Faith In Jesus not the Law

HEBREWS

DEVOTION

FAITH IN JESUS NOT THE LAW

Heb 10:1-4

10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

NIV

Are we getting the picture yet? This whole letter is all about the same thing so far, the old and the new. Why are some so insistent on trying to live by the law? Does it make them feel better that they have created a set of rules and regulations they can abide by? If a people wanted to, they could not drink adult beverages, not smoke, not go to movies, not dance, not go to bowling allies, not swear, not drink coffee or tea, but of what value is all those not’s? Do they bring salvation? Do they bring a person closer to God? Do they cleanse a person from sin? Did Jesus tell people not to do those things? Do any of those “not to do things” actually free a person from their guilt of sin? People devise all sorts of rules and regulations, even to the type and style of worship which is acceptable, and which version of the Bible is actually authorized. Why do people want so many rules? It is not plain the law was not a reality, but just a shadow of good things that were coming? It is impossible for obedience to any rule and regulation to take away sins. There is only one way, one Jesus, one Savior, one mediator, one sacrifice, one Son of God, one Messiah, and one Christ, who is worthy to take away all our sins once and for all. Sure, all society needs rules, needs laws to live in harmony with one another. There is a need for social law and we need to live in accordance with that law, but God’s law was established for the purpose to prove we could not live by His law and that we needed Jesus. Yes, it is true we need to live in order to please Him. Yes, there are certain behaviors that we should make every effort to rid ourselves of, and certain behaviors which we should try our very best to clothe ourselves with. There are also emotions, and even thoughts that we should endeavor rid ourselves of, and other emotions and thoughts we should focus on. But we need to make sure they are motivated out of our love for God and gratitude for Jesus and not because we think those actions will either cleanse us, or make us a better Christian. There is no such thing as a better Christian. Such thinking would only be prideful and thus sinful. We are Christians simply because of our faith in Jesus Christ. How can anyone do that better another? Can one have more or better faith than another? God says He gives to every man the measure of faith. Within the Greek that is that, a measure of faith, and we know God is not partial nor does He demonstrate favoritism, so we have to believe He gives all men the same measure of faith. So not one of us could think more of ourselves then we should, no matter how many rules we comply with, we are all sinners saved by grace, through our faith in Christ Jesus, period, end of story, we are right, they are wrong, the argument cannot be broken. Faith in Jesus is the only way.