Some Words of Encouragement

Q: What does the Bible say about the role of a priest?

The Bible describes priests as essential mediators between God and the people, particularly in worship and offering sacrifices. In Hebrews 9, the role of the priest is highlighted as critical for approaching God. The high priest would enter the holy place once a year, bringing blood sacrifices for himself and the people, demonstrating God's requirement for intermediaries in worship. This foreshadows our ultimate high priest, Jesus Christ, who fulfills this role perfectly, representing us before God through His sacrifice and mediating a new covenant. The priesthood's necessity underscores the importance of having someone who represents humanity before God, emphasizing the serious nature of sin and the need for atonement.

Q: Why is understanding the Old Covenant significant for Christians?

The Old Covenant serves as a foundational understanding of God's grace and foreshadows the reality fulfilled in Christ. Understanding the Old Covenant is vital for Christians because it reveals God's justice and mercy throughout history. Hebrews 9 indicates that the practices of the Old Covenant, including the priesthood, sacrifices, and the tabernacle, were mere types or shadows of the greater reality found in Christ. These figures prepare believers to see the significance of Jesus as the true high priest and ultimate sacrifice, who offers a permanent solution to sin rather than temporary atonement. Recognizing the Old Covenant allows Christians to grasp the depth of God's plan for redemption and appreciate the fulfillment found in Christ through the New Covenant.

Q: How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for our sins?

Christ's sacrifice is sufficient because it purges our conscience and secures eternal redemption, as outlined in Scripture. The sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice is affirmed in Hebrews 9:14, where it teaches that His blood purges our conscience from dead works, enabling us to serve the living God. Unlike the blood of animals, which could not take away sins, Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and complete, securing eternal redemption once for all. The scriptures affirm that His offering was an actual atonement for sin, making it possible for believers to have confidence in their salvation. This finality and efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice provide assurance that He has satisfied the demands of God’s justice, allowing us to approach God with faith and boldness.

Q: What is the New Covenant according to the Bible?

The New Covenant is God's promise of grace, fulfilled in Christ, establishing a relationship through faith. The New Covenant is described as a divine agreement rooted in grace, promising eternal benefits to those who believe in Christ. In Hebrews 9:15, it states that Christ is the mediator of this New Testament, which provides redemption for those who are called. Unlike the Old Covenant, which was characterized by laws and sacrifices, the New Covenant emphasizes the transformative power of Christ's sacrifice and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This covenant represents a new beginning for humanity, where believers are assured of their relationship with God through faith in Jesus, who fulfills all that the earlier covenants foreshadowed.

Q: Why is the shedding of blood necessary for forgiveness?

The shedding of blood is necessary as a means of atonement, symbolizing life given for life, required by the law. The necessity of shedding blood for forgiveness is deeply rooted in biblical doctrine about sin and atonement. Hebrews 9:22 states that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. This principle underscores that sin incurs a debt that must be paid, signifying death. Sacrificial blood symbolically represents life and the seriousness of sin’s consequences. Christ’s sacrifice fulfills this requirement; His blood, unlike animal sacrifices, purifies and fully atones for sin, offering believers forgiveness and restored relationship with God. Thus, understanding the significance of blood in the Old Testament enriches our appreciation for Christ's transcendent and final sacrifice.

