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THE
CHANGELESS CHRIST
Hebrews 12:28-29; 13:1-16,20-22
Since Christians are citizens of
God’s eternal kingdom, we are exhorted to “keep on holding on” to
God’s grace. His grace will see us through our current trials. More
importantly, it will enable us to worship and serve God as priests
whose sacrifices, like those offered by Able, are acceptable to the
Lord, because thy are offered out of an attitude of reverence,
recognition of God’s greatness, Righteousness and sovereignty.
Chapter 13 – Series of exhortations
instructing Christians how to live in Obedience to the New Covenant
by offering their lives a living sacrifices in their priestly
service and worship.
Exhortations –
Beginning in verse 1 –
Jesus declared that the mark that
would distinguish believers as a new commandment: “Loving One
Another”…(fighting?)
Verse 2 –
Hospitality - Abraham and Lot
entertained strangers who turned out to be Angels sent from the
Lord.
Verse 6 –
In the middle of distress and
suffering our confidence rests with the Lord.
Verse 7 –
But not totally on man
because man will let you down…Jesus will not (V.8)
Verse 10 –
Those who continue under the Mosaic
Covenant don’t possess the privilege to “eat” from the New Covenant
Sacrificial Altar.
Verse 13 –
There is a stigma associated with
true faith; believers must be prepared to bear it; they cannot be
friends with Jesus and partners with the world at the same time.
Sacrifices of Today – Verses 15-16
Closing Thoughts – Verses 20-21
Jesus has become the eternal High
Priest Who always lives to secure the believers’ deliverance. The
shedding of His blood made possible an eternal covenant.
It is a covenant that will never be
superceded, because it rests on the final, once-for-all,
sin-covering sacrifice of God’s unique Son. Christians have nothing
to fear. Jesus knows the way; He is the way, and has defeated the
foe.
The question now is: “Do YOU know
Him”?
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