This is the day the Lord
has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. The Lord is upon His throne. All
is well. We are just two months away from Christmas Eve, 2013. Let us all get
ready prayerfully and joyfully. We anticipate the best, because it is the Birth
Celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to seek and to save
the lost, the leas,t and the last... the rich and the poor... the foolish and
the wise... the princes and the paupers. His love fills the
globe.
During our Bible Study last
night we looked into Hebrews chapter 7. Some of the most comforting and
assuring words are found in Hebrews 7. "He is able". It is an ascription about
Christ. "He is able" means that He, Christ, has all power.
"He is able to save to the
uttermost." "Save" is a power word. In fact, it's the most
powerful verb in the Bible. The entire sweep of its use in both the Old and New
Testaments means deliverance, healing, wholeness, new life now, and eternal life
forever. This cornucopian word of the Scriptures overflows with matchless
treasure. "Save" encapsulates all that Christ came to do, has done, is doing,
and will do for us.
Through His life, His death
on the cross, His victorious resurrection from the dead, and His present power,
Christ is able to deliver us from the loneliness of separation from God; He is
able to free us from guilt over past failures. He is able to repattern and"
rewire"our minds with a new image of ourselves and our potential. He is able to
liberate our emotions of debilitating fear, anxiety, and worry. He is also able
to make us whole, integrated, complete persons, altogether new in every way for
this life and eternity. Christ has the power to save the inquirer in his or
her sense of estrangement, the struggling Christian from discouragement, the
unsatisfied, unfulfilled believer from dissatisfaction with his or her present
stage of growth.
Christian life is dynamic.
It must have a definite beginning, it is constantly growing, and it is never
fully complete until we reach heaven. It is a personal relationship with
Christ.
We are permanently saved
when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. Once and for all -- our souls,
minds, bodies. We have both the status of saints, people who belong to the
Savior, and the security that our standing will never change. Life's biggest
insecurity is healed; we belong to God our Father. What power this security gives
us! It meets the deepest longings of our hearts, fills the empty void inside,
and gives confidence and courage. We are free from having to earn our status by
competing with others or establish our worth by trying to be adequate. We have
been elected to receive power, not continually to struggle for human control.
We are also saved
persistently. As He dwells in us, Christ continues the process of salvation,
healing our character and personality, and consistently presses us on to what
Paul calls the "fullness of the stature of Christ." We are people programmed
for progress. Being saved is being made into the image of Christ.
Christ's power is not given
to make us culturally successful, but to be His servants in our culture. If
professional or monetary success comes our way without compromising our
commitment to Christ, we can use our positions to forward the Kingdom and our
money to support Christ's mission for the spiritually and physically hungry.
"He is able." The author
of Hebrews draws us on, telling us it is for "those who come to God through Him"
(Hebrews
7:25). We turn to Jesus' promise to underline this
astounding grace. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one
who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John
6:37). The gift of faith is given to us so we can come to
Him. Not even the ability to respond is our self-generated achievement.
"Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling." The ultimate loss of
control brings our lives under Christ's control -- now and forever.
The assurance
that "He is able" is underscored in Hebrews
7:25, which says: "since He
always lives to make intercession for them."
A personal relationship with Him is life's greatest
joy. He alone has the power to save us now, in the days to come, and when we
face the transition we call death. He is pulling for us each step of the way.
It's the most powerful
life, the most joyous life, the most exciting life, the most creative life, the
most challenging life, and the most hopeful life! It is the only way to come
alive and stay alive -- now and forever.
Blessed be His
Name.
In Him,
Brown
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