Bible Study

1 John 3:5

[5] You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

1 Peter 3:18

[18] For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

[11] Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. [12] Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Hebrews 1:2-3

[2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. [3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The Triumphant Shame of the Cross

[Christ did not] offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:25–26)

It is not to be taken for granted that there should be a welcome for sinners in heaven.

God is holy and pure and perfectly just and righteous. Yet the whole story of the Bible is how such a great and holy God can and does welcome dirty, unholy people like you and me into his favor. How can this be?

Hebrews 9:25 says that Christ’s sacrifice for sin was not like the sacrifices of the Jewish high priests. They came into the holy place yearly with animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. But these verses say Christ did not enter heaven to “offer himself repeatedly . . . for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 9:26).

If Christ followed the pattern of the priests, then he would have to die yearly. And since the sins to be covered include the sins of Adam and Eve, he would have had to begin his yearly dying at the foundation of the world. But the writer treats this as unthinkable.

Why is this unthinkable? Because it would make the death of the Son of God look weak and ineffective. If it has to be repeated year after year for centuries, where would be the triumph? Where would we see the infinite value of the sacrifice of the Son of God? It would vanish in the shamefulness of a yearly suffering and death.

There was shame in the cross, but it was triumphant shame. “[Jesus despised] the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

This is the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). I pray that no matter how dirty or unholy with sin you are, you will see the light of this glory and believe.

John Piper 

Victory Is Not for Rebels

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 JOHN 3:1-2

 

PONDER THIS

Jesus became the Son of Man that we might become children of God. Jesus was born of a virgin that we might be born again, and Jesus is showing us not how to overcome Satan as God would overcome him, but how to overcome Satan as Man would overcome him, being born of God. You don’t have a chance to overcome Satan without being born again. You’ve got to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Is the consuming desire of your heart to do the will of God? Are you submitted to God’s will? Do you really want to know God’s will, or do you just want to escape temptation and do your will? Victory is not for rebels. Unless you have bowed the knee to the lordship of Jesus, made God sovereign in your life, and become His child, there’s no real hope for you to overcome Satan.

How has your position as a child of God changed how you go through hard times?

What does it look like to be consumed with the will of God? What distracts you from this?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to others who have prioritized following the will of God. Ask them how they have grown in that, and consider the next steps you need to take toward similar growth.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Bible Study

Hebrews 9:12

[12] he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Hebrews 7:27

[27] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

Hebrews 1:3

[3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

1 Peter 4:2

[2] so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

The Only Conscience-Cleanser

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)

Here we are in the modern age — the age of the Internet, smartphones, space travel, and heart transplants — and our problem is fundamentally the same as always: Our consciences condemn us and make us feel unacceptable to God. We are alienated from God. And our consciences bear witness.

We can cut ourselves, or throw our children in the sacred river, or give a million dollars to charity, or serve in a soup kitchen, or a hundred forms of penance or self-injury, and the result will be the same: The stain remains and death terrifies.

We know that our conscience is defiled — not with external things like touching a corpse, a dirty diaper, or a piece of pork. Jesus said it is what comes out of a man that defiles, not what goes in (Mark 7:15–23). We are defiled by attitudes like pride and self-pity and bitterness and lust and envy and jealousy and covetousness and apathy and fear.

The only answer in this modern age, as in every other age, is the blood of Christ. When your conscience rises up and condemns you, where will you turn? Hebrews 9:14 gives you the answer: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

The answer is: Turn to the blood of Christ. Turn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death.

John Piper 

The Ultimate Investment Plan

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” MATTHEW 6:19-21

 

PONDER THIS

What are your personal goals? What consumes you? What do you think about most? What are your greatest energies directed toward? Is it buying a house, retirement, getting a car, a particular vacation, or so-called security?

Are you more consumed with that than with growing in Christ? Are you consumed with sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The devil can take something that’s good in second place, put it in first place, and then make it bad! Here’s a hard but telling question: Is there any material possession you would not gladly part with for the glory of Jesus Christ?

Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, but people will sell out for a whole lot less than that. Judas sold out for thirty pieces of silver, Esau for a meal of stew. We can be short-sighted and materialistic and lose the priorities of our faith in the process. We can get so caught up with things on Earth that will not last that we forget to invest in the one thing that will last forever. When Christ is the one who consumes us and directs us, we have all we need in Him. We don’t have to worry about the rest or hold onto this life.

What most threatens your focus on Christ?

How can you remind yourself of the value of Christ above all daily?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and tell God how you struggle with materialism and ask Him to help you keep your eyes fixed on Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Bible Study

Isaiah 41:13

    [13] For I, the LORD your God,

        hold your right hand;

    it is I who say to you, “Fear not,

        I am the one who helps you.”

2 Timothy 1:7

[7] for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Hebrews 13:6

[6] So we can confidently say, 

    “The Lord is my helper;

        I will not fear;

    what can man do to me?”

1 John 4:18

[18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.