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3-24-2019 Weekly Message

The contemplation of the week: Psalm 40:1-17

Text: Hebrews 9:1-28

Theme of the Word: Power of the blood of Christ taking away sins to make us  enter the Most High place in heaven

        Until the law of God appeared after Adam, the world was filled with curses because of God’s wrath for sins. After a thousand years after Adam, seeing that the thoughts and imaginations of the minds of the whole world were only evil, he destroyed all but the only man and his family who had found grace in the eyes of God at that time. After that, God judged Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, only leaving Lot.  Finally, God called Abraham to choose people to live on the earth, and gave his grandson Jacob a new name Israel, and planted them in the earth as his own chosen people.

        Finally, God gave the law through Moses. He gave them the law to build their tabernacle to make them understand their sins and to avoid the wrath of God for their sins, and made the priests and the high priests to work to solve the problem of sins of Israel. God forgave their sins by shedding the blood of the beasts for their sins according to the law of this own justice, which cannot be forgiven unless someone shed blood for their sins.

        But although their sins were forgiven, they could not enter into the holy place of God in heaven. Although animals could redeem their sins by shedding their blood ,  the blood of the animals could not cleanse their conscience. In other words, the law of God was able to cleanse the sins of the flesh. God has given us a new testament that cleanses our conscience through faith in the blood of Christ through the gospel of Christ.  Apostle Paul testified of the new testament of God:

”   But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that wereunder the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. “(Hebrews 9: 11-15).

           Therefore, the Jews under the law brought the animals to shed blood to redeem  their sins to the priest in the tabernacle that was built as a model of the tabernacle in heaven. At that time, the high priest had to go to the Most Holy place of the tabernacle with the blood of the goat for the sins of the Israelites, and to receive forgiveness for the sins of the people once a year. But the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood and died for  the sin of the world, entered into the Most Holy Place in heaven with his blood, not the blood of the goat. Therefore, Christians who believe in His blood and are born again by the Holy Spirit are able to live in the presence of God , because they appear with Christ in the heavenly Most Holy place of God.

         The saints of the Old Testament, who, were by the law, cleansed the body only through the sprinkle  the blood of the animal, had to stay in the bosom of their fathers Abraham, the midway point in the earth until Christ came and shed blood  after their bodies died. But when Christ finally shed His blood, died, and resurrected, they were able to resurrect with Christ as High Priest to ascend to the Most High heavenly place. Matthew and the Roman  soldiers witnessed this sight as witnesses of the magnificent resurrection:

” Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27: 50-54)

        He cleansed the conscience of the Old Testament saints with the blood who fell asleep , and was able to ascend to the Most High heavenly place. Apostle Paul testified that Jesus Christ appeared at the end of the world for four thousand years after the destruction of the world ruler, the devil, to take away his worldly sovereignty:

” 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)

      Because of the sin of the first man, all men are born with sin in their conscience. Sins that are deeply embedded in man’s conscience cannot be removed with the blood of animals. Only the blood of Christ can  taake them away.. John the Baptist testified that when he introduced Jesus to the world saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Apostle Paul also testified about this:

” For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10: 4).

            King David, the man of God, prayed that God was not pleased with the sacrifices offered in the law. All the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament times are that God does not rejoice because only so many sins they make are revealed. King David prophesied of the coming Christ:

” Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.. “(Psalm 40: 6-8)

         We must realize the very important truth about the power of Christ’s blood and engrave it in our hearts.  Apostle Paul testified about this:

” By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. “(Hebrews 10: 10,12-18).

          That’s right! The salvation we have received by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ is not the salvation of the flesh, but the faith in Christ, who once shed blood for us, because the blood cleansed  the sins in our conscience. Those who receive salvation of  the soul through the blood of Christ are able to live a godly life without being guilty of sin, because the words of God are placed in their souls instead of sins. Because of this, Apostle Peter testified  of  the salvation very clearly

” Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see himnot, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1: 8 -9)

          But the Holy Spirit warns them that not believe in the power of the blood of Christ:

”   He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; “(Hebrews 10: 28-32).

         Apostle Peter sent the letter to the Christians sprinkled by the blood of Christ:

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”(1Peter 1:2)

           Therefore, we must not give up confidence, but be patient with it and receive the promise after doing God’s will. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not terry.

  Amen! Hallelujah!