Year 6, Day 113: Hebrews 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

This chapter in Hebrews is a classic chapter.  I remember reading it for the first time as an adult.  I remember reading it for the first time and suddenly realizing what Christ did on the cross.  I have always known that Jesus died on the cross for our forgiveness of sins.  But beyond that, Christ’s death does in the sacrificial system instituted under the Law.  Animals no longer need to be sacrificed; Christ covered that.  There are no longer special priests who can enter into private places; the curtain was torn and we are all now high priests in Jesus Christ!  We don’t need to keep offering sacrifices to God because Jesus offered up the sacrifice to God once and then ascended into the presence of God forever.

Jesus changes so much in life.

I think it is really worthwhile spending a day focusing on everything that the life and death of Jesus changes.  We can live with confidence in our relationship with Christ because we are forgiven.  We can live righteously without fear of the mistakes that inevitably creep into our life because we are forgiven.  We who are sinful can share this good news with others because forgiveness and restoration is based on the character of Christ, not our character.

What’s more is that one day Christ will come back.  He will return to claim those of us who wait for Him.  That is one of the best examples of forgiveness.  Each of us has sin.  Each of us deserves condemnation.  But we will experience forgiveness.  We will experience a God who wants to come back and claim each of us, not because we deserve it but because He desires to forgive us.

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