What I'm going to be dealing
with tonight is so very, very important and so rich. I'm real excited about it, and
I hope that for a little while here I have your most undivided
attention. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
9. Hebrews chapter 9. I want you
to get your pencil or ballpoint pen now, and I want you to mark
up your Bible a little bit. I want you to, when you get home
tonight, to go over this again, carefully and prayerfully, and
seriously, no matter who you are, the pastor, the elders,
or whomever. Hebrews 9, verse 1, Then verily
the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly
sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made. The first part of the tabernacle
wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread,
which is called the sanctuary, or the holy place, after the
second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies,
the holiest of all. And in there was the golden censer,
the Ark of the Covenant, overlaid round about with gold, wherein
inside that Ark was the golden pot that had banner, Aaron's
rod that budded, and the tables, the Ten Commandments, the table
or law of the covenant. Over the ark, the cherubims of
glory shadowing the mercy seat, of which we cannot now speak
particularly. Now, get your pencil out or your
ballpoint pen. In the days of Moses and the
prophets, one thing is perfectly clear. When men and women worshiped
God, when men and women came before God, into the presence
of God, seeking mercy, favor, or atonement or redemption. Three
things were absolutely essential. Under this old covenant, in the
days of the prophets, three things were essential. Now you mark
them as I'm reading this. Verse 6. Now, when these things
were ordained, the priest, the priest went always into the first
tabernacle. accomplishing the service of
God. Into the second went the high
priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which he offered
for himself and for the sins of the people. Now what are the
three things listed there that are absolutely essential to the
worship of God? To coming into the presence of
God, into the favor of God. Three things. There had to be
a priest. There had to be a priest. For
the services out in the holy place, there had to be priests,
and for the service in the Holy of Holies, there had to be a
priest, a high priest. Had to be. Secondly, there had
to be a tabernacle, a place where men met God, a mercy seat there
where men met God. In the tabernacle, when I say
tabernacle, I'm including all of the furniture. the bread of
life, the water of life, the incense, the ark, the mercy seat,
everything. But it's got to be a tabernacle.
Thirdly, there's got to be blood. Now those three things, underscore
them there in verse 6, priest, priest went always into the tabernacle,
not without blood. Priest, a representative. These
men were ordained of God in things pertaining to God and they always
represented the people to God. There was a priest between the
people and God. There was a priest who had something
to offer, blood, and he came to the designated place and there
on the mercy seat he put the blood and made an atonement.
God speaks to the people through the priest. The people come to
God through the priest and the blood on the mercy seat, covering
the broken lock. So those who say that don't,
don't forget that. The reason you better not forget
it, because that's the only way you can come to God, and the
only way I can come to God. Priest, tabernacle, blood. All right. Now, verse 8. The next three verses clearly
indicate that this priest, this high priest, this sacrifice and
this tabernacle were only types, only pictures which had no efficacy,
had no power to put away sin. Back here under this Old Covenant,
this Old Testament, these priests, tabernacle and sacrifices were
pictures, types, blueprints. never put away sin. All right,
verse 8. The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way into
the holiest, into the very presence of God, the way of the holiest
thought was not yet made manifest. It wasn't yet opened, revealed. While that first tabernacle was
yet standing, while you have that first tabernacle, that first
priest and that first blood sacrifice, The way into the holiest, the
way into the presence of God is not yet revealed, not yet
manifest. Here's the word to underscore,
the word figure. A figure is not the essence,
a figure is a picture, a type. And that's what all these things
are, they're figures. The tabernacle, the priest, the
ark, the mercy seat, the table of showbread, the altar, All
the lambs and bulls and goats that are killed, the scapegoat,
these are all figures. When Israel, when the high priest
put his hand on the scapegoat and confessed the sins of Israel
and took that goat out in the wilderness and turned it loose,
that goat didn't take anybody's sins away, did it? That's a figure. That's a picture of a scapegoat
who does take sin away. When Abel slew a lamb and came
before God and God was, paid attention to his sacrifice or
aren't his sacrifice? That blood of that lamb didn't
put any of Abel's sins away. The blood of the lamb whom it
figured or pictured can take sin away. So all of these things,
see verse 9, a figure. These things were a figure for
the time then present, temporary, for that present time. in which
were offered both gifts and sacrifices, and here's the key, that could
