Welcome to Hank’s Place in 2022
All the OLD Testament prophets cried, “Repent FROM your sins, wicked ways, or God will smite you.” That was the OLD order. Then when Jesus came on the scene, He instituted a NEW order.
Jesus comes on the scene and cries Repent “TO” – Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” BIG BIG difference, turning TO the Kingdom of God. The focus – is God’s awesome Kingdom, not the miserable wretch that we were.
Hebrews tells us that the Old has become obsolete and has passed away. Hebrews 8:13, Instead of performance before blessings, God gives us promises – promises we cannot fulfill.
We do however, receive them — by FAITH. ONLY by faith. And that’s pretty awesome.
Here’s another tidbit for you: Hebrews begins by saying in times past God used the prophets to speak to us, but NOW God has spoken to us in His Son. Let’s keep looking to Jesus as our model both for ministry; and for OUR righteous living in this life.
Then, in Hebrews 1:3 it says, “…After making purification for sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.” In eternity Jesus made purification for ALL sins – ALL SINS – and SAT DOWN – indicating there was no more work needing to be done regarding sin. Unlike in the Old Covenant where there was no seat for the high priest in the Holy of Holies for his work was never done. The sin problem infecting you and me and all humanity, has been taken care of at the Cross – we believe in Jesus – we receive Him as our savior – and our sin has been removed, and we are changed, hallelujah!
And now get this treasure, in Ephesians 2:4-8 Paul writes, God, Who is rich in mercy, has caused us to become ALIVE with Jesus, and together with Jesus has raised us up and SEATED US in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Not only did Jesus sit down, WE have been made to SIT DOWN with Him – our ‘works’ of trying to please God, are finished as well, thanks to God’s immeasurable GRACE toward us.
Dear friend, SIT DOWN, stop striving to please God, stop wearing yourself out trying to pray more, read more, serve more, do more more more so God would be pleased with you. SIT DOWN, for you pleased Him eternally when you believed in His Son. Now, let His kindness envelop you!
Yes, cease striving — but sit down — you’ll COME ALIVE!
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A necessary distinction. When we pray the Psalms, or read other parts of the OT, we must constantly remind ourselves that OT Israelites were in the flesh, without the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit. So it doesn’t amaze me at all that they sinned so much. What really amazes me is that they were ever able to do anything in the flesh that pleased God. And since their situation was vastly different than ours, God’s directives to them had to be vastly different from his directives to us. But Satan and indwelling sin can use the OT to trick us out of our New Covenant if we’re not careful.
Dave M.