Articles
Hebrews: For Your Sanctification
Adult Bible Class - May 29 & June 1, Hebrews 9:18 - 10:18
It's no secret that the Bible is a bloody book. But contrary to critics' view, that says more about humanity than it does about the God Who created us.
You see, sin is a serious thing. Turning away from God, rejecting His will for our lives, is spiritual suicide. But in this physical life, we don't see that consequence until it's too late. How does God communicate the gravity of our situation apart from Him? With a physical illustration, a shadow of a spiritual reality. The Judge has set the price for committing sin, and that price is life itself (Romans 6:23). Blood represents life (Leviticus 17:11), so it is used as payment for our shortcomings and disobedience (Hebrews 9:22).
We are rebellious children. We have been blessed with the power to choose how we live; unfortunately, we all succumb to the thinking that we know best, and we eventually choose poorly. This common theme of the human condition was made clear under the Old Law: despite the sacrifices, despite the payment of their rebellious hearts dripping in front of them every day, every year, God's people could not escape the guilt of their trespasses--and the sacrifices could never fully remove their guilt (Hebrews 10:1-4).
This is why Christ came: to be our advocate and ransom, once for all, and serve as a perfect solution to our sin problem. Through a newly-established covenant relationship with our God through His Son, we can now worship and serve our Creator in this life, eagerly looking forward to an eternal life with Him (Hebrews 9:27-28). That perfect offering purges us of guilt as long as we are in Christ, and we are alive again to God because of it (Hebrews 10:18).
That intersection--where God's will meets the spiritual application of His power through Christ--results in our sanctification (Hebrews 10:10, 14). This process by which we are re-made into the image of God by following the example of His Son is both a completed action (v. 10) and an ongoing lifestyle (v. 14). Through sanctification (being made holy as God is holy, 1 Peter 1:16) we are made complete and will stand justified before our Father in the end.
That's the gospel: God wants His rebellious children back, and He has pulled out all the stops to do so. We can live in God's family, now and into eternity, by the sanctification found in Christ Jesus.
When it comes down to it, accepting God's salvation isn't about fixing your problems; it's about abiding in His solution (1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 6:1-23; John 15:1-17).
We assemble this Sunday at 10 a.m. and again Wednesday at 7 p.m. for our study on Hebrews. Come join us as we study to learn about our amazing Heavenly Father!
