Daily Bread - DEC/21/07
1 John 2:2 - And He is the means of forgiveness for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Though some traditional translations render 'hilasmos' as 'propitiation,' this involves a wrong interpretation of the term in question. Propitiation is essentially a process by which one does a favor to a person in order to make him or her favorably disposed, but in the NT God is never the object of propitiation since He is already on the side of mankind. 'Hilasmos' and 'hilasterion' denote the means of forgiveness and not propitiation, (Greek- English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, [New York: United Bible Societies] 1988, 1989). Hilasmos occurs 2 times in the New Testament and both occurrences are in 1 John, 2:2 and 4:10. Its first occurrence in the Septuagint is in Leviticus 25:9 where it is translated from the Hebrew 'Kippurim' for "day of atonement".
An example of a similar use of 'hilasmos' is found in Psalms 130:4, "There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared", KJV. Another example is found in Daniel 9:9, "To the Lord our God belongs mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him." An argument can be made that this Greek word could be translated 'wiping away' because of its association with the mercy seat and Yom Kippur (The Day of Purgation). Our sins have been forgiven because they have been erased and washed away by the blood of Jesus.
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Friday, December 21, 2007
Daily Bread - DEC/20/07
Romans 3:25 - Whom God set forth as a mercy seat through faith in His blood, to reveal His righteousness through the passing over of the sins that had taken place in the past, by the forbearance of God.
The Greek word that translates the Hebrew word (kapporeth) for the top or lid of the Ark (the mercy seat) is 'hilasterion,' and it is this word that Paul uses in this verse to describe Jesus. This word only appears twice in the New Testament: here and in Hebrews 9:5. It was upon the mercy seat that the blood was placed to purify the altar of God from all the sins and contaminations of the people (Leviticus 16:16). Jesus appeared for the sole purpose of taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36; 1 John 3:5; Revelation 1:5; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 2:24; Colossians 2:11). It is so important to recognize that He took away the sin - which emphasizes its removal. For if we do not have faith that His blood has removed our sins then how is it possible for us to benefit from this work of grace? If we do not believe that our sins are removed then we will die in our sins. When Paul uses this word in connection with what Jesus did for us we must understand that he is referring to the removal of the sin. Just as the sins were wiped away (kippur) when they were removed from off the altar on Yom Kippur.
God did not hold the sins that we had committed against us by executing a divine judgment on us but instead sent His only begotten Son to be the Lamb and sacrifice for our sins (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21; Ephesians 2:2-3). All of our sins were laid upon His body even as they were laid upon the mercy seat. It was His blood that wiped away our sins from off the altar of God in heaven where our sins stood as a testimony against us (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23-24; Leviticus 16:16). It was through His death that our sins were destroyed and the old nature put to death (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:6). It is because of Jesus that all of the glory of God can come into our lives and remain (John 14:23; Luke 24:49; John 17:22). Thus, Paul proclaimed Jesus to be the top of the Ark where God's throneroom was depicted and the purgation of sin was accomplished (Leviticus 16:16).
We must be careful with the words that we use and the meanings that we ascribe to them. The word atonement is a relatively new word which traces its origin to the fifteenth century when it appeared as two separate words ("at onement") Many scholars have attempted to dilute the meaning of the Hebrew 'kippur' that is translated by the Greek word 'hilasmos' by translating it 'expiation' or 'covering,' but this is not the intended meaning nor the meaning denoted by these words (1 John 2:2; 4:10) . "Until recently it was widely held among evangelical and nonevangelical scholars alike that the term was related to an Arabic cognate with the meaning 'to cover.' This connection with the Arabic language has been virtually abandoned in modern scholarship because of the failure to demonstrate this meaning based on use in Hebrew as well as the methodological problem of using only Arabic to validate a Hebrew meaning. Thus, two other possibilities have been suggested. The first is to understand the verb to mean 'to wipe, purge.' Support for this position comes from the fact that the cognate term in the Akkadian language had this meaning, and the verb occurs in parallelism to other Hebrew verbs within this semantic range (Isa 27:9; Jer 18:21). This meaning works especially well when inanimate objects are the object of the verbal action. Another proposal is one that understands kipper as a denominative verb from the noun kper, which means "ransom" (e.g., Exod 21:30). The idea would be that a person is paying or making a ransom for himself when he offers a sacrifice. Leviticus 17:11 provides a good illustration of this usage. Thus both of these meanings can be demonstrated from the Bible." (Reference: B. Lang, kipper, TDOT 7:289-90; L. Harris, (kpar), TWOT 1:452-53; Levine, Leviticus, 56-63, and B. Schwartz, "Prohibitions Concerning the 'Eating' of Blood in Leviticus 17," 54, n. 2). Note even the change in the second edition of Lasor, Hubbard, and Bush from "cover over" (Old Testament Survey, 1st ed. [1982], 156-57), to "expiate" sin (2nd ed. [1996], 96); J. Milgrom, "Atonement in the OT," IDBS, 78-82). It is quite possible that the verbs meaning "to wipe" and "to ransom" are actually two different verbs that are spelled the same. They would be called homographs. Schwartz argues for this position ("Prohibitions Concerning the 'Eating' of Blood in Leviticus 17, 54, n. 2).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Romans 3:25 - Whom God set forth as a mercy seat through faith in His blood, to reveal His righteousness through the passing over of the sins that had taken place in the past, by the forbearance of God.
