Sunday, July 31, 2016,
6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Broken and Contrite.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Hebrews 4:14-5:10 (ESV).
Hold Fast
(4:14-16)
Since
then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw
near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
in time of need.
Life is difficult, at times, and for some of us more than
others. We face temptations and/or persecutions. We get discouraged or
disheartened. We get hurt by others. We feel lonely, unappreciated and/or
rejected. We experience difficulties and hardships, and we lack understanding
as to why all these things are happening to us and/or what we are supposed to
do about them. People we love betray us and forsake us. People misunderstand us
and judge us falsely. Those who don’t like us may even willfully try to destroy
us and our reputations, or they may try to trip us up so that they can
discredit us and our ministry.
So, why do all these types of things happen to us? And, how
are we supposed to respond to such difficulties as these? We read in the Bible,
God’s Holy Word:
God
“disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline
for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have
been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (See:
Heb. 12:3-11). “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But
when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be
condemned along with the world” (See: 1 Co. 11:27-31). “Those whom I love, I
reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19).
“If
we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are
comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently
endure the same sufferings that we suffer… Indeed, we felt that we had received
the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God
who raises the dead” (2 Co. 1:6, 9). “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet
trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4).
And,
we read: “… so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you
yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were
with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer
affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know” (1 Thess. 3:3-4). “Not only
that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and
hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Ro. 5:3-5).
“Beloved,
do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you
share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory
is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed,
because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Pet. 4:12-14). And, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,
you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your
faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.” 1 Pet. 1:6-7
So, sometimes we
are disciplined by God because we fail ourselves to examine our own hearts, and
to repent of any known sins, and sometimes it is so he may make us holy and
mold us into the image of Christ. We also go through difficulties and trials to
mature us in our faith, to teach us perseverance, and to develop within us
steadfastness; to train us to rely on God and not on ourselves, and so that we
may learn to be compassionate and to comfort others with the comfort we
received from God in our suffering. So, when we go through these trials we need
to listen to our Lord speak his words to our hearts, we need to learn what it
is he is trying to teach us, and we need to allow him to change in our hearts
what needs to be changed. He knows our weaknesses, he sympathizes with us, and
he is there to help us through our times of trial if we will let him. Trust now
in his sovereignty.
Appointed by God
(5:1-6)
For
every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in
relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently
with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because
of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for
those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when
called by God, just as Aaron was.
So
also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed
by him who said to him,
“You
are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
as
he says also in another place,
“You
are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
In Old Testament times, and before Jesus Christ died on the
cross for our sins, the people of God had human priests who served as mediators
between the people and God, and who made sacrifices for sins, first for their
own sins and then for the sins of the people. Yet, when Jesus died on the
cross, the veil that stood between us and the Holy of Holies was torn in two, thus
opening the way for all of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ to go
directly to God. Through Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, he became not
only our sacrificial Lamb whose blood was shed for our sins, but he was also
the high priest who made the sacrifice for our sins. Now he is our only high
priest, i.e. he is our only mediator between us and God the Father. And, now we
are “to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ… We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
Learned Obedience
(5:7-10)
In
the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud
cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard
because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through
what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal
salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the
order of Melchizedek.
Jesus Christ, when he walked the face of this earth, was
fully God yet fully man. He suffered like we suffer and he was tempted in like
manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. And, yet, he learned obedience
through what he suffered, and God heard his prayers because of his reverence. When
it was time for Jesus to go to the cross, he cried out to the Father and he asked
him, if it was God’s will that this cup of suffering, which he was about to
undergo, could pass from him, that it would be so. And, yet, he submitted to the
Father’s will, for he wanted the Father’s will to be done. And, having
accomplished and completed, through his suffering, the purpose for which God had
sent him to the earth, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who
obey him. He died on the cross. Even though he knew no sin, he became sin for
us so that when he died our sins died with him.
That just blows me away, i.e. it astounds me that Jesus, God
the Son, should have to learn obedience, and that he should have to go through
suffering in order that he might become the source of our eternal salvation, but
that was the Father’s plan for him. And, it is the Father’s plan for us that we
go through suffering so that we learn obedience, and so we submit to the Father’s
will for our lives, and in order that we might complete the assignments God has
given to us, i.e. that we might fulfill the purposes for which we were created
by God. It was the Father’s will that Jesus be crucified on a cross in death to
sin, and be resurrected back to life so that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness; so that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who
gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). The Father did not rescue
Jesus from death, because that was for our salvation. We also must die to sin
and walk in the Spirit if we want to have eternal life with God.
Broken and Contrite
/ An Original Work / May 13, 2012
I come before You, Lord, my
Savior,
With humble heart and crushed
in spirit.
I bow before You, I implore
You,
Heal my broken heart, I pray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my
master,
You are the King of my heart.
Lord, purify my heart within
me;
Sanctify me, whole within.
Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully
The words You’ve spoken through
Your Spirit.
I pray You give me grace and
mercy,
Strength and wisdom to obey.
Father God, my heart’s desire,
Won’t You set my heart on fire?
Lord, cleanse my heart of all
that hinders
My walk with You, now I pray.
Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of
mercy,
My heart cries out for
understanding.
I want to follow You in all
ways,
Never straying from Your truth.
Holy Spirit, come in power,
Fill me with Your love today.
Lord, mold and make me;
Your hands formed me;
Live Your life through me, I
pray.
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