Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Leviticus 13; Hebrews 10
Devotional Thought:
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (vs. 4) Therefore, Jesus said unto the Father, “…Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that He may establish the second.” (vs. 9) The old covenant could never take away sins; therefore it was necessary for the offerings to take place again and again. However, “…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (vs. 10) Faith makes all the difference. We are saved by placing our faith and trust in the finished work of the Christ. His sacrifice is the only thing that our Heavenly Father will accept as payment for sin. He proved this when He raised up His Son from the grave. (Romans 4:25) The same faith that provides salvation is necessary for sanctification. We grow in grace and in conformity to the Lord Jesus by the same faith. We must believe that the promises and principles of God’s word are true all the time and effective for godly living. We must be convinced in our own hearts that God’s program is the local church and we must function within its God-given parameters. We must join a local body for the purpose of using and developing our gifting and ministering for the glory of God. We must be zealously pursuing opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people. Verse 24-25 tells us to provoke each other to greater works for God’s glory and to love each other more. We accomplish this by never forsaking the opportunities to assemble together. We must believe that we exercise faith in God’s program, principles, and promises as we participate in His design of the local church. Being faithful to God’s will requires us to make church attendance and service a high priority. Knowing that we shall all give an account, we must be motivated to being faithful to God’s program. Verse 26-31 have been verses of great debate and controversy. We know that it is not dealing with losing your salvation. Nobody can lose his or her salvation. However, it does deal with those who have been taught the gospel, they have understood the gospel, and they have willingly rejected it from their heart. They have walked away from the opportunity to be saved and chosen rather to live their own life the way they want. There is no sacrifice for their rejection of truth. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (vs. 31)
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to always be thankful for your sacrifice on Calvary. You paid the price of my sin and I am eternally grateful for your love gift of salvation.
• Lord, please help me to grow in faith. Help my faith to increase as I learn your word and walk in your ways. Help me to always understand and appreciate the program of the local church.
• Lord, thank you for the direct access I have to you as my Father. Thank you for inviting me and encouraging me to come into your very throne room and fellowship with you.