PCHRIS

We would be aliens on this earth living as Christians because we are not conforming to what the world wants us to do. We take a stand against what is morally wrong yet we are criticized for what we beleive. Being in the world is making a stand for what we believe if we become of the world well we become just one of the crowd and sell out our beleif. Bit like the fish that swim 'upstream' against the fish that go with the flow 'downstream'

Over my Christian walk I have always come to this chapter when I am 'feeling lost or insecure' to read through this faith chapter is always encouraging to me and gives me the focus on God's promise to me. The Heavenly City of Jerusalem The Holy City built and designed by God

Abrahams confidence in God was unshakable, going into a strange land and going to receive an inheritance, he was obedient unto Him. Knowing how powerful God is an unshakable thing to have, knowing His immutability and sovereignity over all. Without these aspects we are saying that God isn't worth trusting and has limits. Faith is knowing and trusting our Heavenly Father and wanting to be in constant focus on Him.

Judeo-Christian faith is based on the fact that Christ was given as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. And He rose again 3 days later defeating death and satan. Basis of Noah's faith was a holy fear. Basis of my faith = cross, death and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ, confessing Him as my Saviour and depending on His Holy Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Everything was done in the beginning through the Word, and faith comes also through the Word.

The second is an essential to true faith because this cements our relationship with the Father. If we just beleived and not do anything else eventually our beleif will fade out but to be actively seeking Him for everything, not just our physical needs but also to keep ourselves in His will. Seeking = is to find out, search more. Like any relationship we need to delve into knowing more about the God who loves us and bestows His grace and mercy on our lives. God has promised that to us right through the Scriptures we just have to make sure we don't glorify the gifts/rewards and forget who is the One who gave the gifts/rewards. Seek the giver not the gift.

Faith is the key that unlocks the door of salavation. What makes it even stronger is the fact that our faith is in that unseen, faith in our motor vehicle to get us from a to b; faith in a chair we are just going to sit in; faith in our spouses cooking; are all things we can see/touch. But faith in the unseen takes even a stronger emphasis and as Mark 11.22 commands us - 'Have faith in God'

Yes it can be hard, very hard but as 2Timothy 3.12 tells us - 'yes and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution'. [For some people are not told about the last bit of that scripture just the promise of a better life when you come to Jesus.] We need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Romans 5.3-4 'and not only so but we glory in tribulations [suffering] also: knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:' Fellowship is important because we come together in encouraging, exhorting, praying for each other. Show through scripture how every man and woman of God who was persecuted, tested, tempted and how they persevered through it all. I would even get them to read Foxes Book of Martyrs [that can go both ways though, so use discernment with that one] Pray with them and Philippians 4.13 helps tremendously!

Understanding I have here the text is saying if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth is pure apostasy. Cheap grace is a term used here, "I have a licence to sin, I'm saved, God is a loving God, He won't send me to hell, I can keep doing what I want to do." {unless there is repentance} you will find yourself in big trouble on that Day of Judgment. Trampled the Son of God under foot. Treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him. Insulted the Spirit of grace. This is definite flagrant apostasy.

The prime message coming through these texts is for us to continually be steadfast in our gatherings to build up, exhort each other less some hearts will be hardened and fall into sin. So unfortunate the motives today are for selfish gain, gossip, murmuring. More and more people are getting apostate, or even thinking they don't need it, things are going sweet. Continually pray for them, encouraging them to keep soaking in Gods Word. The analogy of a piece of coal [person] which is taken out of the fireplace [fellowship] eventually goes stone cold but if kept in the fireplace the coal will continually glow and radiate with the rest.

The veil's purpose was to keep separate the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. As described in the Synoptic Gospels, the veil being torn from top to bottom, is ascribed to the 'barrier' being removed between God and man. It is new because the way of the old was going through a priest who 'took' the sins of Israel and sacrificed bulls, goats for remision of sins. With Christ, he was the perfect sacrifice, only once was needed and He has paved the way for us to come straight to the Father. It is living because through Christs resurrection, He is now our Living Saviour, not a martyr.

The sacrfices of bulls, goats...was only a temporary measure hence the repetitive nature of OT sacrifices. With Christ, the sacrifice was once done, never to be repeated for the total cleansing. As Pastor Ralph gave his understanding of it Greater to Lesser. Animal sacrifices were not adequate because the sins of the greater (the human) were atoned for by the sacrifice of the lesser (the animal). That seems backward. In Christ, the sins of the lesser (the human) were atoned for by the sacrifice of the greater (Christ, the Son of God). Only the sacrifice of the greater for the lesser is actually adequate to atone for our sins. External vs. Internal. Centuries before Christ the prophets were aware that animal sacrifice was not adequate to atone for sins, partly because it dealt with external atonement, but didn't affect the heart of the person. It is the repentant heart, not methodical fulfillment of ritual sacrifice through which God brings salvation. For example, read: Psalm 50:8-15. "Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High." Isaiah 1:11-15. "'The multitude of your sacrifices -- what are they to me?' says the LORD.... "Wash and make yourselves clean... Stop doing wrong, learn to do right. Seek justice...." Hosea 6:6. " For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Amos 5:21-25. "Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.... But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Shadow vs. Reality. The author of Hebrews has compared the tabernacle as a shadow, a copy, a pattern of the original, with the true tabernacle being in heaven. Sacrifices are the shadow, Christ is the true sacrifice that animal sacrifices point to. God instructs his people through the shadow so they will be able to understand the reality. As for those OT saints, again quoting Pastor Ralph - God accepted their sacrifices and offered atonement for their sins -- the shadow -- realizing that the Messiah would come and he would bear in himself -- in reality -- the sins of the whole world -- past, present, and future! I concur.

