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Start by believing. Then go beyond belief.
Can you say that you really know God?
Your life won't change unless you do!
Your life won't change unless you do!
The lessons in this study will
focus on six major attributes of God: His holiness, love, justice, forgiveness, wisdom, and faithfulness. As we begin to understand what God is like and how He works in our
lives, we will not only know God more, but we will also learn about
ourselves and who we are in Christ.
July 4th is the day we commemorate the Continental Congress’s declaration of independence from the nation of Great Britain. People still debate over whether or not Britain’s offenses warranted colonial secession and war. Regardless, it was a bold, very risky move for the signers of the Declaration.
Looking back over 238 years, with America now an affluent global superpower, it’s hard for Americans to get a sense for just how unlikely (humanly speaking) it was that the 13 United States of America defeated Great Britain in a war and survived as an independent nation. This might be a good summer to read 1776 by David McCullough.
Self-Evident Truths
What was it that drove our national founders to seek independence? What was the Big Idea behind the United States? I think it is captured in the first sentence of paragraph two of the Declaration:
It is among the greatest sentences ever written regarding what a civil government exists to preserve and protect. In the annals of history, it truly is a revolutionary statement: every human being has God-given rights to live, be free, and pursue their happiness.
So powerful is this statement that it has, over time and through blood, sweat, and tears, fueled (and is still fueling) the overcoming of various kinds of racial, gender, and economic injustices in the nation itself. May God grant that it helps fuel the overcoming of 41 years of legalized violation of the unalienable right to life of unborn men and women.
Where Did These Truths Come From?
We know that our democratic republican form of government has its origins in Athens and Rome and various other Western democratic experiments. But where did this vision for the dignity and freedom of all human beings come from? Jerusalem — by which I mean the Bible.
Yes, Greek philosophy was influential too. But the men who constructed the United States and crafted all of our founding documents and took such great personal risks (like committing capital treason) in order to launch a nation built on the foundations of these truths were indelibly shaped by the Bible, whether or not they personally believed its claims.
Creator: It was the Bible that gave our founders their general consensus of Judeo-Christian monotheism (Deuteronomy 6:4).
All Men: It was the Bible that gave them such a strong sense of the importance of the individual — every individual (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10).
Life: It was the Bible that taught them the sacredness of human life (Leviticus 24:17, Psalm 139:13–16).
Liberty: It was the Bible that ingrained in them deeply the emancipatory theme of “liberty for the captives” (Luke 4:18) that runs through the whole of redemptive history.
Pursuit of Happiness: And it was the Bible that taught them that the ultimate pursuit of an individual’s life is to find joy (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 73:25–26, Matthew 13:44, John 10:10, John 15:11, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:8).
Thank God for the United States of America
The United States of America is not the kingdom of God. Christians are citizens of a “better country, that is a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). The Declaration of Independence and its self-evident truths is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. The socio-political freedoms we enjoy don’t set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). If we sing, “I’m proud to be an American,” while invoking God’s blessing on the USA, we must remember that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). God doesn’t like pride. And in view of some horrible national injustices and disgraces, we have cause to be humble.
But we should be deeply thankful to God for the United States, “for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). Even with its defects, sometimes tragic defects, we should never be so critical and cynical of our government that we lose sight of the historically unprecedented freedoms we enjoy, especially the freedom we have to worship according to our conscience.
I recently shared lunch with a Christian leader who lives in a country that is among the most difficult and dangerous in the world to be a Christian. What our brothers and sisters endure there is heartbreaking. Yes, God has allowed this governing authority to exist too for purposes we don’t understand, just like He allowed Nero’s oppressive and bloody regime when Paul wrote Romans 13. We must pray for our Christian family in hard countries and ask God to grant them some of the freedoms we enjoy and advocate for these freedoms wherever we can.
So today, as we remember the American Declaration of Independence, let us thank God for the miracle of a nation that holds dear the biblical values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And let us who live here thank God — while keeping America’s injustices and disgraces in view — that He has allowed us to live under a system of government designed to preserve and protect these inalienable rights. Imperfect as it is, it is among the very best ever constructed by sinful, selfish, proud, power-hungry human beings.
July 4th is the day we commemorate the Continental Congress’s declaration of independence from the nation of Great Britain. People still debate over whether or not Britain’s offenses warranted colonial secession and war. Regardless, it was a bold, very risky move for the signers of the Declaration.
