Blog - Do Not Depart

Building a Bible Study Notebook: A Monthlong Series With Printables

August 6, 2019 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

All month long right here on the blog, we’ll be talking about Building a Bible Study Notebook and sharing new, updated printables for you!

Why Notebook?

Do you keep a Bible notebook? Or do you want to start keeping one?

Keeping a Bible notebook in a three ring binder (or arc system) is a great way to keep track of what you’ve studied, what you’re praying about, how you’re growing spiritually, and more. (Sometimes, I even print and insert helpful articles or commentary I’ve found online but don’t want to lose track of!)

Like Lisa once reminded us,

God often commanded the Israelites to write things down, and their faithfulness to the written Word means we have accurate scriptures today.

We all know that one effective way to retain what you read is to write it down. In a place you can find again.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

Getting started is simple! Just gather:

3-ring binder
Notebook paper
Insertable tab dividers
3-hole punch
Sheet protectors (optional)

New Printables for You!

Quite a few years ago, Lisa wrote an excellent post titled How to Make a Bible Notebook and shared tips and told us how to get started. The DoNotDepart team then created several printable resources to help you keep track of things like Bible study notes, prayers, sermon notes, original word studies, Bible book studies, and more.

While the Bible notebook series is still excellent, we’ve realized that our printables could use some updating. All this month on the blog we’ll be sharing brand new printables with you to help you continue (or begin) keeping track of the spiritual disciplines of study, worship, and prayer.

Each of our posts will contain one updated printable for you and at the end, we’ll consolidate all the printables into one printable pack.

We hope this series blesses you and helps you get or stay organized!

Need some help getting started? Check out this post: How to Make a Bible Notebook

If you’d like to go ahead and print some tabs for your notebook, click here. (While the printable is a bit outdated, the tabs themselves aren’t!)

And follow this link to see all of the posts in our past Bible Notebook series.

In Him,
Ali

Once for All: Bible Study Wrap Up

August 1, 2019 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

All month long here on the blog we’ve studied Hebrews 10:1-25 together. Here is a wrap up of our study and links to each post.

All month long, we’ve studied Hebrews 10:1-25. What a powerful section of Scripture! Like I mentioned in the introduction to this study:

It “brightly highlights the ‘once-and-for-allness’ of Christ’s sacrifice” and “ties the Old and New Testaments together in a clear way (like all of Hebrews does, really). In it, we see that Christ completely fulfills the old system of Levitical sacrifices. And in the same vein, it is Jesus’ sacrifice that pays the debt of our sin. It is by the gift of grace through faith in Jesus that we are saved and made right with God.”

Only Jesus’ blood can remove sin, once for all!

Posts in Our Study

In the first post in this study, focusing on Hebrews 10:1-4, I asked if you are content with any “shadows” and if God is calling you to “give up shadows to walk in real freedom?” What a wonderful truth that “true freedom and cleansing from sin comes by grace through faith Jesus. (See Ephesians 2:8-9 ) And that’s no shadow. That’s the real thing: grace and truth! (See John 1:17 )”

Jaime wrote on Hebrews 10:5-7 and reminds us that the Plan All Along was for Jesus to come and give Himself as the ultimate sacrifice. His perfect body was needed to wipe away sin completely! She wrote, “There is nothing we could do to, no way to be good enough on our own. The Law proves this. Only His perfect sacrifice could do the job. That was the plan, all along.”

Lisa reminded us that it’s not always easy to give up what we’re used to. She tells us that “if we don’t take our foot off first base, we’ll never run to second!” In her study of Hebrews 10:8-10, she says, “Here we see that the first things—sacrifices and offerings—weren’t enough to make us holy. It took the second thing—Jesus—to close the deal. ‘He does away with the first in order to establish the second'” (Hebrews 10:9).

Cheli explained to us in her post on Hebrews 10:11-14 that Jesus removed all the barriers to God, making new life with God available to those who believe (Galatians 2:20). He sits next to the Father, interceding for us, ready for us to launch into life with Him (Romans 8:34). She tells us that “Hebrews 10:14 speaks our future with God:

‘For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.’

