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Being a Doer not a Listener

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Becoming a Doer not a Listener James 1:19-25 “But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”                   The greatest threat to our Christian faith is not ignorance but complacency.  It is easy to know about the Bible; the challenge is to be transformed by the Bible so we are living in obedience, daily growing in our faith.  However, this challenge is not new but has plagued all who have verbally consented to the Bible.                   In verses 12-18, James warns his readers of the danger of temptation. Our sinful nature is always present, ready to distort the message and character of God to manipulate God according to our wishes. When we sin, we seek to justify our actions. Instead of accepting responsibility, we blame others and God (vs 12-15). Instead of obeying God’s word, we justify our actions by rejecting His word as false and accusing God of being a liar. We fail to recognize or acknowledge that sin is a problem that dwells deep w
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Joy in Suffering

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Joy amid Trials James 1:1-8 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”                   Trials and adversity are never enjoyable.  It is easy to become discouraged and disheartened when facing life struggles, especially when it seems endless.  We can endure adversity when it is temporary and short-lived, but despair sets in when it drags on with no end in sight.  We begin to doubt God and his plan for us.  We wrestle with how a good God can allow bad things to happen to good people.  Throughout the history of the Bible, we find that those most undeserving often faced the most significant amount of adversity.  Job suffered the loss of all his wealth.  However, wealth can be replaced, but the ultimate tragedy was the death of his children.  As a result, he questioned God’s goodness and love.  How could a good God allow evil to happen to His people?  Jeremiah was delighted when God called him to be His
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A New Way of Life

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A New Way of Life Hebrews 10:19-25 “Therefore, brethren, since we have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”                   The book of Hebrews is centered on the redemptive work of Christ and how His sacrifice is sufficient for paying the penalty of our sins so that we now have free access to God.   By comparing the Old Testament sacrificial system and the sacrifice on the day of atonement with the sacrifice of Christ, the writer points out that the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Day of the Atonement provided only temporary and partial forgiveness for our sins.  Every year, the High Priest would take the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and enter into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat to obtain the forgiveness of their sins.  However, it was only tem
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Conducting a Spiritual Checkup Pt. 2

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Dying and Growth (Pt. 2) Hebrews 6:9-20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.”                   The phrase, “one which enters within the veil,”  has profound implications for the Jewish reader.  It speaks of the hope and desire of all the followers of God.  The veil refers to the barrier that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple and separates the people from the presence of God.  To enter within the veil was to enter God's presence and enjoy his company. This was the desire of all people.  To enter the inner sanctuary behind the veil was to realize God’s promise of rest from our efforts to gain salvation (see Hebrews 3:11,18,19; 4:1-11).  To be able to go into the presence of God was to fully receive our salvation.  Having warned of the dangers of neglecting the offer of God’s salvation, we are now given hope.  In verse 9, we discover hope and assurance after the warning in verse 6.  Th
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Conducting a Spiritual Checkup Pt 1

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Growing or Dying (Pt 1) Hebrews 5:11-6:8 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food…Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.”                   When a baby is first born, it depends on the mother to provide the necessary nutrition for life. For a baby, life begins with a single need: milk. However, as the body grows and the demands for nourishment increase, the child will eventually need to move from milk to solid food. If a baby stops growing and maturing, we become concerned and call the doctor. If the child continues not to grow, it may lead to hospitalization and even death.                     Paul uses this analogy to describe our spiritual growth. It is easy to be complacent in our spiritual life.  Life marches slowly onward, and we become distracted by the daily events that demand
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Our Interceding High Priest

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Our Interceding High Priest Hebrews 4:1-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of god…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”                   The tragedy of sin is that it not only brings guilt and punishment, it separates us from a holy and just God who is untainted by sin.  Because God is sacred, to stand before God as a sinner is to face the certainty of judgment.  In the Old Testament temple, a veil separated the people from the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was manifested.  This veil served as a continual reminder that sin and its subsequent guilt separate us from God.  Therefore, for humanity to have a relationship with God, they needed a representative who would serve as the liaison between God and us.  In the Old Testament, this liaison was the High Priest, who advocated for the people by entering into the Holy of Holie
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Walking in God's Presence

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Walking in God’s Presence Hebrews 1:1-14 “And he is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power.  When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”                   The question that has plagued all people of all generations is the question of God.  Who is he? How do we know him? What does He expect of us, and how do we connect with Him?                     In the opening statement of Hebrews, we discover that God has spoken to us.  God has not remained silent and distant, so we are left to try and find him.  He has taken the initiative in our relationship. When God created humanity, His purpose was to have a relationship with us in which we would enjoy His presence.  God was present in the Garden of Eden, speaking with Adam and Eve.  He did not remain hidden in the shroud of heaven but revealed Himself and walked among us so that we might have fellowship with Him.  How
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