Tag Archives: gospel

Day 315: Another warning

Psalms 61, 62 & 64; Hebrews 5:11-6:20
(Psalm 59 was read on Day 106, Psalm 60 on Day 115, and Psalm 63 on Day 118)

Hebrews 6 (taken out of context) can seem contradictory to other parts of Scripture that teach that salvation is by grace alone; therefore, eternally secure. But a closer look at the context surrounding these verses reveals there is no contradiction, but rather a continuation of the theme found throughout Hebrews (and the rest of Scripture) that true salvation is revealed in perseverance.

Consider the recipients of this letter. Firstly, they were immature in their faith (Heb. 5:11-14) and had to be reminded of the basics of the faith (Heb. 6:1-3). Because this letter was written to a congregation, there would have been a mix of true believers and unbelievers.

Therefore, the author reminded them of the dangers of falling away from the faith (6:4-8). These warnings were given to those who were part of the gathered church and who shared in and experienced the blessings of fellowship within the congregation (6:4-5), but did not possess a saving faith (6:9).

Also important to note… This warning is very similar to the warnings he has already given in 2:1-3 and 4:11. In these two instances, the author warns the congregation against drifting away and also encourages them to persevere in their faith.

Similarly, the author concludes this “warning” section in Chapter 6 by showing confidence in their salvation while also exhorting them to persevere…

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end (Hebrews 6:9-11).

The author, though he warns the church not to drift away, believes the best of the congregation – that they are mostly believers; thus his warnings also serve as motivation for the true believer to guard against becoming lukewarm  in his faith by seeking after God wholeheartedly!

For even though good works done throughout your life have no power to save you, they are evidence of a changed and redeemed heart. Psalm 62, written as a prayer for God to rescue Israel from oppression and attack, ends with the statement that God will “render to a man according to his work.” In other words, if you attack God’s people, these works reveal that you are an enemy of God, and God will ultimately execute perfect justice toward you!

It is because of God’s perfect justice that we depend on Jesus’ righteousness alone for our salvation. He is the one who saves. He is the one who keeps us from falling away. He is the one who will help us persevere to the end…until one day, we will see Him face to face!

Day 313: Throne of Grace

Psalms 48-50; Hebrews 4
(Psalms 51 & 52 were read on Day 108 & 116, respectively)

There is a mysterious tension that lies between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility to obey.

God is completely sovereign and saves us by his grace – not by our works. If our salvation is secured by His grace alone, then it is impossible to lose our salvation.

Yet, the writer of Hebrews writes boldy in this chapter to “strive to enter His rest.” In other words, work to persevere in your faith throughout your entire life. What??!!! That’s impossible!

And if that weren’t enough, the author goes on to remind us that we are “naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” GREAT. I’m doomed. 

But.

We are not left alone to persevere in this Christian life. We are given a mediator – one who stands between us and God – one who offers the sacrifice required for our many sins. We are given….Christ.

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.

Are you in need? Trust me, you are! Draw near to the throne of grace and receive help from the living God!

Day 312: Jesus is better than Moses

Psalms 45-47; Hebrews 3
(Psalm 44 was read on Day 226)

Christ is better than Moses. Moses was the servant. Christ is the son. 

The hearers of this letter were tempted to forsake Christ and return to Judaism because of fierce opposition to Christians. But the author of Hebrews proves through their own history, that Judaism does not lead to life…

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? (Hebrews 3:16-18)

The young Jewish converts had a choice to make. Stay the course and enter eternal rest or rebel against the gospel to gain a temporarily easier life. It was a life or death decision… physical life or spiritual life?

This is why the author of Hebrews stresses perseverance as evidence of salvation. Those who stay the course to the end are those whose hearts truly belong to Him…

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:14).

We must remember, however, that just as Jesus is superior to the Mosaic law in attaining salvation, He is also superior to the Law in equipping believers to obey God’s commands. We are both saved by his grace and preserved by his grace. We are powerless to save ourselves and powerless to remain faithful. We need his help at every stage of our Christian lives… in salvation, in sanctification, and in persevering.