The Greek word that translates the Hebrew word (kapporeth) for the top or lid of the Ark (the mercy seat) is 'hilasterion,' and it is this word that Paul uses in this verse to describe Jesus. This word only appears twice in the New Testament: here and in Hebrews 9:5. It was upon the mercy seat that the blood was placed to purify the altar of God from all the sins and contaminations of the people (Leviticus 16:16). Jesus appeared for the sole purpose of taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36; 1 John 3:5; Revelation 1:5; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 2:24; Colossians 2:11). It is so important to recognize that He took away the sin - which emphasizes its removal. For if we do not have faith that His blood has removed our sins then how is it possible for us to benefit from this work of grace? If we do not believe that our sins are removed then we will die in our sins. When Paul uses this word in connection with what Jesus did for us we must understand that he is referring to the removal of the sin. Just as the sins were wiped away (kippur) when they were removed from off the altar on Yom Kippur.
God did not hold the sins that we had committed against us by executing a divine judgment on us but instead sent His only begotten Son to be the Lamb and sacrifice for our sins (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21; Ephesians 2:2-3). All of our sins were laid upon His body even as they were laid upon the mercy seat. It was His blood that wiped away our sins from off the altar of God in heaven where our sins stood as a testimony against us (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23-24; Leviticus 16:16). It was through His death that our sins were destroyed and the old nature put to death (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:6). It is because of Jesus that all of the glory of God can come into our lives and remain (John 14:23; Luke 24:49; John 17:22). Thus, Paul proclaimed Jesus to be the top of the Ark where God's throneroom was depicted and the purgation of sin was accomplished (Leviticus 16:16).
We must be careful with the words that we use and the meanings that we ascribe to them. The word atonement is a relatively new word which traces its origin to the fifteenth century when it appeared as two separate words ("at onement") Many scholars have attempted to dilute the meaning of the Hebrew 'kippur' that is translated by the Greek word 'hilasmos' by translating it 'expiation' or 'covering,' but this is not the intended meaning nor the meaning denoted by these words (1 John 2:2; 4:10) . "Until recently it was widely held among evangelical and nonevangelical scholars alike that the term was related to an Arabic cognate with the meaning 'to cover.' This connection with the Arabic language has been virtually abandoned in modern scholarship because of the failure to demonstrate this meaning based on use in Hebrew as well as the methodological problem of using only Arabic to validate a Hebrew meaning. Thus, two other possibilities have been suggested. The first is to understand the verb to mean 'to wipe, purge.' Support for this position comes from the fact that the cognate term in the Akkadian language had this meaning, and the verb occurs in parallelism to other Hebrew verbs within this semantic range (Isa 27:9; Jer 18:21). This meaning works especially well when inanimate objects are the object of the verbal action. Another proposal is one that understands kipper as a denominative verb from the noun kper, which means "ransom" (e.g., Exod 21:30). The idea would be that a person is paying or making a ransom for himself when he offers a sacrifice. Leviticus 17:11 provides a good illustration of this usage. Thus both of these meanings can be demonstrated from the Bible." (Reference: B. Lang, kipper, TDOT 7:289-90; L. Harris, (kpar), TWOT 1:452-53; Levine, Leviticus, 56-63, and B. Schwartz, "Prohibitions Concerning the 'Eating' of Blood in Leviticus 17," 54, n. 2). Note even the change in the second edition of Lasor, Hubbard, and Bush from "cover over" (Old Testament Survey, 1st ed. [1982], 156-57), to "expiate" sin (2nd ed. [1996], 96); J. Milgrom, "Atonement in the OT," IDBS, 78-82). It is quite possible that the verbs meaning "to wipe" and "to ransom" are actually two different verbs that are spelled the same. They would be called homographs. Schwartz argues for this position ("Prohibitions Concerning the 'Eating' of Blood in Leviticus 17, 54, n. 2).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Daily Bread - DEC/19/07
Hebrews 10:19-10 - Therefore brethren have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way that He has consecrated for us through the veil (that is His flesh).