Looking back over 238 years, with America now an affluent global superpower, it’s hard for Americans to get a sense for just how unlikely (humanly speaking) it was that the 13 United States of America defeated Great Britain in a war and survived as an independent nation. This might be a good summer to read 1776 by David McCullough.
Self-Evident Truths
What was it that drove our national founders to seek independence? What was the Big Idea behind the United States? I think it is captured in the first sentence of paragraph two of the Declaration:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
It is among the greatest sentences ever written regarding what a civil government exists to preserve and protect. In the annals of history, it truly is a revolutionary statement: every human being has God-given rights to live, be free, and pursue their happiness.
So powerful is this statement that it has, over time and through blood, sweat, and tears, fueled (and is still fueling) the overcoming of various kinds of racial, gender, and economic injustices in the nation itself. May God grant that it helps fuel the overcoming of 41 years of legalized violation of the unalienable right to life of unborn men and women.
Where Did These Truths Come From?
We know that our democratic republican form of government has its origins in Athens and Rome and various other Western democratic experiments. But where did this vision for the dignity and freedom of all human beings come from? Jerusalem — by which I mean the Bible.
Yes, Greek philosophy was influential too. But the men who constructed the United States and crafted all of our founding documents and took such great personal risks (like committing capital treason) in order to launch a nation built on the foundations of these truths were indelibly shaped by the Bible, whether or not they personally believed its claims.
Creator: It was the Bible that gave our founders their general consensus of Judeo-Christian monotheism (Deuteronomy 6:4).
All Men: It was the Bible that gave them such a strong sense of the importance of the individual — every individual (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10).
Life: It was the Bible that taught them the sacredness of human life (Leviticus 24:17, Psalm 139:13–16).
Liberty: It was the Bible that ingrained in them deeply the emancipatory theme of “liberty for the captives” (Luke 4:18) that runs through the whole of redemptive history.
Pursuit of Happiness: And it was the Bible that taught them that the ultimate pursuit of an individual’s life is to find joy (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 73:25–26, Matthew 13:44, John 10:10, John 15:11, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:8).
Thank God for the United States of America
The United States of America is not the kingdom of God. Christians are citizens of a “better country, that is a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). The Declaration of Independence and its self-evident truths is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. The socio-political freedoms we enjoy don’t set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). If we sing, “I’m proud to be an American,” while invoking God’s blessing on the USA, we must remember that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). God doesn’t like pride. And in view of some horrible national injustices and disgraces, we have cause to be humble.
But we should be deeply thankful to God for the United States, “for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). Even with its defects, sometimes tragic defects, we should never be so critical and cynical of our government that we lose sight of the historically unprecedented freedoms we enjoy, especially the freedom we have to worship according to our conscience.
I recently shared lunch with a Christian leader who lives in a country that is among the most difficult and dangerous in the world to be a Christian. What our brothers and sisters endure there is heartbreaking. Yes, God has allowed this governing authority to exist too for purposes we don’t understand, just like He allowed Nero’s oppressive and bloody regime when Paul wrote Romans 13. We must pray for our Christian family in hard countries and ask God to grant them some of the freedoms we enjoy and advocate for these freedoms wherever we can.
So today, as we remember the American Declaration of Independence, let us thank God for the miracle of a nation that holds dear the biblical values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And let us who live here thank God — while keeping America’s injustices and disgraces in view — that He has allowed us to live under a system of government designed to preserve and protect these inalienable rights. Imperfect as it is, it is among the very best ever constructed by sinful, selfish, proud, power-hungry human beings.
Our last lesson in this series is entitled:
What comes to mind when you hear the word - guarantee?
Promises, promises.
Have promises lost their value to you? Management promised your job wasn’t in jeopardy, but now you’re unemployed. A friend promised to pay you back on payday, but that was six months ago. And we all know the fickleness of a politician’s campaign promise.
Even the most sincere person can’t guarantee every promise, and even the best of us become cynical. For an idea of how rare faithfulness has become, look at how society marvels when a married couple celebrates a 50th, 40th, or even a 25th anniversary.
But faithfulness is not absent in this life. We have a God who keeps His promises. God is faithful to His Word and faithful to us. Unlike everyone else, He can guarantee to keep every one of His promises.