not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience. For it stood only in meats and
drinks and baptisms and washings and carnal ordinances imposed
on them until the time of reformation, the time of regeneration, the
time of Christ. Now that's what this Old Testament
back here is all about. I want you to hold your hand
right there and turn to Genesis 49. Genesis 49. And as you read
the Old Testament, and you hear these men of God, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and all of them speak, the things they
say pertain to the coming Redeemer, Messiah. And here in Genesis
49 verse 8, Jacob is blessing his son. Jacob is dying. Jacob. Jacob have a love. Jacob to Bethel. Back to Bethel. Jacob. He changed his name to Prince
Israel. Jacob. Now here he is blessing
his son. And he comes to this one named
Judah. And this Judah, is the kingly tribe. And he says something,
this old man says something, listen, in Genesis 49, verse
8, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy hand
shall be in the neck of thine enemies. Thy father's children
shall bow before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp from
the prey. My son, thou art gone up. He
stooped down, he counts as a lion and as an old lion, who shall
rouse him up? And the scepter, what's the scepter? The ruling rod, the crown shall
not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his teeth until
Shiloh comes. Who's Jacob talking about? He's
talking about Christ, King of Peace, Shiloh. And he says here,
there's one but 70 in that bunch, 70 in the whole down there in
Egypt. Here are 12 sons standing around
in shepherd's robes, beards, men who didn't understand all
of these things that he was talking about. He comes to Judah. There's all 12 tribes. And he
said, Judah, Judah's not a king. He's just one of these twelve
fellows. Actually, Joseph's the one with the position and the
power. But Judah, he said, Judah, the scepter shall not depart
from Judah, for Shiloh comes. Through Judah came David, Solomon,
Christ. That's what he's saying. And
listen, verse 10, So Shiloh comes, king of peace, and unto him shall
the gathering of the people be. Turn to Ezekiel. Let me show
you the Scripture over here. The Old Testament. And our fellows
here are so good at finding these types and pictures of Christ
Jesus and these prophecies and promises, but look at Ezekiel
21, verse 25. God speaking through Ezekiel
years after David and Solomon. Listen to this. Ezekiel 21-25,
here right in the middle of Ezekiel's condemnation, charge against
Israel, the sharp sword drawn against Israel. Ezekiel 21-25,
And thou profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come,
when iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God, Remove
the diadem, take off the crown, This shall not be the same. Exalt
Him that is low, abase Him that is high. I will overturn, overturn,
overturn it, and it will be no more until He comes, whose right
it is, and I'll give it to Him." Who's he talking about? He's
talking about Christ Jesus. That's what all these fellows
are talking about. And that's what he's saying here.
in Hebrews 9 in our text. These thrones and crowns and
tabernacles and pictures and types and lambs and rams and
bullocks and priests and all these things, Hebrews 9 and 10,
they stood, figures, pictures, in meats and drinks and divers'
washings and ordinances and crowns and imposed on them until the
time of reformation, until the time of the coming of the Messiah.
Now, here is His coming, verse 11. Now, get your pen again. Back yonder we said under this
old dispensation there was a priest, there was a tabernacle, there
was blood. Verse 11, but Christ being come,
a high priest, underscore it, Yeah, we have a priest. We have
such a priest. Seeing we have a high priest,
let us come boldly before the throne of grace that we may find
mercy to help, grace to help in time of need. Christ being
come a high priest of good things to come, permanent things, not
temporary, permanent blessing, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle. We have a tabernacle? It's not
made with hands, that is to say, not this building. What is that
tabernacle? It's His body. It's His body. When God met Israel at the tabernacle
in that Holy of Holies on the mercy seat where the glory of
God was revealed, Israel came there. God said, I'll meet you
at the mercy seat. God has set forth His Son who
tabernacled among us as a mercy seat, and that's where God will
meet you and me in Christ. He's our tabernacle. That's right. Verse 11, But Christ, being come
a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, this
building, and neither by the blood of goats and calves, but
by His own Underscore it, breath. He entered. That old high priest,
what did you read back there in verse 7? Into the second went
the high priest alone once every year? Once every year? Yeah, every year. Offering a
sacrifice that was nothing but a picture. He couldn't put away
sin. But he, in verse 12 says, he entered once. into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And then in
these next verses of this chapter, I'm just going to show you some
words of encouragement. In the remaining verses of this
chapter, the apostle encourages the people of God who believe
in Christ, who rest in Christ, to come boldly. Mike sang about it this morning.
through the blood, past the veil, into the holy of holies with
God. Now look at verse 13. I'll give