When Jesus died for us at Calvary, the Holies of Holies was not destroyed; rather, access was provided for everyone who was willing to come in (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). The earthly tabernacle was only a sketch and a figure of the true Holies of Holies in heaven (Hebrews 8:5; 9:24; Exodus 25:9, 40). The Holies of Holies is, in fact, the throneroom of God (Psalms 11:4; Habakkuk 2:20; 2 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 10:1-4; Hebrews 4:16; 8:1; 12:2; Revelation 4:2-10; 5:1, 6, 13; 7:9-17; 8:3). When Jesus poured out His life for us He was providing the means by which His life would be poured into us. When His life was poured into us it had the same effect that light has on darkness: His life destroyed the death. When we were born of the Spirit we stepped into the body of Christ, and Christ stepped into us (Romans 8:1; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:27; John 14:23; John 15:1; 1 John 3:24; 4:13-16).
During the time of the first tabernacle there was only one opportunity to enter into the Holies of Holies, and that was during the yearly purification (Leviticus 16:2). At that time, the sins of the people were sent away never to return, and the sin and testimony against man that was before the throne of God was removed (Leviticus 16:1-16). There was only one person who could enter into this most sacred realm, and that was the high priest as he came with the only cleansing agent that had the power to remove the stain of sin. The blood removed the sin that testified of man's condemnation before God. Today by the Spirit of God we are called to live in the throneroom being seated together with Christ as He sits at the right hand of the Father. God has allowed us to step into the reality of the picture that the sketch of the first tabernacle could only paint. Our interaction with God moved us from a cultic realm to the living reality. God is not just pleased to dwell in our midst: He dwells in us.
There is yet another dimension of this unseen interaction that we have with God in the Spirit. The church is to be the visible and living reality of the Holies of Holies in the earth today (Ephesians 1:23; 5:32; 1 Corinthians 12:12,27; Colossians 1:18; 2:9). The church is supposed to be the visible manifestation of all the glory and majesty of the unseen throneroom. When we consider that the church is the body of Christ and that it is the fullness of Him that fills all things then this is not hard to realize. The church is fundamental to the New Testament (Matthew 6:18; 18:17; Acts 2:1, 47; 14:23; 20:28). It is synonymous with the Kingdom of God and the place that God has anointed to reveal the fullness of Christ Jesus His only begotten Son (Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13). Jesus and His church are one; there is no distinction between them. When Paul described the assembly and the worship that is of the church he revealed that it was Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-24; 10:25). God has taken us and built us up together as a holy habitation by the Holy Spirit even as one stone is laid upon another. Together we appear as a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21). As His Holy Church, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that God laid in Zion and built us upon (1 Peter 2:6; Ephesians 2:22).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Hebrews 10:19-10 - Therefore brethren have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way that He has consecrated for us through the veil (that is His flesh).
When Jesus died for us at Calvary, the Holies of Holies was not destroyed; rather, access was provided for everyone who was willing to come in (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). The earthly tabernacle was only a sketch and a figure of the true Holies of Holies in heaven (Hebrews 8:5; 9:24; Exodus 25:9, 40). The Holies of Holies is, in fact, the throneroom of God (Psalms 11:4; Habakkuk 2:20; 2 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 10:1-4; Hebrews 4:16; 8:1; 12:2; Revelation 4:2-10; 5:1, 6, 13; 7:9-17; 8:3). When Jesus poured out His life for us He was providing the means by which His life would be poured into us. When His life was poured into us it had the same effect that light has on darkness: His life destroyed the death. When we were born of the Spirit we stepped into the body of Christ, and Christ stepped into us (Romans 8:1; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:27; John 14:23; John 15:1; 1 John 3:24; 4:13-16).