Whereas, Christ’s work is done; the Holy Spirit’s job has just begun… so, we can be sanctified [and] become like Him (Romans 8:29).”

In Kelli’s post, expounding on Hebrews 10:15-18, she tells us that though we should owe for our sins, God promises “a new covenant in which transformation would take place within His people. He would forget their sin forever and they would have the privilege to draw near to God by faith, not works — faith in Jesus, not works of the law (see Hebrews 10:22 ). God’s divine will is not to punish us. His will is that we draw near.”

Patti concluded our study in Hebrews 10:19-25 with her post, Draw Near, Hold Fast, and Take Care. She says, “As we conclude our study of Hebrews 10 this month, today’s passage provides us a lovely and simple thought to meditate upon: Draw near to God, hold tight, and take care of those around you. It is our drawing near that gives us the strength to care for others. And it is only because of Jesus’ once for all sacrifice that we can even begin. Without His gift to us, we could not draw near to God, and none of the rest would matter. Praise His holy name!”

We pray our study blessed you. What did God show you in your studies on Hebrews 10:1-25? Share in the comments or in the “DoNotDepart Community” Facebook group.

#OnceForAll. Only Christ can pay the debt for our sin! A FREE Bible study of Hebrews 10:1-25

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Blessings!
Ali

Draw Near, Hold Fast, and Take Care (Hebrews 10:19-25)

July 31, 2019 by Patti Brown Leave a Comment

Today we come to our final verses in the passage from Hebrews 10 we have been studying all month. And boy are these verses packed!

We start with a little look back over our shoulders at what Jesus has done for us, then we move on to the future – how ought we to respond as followers of Christ who have been blessed so abundantly?

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:19-25

Since We Have…

The beginning of Hebrews 10:19-25 reflects back on the themes the author of Hebrews has already been addressing in chapter 10. It’s as if he is saying, “Hey guys, remember we discussed that we have…”

Confidence to face God! Jesus’ death on the cross allows us to no longer need a human intermediary offering sacrifices, but instead we can go straight to God Himself.
A great high priest! The Greek word used in this verse is sightly different from the word used for high priest in most passages. This word might even be translated “kingly priest.” Jesus is the ultimate high priest, the Lord of all the high priests, the fulfillment of all priestly roles.

We have received these precious gifts, now the question is, how shall we respond? The author of Hebrews gives the answer using three “let us” verses.

Let Us Draw Near

Unlike Old Testament times, God’s people no longer need to keep their distance from Him! We are called to draw near…

… with a true heart in full assurance of faith – A true heart is a sincere heart, nothing put on for show. John said “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:21). This is the kind of sincerity God is looking for. We can be sincere because we are confident in God, like a little child who is confident her father can help her with anything she asks.
… with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience – Like the sprinkling of blood on Levitical priests to purify them (Exodus 29:21), we have had our hearts “sprinkled” with the purifying blood of Jesus Christ. Our consciences can be clear. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)
… and our bodies washed with pure water – There are multiple levels to this: an allusion to the ritual washings of Old Testament law, and to baptism, but on a visceral level I think we can understand this easily. We have been refreshed and cleansed, inside and out, by the power of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have been purified, and offered a new life!

Let Us Hold Fast

“hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23

Hope is a funny thing – it can be easy to lose can’t it? Perhaps that’s why the author of Hebrews gets descriptive for us. We are to hold fast, and not waver in our hope. I picture myself holding on white-knuckled, because indeed, that has been my reality in certain seasons. The world, and people in my life, have sought to disrupt my hope. But God has been abundantly faithful to me. He has never disappointed me, and my hope in Him has never yet been shown to be misplaced.

As W. Robertson Nicoll says, “The promises of God are necessarily the ground of hope (Hebrews 6:12.) These promises cannot fail, because God cannot lie. (Hebrews 6:18.)”

