Bible League: Living His Word We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians that lived in Jerusalem. Its primary purpose was to exhort those Christians to persevere despite the persecutions they had to face. Although they had not yet come to the point where they had to give up their lives for the cause of Christ, they were struggling (Hebrews 12:4). Despite their difficult circumstances, our verse for today exhorts them to do three things. The three things still speak to every Christian. First of all, "We must hold on to the hope we have." Hebrews 3:14 says, "We have the honor of sharing in all that Christ has if we continue until the end to have the sure faith we had in the beginning." In other words, we should confirm our election and calling by God by continuing to believe in Jesus Christ and the gospel message until the end. At the very end of our lives, we should be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have served the Lord faithfully" (II Timothy 4:7). Secondly, we must never hesitate "to tell people about it." Since we have such a great and comforting hope, we should tell others about the good thing we have. Like Paul, we should speak boldly and openly about it (II Corinthians 3:12). We should do our part to fulfill Jesus' prophecy: "You will be my witnesses. You will tell people everywhere about me--in Jerusalem, in the rest of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world" (Acts 1:8). If we have true hope in Christ, we should not keep it to ourselves. Finally, "We can trust God to do what he promised." Our hope is in Jesus Christ and the gospel message. Our hope is that we have been saved by faith in Him and that we will spend eternity with Him. Our hope is that we will escape the punishment of those who do not hope in Christ. We can trust God to fulfill our hope. We should hold on to our hope and tell other people about it, because God is reliable, because God will come through. Hope is the most precious thing we have. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEzekiel 41, 42 Ezekiel 41 -- The Measures, Parts, Chambers, and Ornaments of the Inner Temple NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 42 -- Chambers for the Priests NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Peter 1 2 Peter 1 -- By Faith and Works, Make Your Calling Sure; Eyewitness of the Apostles and Prophets NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.Insight Christ's death and resurrection set us free from the fear of death because death has been defeated. Every person must die, but death is not the end; instead, it is the doorway to a new life. All who dread death should have the opportunity to know the hope that Christ's victory brings. Challenge How can you share this truth with those close to you? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Exodus 35:8 Spices for anointing oil.Much use was made of this anointing oil under the law, and that which it represents is of primary importance under the gospel. The Holy Spirit, who anoints us for all holy service, is indispensable to us if we would serve the Lord acceptably. Without his aid our religious services are but a vain oblation, and our inward experience is a dead thing. Whenever our ministry is without unction, what miserable stuff it becomes! nor are the prayers, praises, meditations, and efforts of private Christians one jot superior. A holy anointing is the soul and life of piety, its absence the most grievous of all calamities. To go before the Lord without anointing is as though some common Levite had thrust himself into the priest's office--his ministrations would rather have been sins than services. May we never venture upon hallowed exercises without sacred anointings. They drop upon us from our glorious Head; from his anointing we who are as the skirts of his garments partake of a plenteous unction. Choice spices were compounded with rarest art of the apothecary to form the anointing oil, to show forth to us how rich are all the influences of the Holy Spirit. All good things are found in the divine Comforter. Matchless consolation, infallible instruction, immortal quickening, spiritual energy, and divine sanctification all lie compounded with other excellencies in that sacred eye-salve, the heavenly anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. It imparts a delightful fragrance to the character and person of the man upon whom it is poured. Nothing like it can be found in all the treasuries of the rich, or the secrets of the wise. It is not to be imitated. It comes alone from God, and it is freely given, through Jesus Christ, to every waiting soul. Let us seek it, for we may have it, may have it this very evening. O Lord, anoint thy servants. Daily Light on the Daily Path John 16:31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?James 2:14,17 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? • Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; • it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." • He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. James 2:21,24 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? • You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. Matthew 7:20,21 "So then, you will know them by their fruits. • "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. John 13:17 "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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