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What on Earth Am I Here For?
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Saturday, October 4, 2003
My Prayer Today
Dear Jesus, thank you for being my great high priest! Because I know you can identify with me because you were tempted, I ask that you would give me freedom and victory in my life. Help me to hold firm to you and to seek you with all of my heart. I come to your throne asking for grace and mercy. Without your grace and mercy I cannot make it today. Give me all that I need this day so that I will not be overcome with fear or depression. I pray that you would you would instead, put in my heart joy and peace. May I rejoice in you my great high priest! In your name, Amen.
Bible Verses
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with mercy and find grace to help us in or time of need.
Reflecting on Jesus' Life
Read Hebrews 4:14-16 again.
1. How do we hold firmly to the faith we profess? Does verse 16 have anything to do with this answer?
2. Why should knowing that Jesus is our high priest cause us to have such confidence before the Throne of Grace?
3. Does Jesus understand what we are going through?
4. Do you tend to run "to" or "from" God when you make a mistake? Why?
Digging Deeper for Spiritual Growth!
The next time you fall into sin and make a mistake, rather than running away from God and living in shame and guilt, why not run to Him and ask forgiveness. Does He not promise that he will give us grace and mercy? Of course this is not a license to keep on sinning, but rather a time to turn away from the sin that we fell into. There is a big difference between "saying sorry" and "saying sorry and actually stopping what you are doing." The first is just asking for forgiveness, the second is truly repenting from your sin. God wants us to be pure and holy in everything we do. Because we are humans we do make mistakes, however he gives grace and mercy through Jesus our high priest if we come to him and repent!
Just Do It!
One of the most mysterious things about God, is why he would send his only Son into this broken world to come as a human being and suffer just as we do. Jesus left his Father in heaven and came to earth through the miracle of a virgin birth born in a lowly barn. The fact that he would be willing to suffer and endure the pain of living in this world is incomprehensible. It is the wonder of His love for us that remains the mystery. As Hebrews 4:14-16 reveals, Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. While in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-14) Jesus was tempted by the devil, and throughout the rest of his life and ministry on earth the enemy sought to destory God's sovereign plan. The devil failed! At every point of temptation and attack Jesus overcame the enemy and defeated him. Jesus was perfect in every way. He did not deserve the death on a cross but gave himself up as a ransom for humanity if they would put their hope in him and follow him with all of their hearts. The blood of Jesus made a perfect atonement before God the Father, and therefore we can obtain mercy through his blood. The fact that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins before the Father, makes him the mediator and great high priest of our faith. In the Old Testament the high priest would once a year go into the Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle to make atonement for the sins of Israel. During this day (Yom Kippor) the nation of Israel would seek the mercy of God. Jesus Christ is the great high priest because his sacrifice upon the cross becomes the perfect sacrifice that satisfies God himself and brings about his mercy. To think that the Son of God would become a man, so that humanity could know God intimately and without fear. Hebrews 4:14-16 states that because Jesus became our high priest, that we can now "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need." There is something within fallen human nature that wants to run away from God rather than run to God after sin entered the world. We see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden running and trying to "hide" from God because they were ashamed of their sin. Likewise, we tend to run from God when we make mistakes because of our shame and guilt. However because we have as great high priest in Jesus, we can approach the throne with boldness! So the next time you are tempted to run away from God after sinning, come humbly and boldly to his throne and you will find grace and mercy. Just do it, and he will restore you again!
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