The Book of Hebrews provides a small glimpse of how God made a promise and kept it through the centuries. Best of all: He remains faithful to that promise today.
The point of this week’s lesson:
"God’s past faithfulness ensures our future is secure."
I. AN ABSOLUTE PROMISE – HEBREWS 6:17-18
17 Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.
How have your experiences with human faithfulness affected the way you perceive God's faithfulness?
When God makes a promise, He will be faithful to keep His word. How can we know that? Look at the life of Abraham. When God first called Abraham (see Gen. 12:1-3), He promised that Abraham and his descendants would receive His blessing. God confirmed that promise years later (see Gen. 17:4-8), and when Abraham obediently offered Isaac as a sacrifice, God again confirmed His promised blessing (see Gen. 22:17-18).
God made an explicit promise of faithfulness. He did this by guaranteeing it with an oath. Keep in mind that God's "yes" means "yes," but because it's the practice of people to form binding statements to confirm agreements, God also used an oath. Doing so changed nothing about the outcome - God was always going to act faithfully, oath or not.
In the Bible, oaths are considered serious and sacred (see Deut. 10:20). Divine oaths are of a unique character, being extremely sacred and unbreakable. There are no more serious and sacred words than those of an oath. When God makes an oath, then, it carries the idea of the most important promise possible. God's guarantee is a formal assurance that the conditions He laid out will be fulfilled.
Despite the best intentions of reliable people, human promises are subject to being broken simply because we are finite beings. We have limited knowledge, limited power, limited presence, and limited control of a very small part of our environment. People simply cannot guarantee all their promises.
Not so with God. He is the all-in-all. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present, completely good, and unchanging. When God makes a promise, He will keep it.
Final Thoughts:
1. God is willing to prove Himself and the validity of His promises.
2. Because of God’s unchanging character, His purpose and promises also are unchanging and can be counted on to come to pass.
3. We can find refuge from the destructiveness of sin by claiming the hope in Christ.
Commentary: The focal passages for this session consider Jesus’ role as mediator of the new covenant and our responsibility as His people to remain faithful to Him, our only hope of salvation. The first focal passage (Heb. 6:17-20) is at the end of a larger section (5:11-6:20) that warns against abandoning Jesus, and thus challenges believers to move on to maturity and to continue serving Him.
The salvation God has provided was promised in the Old Testament and accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Verses 13-16 mae the point that people often take oaths to show in solemn fashion the truthfulness of what they are saying. God’s words to Abraham, “I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you” (v.14; Gen. 22:17) have the force of an oath so Abraham could have confidence in His promise actually occurring. This is the author’s point in verse 17: Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Abraham lived long enough to see the beginning of his posterity in the birth of Isaac, but he died long before God multiplied his descendants into a great nation. When Abraham died, he had two descendants of promise – Isaac and Jacob. This was hardly a multitude. But the patriarch knew God would accomplish His great promise to him in creating a nation through him just as He was faithful in giving him that first born son of promise, Isaac.
In verse 18, the author showed this promise included two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. Some scholars identify these two unchangeable things as God’s promise and God’s oath. But a valid argument can be made that the two are God Himself – since in His infinite character and nature He cannot change – and His promise. Both views make the same point and confirm the blessed truth that it is impossible for God to lie. Since this is true, we can have confidence that God will see to it His promises are accomplished.
What is the promise God has made to the followers of Jesus in the new covenant? The author alluded to it in verse 18 by referring to us as those who have fled for refuge. The theme permeates the Book of Hebrews – our only refuge or hope or salvation is in Jesus, the Son of God. When God declares or reveals any truth about Himself or us, it has the force of a promise. God has unequivocally stated that salvation is found only in His Son, and all sinners are encouraged – indeed commanded – to flee to Jesus for refuge, that is, safety from God’s wrath against sin. Consequently, those who have fled to Jesus by faith have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. The Book of Hebrews views salvation as a present reality for those who are persevering in the faith, which demonstrates they will receive the future salvation God has in store for His people in the eternal kingdom.
Final Thoughts:
1. God is willing to prove Himself and the validity of His promises.
2. Because of God’s unchanging character, His purpose and promises also are unchanging and can be counted on to come to pass.