During the time of the first tabernacle there was only one opportunity to enter into the Holies of Holies, and that was during the yearly purification (Leviticus 16:2). At that time, the sins of the people were sent away never to return, and the sin and testimony against man that was before the throne of God was removed (Leviticus 16:1-16). There was only one person who could enter into this most sacred realm, and that was the high priest as he came with the only cleansing agent that had the power to remove the stain of sin. The blood removed the sin that testified of man's condemnation before God. Today by the Spirit of God we are called to live in the throneroom being seated together with Christ as He sits at the right hand of the Father. God has allowed us to step into the reality of the picture that the sketch of the first tabernacle could only paint. Our interaction with God moved us from a cultic realm to the living reality. God is not just pleased to dwell in our midst: He dwells in us.
There is yet another dimension of this unseen interaction that we have with God in the Spirit. The church is to be the visible and living reality of the Holies of Holies in the earth today (Ephesians 1:23; 5:32; 1 Corinthians 12:12,27; Colossians 1:18; 2:9). The church is supposed to be the visible manifestation of all the glory and majesty of the unseen throneroom. When we consider that the church is the body of Christ and that it is the fullness of Him that fills all things then this is not hard to realize. The church is fundamental to the New Testament (Matthew 6:18; 18:17; Acts 2:1, 47; 14:23; 20:28). It is synonymous with the Kingdom of God and the place that God has anointed to reveal the fullness of Christ Jesus His only begotten Son (Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13). Jesus and His church are one; there is no distinction between them. When Paul described the assembly and the worship that is of the church he revealed that it was Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-24; 10:25). God has taken us and built us up together as a holy habitation by the Holy Spirit even as one stone is laid upon another. Together we appear as a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21). As His Holy Church, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that God laid in Zion and built us upon (1 Peter 2:6; Ephesians 2:22).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Daily Bread - DEC/18/07
Leviticus 16:2 - And YHWH said to Moses speak to your brother Aaron so that he does not come whenever he wants into the Sanctuary within the Curtain in the front of the kapporet which is upon the Ark and he will not die; for within the cloud I will appear upon the kapporet.
The mercy seat (Hebrew-'kapporet') was the most unique altar of the Old Testament. The mercy seat - which was made of pure gold - was the lid of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 26:34). It was here that God would appear in His glory cloud once a year during the time of purgation (Leviticus 16:2). Yet, at the same time, it was also the place where God's voice could be heard throughout the year as He would make known His will to the high priest (Exodus 25:22; 30:6; Numbers 7:89). It was the mercy seat that made the holies of holies what it was. It was the most holy place of all because God would come down in the midst of His glory and abide there. Wherever God's presence was revealed in this manner the place was filled with His holiness and glory. Just as no one could come near the mountain when God's presence had descended upon Mount Sinai neither could anyone come into the holy of holies unless they had been sanctified by God to do so (Leviticus 16:2; Exodus 19:8,21,24; Hebrews 12:20).
The mercy seat was viewed as a replica of the throne of God (2 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). It has been noted that in the enlarged version of the cherubim's scene in the temple that Solomon built in 2 Chronicles 3:10-13, the wings formed a place for the invisible God to sit (Mettinger 1982: 19-14). There is also at least an indication that the lid itself could be viewed as the floor of the throne room or the footstool of God (1 Chronicles 28:2; Psalms 99:5; 132:7). When Ezekiel saw the throne of God descending upon the temple he saw something that was very similar to what was pictured on the lid of the Ark. The throne of God was over the heads of the cherubims and in between them in a similar area to the place where the blood would be applied were the coals of fire (Ezekiel 10:1-4, 18-19; 11:22).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Leviticus 16:2 - And YHWH said to Moses speak to your brother Aaron so that he does not come whenever he wants into the Sanctuary within the Curtain in the front of the kapporet which is upon the Ark and he will not die; for within the cloud I will appear upon the kapporet.
The mercy seat (Hebrew-'kapporet') was the most unique altar of the Old Testament. The mercy seat - which was made of pure gold - was the lid of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 26:34). It was here that God would appear in His glory cloud once a year during the time of purgation (Leviticus 16:2). Yet, at the same time, it was also the place where God's voice could be heard throughout the year as He would make known His will to the high priest (Exodus 25:22; 30:6; Numbers 7:89). It was the mercy seat that made the holies of holies what it was. It was the most holy place of all because God would come down in the midst of His glory and abide there. Wherever God's presence was revealed in this manner the place was filled with His holiness and glory. Just as no one could come near the mountain when God's presence had descended upon Mount Sinai neither could anyone come into the holy of holies unless they had been sanctified by God to do so (Leviticus 16:2; Exodus 19:8,21,24; Hebrews 12:20).
