JC Blog

It is amazing to know that we are called, set apart and share in the heavenly calling as believers. To maximize on this wonderful truth we must make Jesus personal in our lives. We should thoughtfully and attentively consider Him, seeking to understand who He is and what He has done for us. We should embrace Him as our very own in every sense of the word.

We were called into a relationship, but relationships cannot grow unless you get to know the other person. This is why we are to constantly consider Jesus, the Apostle of our faith. When we seek to understand His role as our High Priest we will gain insight into many workings of God. He is our personal advocate with the Father. He shared in our humanity conquering death so He could faithfully administer grace and mercy on our behalf. He was sent to recue us. We can approach God with assurance when we understand this role. Because of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews reminds us, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" ( Hebrews 4:16 ).

This is why it is so important to know Jesus and make Him personal in our lives. Just as Peter walked across the water when He looked to the Savior, we too will succeed in this life when we pay close attention to what He has done for us. All we need to do is seek Him. God has made us an awesome promise in his Word, regarding this; "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" ( Jeremiah 29:11-13 ). We can have confidence in this, knowing that God will be found by us. He will make Himself known to us. He will reveal Himself and become real in our lives.

Tomorrow we look at Hebrews 3:2; Jesus Was Faithful to God Just like Moses

Jesus prayed an amazing thing for us in His High Priestly prayer in John 17. "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" ( John 17:22-23 ). Jesus showed us the glory of God. The Greek word for glory is Doxa, which signifies an "opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion” (Vines Dictionary). God is the originator of every good thought. Jesus is saying that the thoughts, opinions and estimate of what God thinks about Jesus is what God also thinks about us. This is incredible!

Jesus came to reveal this truth to us. He prayed that we would understand this. He wasn't just praying for His disciples but everyone who would believe in Him through their message ( John 17:20 ). God thinks highly of us. He is the originator of every good thought toward man. He loves us, created us for relationship and didn't spare His own son so that we could be reconciled to Him. This is a powerful thing to consider when understanding the reason He came to earth was to destroy sin and the power of death that had held us captive ( Hebrews 2:14-15 ).

Angels Long to Look into These Things

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things" ( I Peter 1:10-12 ).

We live in an amazing time period because we live after the time when Christ came to earth. As believers, we experience everything that the prophets foretold would happen after the Messiah came. We are born again with the Spirit of God inside of us, no longer having a sin nature ( Romans 6:6-7 ), this changed everything. In fact David saw this and called us blessed. "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him" ( Romans 4:7-8; Psalm 32:1-2 ). God deals with us according to what Jesus did and not according to what we do. Peter said even the angels long to look into this wonderful salvation that has been given to mankind.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" ( Ephesians 1:3-10 ).

Tomorrow we look at Hebrews 2:17: Jesus Reached Out to Give Us A Helping Hand

It is true that having the Law brings about superior knowledge, but it also brings about more accountability before God. Because what could be omitted by ignorance, cannot be by awareness. The Jews were relying on the Law, banking on the fact that they were good enough.

However, good enough does not cut it. James says in James 2:10, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." Paul by comparison is stressing the fact, that the laws the Jews are claiming to have kept, are the same laws, they have broken. Stealing, adultery, Idol worship and coveting.

Paul speaks to the intent of the heart. It is not breaking a law only if you act upon it, the law is broken with the engagement of our mind. Jesus said in Matthew, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." ( Matthew 12:34 ) Sin lives in intent and objective not only actions. Therefore as Paul explained the nuances of the Law in Romans 2, it lays to rest that the Jews could ever fulfill it by their actions.

The Jews had a form of godliness but they were sinners just like the Gentiles. Their presented piousness which was hypocritical to what they claimed to be. Because of it, it caused the Gentiles to blaspheme God. Their representation of God gave Him a black eye.

Today, we see the same thing. We see people relying on what they can do for God instead of relying on His saving grace. They become so legalistic and self righteous, that outsiders want no part of God. It is a sad state when we take something so perfect, so holy and so simple as God's unmerited favor and kindness and turn it back into the letter, propelling others under the burden of it.

Today, may you rest in God's provision of Grace. May you throw off everything that holds you in chains and simply worship Him because He deserves it! Know that you relationship with Him rest solely on what He's done for you, not the other way around! If you do this, instead of repelling others away from Christ, you will lead them to Him!

Although Paul is specifically speaking to the Jews, many people are like this. They rely on their association to the church denomination to save them. If you ask them, they will gladly tell you their alliance, all the while, ignoring the fact that they are a Christian first.

They know all the doctrines and rules, somehow thinking that this brings them into fellowship with God. However Jesus said in Matthew, "you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition."( Matthew 15:6 ) and then goes onto say, "They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." ( Matthew 15:9 ) Meaning that creating the hoopla and traditions around 'Christ' misses the whole purpose of Christ. We can go to church and get caught up in the experience, but unless we are able to discern tradition from truth, we really are not benefiting ourselves, making it easy to exchange the relationship for the encounter.

The Jews battled the same thing. Because they were God's chosen people and had the Law, they pacified themselves with that knowledge. The Jews looked at the Law as what saved them, instead of realizing that through the Law they were in need of a Savior. The Law wove a wonderful picture of Christ from beginning to end. They thought they could obtain righteousness by observing the Law instead of arriving at the necessary conclusion of the Law.

Because of it, the Jews became so legalistic that the Pharisees and Sadducees burdened the people with traditions and customs because of their zeal for the Law. But God said in Hosea 6:6, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." It was always His plan to have genuine relationship with us, but they exchanged the later for the letter.

Sadly, many Christians are in the same boat today. They look at the church, with each doctrine dictating what they think, missing the point of it all. The point is to know Jesus and to know our relationship with God is based solely upon Christ. I love the old bumper sticker that you see around town, 'No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.