you some more words to underscore. Words of encouragement. Words
that bless. Now verse 13. If the blood of
bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, in other words, If
we go back all the way to Abel, in the earliest days, offering
his lamb, and Abraham offering his lamb and rams, and Moses
offering the Passover and all, then the high priest on the day
of atonement in the tabernacle offering blood, which we know
cannot put away sin. Cannot. Go to Hebrews 10, verse
4. It's not possible for the blood
of bulls and goats to take away sin. But if that typical blood,
If that animal blood offered by faith, if it actually can
hold back the wrath of God, which it did, didn't it? The wrath of God didn't fall
on Abel, it fell on Cain. It didn't fall on Abel. It didn't
fall on Moses, it fell on the Egyptians. It didn't fall on
Abraham. It didn't fall on these who offered
the blood sacrifice, which, if the blood of bulls and goats,
which can never put away sin, which can never take away sin,
which are nothing but types and pictures and figures, if that
blood can literally sanctify to the purifying of the flesh
and hold back the wrath of God, look at verse 14, how much more? Boy, you're talking about encouragement.
How much more? Much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works, deliver you from seeking acceptance through
dead works, deliver you from seeking acceptance through your
righteousness, but rather to believe in the living God. How
much more? You see that? In other words,
if Moses could take the blood of an animal and smear it on
the door, and when God passes through a land in judgment and
kills the firstborn in every home, and that animal blood holds
off the wrath of God, holds off and holds back the judgment of
God, This is what he's saying. How much more? You see that,
Tom? How much more? If they could
go in that house and rest, knowing that they were saved, how much
more can you and I feel a confidence and assurance in the blood of
the Son of God, if you really believed Him? How much more? Hold that right there and turn
to Romans 5. It says this four or five times in Romans 5. How
much more, much more, much more, much more, much more! Why do
we want signs when we have the surest sign? Why do we want tokens? If you just believe in the blood
of Christ, the blood of Christ, God's Son cleanses us from all
sin. Look at Romans 5 verse 8. But God committed His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were hating and hateful, unlovely, unloving, we were rebels
against God, when did Christ die for you? When you were a
low-down sinner. Well, verse 9, "...much more
then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him." Much more. If God loved me, When I
was a rebel, much more is His love upon me as a son. If Christ
died for me when I didn't know God and unjustified, how much
more would He care for me now? That's what he's saying. Look
at verse 10. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more
being reconciled, we should be saved by His love, much more. Look over at verse 17. Yet by
one man's offense, old Adam, death reigned. By one. Much more they that receive abundance
of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Christ
Jesus. Much more. Boy, you can't deny that Adam's
representation in sin had its effect, didn't it? But I'll tell
you, the second Adam's representation in holiness has an effect, too,
much more. Where sin did abound, grace did
much more. All right, let's go back to the
text so I can move along. Isn't that encouraging? Verse 13, "...if the blood of
bulls and goats can hold back Typically, the wrath of God and
sanctify, typically, awaiting the coming of the Son of God.
How much more shall His actual coming put away sin? All right, verse 15. Here's a
second word. Testament. New Testament. Verse 15. For this cause, He's
the mediator of a new testament. Now, let me see if I can make
some things plain. I always wished when I was growing
up that preachers would be a little more simple and plain. And let me see if I can just
be plain. The word testament, the word testament, here we've
got a New Testament and Old Testament. The word testament is an English
word for the word covenant. That's what a testament is, it's
a covenant. And we're talking about the covenant. We're talking about the covenant
of God. We're talking about the covenant of grace. We're talking
about the everlasting covenant. Now, you say, Preacher, what's
a covenant? A covenant is an agreement. A covenant is an undertaking
of God. That's right. When He made a
covenant with Moses, He undertook to do certain things. When he
made a covenant with Abraham, he undertook. God undertook to
do something. He made an agreement with Moses,
an agreement with Abraham. And he undertook to fulfill certain
promises. God made a covenant with Abraham,
you'll have a son through Sarah. And that son will be the seed. And through him I'll bless the
nation. That's a covenant. That's an agreement. That's an
undertaking of God. That's a promise. That's a covenant.
You understand? The word is testament. Alright. This new testament, this new
covenant, this covenant of grace, this everlasting covenant is
from eternity. This undertaking of God, now
listen to this undertaking, this promise of God, that He's going
to have a kingdom, that He's going to have a people, a new
