God Having Provided Some Better Thing For Us, That They Without Us Should Not Be Made Perfect - Part 1616

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, [I say] at this time His righteousness, that He might be just, and the Justifier of Him which believes in Jesus ..." (Romans 3:23-26)

Yes, salvation is all about Jesus and the blood He willingly shed on the cross for you and I. Indeed, we begin to understand the totality of His perfect sacrifice better from the words Jesus stated, "Lo, behold, the volume of the book is about Me" (Hebrews 10:7-8; Psalm 40:7) This is why we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God, as doth a workman, because there is so much to learn, if one desires to become grounded in the Word of the Lord.. (II Timothy 2:15)

But moreover, throughout both the old and the new, He was confirming what He as the Lord God had previously stated afore, on the old covenant side. That is, "Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17)

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He hath no form or comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not." (Isaiah 53:1-3)

The Lord knew all this would come to pass and yet He willingly and wholeheartedly -- because of His love and kindness for His blessed creation -- came forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 42:13) God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16) He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. (John 1:10-11)

As we scroll through the pages further, seeing what heavenly insights capture our attention, what we notice most is that our spiritual future and eternity depends upon what our hearts do with Jesus the Christ. The One and Only who paid the ultimate price -- death -- in order for each and every one of us to gain eternal life -- if we would only turn our hearts to Him -- Jesus -- the Giver of Life!

"So, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28)

Making Jesus first and foremost in our life means moving on into His perfection. Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith), "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years, wherefore, I was grieved with that generation and said, "They do alway[s] err in their heart and they have not known My ways. So I sware in My wrath -- "They shall not enter into My rest." (Hebrews 3:6-11)

But note what the Lord say to us -- the children of promise? Those believers whom He looked to in the fullness of times, even before the world was shaped?

"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden; and I will give you rest. Take My yoke and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:2-30)

Jesus -- the bread of life.

Jesus said, "He that comes to Me shall never hunger and He that believes on Me shall never thirst ... for I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise Him up at the last day." (John 6:35-41)

This is why it is critical for us to turn our hearts to Jesus because He is the living bread which came down from heaven. Jesus said if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.

In this context then, we need to "take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [Rather] exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, "To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation ... for some, when they had heard did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:12-19; I Corinthians 10:11; Numbers 14:2-30; Psalm 95:7-8)

All these things written for our examples/ensamples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come -- and to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither to be idolaters, as were some of them: as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Most of all let us neither tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. (I Corinthians 10:6-11; Romans 15:4; Philippians 4:5)

Instead, let our moderation and faith in God our Saviour be known unto all men. Rejoice in the Lord alway. Pray without ceasing. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God ... and the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ.

As an aside, if you have not yet accepted Jesus as your blessed Lord and Saviour, this is a good time to start for although He is patient, we need to remember -- as He pointed out -- today is the day of salvation. This very day!

Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Stand in the offering plate.