KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Chapters: Hebrews 1-6
Message: By No Other Name
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Hebrews was written by Paul to the Jewish believers, known as the Hebrews, around 65 AD. The purpose of the letter was to present Jesus Christ as superior over all, including Moses whom they followed. What we are to learn from it is that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” – Hebrews 8:6,7.
When you are brought up in a particular religion you are unaware that perhaps what you are being taught is completely wrong, at least on some level. The problem is, when it comes to God one small error in how Jesus is portrayed can be the difference between eternal life and eternal death. When you think of someone saying they are a Jew you automatically think religion, but this is actually accurate, they are of an ethnicity, like Italians or Greeks. In the beginning, and imagine they still do, Jewish believers followed the laws of Moses along with their salvation. Many Jews had a superstitious or idolatrous respect for angels, they looked to them as the mediators between God and man. Seeing this, Paul sets the record straight about angels.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” – Hebrews 1:1-5.
“as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name” By no other name can we be saved, God gave Moses the law so that the Jews could be separated from natural man. When you stop to think about all the people in the world, how many believe in some form of God and how many actually are saved that number is astoundingly very low. Angels are around us everywhere, but let me tell you, they are no more powerful than we are, they are servants of God just like us, and some of them too have fallen and will be cast into the lake of fire. Jesus, with all the power of God, lowered Himself to be less than the angels by putting on the flesh that we have, becoming the sacrifice necessary to bring permanent salvation to all who believe. His death gave us life.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” – Hebrews 2:9-11,15-18.
“And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” When I was little I hated hearing the word death, the thought ending up in hell really scared me, but I grew up Catholic so there was no hope that you could do enough good to get you to heaven, except that perhaps purgatory may give a temporary delay for someone on earth to buy our salvation. Of course, this is all false, first, we can never do enough good to get to heaven, and second, there is only one person who bought our salvation, and that is Jesus Christ. By no other name can we be saved! It was necessary for Paul to remind the Jews, who held Moses in such high esteem, and were determined on mixing the law with grace, that Christ was above Moses.
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” – Hebrews 3:1-6.
“if we hold fast the confidence” There was an elderly saved couple who had an unsaved son die, and because they knew he was in hell they renounced their faith in Jesus, but something changed their minds, their son had a son before his death, and they could not bare to see another son end up in hell. Hell is real, we can deny it, ignore it, or reject the fact that only by the name of Jesus can we be saved, but that will not keep anyone from going there. We who are saved are one with Christ, joint heirs with the Son, children of God Himself. Praise God! Paul reminds us again, not by our own works are we saved, religion never saves.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:1-6.
“seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh,” Dead works is someone serving God in hopes that they will be saved, a person that has accepted Christ as their Saviour is not trusting in what they do for God to save them, they are trusting in Christ’s finished work. Every time a person believes that they must do good in hopes of being and or remaining saved is crucifying Him all over again. Why? Because they are not believing that only He can save them. No amount of good that we do saves us, and by the way, what we see as good is completely different from what God sees, which is why we need Jesus. Only by believing in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and receiving Him are we saved. Now, doing good after we are saved is another story, since we are saved we need to set a better example than the rest of the world.
“But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Hebrews 6:9-12.
“which ye have shewed toward his name,” Jesus Christ, the Apostle and High Priest of man, is not only is our guide, our brother, our mediator, and our Saviour, He is also the head of the Church, His Church to be exact. God saves us by faith by absolutely no merit of our own, it is a promise that cannot be changed under any circumstances, what we receive beyond is up to us. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:14-16.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” – Hebrews 2:9.
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, I will probably not be the first person to tell You that I do not understand how I can be saved simply by accepting You as my Saviour. But I do understand that I am saved by faith in Your finished work, and I am trusting only You for my salvation. Thank You for saving me, it is not always easy to follow Your path that seems to have so many obstacles, but I know I can endure all things through You. Lead me and guide me, when I start to doubt or feel like things are hopeless keep me looking to You, my Saviour, Who endured the most pain of all for me. In Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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