The mercy seat was viewed as a replica of the throne of God (2 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). It has been noted that in the enlarged version of the cherubim's scene in the temple that Solomon built in 2 Chronicles 3:10-13, the wings formed a place for the invisible God to sit (Mettinger 1982: 19-14). There is also at least an indication that the lid itself could be viewed as the floor of the throne room or the footstool of God (1 Chronicles 28:2; Psalms 99:5; 132:7). When Ezekiel saw the throne of God descending upon the temple he saw something that was very similar to what was pictured on the lid of the Ark. The throne of God was over the heads of the cherubims and in between them in a similar area to the place where the blood would be applied were the coals of fire (Ezekiel 10:1-4, 18-19; 11:22).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Monday, December 17, 2007
Daily Bread - DEC/17/07
Exodus 26:33 - And you shall place the veil under the loops and you shall bring into the veil the Ark of the Testimony to house there. The veil shall be between the holy and the holy of Holies.
There are divisions of sacredness taught to us in the design of the tabernacle. The innermost room where the Ark of the Testimony was placed would be where God would visit the people of Israel. It was a place cut off from the rest of the world and its sin and corruption. Through the purification that was made by faith in the blood of the coming redeemer it had become the place where God would meet with man (Exodus 25:22; 29:42-43).
The holy place outside the veil, but still within the sanctuary, was where the priests were allowed to do the service of God's house. It was a place where they had to receive a special calling and consecration from God in order to be permitted to even be there. Knowing that the sanctuary was a sketch of the heavenly sanctuary we can grasp the idea that this was actually a heavenly ministry that they were engaged in as they took care of the table of the bread, the menorah, and the golden altar of incense (Exodus 25:40; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5). To walk around in this sanctuary of God they had to be holy unto the Lord - which God made possible through the blood (representing the blood and life of God) being applied to them (Exodus 29:20-21; Leviticus 8:23-24, 30). Yet even though they were sanctified having been made holy through the ritual of faith that God had taught Moses, they were still unable to come in behind the veil which was the holiest place of all. It was there that God would be enthroned upon His mercy seat which rested upon the foundation of the law and those whom God had ordained as His priests (Numbers 17:8; Exodus 25:21-22; Numbers 7:89; Hebrews 9:4).
Why was it so holy? Because it was a place consecrated from all of the contamination of sin and iniquity where God could appear and dwell in the midst of His people. The veil was embroidered with figures of cherubim as a reminder that sinful man was not allowed into the presence of God (Genesis 3:24). Fellowship that was once on the level of a walk through the paradise of God's garden was now only possible through a strict mediation of the law and the priest.
When Jesus - whose very life represented that veil - died as the sin offering at Calvary, the veil was split from heaven to earth inviting all mankind to a consecration that would allow them to come into the place where God dwells (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:8). The Holies of Holies was not done away with when Jesus died for us as our sin offering; rather, the separation that barred sinful man from coming into the Holies of Holies was removed. There is no longer the cherubim guarding the way to prohibit our entering into this wonderful and sacred realm. There is no longer the voice of our heavenly Father saying draw not nigh. Now we may come with all boldness into the Holies of Holies having been washed with the blood of the Lamb (Hebrews 10:19). The veil that we walk through now is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of the world!
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Exodus 26:33 - And you shall place the veil under the loops and you shall bring into the veil the Ark of the Testimony to house there. The veil shall be between the holy and the holy of Holies.
There are divisions of sacredness taught to us in the design of the tabernacle. The innermost room where the Ark of the Testimony was placed would be where God would visit the people of Israel. It was a place cut off from the rest of the world and its sin and corruption. Through the purification that was made by faith in the blood of the coming redeemer it had become the place where God would meet with man (Exodus 25:22; 29:42-43).