3. We can find refuge from the destructiveness of sin by claiming the hope in Christ.
Commentary: The focal passages for this session consider Jesus’ role as mediator of the new covenant and our responsibility as His people to remain faithful to Him, our only hope of salvation. The first focal passage (Heb. 6:17-20) is at the end of a larger section (5:11-6:20) that warns against abandoning Jesus, and thus challenges believers to move on to maturity and to continue serving Him.
The salvation God has provided was promised in the Old Testament and accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Verses 13-16 mae the point that people often take oaths to show in solemn fashion the truthfulness of what they are saying. God’s words to Abraham, “I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you” (v.14; Gen. 22:17) have the force of an oath so Abraham could have confidence in His promise actually occurring. This is the author’s point in verse 17: Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Abraham lived long enough to see the beginning of his posterity in the birth of Isaac, but he died long before God multiplied his descendants into a great nation. When Abraham died, he had two descendants of promise – Isaac and Jacob. This was hardly a multitude. But the patriarch knew God would accomplish His great promise to him in creating a nation through him just as He was faithful in giving him that first born son of promise, Isaac.
In verse 18, the author showed this promise included two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. Some scholars identify these two unchangeable things as God’s promise and God’s oath. But a valid argument can be made that the two are God Himself – since in His infinite character and nature He cannot change – and His promise. Both views make the same point and confirm the blessed truth that it is impossible for God to lie. Since this is true, we can have confidence that God will see to it His promises are accomplished.
What is the promise God has made to the followers of Jesus in the new covenant? The author alluded to it in verse 18 by referring to us as those who have fled for refuge. The theme permeates the Book of Hebrews – our only refuge or hope or salvation is in Jesus, the Son of God. When God declares or reveals any truth about Himself or us, it has the force of a promise. God has unequivocally stated that salvation is found only in His Son, and all sinners are encouraged – indeed commanded – to flee to Jesus for refuge, that is, safety from God’s wrath against sin. Consequently, those who have fled to Jesus by faith have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. The Book of Hebrews views salvation as a present reality for those who are persevering in the faith, which demonstrates they will receive the future salvation God has in store for His people in the eternal kingdom.
"When our Lord looked at us, He saw not only what we were - He was faithful in seeing what we could become!"
- A. W. Tozer
II. AN AUTHENTICATED PROMISE – HEBREWS 6:19-20; 10:19-21
19 We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh), 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God,
How can God's faithfulness be an anchor?
Out hope in God's promise securely anchors our faith. Anchors were once symbolic within Christianity because God's promises are anchors of reliability in an unsure world. The certainty of God's promises provides an immovable anchors that can make our faith in Him unshakeable.
When God established a covenant, it was built on a relationship with Him. For example, God entered into a covenant relationship with Abraham, which included His promise of blessing (see Heb. 6:13; Gen. 22:17-18). God also established a covenant with Moses and the entire Israelite community at Sinai (see Ex. 19-20).
That covenant provided a way for the Jews, God's chosen people, to live in relationship with God (see Ex. 24:3-8). Though the Israelites failed to honor their promise to the Lord, God promised to never break His covenant with them (see Gen. 17:7).
God's faithfulness continued as He established a new covenant through Jesus - a covenant in which He offered salvation to all people (see Heb. 9:15-26). God's promise in this new covenant brings salvation through reconciliation and intimacy with God, which is symbolized by our access granted to all who surrender to God in faith and repentance to meet with God in intimate fellowship.
Jesus is the physical incarnation of God's love and the fulfillment of His covenant (see John 3:16). He established a new covenant in His blood (see Matt. 26:28). In becoming our offering for sin, Jesus entered into the holy of holies with His own blood.
The result? We now have access to God.
Think about it, when has Jesus kept you anchored?
Final Thoughts:
1. The hope available in Christ provides security and stability for life, both here and hereafter.
2. Christ has gone before us and opened the way for us to have free access to God.
3. Christ continues to stand in our stead and to intercede for those who believe in Him.
Commentary: The author further described this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. This naval terminology pictures a ship safely anchored on shore in such a way that those inside are safe and have no fear of the ship capsizing. Similarly, those who are in Christ can depend on Him to hold them safely in His arms so that their souls are never in danger of being lost again.