heaven, new earth, that's eternal. That promise of God is from eternity. That covenant is from eternity.
That undertaking is from eternity. For Christ is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. It is the book of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. It is the everlasting covenant
God brought again from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep,
through the everlasting covenant. We were chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. So this covenant, this undertaking,
this promise of God, this agreement with Christ is everlasting. It's a covenant of grace. It's
everlasting. It's from eternity. But then
why is it called new? It says in verse 15, For this
cause he is the mediator of the new covenant. that my beings of death, for
the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament,"
that's the old testament. The first one's an old one, isn't
it? The second one's a new one. "...they which are called might
receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament
is, there must of necessity be the death of the testator," the
one who makes the covenant. For a covenant, a testament to
redeem sinners, is a force after men are dead. Otherwise, it has
no strength at all while the testator lives. I'll tell you
why it's called the New Testament. It's even called the Second Testament. You see, talk about being on
the First Covenant, First Testament. Let me show you some Scriptures. Turn to Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8,
verse 7. Hebrews 8, verse 7 said, if that
first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been
sought for the second. Look at Hebrews 9, verse 15,
which it is, for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament,
New Covenant. Look at Hebrews 10, 9. Then said
he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second." I'll tell you why this everlasting
covenant testament is called new. It's newly revealed. It's newly manifested. Why it's
called the second? is because it's a second reveal.
The first was revealed before this one, but it's older. Now,
here's an example. See if this will help. If a person
has in his mind and will a house, I plan to build a house. Say, Darcy and I, we're going
to retire one of these days, and she's always going to live
by a lake, somewhere by the water. And so I got in my mind, Build
her a house by the lake, a little house with certain bedrooms and
a place for flowers and garden. What I do first, I make me a
blueprint. First thing you do, I don't want to start building
a house. I'm going to draw a blueprint. Get an architect or somebody
to draw a blueprint. And I'll have everything arranged
in that blueprint, everything. Now the house is first. It's
in my mind. It's in my will. They promise,
I'm going to have you a house. But she doesn't see it. Can't
see it. So I show it to her here in the
blueprint. I said, this is where the bedroom is going to be. You
can't live in there. It's never that big on this paper. Here's the living room. See the
fireplace? She's always wanted a fireplace. I'm going to build
her a fireplace so she can roast marshmallows and peanuts. There's
the fireplace. It don't put out much heat on
that paper, does it? This is the blueprint. Which
is first? The blueprint. It's first revealed. It's first designed. But the
house is first. That's why I drew the blueprint,
Tom. Because the house is in my mind.
The house is my promise. Here's your house, honey. I can't
do anything with that. See, we have here in the Bible
an Old Testament. Old Testament. Is it the oldest? Oh, no. No. Here's the New Testament, the
New Covenant. It's the oldest. How come? Christ is the New Covenant, and
Christ is older than Moses and Abraham. Christ is the first
priest, but this one came first in blueprint. This old priest
of the Old Testament, he's first. His tabernacle was first. His
priesthood was first so God could show you about Christ. You see,
do you understand what I'm saying? In the mind of God, in the will
of God before the foundation of the world, there's a promise,
there's an agreement with Christ, there's a covenant. It's a covenant
of grace and mercy, but you don't know it, you don't see it. God's
got to draw the blueprints. There's got to be an Adam in
a hall. There's got to be a priest in a tabernacle. There's got
to be a sacrifice and a ram and the blood and all these things,
so that when He comes, you recognize it. And one day I take her out,
take Doris out, and I say, there's your house. Oh, I see. There's the bedroom that you
drew the picture of. I can sit in front of that fireplace
and be warmed. I can go in that kitchen and
prepare food. I can live in there. I can't
live here. And you can't live over here in these types of shadows,
either. Shadows won't warm, and shadows won't bless, and shadows
won't save, and shadows won't put away sin, but shadows will
show you who will. And that's what they were all
about. That's the Old Testament. That's the Old Covenant. You
understand what I'm saying? But when Christ came, this is
new, this house is new. I can find my warmth in Him and
fellowship in Him. I can sleep and rest in Him.
I can live in Him. I can feast on Him. That's the
new covenant. And there's got to be. You see,
look here at Hebrews again, in Hebrews 9. It says here, Verse
16, where a testament is, and it's got to be the necessity,
the death of the testator, Christ has got to die. He's got to satisfy
the law. In other words, the promise is,