The holy place outside the veil, but still within the sanctuary, was where the priests were allowed to do the service of God's house. It was a place where they had to receive a special calling and consecration from God in order to be permitted to even be there. Knowing that the sanctuary was a sketch of the heavenly sanctuary we can grasp the idea that this was actually a heavenly ministry that they were engaged in as they took care of the table of the bread, the menorah, and the golden altar of incense (Exodus 25:40; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5). To walk around in this sanctuary of God they had to be holy unto the Lord - which God made possible through the blood (representing the blood and life of God) being applied to them (Exodus 29:20-21; Leviticus 8:23-24, 30). Yet even though they were sanctified having been made holy through the ritual of faith that God had taught Moses, they were still unable to come in behind the veil which was the holiest place of all. It was there that God would be enthroned upon His mercy seat which rested upon the foundation of the law and those whom God had ordained as His priests (Numbers 17:8; Exodus 25:21-22; Numbers 7:89; Hebrews 9:4).
Why was it so holy? Because it was a place consecrated from all of the contamination of sin and iniquity where God could appear and dwell in the midst of His people. The veil was embroidered with figures of cherubim as a reminder that sinful man was not allowed into the presence of God (Genesis 3:24). Fellowship that was once on the level of a walk through the paradise of God's garden was now only possible through a strict mediation of the law and the priest.
When Jesus - whose very life represented that veil - died as the sin offering at Calvary, the veil was split from heaven to earth inviting all mankind to a consecration that would allow them to come into the place where God dwells (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:8). The Holies of Holies was not done away with when Jesus died for us as our sin offering; rather, the separation that barred sinful man from coming into the Holies of Holies was removed. There is no longer the cherubim guarding the way to prohibit our entering into this wonderful and sacred realm. There is no longer the voice of our heavenly Father saying draw not nigh. Now we may come with all boldness into the Holies of Holies having been washed with the blood of the Lamb (Hebrews 10:19). The veil that we walk through now is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of the world!
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Daily Bread - DEC/15/07
1 Corinthians 1:9 - Through the faithfulness of God we were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God has brought us into a divine and sacred partnership with His Son. The Almighty God has poured out the sacred anointing oil upon us and anointed us "sons of God" (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1; 2:20, 27). The anointing has transferred upon our lives the authority and power to have all things in common with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (John 17:21-22; Colossians 1:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 1:21; Ephesians 5:30; John 15:4; Galatians 2:20). We were called and chosen by God to be conformed to the image of His Son, to be heirs and joint heirs with Him, and to be seated together in the place of authority with Him in the realm of the heavenlies from where all power and rights proceed (Romans 8:17-29). We are God's representatives in the earth ordained to carry out the divine work of His Son. We have been honored with the sacred privilege of representing God as those who have His nature and spiritual likeness (Ephesians 4:24; Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 5:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 John 1:3; John 20:21; 2 Corinthians 6:1).
It is through the act of God's faith or faithfulness that we have become sons. It is through His continual faithfulness to us that we are given the grace to be empowered to develop into all that He has purposed us to be in Christ Jesus. God is at work in us to develop us into the full spiritual maturity of His Son Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 9:8). To this, rest assured that all who have thoroughly studied the word of God agree that we have been called into a sacred participation in Christ's Sonship. We may also be assured that God is trustworthy and we can count on Him to provide all that we need to accomplish all that He has purposed!
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
1 Corinthians 1:9 - Through the faithfulness of God we were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God has brought us into a divine and sacred partnership with His Son. The Almighty God has poured out the sacred anointing oil upon us and anointed us "sons of God" (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1; 2:20, 27). The anointing has transferred upon our lives the authority and power to have all things in common with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (John 17:21-22; Colossians 1:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 1:21; Ephesians 5:30; John 15:4; Galatians 2:20). We were called and chosen by God to be conformed to the image of His Son, to be heirs and joint heirs with Him, and to be seated together in the place of authority with Him in the realm of the heavenlies from where all power and rights proceed (Romans 8:17-29). We are God's representatives in the earth ordained to carry out the divine work of His Son. We have been honored with the sacred privilege of representing God as those who have His nature and spiritual likeness (Ephesians 4:24; Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 5:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 John 1:3; John 20:21; 2 Corinthians 6:1).
It is through the act of God's faith or faithfulness that we have become sons. It is through His continual faithfulness to us that we are given the grace to be empowered to develop into all that He has purposed us to be in Christ Jesus. God is at work in us to develop us into the full spiritual maturity of His Son Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 9:8). To this, rest assured that all who have thoroughly studied the word of God agree that we have been called into a sacred participation in Christ's Sonship. We may also be assured that God is trustworthy and we can count on Him to provide all that we need to accomplish all that He has purposed!
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
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