Welcome to Hank’s Place
A place of grace, where you have come home!
This episode of Hank’s Place was free-flowing from a few notes, so we do not have the exact word for word I spoke written down here for you.
In Jeremiah God relentlessly reaches out to His people for He is Lovingkindness. Jeremiah warns and pleads with the people for decades. Jeremiah’s ministry extended over the reign of five kings, only one of which, Josiah, actually listen to him. For over 40 years he pleaded with God’s people to return to God. God, who was ready to forgive and restore and generously reward.
But the people stubbornly refused. Ridiculed and threatened him again and again. There is the heartbreaking pain in the writings of Jeremiah.
This finally brings us to the ultimate expression of lovingkindness in the writings of Jeremiah and indeed the entire Old Testament. God has reached out to the people through his prophets. He has lovingly called out to them to return. He has threatened inevitable destruction as a consequence of stubborn disbelief. They refuse to change.
The lovingkindness of God leaves God with only one option – HE will keep the covenant that they broke. In fact He will establish a new covenant with both Israel and Judah. He will put his teaching in them. He himself will write it on their stubborn hearts. He will forgive and forget their sin.
God will send His righteous Branch, whose name is the “Lord is our Righteousness.” The Lord will be their righteousness, not their observances, not their meticulous obediences. His righteousness will be given as a gift to those who have no right to expect anything from him. He will give them everything, most especially himself. He will do justice by loving and demonstrating love and kindness.
And they and we will look back at all the consequences of their sin and see His suffering for their sin was perhaps the greatest expression of His lovingkindness. This will give birth to a new and unheard of boast Israel. This boast will not involve the peoples possession, or their temple, nor their wisdom, strength, or wealth.
“…but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:24.
In light of our inability to keep any of the covenants, God will graciously grant to us a new covenant, based solely on HIS faithfulness. That covenant will come into effect and be sustained by means of a person identified in Jeremiah as the “righteous branch.” We see lovingkindness incarnated through the one who says that he himself is lovingkindness.
In our New Testament Way of thinking we call this new covenant a covenant of grace. This new covenant is unconditional. It is not like the covenant that was made through Moses. Jeremiah 31:32. This covenant will be implemented by God himself. He will place the teachings in our hearts. He will write them on our minds. He will forgive and forget our sin. Jeremiah 31:34. [They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”] The context of the new covenant is clearly a product of God’s lovingkindness. It is eternal and forever to be relied upon.
What must we do: BELIEVE upon the Lord Jesus! What’s been done FOR US at Calvary. Believe, and receive. Rest in His presence all day, every day, in the spirit.
Additionally, in Col 1:27 we find “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” None of this yearning for a closer walk, wanting to get nearer to God, hoping for a visitation. Too late – He is already IN us – and we are IN HIM. Meditate on that for a few decades!
Col 1:28 and 2:10: We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. …and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority. We have been made COMPLETE in Him, by Him.
Consider these things — and COME ALIVE!
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