and the blueprint is, He'll do it, but it's not effectual because
He does. Necessity. All right? That's covenant. The word testament,
anywhere you use testament, you put covenant or vice versa. It's
an English word for covenant, agreement. But the Old Testament
is a blueprint of the older, new covenant. And when Christ
came, he fulfilled it. All right, here's the third word,
verse 23. It was necessary that the pattern of things in
the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly
things with better sacrifices." What's that talking about? Well,
look back here at verse 19. When Moses had spoken every precept
to the people according to the law, he took blood, the blood
of calves and of goats. He took water and scarlet wool
and hyssop. He sprinkled the book, the people. He sprinkled the tabernacle.
saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath
enjoined unto you, the blood of the covenant. Moreover, he
sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels,
and almost all things were by the law purged with blood. Those
that weren't purged with blood were purged with water. And without
the shedding of blood is no remission. In other words, Moses took the
blood, and he sprinkled the book, and the people, and the priests,
and the vessels, and the tabernacle, and everything with blood. It shows us this, it is necessary,
these pictures of justification, worship and praise, righteousness
had to be purified with the blood. It was necessary that the pattern
of things, the blueprint of things in the heavens should be purified
with blood, but the heavenly things with better blood than
these, Christ our Lord, with His blood, sprinkled your prayers,
your praise, your gifts, your person, everything has to be
sprinkled with blood for God to accept it. See, that's what
he's showing when Moses takes that blood and sprinkles everything. He says there's nothing pure
in God's sight without purification by the blood of Christ. And that's
what he's showing in those figures and types is that Nothing we
say or do, as far as God is concerned, is acceptable outside of Christ's
blood, making it acceptable. It has to be purified. You know,
you think, well, I do think some good things, don't I? No. Too
much sin in everything we think, do, and say. It has to be purified. One more word, starting with
verse 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are figures, blueprints
of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear." Here's
the word, appear. Christ appears in the presence
of God for us. For us. In other words, God deals
with our priest, and I'm glad he does, for us. Christ appears right now. Nor
yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest enters
into the holy place every year with the blood of others, for
then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world."
He's been our priest since the foundation of the world. But
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, there's that
word again, to put away sin for the sacrifice of himself. Christ
has appeared on this earth in the flesh to put away sin for
the sacrifice of himself. And then he appears in the presence
of God as our sin offering, mediator. Now look, as it is appointed
unto men once to die, after this the judgment, so Christ once
offered to bear the sin of many, and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin under salvation.
He's coming back. His coming will be a fearful
event for those who do not believe. It'll be a welcome event for
those who do. And I'll tell you why his second
appearance, his appearance at the end of the world, won't be
a fearful thing for us. It's because he appeared to put
away sin. He appears in the presence of
God for us, and when he appears a second time without sin, we'll
welcome him. Augustine said this. To be assured of our interest
in Christ is not arrogance, it's faith. To be assured of our interest
in Christ is not pride, it's devotion. To be assured of our
interest in Christ is not presumption, it's God's promise. If assurance of salvation rested
in my works, it would be presumption. It would be foolishness. But
we believe that God Almighty made a covenant of grace in Christ,
and all who come to Him by faith in Christ will be received. That's
His promise. And if Abel can bring an animal,
it's blood. And that holds back the wrath
of God. And Moses can put the blood of an animal on the door
and rest in it. It just seems to me that I could
rest in the blood of His Son with confidence in faith. Well,
I can, and you can too.

Some Words of Encouragement

What does the Bible say about the role of a priest?

Why is understanding the Old Covenant significant for Christians?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for our sins?

What is the New Covenant according to the Bible?

Why is the shedding of blood necessary for forgiveness?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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Joshua

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Some Words of Encouragement

What does the Bible say about the role of a priest?

Why is understanding the Old Covenant significant for Christians?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for our sins?

What is the New Covenant according to the Bible?

Why is the shedding of blood necessary for forgiveness?

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