The latter part of verse 19 shifts from the metaphor of a ship at anchor to the inner sanctuary behind the curtain in the tabernacle (and later the temple). Our hope enters the inner sanctuary because Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner. The inner sanctuary refers to the holy of holies where God manifested His presence among His people and where only the high priest could enter once a year, and only on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Since Jesus has already entered the very presence of God on our behalf, a theme the author returned to at length in chapter 9, and then we can have hope or confidence that God will accept us when we enter His presence as well. We do so by faith in Jesus, the basis of our hope and fulfillment of God’s promise.
How did Jesus enter the holy of holies since He was not a high priest in the line of Aaron? The author anticipated this question since every Jew knew that access to the holy of holies was limited to the high priest’s work on the Day of Atonement. The author’s answer is that Jesus’ priesthood is of a different kind: He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus, like Melchizedek, was qualified to be a high priest not because of His earthly lineage, but because of His godly character and perfect sacrifice. It is no wonder that the author of Hebrews insisted that faith in Jesus and His sacrifice are the only way to have a relationship with God.
The author of Hebrews began the practical section of the book in 10:19 with an invitation to go where Jesus has already gone as our forerunner on our behalf: Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus. This invitation is in stark contrast to the fear and trembling associated with the high priests of old who entered the holy of holies only after elaborate preparations and sacrifices had been made on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). A high priest who did not follow God’s presence with boldness at any time, having confidence that He receives us and will hear our prayers (Heb. 4:16). This access to God is called a new and living way, indicating that the old system in the Mosaic law has been set aside (8:13) for something more recent (Christ’s death on the cross) and much better since it is living – a reference to Christ’s resurrection and continuous work as our Mediator at God’s right hand. Jesus Himself said this in very clear language, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Final Thoughts:
1. The hope available in Christ provides security and stability for life, both here and hereafter.
2. Christ has gone before us and opened the way for us to have free access to God.
3. Christ continues to stand in our stead and to intercede for those who believe in Him.
Commentary: The author further described this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. This naval terminology pictures a ship safely anchored on shore in such a way that those inside are safe and have no fear of the ship capsizing. Similarly, those who are in Christ can depend on Him to hold them safely in His arms so that their souls are never in danger of being lost again.
The latter part of verse 19 shifts from the metaphor of a ship at anchor to the inner sanctuary behind the curtain in the tabernacle (and later the temple). Our hope enters the inner sanctuary because Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner. The inner sanctuary refers to the holy of holies where God manifested His presence among His people and where only the high priest could enter once a year, and only on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Since Jesus has already entered the very presence of God on our behalf, a theme the author returned to at length in chapter 9, and then we can have hope or confidence that God will accept us when we enter His presence as well. We do so by faith in Jesus, the basis of our hope and fulfillment of God’s promise.
How did Jesus enter the holy of holies since He was not a high priest in the line of Aaron? The author anticipated this question since every Jew knew that access to the holy of holies was limited to the high priest’s work on the Day of Atonement. The author’s answer is that Jesus’ priesthood is of a different kind: He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus, like Melchizedek, was qualified to be a high priest not because of His earthly lineage, but because of His godly character and perfect sacrifice. It is no wonder that the author of Hebrews insisted that faith in Jesus and His sacrifice are the only way to have a relationship with God.
The author of Hebrews began the practical section of the book in 10:19 with an invitation to go where Jesus has already gone as our forerunner on our behalf: Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus. This invitation is in stark contrast to the fear and trembling associated with the high priests of old who entered the holy of holies only after elaborate preparations and sacrifices had been made on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). A high priest who did not follow God’s presence with boldness at any time, having confidence that He receives us and will hear our prayers (Heb. 4:16). This access to God is called a new and living way, indicating that the old system in the Mosaic law has been set aside (8:13) for something more recent (Christ’s death on the cross) and much better since it is living – a reference to Christ’s resurrection and continuous work as our Mediator at God’s right hand. Jesus Himself said this in very clear language, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
III. AN ASSURED PROMISE – HEBREWS 10:22-23
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
God has been faithful; He is faithful; and He will remain faithful. The faithfulness attests to the fact that He can be believed. Because of all God has done for us and on our behalf, He has the moral authority to ask us to trust Him. Anything less is not worthy of Him.
This passage notes two things that happen when we place our trust in the One who is faithful:
- Our hearts are made clean through the blood of Christ. God's salvation means we receive His righteousness; it is imputed to us through His work.
