Morning: We looked at Hebrews 9:1-10:18. The author of Hebrews reminded us that "by one sacrifice [Jesus] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (10:14). The sermon, entitled "Nothing but the Blood," looked at how the sacrificial system pointed to the coming of a greater sacrifice that would actually bring forgiveness, it looked at why Jesus had to die, and it looked at the fact that Jesus was a willing sacrifice.
This passage emphasized the fact that our righteous standing before God has been secured by Jesus' sacrifice. He has saved us from all of our sins. He not only cleansed us outwardly, but inwardly. He not only went into the presence of the Father, but ushered us into his presence as well. These truths compel us to cling to Christ alone and to reject legalism and lawlessness. It calls us to worship the Lord for his grace. It calls us to walk in confident faith, know that Christ has secured our way to God. It also calls the unbeliever to turn from self-righteousness and to trust the Lord.
Evening: We looked at giving thanks. We focused on Psalms 30 and 100. Gratitude is a word that is often hard for me to define. I know what it is, but it is often hard to put it into context. The important issue to remember is that gratitude should be the dominate attitude of our life. Gratitude is a joyous celebration of the fact that someone has thought of us and acted kindly. When applied to God, giving thanks should include his person, as well as his work. In other words, be more thankful for the Gift-giver than the gift.
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