
crowned him with glory and honour.
{8:6} Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all [things] under his feet:
{2:9} But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
*Jesus became man.
Jesus became a little lower than the angels.
God's own son lowered himself to our level so that he could suffer death. That his death would leave him crowned with glory and honor. His death allows us to have His grace and mercy. Jesus died for all of us, every single person that will accept His great sacrifice.
{2:10} For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
{2:11} For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren
{2:12} Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
{2:13} And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
{2:14} Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
{2:15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
{2:16} For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
{2:17} Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
*
That is so incredibly beautiful.
We tend to admire people we classify as high and lofty, superstars in movie, theater, sports, financial savvy, those who deign to lower themselves to get down and work with ordinary people. We call them humanitarians when they travel to foreign countries and lend their status to a cause to bring awareness and help to that cause. Our admiration isn't completely misplaced, they don't *have* to lower themselves that way, many don't. We don't know if their lowering of themselves is done with genuine goodness or self-serving but that isn't for us to judge. We do know that Christ, God's very Son, His ONLY Son lowered Himself and He did it for one reason and one reason only- for us. We know beyond a doubt that He suffered for us, each of us. That He lowered Himself to something lower than the angels. Angels are below God in status, but Jesus didn't lower Himself to be an Angel, He lowered Himself even further down to become human so He could redeem us. If we want an example of pure love, there it is we don't have to look any further. Total selflessness.
He became us, was tempted like us, and He over came for us, giving us hope, hope eternal now and forever.
He is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God- to make reconcilation for the sins of the people.
Worth noting, in the typical Day of Atonement right before all the sins of the forgiven were to be placed upon the scapegoat (Satan) and he is led out to the wilderness- it says of the High Priest - Lev. {16:20} And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place,] and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat
Jesus our faithful High Priest is making a reconcilation for the sins of the people just as the High Priest on the Day of Atonement cleansed the Sanctuary. Our world will not be cleansed fully of sin, our lives will not be cleansed until that Day of Atonement is fully complete.
May God help and keep us as we humble ourselves before Him and entreat His mercy for us, clinging to the cross and the grace offered through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our great High Priest who is reconciling us to God now and soon to be forever.
Amen.
1/26/10
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Do you know someone that is 'godly', someone who is 'religious', someone who you might label a 'Jesus freak'? I'm not going to super extremes here, or maybe I am. Do you know anyone you can point to and say they're a 'God-fearing' person? No matter their passion whether it's great or small? There are plenty of people the media presents we can point to and say they're 'God-fearing', in fact there are famous 'God-fearing' people and not all of them are evangelists, or preachers, or leaders of some religious television show.
Do you believe that where there is something real there can be something unreal? Where there is a genuine there can be a counterfiet?
This Bible verse above states- 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' People can have a ZEAL of God but it won't necessarily mean they have that zeal according to knowledge. That zeal could be based on one or two feel-good verses in the Bible while the exacting verses revealing God's true nature are ignored. It's not atypical for people to pick out the supposed good bits - bits they approve of and like - and then leave the undesireable bits alone forming their own religion and not God's but using God's name just the same. Unless the zeal we have for God is based on knowledge, based on ALL the truth of the Bible then our zeal means very little to God.
The verses above go on to say this --
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Being ignorant of God's righteousness. Our righteousness means nothing and when we point to ourselves and the things we've done *FOR* God we are pointing in the wrong direction. It's so easy to tell others to look at us and see this is how it's all supposed to be done. We like to point people to our righteousness when in truth the only way we should be pointing is towards Christ and Christ alone. Yes, we have our part in the grand scheme of things and that part is to surrender to Christ, repent and accept His forgiveness, accept His righteousness for us. There is such a real danger of getting caught up in self-righteousness that we can't be too careful. We have to fully submit ourselves to the righteousness of God admitting that Jesus Christ is ultimately the One the law of God was made upon. Jesus broke none of God's law when He walked as a human among us, none. It's because of this we can cling to Him and His righteousness. He embraced all of the laws God intended to be eternal and not simply sacrificial or ceremonial but kept every law as God commanded. The whole law was summed up in two- love God and love your neighbor. And while we can keep the laws until we die they won't save us, it's claiming Christ's righteousness- not ours, claiming His ability to perfectly keep the law- not our ability to keep it perfectly, that will save us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and all marvelous, wondrous Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
1/26/11