His first coming to be, as Isaiah 53 points out, the Suffering Servant. And as John the Baptist referred to Christ - "behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world" John 1.29 The Sacrifice. His second coming as in the passage declares is give salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for Him. The Saviour. The Jews thought he was going to overthrow the tyranny of the Roman rule of the day. It is an exact prophecy of Jesus' life and crucifixion of what He was to endure for us as the perfect sacrifice. As Pastor Ralph, and many others do including myself, exclaimed..... Hallejuah!

Jesus bridges the gap, caused by the fall, between God and mankind. As the wages of sin is death, so Christ is the one who paid the price for us.

Jesus was the perfect spotless sacrifice and his blood washes us clean not only the outside but also within.

Thank you Pastor Ralph. "Redemption" is lutrōsis, a legal and commercial technical term in the papyri, "redemption of something for a price," here the transferred sense of "ransoming, releasing, redemption." We are the ones set free -- free from our slavery to sin and free from our death sentence on account of our sins. The ransom price to free us from slavery is Christ's own blood, offered freely, offered willingly, offered lovingly for our sins. As a result, our freedom has been obtained for ever and ever, for all time.

The external sacrificial regualtions only pertained to the flesh, outside, external. A guilty concscience, (con) - with (science) - knowledge. With knowledge we know we have sinned, or sinning, and unless we boldy come 'clean' to the Father and confess our sin, it will keep that barrier between us.

No, the Old Covenant had no way to forgive this sin of rebellion. Yes, the New Covenant does. Christ Jesus died for all our sins, intentional or unintentional. What is required to receive forgiveness - humbling ourselves, Godly sorrow works repentance (2Cor 7.10), through faith we receive forgiveness through Christ.

I beleive the Old Covenant on its own didn't fail, it was the people that failed to keep it. They were unfaithful to God even though He had just rescued them from Egypt. Just shows we are weak and sinful and need God to be the whole focus in our lives. The promises of this "greater covenant": God's law will no longer be external, but will become internalized "in their hearts... on their hearts" by the Holy Spirit. They will be together as God and his people. They will all know the Lord personally. They will be forgiven from their sins.

Jesus is the perfect mediator between us and God. Christ mediates for us to God. Jesus was sent for us to be that final perfect sacrifice, to die on the cross, to rebridge the gap between God and ourselves.

Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Christ is eternal and made the only sacrifice needed for us, Himself. While earthly priests are temporary and have to keep making daily sacrifices for themselves and the people. Quote - "Our salvation was costly, but now it is eternal salvation, it is "once for all," and we are the ever-grateful recipients of God's largess in Christ Jesus. This is the very good news of the gospel!"

Jesus lives forevermore, is unchangeable, that is why He saves completely. Jesus being the high priest with the functions of a high priest is able to save and it is ongoing because He always lives.

A surety is a sureness, certainity - something that makes sure; guarantee - one who becomes a guarantor for another person - bond, bail, security for loan. In secular dealings the surety is related to another person, here in Hebrews it is relating to the covenant, that Jesus guarantees that the covenant will be honoured. In v19 the writer tells us that this new covenant will bring in a better hope.

Our God is a faithful God and we seek and find that place of refuge with Him, knowing we can run into His loving open arms, not depending on the strength or stability of our faith, but in the immutable trustworthiness of God's word. This hope is a steadfast hope something a lot more than the 'hope so' attitude of secular man. The confidence we have in Christ who has gone before us is our anchor which keeps us firm and secure in our walk with Him. Quote "Our Christian hope is not a hope-so kind of longing, but a firm expectation in the fulfillment of all God's promises."

If we were to take this seriously, and who wouldn't, our diligence and our obedience would be even stronger, more focused. We remember we are storing our treasures in heaven so we keep persevering in our walk, in our prayers, in our praise to our Holy God. Our salvation is based on God's amazing grace and Christ's atonement then the fruits of repentance, fruits of thanksgiving, fruits of good works, fruits of righteousness will then engulf our lives because of the hope and joy we have in our salvation.

One dictionary explains apostasy as this: a renunciation or abandonment of a former loyalty [as to a religion]. Why they turn away, only they know; they may come up with different reasons when challenged but who knows what will happen. God's ways are not our ways and He will be the final judge for these people. We need ourselves to be prepared for that time and continually to be in the faith. Parable of the sower depicts 4 different frames of the heart; the good soil [heart] has been turned over, properly prepared to receive the seed [Word]. With the others they haven't received the seed properly and letting other things [worldly, carnal] get in the way or they have received the seed thinking they will receive an easy [life enhancment] life but when trials, temptations hit they are so quick to blame everyone else and the seed [Word] dies out. Parable of the wheat and tares depicts we as Christians have to live in this world with unbeleivers, we are to live IN the world but not to be OF the world. When Christ returns thats when the wheat will be sorted from the tares. We are called to be the salt of the earth and lights in this ever darkening world, let's us all be in the faith and be obedient to Him. Praise His Holy Name.