Jesus Christ came to earth to seek and to save the lost. This was His mission, this was His ministry. He is in the business of saving lives, not destroying them. He incarnated Himself to us at the virgin birth all those years ago, and for the first time, the world was touched by the grace and truth of Jesus and all men saw the salvation of God. The love of God was manifested in the flesh, being made like a man just as we, and offering up Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He was perfect, there was no evil or deceit found in Him. You may be familiar with the rituals and ordinances in the days of the priesthood in the Old Testament, where the High Priest, appointed under Aaron, would enter into the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the sins of his people, as well as for his own. The High Priest would offer up the blood of calves and goats according to the law. For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Forgiveness and atonement was impossible unless the sacrifice were made possible. For although the blood of bulls and goats covered sin, they could not take the problem of sin away once and for all. They were imperfect sacrifices. They could cover the sin outwardly, but concerning the heart, was not able to provide a full cleansing. It wasn’t that the law was imperfect - the law is holy, just, and true. The problem is us - we don’t find fault with the law, the law found fault with us, and so it condemns us. Because the law is not only physical, but spiritual, we are now in a position where the law condemns our inward thoughts and the intents of our hearts. It is not just the external man and what he does that is evil, but the inner man is evil also. What we do flows from out of who we are - and we’re desperately wicked, having a heart that is inclined to sin, wander, and stray. Jesus was the only sacrifice that was sufficient enough to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - He kept the whole of the law - He was faultless - He had no sin - there was nothing impure about Jesus. He was the Lamb of God that was offered up for us, that had neither spot or blemish - and so Jesus, being made High Priest forever - sat down on the right of God, having paved the way to the Father for us. Jesus entered the Holy of Holies for us, and obtained eternal redemption. He made the way of salvation for us possible. What was impossible with men was now made possible by God. We could not be saved by our own works of righteousness, but by the everlasting Righteousness of Jesus our Savior. Jesus is our Forerunner - ever always interceding to God the Father on our behalf. When Jesus was crucified, having breathed His last and committing His Spirit to the Father, there was a tremendous earthquake throughout the land - the dead rose from their graves, and the veil was rent in two, from top to bottom. Unless the Lord had entered into the most Holy place for us, we would have been forbidden to come to the Father. Our sin is what separates us from God. It’s not an issue of morality, it’s about deadness. We are spiritually alienated from God, and need to be brought back to life. Jesus did not come to make bad men good, He came to make dead men live. Our souls need saving - we need redemption - we need to hear the voice of the living God speaking to us - we need to come to the cross - where Jesus made the way for us, to come to the Father boldly to find grace to help in time of need. He did not come to judge the world, but to save the world through His death. Oh, there will be a day of judgment - and it is coming. But every day that passes, every breath a man takes is another opportunity in His mercy He has given to be reconciled to God. The mercy of God is everlasting, and past finding out. The depth of His riches and wisdom are incomprehensible. Jesus mediated for us a better covenant which was established upon better promises. God made us promises in the Old Testament. Then He made more promises. Having died on the cross for our sins, we can now be reconciled. Eternal life does not start when a person died - eternal life begins the moment one receives the gift of pardon Jesus purchased for them at the cross. Jesus beckons us all to come, who are weak and heavy laden, and He will give us rest. Let us enter into that rest. Not being unbelieving, but believing - that God’s promises are true, because He has proven Himself to us by the death of His Son, and God cannot lie. Jesus promises rest for any and all who come to Him in repentance, and truly our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Jesus. When we find Jesus, our hearts will be at rest indeed. Jesus is our forerunner, opened the entrance to the gates of His heavenly kingdom, and invites all to come in and be saved. He is our Shepherd and our Savior. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:19,20 nkjv.)
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself." (Hebrews 7:25-27 nkjv.)
"For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said; 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. . .'" (Hebrews 3:15 nkjv.)
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