Tag: made holy
Thankful for the Sabbath Sign
Scripture reading for September 8th: Ezekiel 16-20
Key Scriptures: Ezekiel 20:10-12 “Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. I gave them My decrees and made known to them My laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. Also I gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.”
God told His people that He led them out of Egypt and revealed His holy laws and decrees to them so that through them they might really have life. One of these laws concerned the Sabbath–the seventh day of each week. The Sabbath was a sign to the Israelites that God had made them holy and set them apart to worship Him and belong to His family. Jesus Christ is our Lord of the Sabbath and through Him alone we enter into eternal rest and joy! He makes us holy and calls saints to rest in Him!
Ready to Rest! “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:12-13)
Rejoicing in a Holy God!
Scripture reading for February 1st: Leviticus 11-14
Key Scriptures: Leviticus 11:44-45 “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
We can rejoice that our God is holy! His holiness and perfection are far beyond human comprehension. In His desire to dwell in the midst of His people, He called them to live a holy life, separated from anything that would hinder their enjoyment of His holiness! He led the Israelites out of Egypt to show the world a people marked by holiness!
Cause for rejoicing: God makes us holy by the blood of Jesus Christ so that we can be a people marked by His holy presence. “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)
Made perfect Forever!
Scripture reading for November 10th: Hebrews 10:1-18
We are painfully aware of our lack of perfection! Something or someone is always there to remind us of our faults and sins. We have an inner voice of conscience as basic equipment from God. We have our friends and enemies who blurt out the truth. We have consequences of our evil deeds that keep on coming as we reap what we’ve sowed. And in the spiritual realm we have Satan, the accuser, bringing up our faults.
Under the old covenant of law and sacrifice, the sacrifices were just reminders of sins. It was impossible for the blood of animals to remove sin. (Hebrews 10:3-4) The writer to Hebrews quotes Psalm 40:6-8 to explain God’s heart in bringing Jesus Christ to establish the new covenant. Sacrifice and offering was not what God really wanted, they were only shadows pointing to the reality of the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to do what God wanted, a man who was fully committed to do His will! “Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He set aside the first to establish the second. And by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:9-10)
Those who come to Jesus Christ and believe in Him for cleansing from sin find a new relationship with God. They now know the Lord personally and understand His will. God actually writes his laws on their hearts and minds, enabling an inner understanding better than the conscience. (Hebrews 8:10-12; 10:16) Jesus’ blood cleanses their consciences of sin enabling them (and us) to live without fear of death or judgment. (Hebrews 9:14, 27; 2:14-15)
God actually purged the record of our sins in heaven as well. He choose to remember our sins no more! (Hebrews 10:17) When God no longer remembers our sins, a sacrifice is no longer needed! Therefore, we can rest completely in what the blood of Christ has done for us! We are now made perfect forever by one sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus! We rest knowing our sins have been forgiven and forgotten by God. We rest in the inheritance of eternal life. We rest knowing we can stand at the judgment as one without condemnation or fear of punishment for sins! What a marvelous Lord and complete salvation we enjoy!