The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Hebrews 3:1,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess."
This exhortation follows an observation made by the writer of Hebrews "Because he [Jesus Christ] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18. It addresses the age-old challenge we face: as a Christian, how do I live my life pleasing my Creator God? How do I handle the temptation to sin, the temptation to pursue those things displeasing to my Savior from day to day? How do I find the resolve and diligence to do those things I know he expects of me?
There are many religions in the world today that are built around "fixing" what we all know to be a reality… there is something wrong with all of us, what Paul calls our "sin nature". As followers of Jesus Christ we find the key to this to be found in him. We are told in this verse to fix our thoughts in Jesus. It is a theme found elsewhere in this letter and throughout the New Testament. After observing that "rules" have no power to restrain sensual indulgence, Colossians 2:23, Paul tells us to fix our hearts and minds on things above where Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, Colossians 3:1-2. This provides the ability to follow through then on those things which please the Lord as found in the remainder of that chapter.
The reality of this lies in a truth expressed by James in 4:8: if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us! In Galatians 5:22 we find that as God draws near us, his Holy Spirit produces changes in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and so forth. Our drawing near to God is life-changing.
This is why we encourage one another to spend time in Scripture and identify themes of worship each day. In order to worship our God, we must fix our minds and hearts on him which results in him drawing near to us, changing us from within. As the writer of Hebrews tells us we need to enter into "his rest" from our own works, both in embracing Jesus Christ in faith bringing salvation and following salvation to grow in spiritual maturity: we still rest from our works and draw near him, allowing him to transform us into his image, Romans 8:29.
I may be weak and subject to strong temptation, but our God is powerful and able to change me from within! There is something mystical here, something that taps into the spirit world where our Savior rules supreme. "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25.
This exhortation follows an observation made by the writer of Hebrews "Because he [Jesus Christ] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18. It addresses the age-old challenge we face: as a Christian, how do I live my life pleasing my Creator God? How do I handle the temptation to sin, the temptation to pursue those things displeasing to my Savior from day to day? How do I find the resolve and diligence to do those things I know he expects of me?
There are many religions in the world today that are built around "fixing" what we all know to be a reality… there is something wrong with all of us, what Paul calls our "sin nature". As followers of Jesus Christ we find the key to this to be found in him. We are told in this verse to fix our thoughts in Jesus. It is a theme found elsewhere in this letter and throughout the New Testament. After observing that "rules" have no power to restrain sensual indulgence, Colossians 2:23, Paul tells us to fix our hearts and minds on things above where Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, Colossians 3:1-2. This provides the ability to follow through then on those things which please the Lord as found in the remainder of that chapter.
The reality of this lies in a truth expressed by James in 4:8: if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us! In Galatians 5:22 we find that as God draws near us, his Holy Spirit produces changes in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and so forth. Our drawing near to God is life-changing.
This is why we encourage one another to spend time in Scripture and identify themes of worship each day. In order to worship our God, we must fix our minds and hearts on him which results in him drawing near to us, changing us from within. As the writer of Hebrews tells us we need to enter into "his rest" from our own works, both in embracing Jesus Christ in faith bringing salvation and following salvation to grow in spiritual maturity: we still rest from our works and draw near him, allowing him to transform us into his image, Romans 8:29.
I may be weak and subject to strong temptation, but our God is powerful and able to change me from within! There is something mystical here, something that taps into the spirit world where our Savior rules supreme. "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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