Blessed Assurance
We have been studying the Book of Galatians in our Bible Class on Sunday morning. Someone has stated that were it not for the book of Galatians Christianity may well have become nothing more than another Jewish sect. Paul’s over all message from Galatians was that no legal system could bring justification before God, and that our standing before God was due to what He had done, and no work of the flesh, regardless of how important we may believe it to be.
For many years growing up in my religious tribe there was not a lot of security. Heaven was as sure as your most recent prayer, and hope was always followed by a question mark, not an exclamation mark. There was a time in my life where if you had asked me, "Are you going to heaven when you die?” I would have replied, “I hope so.” Even though the scripture told me that I could know, the teaching of my tribe always left me in doubt, and not full of assurance.
That was then, this is now. Today my confidence and hope are sure and steadfast. I can say without a doubt that should today be my last, Heaven would be my home. If you ask me why I believe that, my reply would simply be Jesus. Verses full of assurance and hope just seem to leap off the pages of scripture when I read today. They are truly “good news”
“…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Heb. 10:14-17
Notice closely the verb tense in that first line. “Has made perfect” “being made holy” This is a wonderful picture of how God sees you and me. First of all because of the sacrifice of Jesus, in His eyes we are perfect – FOREVER! But of whom does He speak? Those who are in the PROCESS of being made holy. The Hebrew writer then says in verse 17 quoting from the prophet Jeremiah, “there sins and lawless acts I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE. I no longer have to go through life dredging up my past loaded with sin. That burden was taken from my shoulders when I placed my trust in Jesus. It has been replaced with Freedom! Freedom to breath spiritually in my journey of becoming more like Jesus.
