Daily Devotion, June 27, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read Hebrews 10:19-25.

This passage is talking about the newfound confidence that those who trust in Jesus have to enter into His presence. The reference to the curtain here points us to the curtain in the temple surrounding the most holy place. Only the high priest had access through the curtain to the presence of God in the Holiest of Holies. Everybody else was forbidden to enter, and faced death if they did! When Jesus died, that temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. It was a picture that said Jesus has removed the barrier between us and God by his body. Jesus, the great high priest, grants access to God through the curtain of his body. In other words, all those who have had their sins removed by the sacrificial death of Christ can enter freely, and without fear of death. Because they have been cleansed, or washed clean, by Jesus’ blood, they can enter with great confidence that God will accept them!

This gives the Christian a great and secure hope for the future, until we finally meet Him face to face when we die, or on ‘the Day’, when He returns (v25). In the meantime, however, we must keep going in the right direction (unswervingly) and ‘spur each other on towards love and good deeds.' This passage puts it quite strongly: the Christian life should be active and not passive. It should be a life full of love and good deeds as we continue Jesus’ mission to reach the world with the Gospel. And it also makes another strong point, we aren’t to try to live the Christian life on our own. In fact, it shows us that we put ourselves in danger if we do so. Not meeting together quickly becomes a habit - a bad habit - and habits are hard to change. We must avoid going it alone and thinking we don’t need to meet together with other Christians. We need the encouragement of other believers if we are to keep going forwards and avoid being pulled off track.

Personal Worship Option:

Father, first of all, thank you that I have access directly to your presence. Secondly, thank you for the opportunity to spur others on to love and good deeds. Help me to not neglect meeting together with other believers. Amen.