We need a person, not the law. We need Jesus!

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns (Psalm 46:1-5).

Day 311: An Irresistable Love

Psalms 41-43; Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2 is thick with theology. What do we learn about Christ from this chapter?

  • Everything is in subjection to him (2:8)
  • Nothing is outside his control (2:8)
  • For a little while, he was made a little lower than the angels (2:9)
  • He is crowned with glory and honor (2:9)
  • He suffered and died (2:9)
  • He tasted death for everyone (2:9)
  • He is not ashamed to call us brothers (2:11)
  • Christ was fully human (2:14)
  • Through his death, he destroyed the death grip of Satan (2:14)
  • He is our merciful High Priest (2:17)
  • He makes propitiation for our sins through his death i.e. satisfies God’s wrath (2:17).

Even in this crude list, you can see the mysterious truth that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. He had to be fully human in order to be our substitutionary sacrifice. And he had to be fully human to be the perfect mediator between us and God. He is both the sacrifice AND the priest.

It’s hard to comprehend the vast love required to be BOTH our priest AND sacrifice. It’s mind-blowing actually.

His love should draw us deeper into relationship with him. Our desire to seek him and to know him is evidence of our salvation. This is the reason the writer of Hebrews warns the young Jewish Christians to not “drift away” from the gospel (2:1). Hebrews consistently teaches that perseverance in faith is evidence of a saving faith. If we are truly saved, then the Holy Spirit will produce a godly longing within us…

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God (Psalm 42:1-2).

Do you thirst for the living God? Do not drift away! Meditate on the great sacrifice of Christ and find comfort in the deep love of the Father…

Day 310: The Supremacy of Christ

Psalms 38-40; Hebrews 1

Every person on earth, whether rich or poor, Eastern or Western, male or female, red, yellow, black or white… shares the same problem: sin.

There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

Likewise, there is one solution to this worldwide epidemic…Christ.

Which brings us to my favorite book in the New Testament (apart from the Gospels), Hebrews. Hebrews was written before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 to Jewish Christians who were suffering persecution. The author of the book remains a mystery to this day. His purpose for writing was to exhort Christians to persevere in their faith despite persecution. He argues eloquently for the Supremacy of Christ above the Mosaic law and old sacrificial system. I love Hebrews!

The author of Hebrews begins his letter by using Old Testament Psalms to prove the divinity of Christ and his supremacy over the angels.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs (Hebrews 1:3-4).

Our Jesus, the one who died so we could live, upholds the universe by the word of his power! The thought is too wonderful to fully grasp.

I look forward to the next two weeks of reading through Hebrews as the author teaches so skillfully… that Christ is the final fulfillment and reigns supreme over ALL the Old Testament law and sacrificial system…

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.

I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:6; 8).

Day 309: Seeking reconciliation

Psalms 36–37; Philemon

Paul’s letter to Philemon is a brilliant appeal for Philemon to forgive his runaway bondservant, Onesimus. By God’s sovereignty, Onesimus fled to Rome and somehow was converted to Christianity by Paul – probably during Paul’s first imprisonment recorded in Acts 27-28.

Paul’s appeal is based on Christian love.

For this perhaps is why he was parted from you [Philemon] for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother (Philemon 15).

Paul’s letter reminds us of the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Because we are forgiven by God’s grace, we are given the grace to forgive others. Onesimus was willing to sacrifice his freedom to seek forgiveness from his former master, Philemon. And because he knew Philemon was also a Christian, he returned with the hope that Philemon would forgive him.

Only the power of God can change a runaway slave into a penitent man. And it is only by God’s power that Philemon could forgive and accept Onesimus as his Christian brother. Only God can produce such dramatic change in the human heart. He transforms us because of His steadfast love!

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
pin your light do we see light (Psalm 36:7-9).

Day 308: Steadfast Love

Psalms 33, 35; Titus 3
(Psalm 34 was read on Day 107)

Paul wraps us his letter to Titus by reminding him of the truths of the gospel…

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, […] and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:3-5).

