by Jonathan Meo
I read from Hebrews I believe chapter 8 when the apostle talks about Jesus taking on the role of the High Priest only in and through the New Covenant. Our salvation is only eternal because Jesus lives forever to intercede for us- that was the limitation of the other High Priests in that death had mastery over them. But Jesus living forever guarantees our eternal life just as He is eternal- as long as He lives, we do! The blood was enough for the sacrifice but it was the intercession for sin that made the remission of sin complete. Jesus Christ our Lord will continue to be there praying for us all the way up until we die and are with Him, and the reason He does that is to effectuate our eternal salvation under Him!!
What a marvelous and glorious Saviour! His death and then more- His eternal life, guarantees ours with Him forever! Ohh, we have so much more to look forward to, don't we? Guard you heart and live with the assurance that Christ has forgiven all of your wrongs, and completely done away with them by His blood, and furthermore is always praying for you pleading His blood to His Father and yours so that you will always be able to come before Him with overflowing Joy. Our great Redeemer is alive, and so is your spirit with His united forever- O what a day of rejoicing it will be when we take our place at His side to enjoy His fellowship and His love, not only as the children of the Father, not only as friends with Christ- more than that- we are His beloved bride, we of whom He speaks in Isaiah 54,
"For your Maker is your husband- the Lord Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, He is called the God of all the earth." -The God of all the earth is ours- our cherished love! he continues, "The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit- a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face form you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.
To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my convenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
We are not of those to whom God has become angry, but those to whom God has poured out His lavish love upon. Israel rejected God's love displayed in the old covenant, to whom were given the law and the prophets and the sacrifices and covenants, and He turned His face form them "for a brief moment", so that through them and the crucifixion of His Son, He would bring salvation and His love to all nations- bringing this wonderful message of redemption through Jesus Christ to us, His chosen generation- not a generation of this world, but a holy generation of all His Church from the time of the death and resurrection of His Son to the distant reaches of the future, until the day He discontinues His mercy and pours out all His wrath on those who are perishing.
Paul comments on this, Romans 11:11- "Rather because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles (you and me) to make Israel envious." then in verse 25: "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in."
So you are the object of the eternal and unhindered affection of a loving Saviour and King- our Lord Jesus Christ the chosen Messiah! Offer your body as a living sacrifice in view of this mercy He has shown you - woshipping HIm spiritually through a holy and pleasing life by an attitude (that is a countanance or state of being) of reverence and awe (the only acceptable worship unto God- Hebrews 12:28) In this way you will gain the fruits of your eternal life in Him and drink the fragrant depths of His unchangable love!