17 January 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, A couple of weeks ago I was listening to my pastor preaching, and it began to dawn on me that the sermon was almost identical to one I had just listened to on YouTube by a well-known evangelist. It was a good sermon, but he preached it like […] Source: https://atoday.org/shouldnt-my-pastor-give-credit-when-he-preaches-someone-elses-sermon/
Tuesday: Flesh and Blood Like Us
Hebrews says that Jesus adopted our human nature so that He could represent us and could die for us (Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 2:14-16; Hebrews 10:5-10). Here is the foundation of the plan of salvation and our only hope for eternal life.
Read Matthew 16:17, Galatians 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:50, and Ephesians 6:12. To what deficiencies of human nature do these passages relate the expression “flesh and blood”?
Image © Krieg Barrie at Goodsalt.com
The expression “flesh and blood” emphasizes the frailty of the human condition, its weakness (Ephesians 6:12), lack of understanding (Matthew 16:17, Galatians 1:16), and subjection to death (1 Corinthians 15:50). Hebrews says that Jesus was made like His brothers “in all things” (Hebrews 2:17). This expression means that Jesus became fully human (NIV). Jesus did not simply “look like” or “seem to be” human; He truly was human, truly one of us.
Hebrews also says, however, that Jesus was different from us regarding sin. First, Jesus did not commit any sin (Hebrews 4:15). Secondly, Jesus had a human nature that was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV). We all have sinned, and we all have evil tendencies. Our bondage to sin begins deep inside our own very nature. We are “carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14; see also Romans 7:15-20). Pride and other sinful motivations often taint even our good actions. Jesus’ nature, however, was not marred by sin. It had to be this way. If Jesus had been “carnal, sold under sin,” like us, He would have also needed a Savior. Instead, Jesus came as a Savior and offered Himself as a sacrifice “without blemish” to God for us (Hebrews 7:26-28, Hebrews 9:14, ESV).
Then Jesus destroyed the power of the devil by dying as the sinless offering for our sins, thus making possible our forgiveness and reconciliation with God (Hebrews 2:14-17). Jesus also broke the power of sin by giving us the power to live a righteous life through His fulfillment of the new covenant promise to write the law in our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). Thus, Jesus has defeated the enemy and effectively liberated us so that we can now “serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). Satan’s final destruction, meanwhile, will come at the final judgment (Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:10).
| Since we have the promise of victory through Jesus, why do so many of us still struggle with sin? What are we doing wrong, and more importantly, how can we start living up to the high calling we have in Christ? |
Amen!
(0)
(0)The post Tuesday: Flesh and Blood Like Us appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-flesh-and-blood-like-us/
Monday: Not Ashamed to Call Them Brothers
Hebrews says that Jesus was not ashamed to call us His brethren (Hebrews 2:11). Despite being one with God, Jesus embraced us as part of His family. This solidarity contrasts with the public shaming that the readers of Hebrews suffered in their communities (Hebrews 10:33).
Read Hebrews 11:24-26. In what way do Moses’ decisions exemplify what Jesus did for us?
Image © Damon Bowie at Goodsalt.com
Have you imagined what it meant for Moses to be called “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”? He was a powerful figure in the most powerful empire of the time. He received the highest civil and military training and became a remarkable character. Stephen says that Moses was “mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22). Ellen G. White also says that he was “a favorite with the armies of Egypt” and that Pharaoh “determined to make his adopted grandson his successor on the throne” (see Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 245). Yet, Moses abandoned all of this privilege when he chose to identify himself with the Israelites, a slave nation without education and power.
Read Matthew 10:32-33; 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 13:12-15. What does God ask from us?
This was part of the problem for the readers of Hebrews. After suffering persecution and rejection, many of them began to feel ashamed of Jesus. By their actions some were in danger of putting Jesus “to an open shame” instead of honoring Him (Hebrews 6:6). Thus, Paul constantly calls the readers to “hold fast” the “confession” of their faith (Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 10:23, NKJV).
God wants us to recognize Jesus as our God and our brother. As our Redeemer, Jesus has paid our debt; as our brother, Jesus has shown us the way that we should live in order that we will “be conformed to the image of his Son, [so] that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).
| Think for a moment on the decision that Jesus had to make in order to embrace us as “siblings.” Why was what Jesus did so much more condescending to Himself than what Moses did, and what does this teach us about God’s love for us? |
Amen!(0)
(0)The post Monday: Not Ashamed to Call Them Brothers appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-not-ashamed-to-call-them-brothers/
Isaiah 8:12-13
Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.
The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
The post Isaiah 8:12-13 appeared first on Daily Bible Promise.
Source: https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/jL28dc7E3KD8N8yUkC2lCKgHTd9OkkKt
4: Jesus, Our Faithful Brother – Singing With Inspiration
The titles of the thirteen Sabbaths of study this quarter give us two hymns to use as the themes:
Hymn 593 – In Times Like These and
Hymn 177 – Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness.
“Jesus, Our Faithful Brother”, the title for this weeks’ lesson immediately brings us our first
Hymn 602 – O Brother, Be Faithful.
The Sunday title of “The Brother as a Redeemer” has at least four hymns for us:
Hymn 337/338 – Redeemed,
Hymn 492 – By Christ Redeemed,
Hymn 179 – The Wonders of Redeeming Love, and
Hymn 343 – I Will Sing of My Redeemer.
The “liberty” given us in the “Jubilee Year” can be sung in
Hymn 114 – There’s a Wideness (verse 1),
Hymn 117 – The Advent of Our God (verse 2) and
Hymn 177 – Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness (verse 3) names just three hymns.
Monday we are encouraged to “hold fast” as does
Hymn 600 – Hold Fast Til I Come.
“The foundation of the plan of salvation and our only hope of eternal life” is given on Tuesday:
Hymn 646 – To The Name That Brings Salvation and
Hymn 339 – God Is My Strong Salvation. With Jesus having defeated the enemy… we can now say I Serve a Risen Savior in
Hymn 251 – He Lives, or
Hymn 526 – Because He lives.
Hebrews 2:13 on Thursday “I will put my trust in Him” is sung in
Hymn 535 – I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Hymn 279 – Only Trust Him, and
Hymn 510 – If You But Trust In God To Guide You.
We are bound for The Promised Land! Hallelujah!! –
Hymn 620 – On Jordan’s Stormy Banks. Come, Lord Jesus, come – very soon.
To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/
Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Amen!(0)
(0)The post 4: Jesus, Our Faithful Brother – Singing With Inspiration appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-jesus-our-faithful-brother-singing-with-inspiration/