Let Us Stir Up One Another

We draw close into God (draw near), we hold on tight (hold fast), and finally we are asked to remember and encourage each other.

“let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” – God uses brothers and sisters in Christ to grow one another. Some versions translate “stir up” as “provoke” and I am sure we can all recall a time when we felt provoked in church! But passion does not have to come from negativity. As Believers we can’t just look to meet our needs by drawing close to God, we must also look outward, loving and serving those around us, and helping each other persevere in service.
“not neglecting to meet together” – We were created to be a family, children of the living God. It is part of our personal growth, and our call to love and serve, that we must continue to fellowship with other Believers regularly
“encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Everyone needs encouragement. It is our responsibility to be the source of that encouragement for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Knowing that Jesus will return is not the reason we do it, it is merely a reminder that we may not be complacent in this!

As we conclude our study of Hebrews 10 this month, today’s passage provides us a lovely and simple thought to meditate upon: Draw near to God, hold tight, and take care of those around you. It is our drawing near that gives us the strength to care for others.

And it is only because of Jesus’ once for all sacrifice that we can even begin. Without His gift to us, we could not draw near to God, and none of the rest would matter. Praise His holy name!

Draw near to God, hold tight, and take care. That’s Hebrews 10:19-25 in a nutshell. #OnceForAll

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New Covenant, New Transformation, & Remission of Sin

July 25, 2019 by Kelli LaFram Leave a Comment

All this month on the blog, we’ve been exploring the #onceforall theme found in Hebrews 10. Check out previous posts in this series.

At one time in my life I had this horribly wrong idea about God and His plan for the Cross. In my misinformed mind I believed that God sent Jesus to the Cross in order to say “there you go, now you owe Me one.”

Can you imagine!? Our loving Father sending His beloved Son, not to pay for our sins permanently but only to temporarily give us time to pay Him back!? How awful!

I am thankful my ideas were so, so, so wrong. And these verses in Hebrews are just a few of many that tell us that Jesus didn’t do us a favor. No, instead He paid our debt in full FOREVER!

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. ~ Hebrews 10:15-18

The author of Hebrews quotes the prophet Jeremiah, who quoted Yahweh when he wrote “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them…Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” The phrase “I will write” implies that the laws would be permanently affixed to the hearts and minds of God’s people. It gives the impression that God would etch His divine will into them, just as He did when He wrote the the ten commandments on to the stone tablets with His finger (Deuteronomy 9:10). When God spoke through Jeremiah, He was promising a new covenant in which transformation would take place within His people. He would forget their sin forever and they would have the privilege to draw near to God by faith, not works — faith in Jesus, not works of the law (see Hebrews 10:22).

What a gift! What grace!

(On a not-so-little side note, the way the author words verse 15 and 16 has great significance. They clearly show us that the Holy Spirit is Yahweh. He is just as much God as the Father and the Son. “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD…’” [emphasis mine])

The author of Hebrews goes on to say, “Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” The Greek word for remission means forgiveness or pardon of sins, as in letting them go as if they had never been committed. We should owe for our sin. There is a penalty for breaking God’s perfect law. We deserve to die, not just a physical death, but an eternal spiritual separation from God, for the sins we have committed. But we don’t have to die because, like Cheli said in the last post, Jesus’ mission is complete. He took our penalty and in doing so offered a perfect and final sacrifice for our sin. On the Cross He died our death. Then He rose again and sat down at the right hand of God.

