HOLDING ON TO OUR FAITH
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST
V:14. \” Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.\”
A. Jesus, our High Priest is the one who has made atonement for our sins for
all times with His shed blood on the cross.
1. Before Jesus death on the cross, Jews were required to present an unblemished
animal to the High Priest to be sacrificed on the altar.
2. The blood of the unblemished animal was the payment (atonement) for
their sins.
3. The problem was that since their sins were continuous, the sacrifice of animals
was also continuous.
4. Jesus death on the cross was the one payment for all sins, past, present and
future.
B. Jesus death on the cross was accepted by the Father for all the sins of mankind.
1. Jesus death on the cross finished His work on earth. John 19:30
2. Jesus was resurrect after His death and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
C. It is our confession of faith in Him as Lord and Savior that guarantees us a place
in heaven.
1. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrew 12:2
2. Faith in the Lord is not in our natural nature.
3.We had to be transformed to accept Christ.
4. Any man in Christ is a new creation.
5. The world cannot receive Christ. John 14:17
6. God decided before the foundation of the earth who would be saved. Eph 4:1
7. Are you glad He decided on you?
JESUS KNOWS OUR TROUBLES
V:15. \” For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin.
A. Jesus came down from heaven and took on human flesh.
1. He was both man and God.
2. He had a human nature and a Godly nature.
3. He was fully man and fully God.
B. Since Jesus was clothed in flesh, he new our weakness and strength.
1. Jesus had all the emotions of man.
2. He got hungry, He got sleepy, He got tired, He grieved for the lost,
He got angry and He showed compassion.
C. He was temped by the Devil as soon as He was baptized and anointed for
ministry of the Gospel.
1. Unlike us, He never sinned.
2. He knew the devil and all his devises.
GOD\’S GRACE AND MERCY
V:16. \” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.\”
A. We can come to Jesus in prayer anytime with confidence that He hears our prayers
and will answer them in His time according to His will.
1. Grace is God\’s favor. God sits on His throne ready to give us favor.
2. Mercy is God\’s kindness or compassion.
3. God favors those who believe in Him with kindness.
B. God is always available to help with our needs.
1. We can enjoy heaven on earth through the favors of God who shows us unlimited
kindness.
2. This confirms our hope that He will never leave us or forsake us. I Kings 8:57
JESUS OUR REPRESENTATIVE AT THE THRONE OF GRACE
V:5:1-2. \” Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.\”
A. God selected the tribe of the Levites to be priests of the Nation of Israel.
1. Aaron, the first High Priest was chosen to offer sacrifices for the Israelites
when they came out of Egypt.
2. God set up an order of priests.
There were priests who burnt the offering and there were High priests
who entered the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle to make atonement
for sins.
3. The High priests had to sanctify themselves before entering the Holy of Holies.
to be in the presence of God, or they would die in his presence.
B. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.
1. Therefore no priest could consider himself above those he served.
2. It was the job of the priests to bring the sins of the people including their own
sins before the Lord for forgiveness.
C. Jesus, our high priest represents us before the Father.
1. There was no sin in Jesus, so His shed blood was accepted by the Father
for atonement of all our sins.
2. He continuously makes intercession for us before the Father.
THE CALL OF GOD
V: 3-4. \” This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.\”
A, None of us are worthy of the call of God.
1. None of us are worthy of the forgiveness of God.
2. None of us can claim the righteousness of God.
3. All of us depend on the Love of God for salvation
B. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever
believes on Him will not parish, but have eternal life.
1. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
2. Therefore, we cannot claim that our good works or general goodness earns us
the grace of God,
C. God called us out of the world because of His grace and mercy.
1. In fact our predestination to be called was before we were born.
2. Since no one deserves salvation, it is by God\’s Sovereign design that
we are the elect of God. 1 Peter 1:1
3. God said He will curse who He wants to curse and bless who He wants to bless.
4. All we can do is be grateful and thankful that we are His chosen.
JESUS IS CHRIST, SON AND HIGH PRIEST
V: 5-6. \” So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, \”You are my Son; today I have become your Father.\” 6 And he says in another place, \”You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.\”
A. Jesus said that I and the Father are one. John 10:30
1. Jesus did not consider it robbery to submit Himself to the will of the Father. Php 2:6
2. He was elected High priest for His obedience to the Father , even unto His
own death on the Cross.
B. Jesus is the person of the Son in the Holy Trinity
1. He is the only person who could be sinless to hold the position of High Priest
forever.
2. He is the unblemished sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
C. The Word does not record the birth or the physical death of Melchizedek.
1. However Melchizedek would not have existed if Adam and Eve had not birth
children.
2. Melchizedek is recorded as High priest who Abraham paid tithes .
D. Unlike Melchizedek, Christ has no beginning or ending.
1. Christ is Alpha and Omega.
2. He is the beginning and the ending.
3. Christ is eternal, therefore High Priest forever.
4. Melchizedek had to be declared righteous by his faith and obedience to God.
5. The righteousness of Christ has no beginning or ending.
6. Christ is our eternal righteousness.
THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, OUR ROLE MODEL
V:7-8. \” During the days of Jesus\’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered\”
A. Jesus set the perfect example for life on earth.
1. He prayed to the Father.
2. His prayers were sincere.
a. He prayed petitions.
b. He prayed from His heart with tears.
c. He was vocal in His prayers crying out to the Father.
B. He reverenced the Father
1. He listen to the voice of the Father.
2. He committed Himself to the will of the Father.
C. He was the perfect Son
1. He only did what He was directed to do.
2. Although He had all power, He used it to draw men to Himself.
He uplifted and encouraged those who came in contact with Him.
3. Christ hears the prayers of the righteous.
a. He answers them according to the will of the Father.
PERFECTION IN JESUS CHRIST
V: 9-10. \” And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.\”
A. Christ perfection in the eyes of the Father was made complete with
His death and resurrection.
1. All power over heaven and earth was given to Him upon His resurrection.
2. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father and is High priest
forever.
B. Jesus is the reason for our salvation.
1. Eternal life can only be obtained by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, as our Lord and savior.
2. Salvation is a free gift from the Father.
3. Salvation for all who believe in Jesus Christ, was ordained before the foundation of
the earth.
C. Our personal Salvation is based on our obedience to the Word of God.
1. I am not talking about works.
2. Obedience requires three things:
a. Hearing
b. Listening
c. Conforming
3. Consider John 3:16.
a. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that hat who
ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
b. The first part of the verse is God\’s commitment to Us; The life of His son.
c. The second part of the verse is our commitment to Him; our belief.
d. The third part of the verse, is God\’s promise to us; eternal life.
4. Believe is an action word.
a. It is a conscience action on our part to trust the Gospel.
b. Trust is not an option, it is a requirement.
c. The first act of obedience is to believe that Jesus died for your sins.
5. The evidence of obedience is in the keeping of God\’s commands.
a. The act of belief transforms the whole body.
(1). There is an immediate indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(2). There is an immediate sealing of the believer until the day of redemption.
b. Any man/woman in Christ is a new creation.
(1). The old man (old self) has died. Romans 6:6
(2). A new man in Christ has come alive. Romans 6:11
Praise God For Jesus Christ.
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway
Houston Texas 77010
For more lessons, visit my blogs and follow me on Facebook
\”www.revmmitchell.com\” and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
