“Mediator of A New Covenant”

15 This is why he’s the mediator of a new covenant (which is a will): so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance on the basis of his death. His death occurred to set them free from the offenses committed under the first covenant.
— Hebrews 9:15 CEB

Hebrews 9:13-15 NLT

The sacrifices offered by the priests of the tribe of Levi could only cleanse the exterior, it was sufficient to make their bodies holy and clean. However, it did nothing on the inside of the priest or the individuals. That is why it had to be repeated over and over. When Jesus shed His blood, it was the perfect sacrifice, cleansing not only the body, but the heart and the conscience of each person accepting His sacrifice. Because Christ offered Himself, He gave us a new promise and established a new covenant. His perfect sacrifice will last for all ages and will never need to be repeated. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, our place in Heaven is guaranteed forever. He has given us His Holy Spirit as an earnest, a down payment ensuring us of our heritage.

Ephesians 1:12-14 NLT

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

Post 11-24-2019

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Confirming the Covenant

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 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.
– Matt 26:28a NLT​
 
 

Earlier, that day, Jesus had been anointed with alabaster perfume at the house of Simon, the leper.  He told those that criticized the woman’s act of kindness that she had anointed His body in preparation for burial.  Later, Judas goes to the leading priests and offers to betray Jesus. Then, sometime later, the disciples asked Jesus about the preparation for the Passover meal.  Jesus gave them the instructions and they went into town to prepare the room and the meal.  As evening approached, they were all seated around the meal and Jesus informed them again that He must die.  He also informed them that one of them would betray Him.  Judas rightly assumes that he is the one of whom Jesus speaks.​ Jesus then blesses the bread, explains its significance and gives it to the disciples to eat.   After that, He blesses the wine, explains its significance and gives it to the disciples to drink.  Each time we take Communion, we participate in the Last (or Lord’s) supper with Jesus and His disciples.  We are instructed to continue to do this in remembrance of Him until He returns to take us all home. There we will sit at the banquet table and do this again as we participate in the wedding feast that He has prepared for us. How often should we partake of the Communion?  As often as the Holy Spirit directs each of us to do so.  A good guideline in anything concerning Jesus is that you can never get more than you need and we sure don’t want to have too little of His goodness.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 11-8-2018

What Really Matters

God is waiting to show you the Way.

God is waiting to show you the Way.

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!​
12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God. 17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks​ ​of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.—Gal. 6:11-18 (NIV)

​Paul is still troubled​ by the religious leaders trying to get the new converts circumcised. They are only trying to impress others by an outward physical manifestation of their obedience to the law. If the people know they have been circumcised then they will assume that they still adhere to the tenets of the Old Testament law. This will keep the leaders and other non-believers from persecuting them. Since they didn’t keep the other points of the law, it really wasn’t about keeping the law at all. It was just something for the flesh to boast about.
​Under the new covenant of grace, circumcision has no meaning. ​The only thing that matters is that now we are new creations. We must die daily and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our outward appearance is temporary and decaying daily. Once we shed this old tent, we will be like Jesus!
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.—1 John 3:2,3 (NIV)
—Post 04-20-2015