Hebrews 8:1-13 Earlier this month we saw God's promise to turn the hearts of stone of His chosen people into hearts of flesh. Israel was disobedient to God, and Jesus was rejected by His own. Yet, God has not rejected Israel. He promises to make a new covenant with them when He will write the law of God on their hearts and put the laws in their minds. Yesterday we shared the only sin we cannot remit for others is rejection of Jesus Christ. Even though many of our Jewish brothers and sisters have rejected Jesus Christ, we can still pray for God to give them the gift of faith to believe and also godly sorrow so they will repent.
Once we have received Christ, we have the challenge of walking in obedience to Him daily. Make no mistake, none of us can obey without the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Yes, people can obey the laws of God outwardly by not committing adultery, but Jesus made it quite clear that if a man lusts for a woman in his heart, he has committed adultery. He also said murder is committed if a man is angry against his brother. The law of God is only written on our hearts when we are born again. God's promise to write His law on the hearts of His chosen people tells us that there will be a day when many Jews are born again.
Jesus did not come to destroy the Law or abolish it. He came to fulfill the Law, and because He did fulfill the Law we now can have the law of God written on our hearts. When we receive Christ, God promises to no longer remember our sins and iniquities because we are now a covenant people. The old has passed away, and all things become new. One of the greatest new things that comes to pass when we are born again is that we now have a willing heart that seeks to please God and obey Him in both word and deed.
It was such a relief when I gave up trying to obey God in my own strength. When I realized it was God who worked within me both to will and to do of His good pleasure, I asked Him for grace (supernatural power and ability) to obey and please Him daily. The two laws God wants us to obey daily are first to love Him with all of our hearts, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These laws are not grievous. On the contrary they give us great joy when we obey them.
We recently attended a meeting where a man who has fifteen children is fighting to get the Ten Commandments back into our public buildings and schools. When he was burdened with the fact the schools were not able to post the Ten Commandments, the Lord spoke to his heart and asked him if his own children could quote the Ten Commandments. When he tested them, none of his children passed the test. He had to ask the Lord's forgiveness for his own neglect in teaching the law to his children. We need to know the Ten Commandments, but more than that, we need to do them.
Thank You, Father, for sending the Obedient One, Jesus, to fulfill the Law so I can be empowered to keep Your law.
READ: Ezekiel 16:43-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9
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