Month: February 2018

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” Heb 12:22-23 (ESV) This idea of coming to the heavenly Jerusalem is a contrast to the previous verses about the fear of the destructive power of God that the Jews experienced when God descended on Mt. Sinai. Instead, God transports followers of Jesus to a joyful mountain in heaven, the heavenly Mt. Zion. And this is not just a future experience, it is something that has already happened for the Scripture says “you have come” which is a translation of perfect verb tense in Greek, which means it is a completed action. Thus, our role is to Continue Reading →

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Heb. 12:11 (ESV) The word “discipline” refers to instruction or training that includes correction, for example, in the raising of a child. Thus, the focus is not primarily on punishment for a wrong but rather the general overall training of a Christian. So Christian training is painful (or more accurately in the Greek: grievous) for us just as children become distressed when their parents move them to do something that does not feel good to them. Therefore, as Christians we embrace, and even expect, the distastefulness of the challenges and sufferings that come our way. We do not avoid our training. Rather, we keep our focus on Jesus and the way he is transforming our life to be more like his. Our training Continue Reading →

“Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus . . . let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” Heb 10:19b, 22a (NIV) What does it mean to enter the “Most Holy Place”? In the Old Testament the Most Holy Place, also known as the holy of holies, was the only place in the world that one could be assured to encounter the glory of God. Only the high priest could enter once a year. Now any believer can actually enter the Most Holy Place! But what does this mean if we don’t actually see God’s glory with our eyes? Remember II Cor. 3 where Paul explains that we get to enter the Most Holy Place like Moses but we don’t need to wear a veil. Instead, our faces are unveiled and we Continue Reading →