Suffering, Sacrifice, and Sanctification
7:14 PM 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13–14, NASB 2020)
This is why it’s so important to read the Old Testament. Because now modern day Christians understand like, oh, what a blessing it is to be covered by the blood of the grace of God. But they don't know how crazy it was in the Old Testament times. I mean, when Solomon dedicated the rebuilding of the temple to God, he sacrificed hundreds of thousands of animals night and day for, I think, weeks or months. And it's just crazy that now we no longer have to do that. The severity of sinful nature and of humanity, but also as a way to help us understand that we'll never be able to not escape our humanity and sinful nature. And we would constantly have to be sacrificing forever if it was not for Jesus who paid it all. He sees our hearts and knows that we care about animals a whole lot more now. We're much less barbaric than we were back then. You know, how God knows the desires of our hearts. And he sees that, oh, put them above the animals. Like, they do care about them.
For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself (Hebrews 9:24, NASB 2020)
I like this little line, how it's noted that church is a way to replicate heaven on earth, especially at that time, such as the temples where things were laminated with gold. And there was a sense of grandeur and awe into everything. And we are trying to replicate what that will be like when we die here on earth. And so, I mean, tugging at that thread a little more, no matter what church you go to, it should feel like heaven on earth, whether it's with grandeur or just with people that you love and you feel like care for you. It should feel like a place that you belong.
I guess just as a note to me as I'm reading this, waiting on my brother in a parking lot, I've tried to read a few times today, but thinking, oh, I have other more important things to do, which isn't entirely untrue. But as I'm reading this, I'm like, man, I need to remember that this is a very important thing to do. Like it should not be put off as one of the last things, but it should be one of the first things I do. Be with God, talk with God, and become closer to God. Genuinely, what could be better and more refreshing and more fulfilling?
let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:1–2, NASB 2020)
This kind of echoes what I was talking about yesterday and how suffering is kind of a part of the human existence. And although God will give you the desires of your heart, joy and peace abounding does not mean you will not suffer. And so hearing this, we all want to be more like Jesus. But Jesus knew he had some of the worst suffering ever to experience coming for him. And he still chose to live how he lived. And so if we really want to be like Jesus, we have to take both the good and the bad and still always trust in God and come to him in everything.
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are punished by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He punishes every son whom He accepts.” (Hebrews 12:5–6, NASB 2020)
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:8, NASB 2020)
Once again, suffering is a good thing! Living is hard! We make mistakes and we learn from them - that is all by design - so don’t throw away your entire faith when things don’t go your way - lean in!