- Our bodies are washed in pure water. The water mentioned in verse 22 represents the symbolic washing away of our sins through immersion (baptisim) in the Holy Spirit (see Rom. 6:3-5). The Bible often uses the imagery of water to describe the Holy Spirit (see John 7:37-39). Therefore, being baptized in water serves as a public statement of our faith in Christ and a firm testimony to others.
Baptism in the New Testament times was an extreme and sober act of faith. Because Christians were being persecuted, being immersed as a statement of faith was a clear indicator of a person's unwavering confidence in Christ. According to the writer of Hebrews, this is exactly what God wants - believers who hold on to a confession of their hope without wavering.
God expects His faithfulness to be reciprocated. He who promised us is faithful. And just as we can fully trust Him, we are to remain faithful to Him. God wants us to draw near to Him with a true heart and to be fully committed to Him - just as He is fully committed to us. God wants us to know Him like He knows us. When we do so, our faith will become unshakeable.
How can we help others draw near to God and hold onto our hope?
So, what's your story:
Use the space below to record a time when God demonstrated His faithfulness to you.
Get creative by telling a story, sketching a picture, making a list, or writing a poem.
Get creative by telling a story, sketching a picture, making a list, or writing a poem.
____________________________________________
Final Thoughts:
1. Spiritual cleansing from the Lord makes it possible for us to approach Him.
2. Believers are to hold firmly to the hope they profess in Christ.
3. The Lord is faithful to cleanse us from sin and to strengthen our faith to endure.
Commentary: Since these things are true, the author exhorted his readers with three actions. First, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Notice what Jesus accomplished for His people through His death and resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand: we can draw near to God; we have true hearts instead of deceitful ones; we have full assurance based on our faith in Him; our hearts are clean rather than polluted by sin; our consciences are cleansed; and even our bodies are washed, metaphorically referring to our purification in Christ. The language here is reminiscent of the repeated rituals in the Mosaic covenant in dealing with sin, and the author vividly describes for his readers that all of them have already been cleansed, accomplished by the work of Christ.
The second exhortation is in verse 23 (the third is in v.24): let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. One of the central issues the author had to deal with in this letter is that some of his original readers were wavering in their commitment to Christ and considering a return to the Jewish religion based on the Mosaic covenant. His argument is very powerful: Jesus accomplished for God’s people what the old covenant could never do.
The confession here is the public proclamation that a convert makes about his faith in Christ and his desire to follow Him. In the early church this was normally done at the time of the covert’s baptism – and some churches today continue this practice. But the author insisted that we as believers must do so without wavering, that is, we must continue to confess Jesus as Lord and Messiah; otherwise our confession was just empty talk.
The author reminded us that all of these blessed truths are because He who promised is faithful. God’s promises never fail, and He has declared that those who come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ His Son would be received. The opposite of this is also true: those who attempt to come to God by any other means will not be received. In fact, without Christ’s sacrifice “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries” (vv. 26-27). If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, do so right now. God will save you. He has promised He would, and He is faithful.
Live it Out
In light of God's faithfulness, how should you respond?
1. Seek out God’s promises. As you read God’s Word, highlight any verses that contain a promise from Him.
2. Remember God’s faithfulness. Find a picture of an anchor (or draw one yourself) and display it someplace you’ll see it every day. Let the image remind you that God’s faithfulness is an anchor for your life.
3. Fulfill your promises. Take a step back and evaluate the different promises you’ve made in recent months. If there are any promises you’ve yet to keep, move forward to reconcile the situation.
Place your future in Christ’s hands and walk with Him in the present. He is faithful in this life and the next. That’s a promise you can count on for all time.
The message of this lesson can be simply summarized. God is faithful to His promise. He gave His Word and He brought it to pass in Jesus. Therefore, we are able and urged to come with boldness into His presence, to continually stay near to Him, and to commit without wavering to the hope we have in Him.
Prayer of Commitment
Father, I reach out to You to provide me the spiritual stamina to live by the promise of hope that is steadfast and sure in Christ Jesus. Amen
Father, I reach out to You to provide me the spiritual stamina to live by the promise of hope that is steadfast and sure in Christ Jesus. Amen
What a great final lesson on the character of God - think about it, to know that God is faithful.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
