Hebrews: The [Really] Good Stuff

Over the past several weeks I have been studying the book of Hebrews through IF:Equip (part of the IF:Gathering). I felt like it was a total God thing that they had selected Hebrews, because it was a book I was planning to study once I got done with what I was currently reading through.

Let me just tell y'all, Hebrews is rocking my world. Some days my mind is struggling to keep up with everything that is packed in its passages. Some days I want to cry because I am so in awe over the truth found there. And some days, like today, I just have to say something about what I'm reading.

The author of Hebrews spends a lot of time talking about the old covenant, the laws, the priests, the rituals, the sacrifices. I think he writes so much about it so that we can understand what the new covenant through Jesus' death means for us. It means no more continual animal sacrifices to atone for sin, no more performing dead works under the law, no more separation from God and the Most Holy Place.

Jesus submitted to the will of God the Father, He went to the cross as a sinless, perfect sacrifice. His death did away with the need for animal sacrifices because it was sufficient to cover the sins of the entire world for all time. In one death, Jesus atoned for all sin, He broke down the barrier of the Most Holy Place, and thus allowed us to approach God freely. And through His resurrection three days later, Jesus defeated the power of death.

To have a relationship with Jesus means you are sanctified through His death, once for all. You are no longer under the power of sin, you are no longer distant from God. You can walk in the fullness of your redemption now, today, and forever. You don't have to continue working to earn forgiveness through deeds, you have been completely and totally forgiven. And you now have a direct relationship with God and the freedom to approach Him at any time through Jesus.

"This covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, He adds: I will never again remember their sins and lawless acts. Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." [Hebrews 10:16-18]

[If you are interested in studying Hebrews too, I highly recommend using the IF:Equip study. You can start with Hebrews 1 by clicking this link. Once you finish day one, there is a link at the bottom to move on to the next day in the study. Each day consists of a passage of Scripture, some journaling prompts, and a short video clip.]