Paul goes on to say that this gospel should spur us on to good works. God’s steadfast love is what compels us to obey! Consider the profound truths found in Psalm 33 and ask God to transform your heart with His Word…

The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you (Psalm 33:13-22).

Day 307: A Transforming Gospel

Psalms 31-32; Titus 1-2

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it (Titus 1:9).

Titus is a pastoral letter, meaning that Paul is writing to Titus, the pastor of his planted churches in Crete, instructing him in the importance of teaching sound doctrine. There is no better advice to a new pastor than to stick to the truth! And there is no better defense against false teachers than the truths of the gospel!

Paul exhorts Titus to elect elders in each of the Cretan churches who will teach sound doctrine because the gospel is the source of godliness. It is the Lord’s kindness that compels us to obey. Godly acts are motivated and empowered by the gospel – by the steadfast love of the Lord.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2:11-12).

The gospel is mysteriously transforming. It first teaches us that we desperately need to be saved. David writes in Psalm 31:10, “For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

Sin causes a spiritual crisis. We need to be rescued! We need a Savior – someone to transform us, strengthen us and preserve us for his Kingdom. We need grace.

Psalm 32 shows us the way to salvation!

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin (Psalm 32:5).

God offers forgiveness. He covers our sin and accepts us into His Kingdom because of the sacrifice of Christ that was poured out for us. This is God’s amazing grace. May we rest in his steadfast love!

Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
…you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help (Psalm 31:21-22).

Day 306: Overcoming death

Psalms 28-30; 2 Timothy 4

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Death. We weren’t created for it. We were created for life and the joy of community. But sin’s effects trickle down into each one of us – making death inevitable.

For the Christian, however, there is hope beyond death – as we look forward to a new world not marred by sin and to perfect fellowship with God and others. This is Paul’s hope as he faces his imminent execution.

Paul describes to Timothy how God has remained faithful to him – even in his darkest hour (2 Timothy 4:17). And Paul awaits death in faith, expecting to see His Lord and Savior, face to face (4:18).

Where does such strength come from? How can Paul be at peace in such dire circumstances?

Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him (Psalm 28:6-7).

Paul has nothing to fear in death. He rests in the grace of God – which has strengthened him to persevere to the end, equipping him to accomplish the work God prepared for him to do…

…the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

We, the children of God, the ones who have been ransomed by his blood and have received the righteousness of Christ through faith – we are saved from the hopelessness of death. Even though we weren’t created for it, God has overcome it, and we can say confidently with Paul: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 2:18).

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever (Psalm 30:11-12)!

Day 304: The gift of God’s presence

Psalms 23-24; 2 Timothy 2

The Presence of God…think about what a profound gift this is. Both of today’s Psalms celebrate his Presence… Psalm 23 is the familiar Psalm of comfort – promising God’s presence to the individual. While Psalm 24 celebrates God’s presence among the people. It was probably sung as David led the people in worship when he brought the ark (the symbol of God’s presence) back to Jerusalem.

Experiencing God’s presence both individually and corporately is one of the greatest gifts given to the Christian on this earth. Paul must have rested in the sure presence of his God as he waited to be executed…chained as a prisoner in Rome.

Paul’s circumstances elevate the urgency of his words to his beloved Timothy. We are given the privilege of listening to this intimate exchange, and Paul’s final instructions to TImothy are powerful.

Paul gives Timothy the strategy for world evangelization:

what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

This was Jesus’ strategy…focused discipleship resulting in spiritual multiplication. This is how Christianity spread over the whole earth – by entrusting the truth to faithful men (and women :)!

Paul had more to say to Timothy… He called Timothy to “share in the suffering of Christ” (2:3), to “Remember Jesus Christ” (2:8), and finally to handle the word of truth cautiously, increasing in kindness and not inciting quarrels (2:14-26).

These are profound instructions! …but impossible to accomplish without the constant presence of God in our lives.

It is the experience of His presence that affirms our salvation – that we are His. And encouraged by His preserving presence, we are given the strength to persevere… “as good soldiers of Christ Jesus” (2 TImothy 2:3).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).