Hebrews 9:12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
And it’s surprising how quickly Wednesday shows up when Monday is a holiday. (smile) But we’ll take Wednesday any time, because it’s our second-wind opportunity day, and just like the recent few days it’s bright and sunshiny but chilly. From here on in though, for the next several months, the days will be chilly. You won’t hear me talk about a warn day unless we’re blessed to have a few days of Indian summer; that’s some warm days in the midst of autumn.
So please dress warm from now on, because the dangerous thing about the cold weather is that it can come upon you without warning. The mid-morning hours might seem warm, but by the time you’re ready to leave work, it can be freezing. The motto; it’s better to have on too much than not enough, is one we ought to follow in the cold months. We can always take off the outer layers if we’re too warm, but you cannot put on anything when it gets cold, if you don’t have it handy. I can certainly testify to that! (smile)
So what are we going to talk about today eh? I recently found a tract in my mother’s old Bible from the Leviticus Church in Jamaica New York, which has some very interesting information, some of which I want to share today. It seems the church is still going strong and I’m glad for that, because the demise of any church is sad news for all believers. Anyway, the title of the tract is ‘Did you know? ETERNAL LIFE IS A “FREE” GIFT.’ Now, that’s a very good question, because despite all the necessary information at hand, a lot of people still have trouble believing it, or simply have a contrary belief.
And after that bold heading, the tract continues thus: ‘The Lord Jesus Christ paid the FULL PRICE for the salvation of your soul. He gave himself for our sins.’ And they quote Galatians 1:4a as a scripture reference to that statement. I will however expand on that, so that we can get the full context of the scripture. Bruh Paul wrote in his opening verses of the epistle to the church at Galatia: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Gal. 1:3-5)
Now that gives us the full context of the reference. And I guess having those last words ‘He gave himself for our sins,’ highlighted is a means of driving home the truth that Jesus gave His Life for us, it wasn’t taken from Him. And He made that quite clear when He says: ‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:17-18)
That ought to make it quite clear my fellow believers that Jesus was not forced to give up His life, but He did it willingly because of his great LOVE for us. And in being able to give His life then take it up again, He once again asserts His deity; that He was both God and man. Then the tract continues: ‘JESUS, the Son of God, LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’
And there they reference Galatians 2:20b, but I will quote the entire verse for the sake of getting the full context. Bruh Paul writes: ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:20) Awesome truth my people!
And the tract goes on: ‘Now because by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Heb. 9:12b), there remains no price for us to pay! And that’s the gospel truth. But for our information, the whole of that verse reads: ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.’ (Heb. 9:12)
Yes friends, it wasn’t the blood of any ordinary animal that paid our sin debt in full, because they could not. Only the sinless blood of the Son of God could ever achieve such a magnanimous outcome. Therefore as the tract tells us: ‘It is finished.’ That comes from this verse on Jesus’ crucifixion. ‘When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar (sour wine), he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (His spirit, died).’ (John 19:30)
And we’ll stop there for today, because the rest of the stuff the tract has to offer will run on too long, and in any case, we have quite enough marvellous and enlightening scripture for us to contemplate today. It’s good to contemplate and meditate on the scriptures, but I believe that too much all at once detracts from the task of contemplation and meditation, and we lose economies of scale, which says the more you try to learn at once, the less you will learn, or the more you will forget. So like in all things, lets have a modicum of circumspection, (smile) or just enough for us to do a good job.
Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now my fellow saints, if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then He’s promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! And I sincerely hope to see you there, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…eternal life is free…if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
SCRIP-BITS 