But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.” vs. 26b
Hebrews 9:28-29
In this section of Hebrews, the writer is taking pains to convince his Jewish readers that in Christ the old sacrificial system has been replaced. This was an important message, particularly since the temple, the place of sacrifice, had been destroyed by the Roman armies. While not all Jews were willing to give up the rituals of their law, many Jewish Christians embraced these new ideas eagerly. Central to the argument was the conviction that in the sacrificial death of Jesus all sin had been removed and forgiven. While we may not find the images of Hebrews compelling, it is good to know that the sin and brokenness of this world have been taken care of. This does not mean that we will never sin again or ever experience brokenness anymore. Indeed, most of us can testify that we’ve all fallen into sin. As the epistle writer John says, “If we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” But the good news of Hebrews is that grace abounds. There is no sin committed in the past that will define our future in Christ. It’s all been taken care of. Each day we awaken with brand new opportunities to love and serve, and we don’t even have to think of that old bad stuff again!
Thought for the Day: What things from the last few days do I need to let go of today?
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