God is perfect and holy and has every right to require us to pay the penalty due for our sin. He could have said, “There you go, now you owe Me one,” but God’s divine will is not to punish us. His will is that we draw near (Patti will write more on this next week in her post covering verses 19-22). Scripture illuminates this time and time again.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~Matthew 11:28

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ~ 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9

Thank You, Lord, for this new covenant You have established with us. Thank You for Your Son, the Cross, and the forgiveness of sin. We know it was our debt that You paid. We know that it is by Your mercy and grace we are forgiven and our sins is forgotten. O, how great is You love and compassion. May we never take it for granted. Please continue to transform us from the inside out. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Mission Complete; Proceed to Launch

July 23, 2019 by Cheli Sigler Leave a Comment

This past weekend central Florida buzzed with excitement as the world celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Three men catapulted into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and on July 20, 1969, two of them walked on the moon. The mission was a success! Previous missions and countless people made this moment possible by plotting the course and paving the way. Apollo 11 was just one of several missions in the ongoing work of NASA. As we have not reached the limits of the universe, NASA’s work is never done.

With all things NASA surrounding me this past weekend, I could not get the words “mission” and “launch” out of my head. Today we are continuing our Once For All series by looking at Hebrews 10:11-14. Unlike any mission undertaken on earth, Jesus perfectly completed His mission, and launched those who believe into ongoing life with Him.

Mission Complete

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. (Hebrews 10: 11-13)

Among the furnishings in the Tabernacle, there were no chairs. Under no circumstance did the priests have time to sit; their work under the covenant of the law was never done. Only a perfect High Priest, the Lamb of God— only Jesus— could offer a sacrifice that effectively and completely removed sin. Having completed his salvific mission, Jesus did what no earthly priest could do— He “sat down.”

Having completed his salvific mission, Jesus did what no earthly priest could do— He “sat down.” #OnceForAllClick To Tweet

An “eDevotion” from GrowingChristians.org unpacks the finished work of Christ as threefold. The perfect sacrifice, Jesus completely absorbed God’s wrath that is our due (1 John 4:10); fully paid the ransom to buy us back from sin (Ephesians 1:7), and forever closed the gap between God and man (2 Corinthians 5:18). With the words, “It is finished…” (John 19:30), Jesus closed out His mission; He fulfilled His purpose.

Nineteenth century preacher and contemporary of Charles Spurgeon, Octavius Winslow, said it beautifully,

He had finished all the ancient types, predictions, and shadows; he tore the veil in twain and opened the bright pathway for the sinner to retrace his steps back to paradise, back to God, and once more feel the warm embrace of his Father’s forgiving love.

Proceed to Launch

Jesus removed all the barriers to God, making new life with God available to those who believe (Galatians 2:20). He sits next to the Father, interceding for us, ready for us to launch into life with Him (Romans 8:34). Hebrews 10:14 speaks our future with God:

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Whereas, Christ’s work is done; the Holy Spirit’s job has just begun. Jesus has set believers free from the wrath, penalty, and separation of sin; so, we can be sanctified, become like Him (Romans 8:29). The phrase, “are being sanctified,” indicates action that is happening now and into the future until it’s culmination in Heaven. The Holy Spirit moves and works in us to this end.

We cooperate with the Spirit in sanctification because God’s love compels us, and faith propels us.

We cooperate with the Spirit in sanctification because God’s love compels us, and faith propels us. #OnceForAllClick To TweetThe apostle Paul prays a prayer for the Ephesians that combines these two elements. With this prayer Paul launches believers further toward the life God has prepared for us. May this prayer be yours today:

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17b-21, NIV)

Thank you, Jesus for being our Great High Priest who offered the only sacrifice that would forever take away sin and make the way for eternal life with God!

Run to Second – You’re Safe

July 18, 2019 by Lisa Burgess 10 Comments

I’d never make it in the big leagues. I have zero skills as a a baseball player.

But I also have this weakness: I’d be too scared to leave first base to steal second.

Baseball players have to be able to take chances. In pitching, batting, fielding. And as I read Hebrews 10:8-10, I’m reminded that they also have to be brave to leave first to run to second.

Just ask Rickey Henderson.

When First Things Aren’t Enough

Rickey Henderson is considered one of the most exciting players in baseball (he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009).

And it’s not because he played it safe.

What did Rickey do that we can learn from?

First, let’s look at our next three verses in our study of Hebrews 10, #OnceForAll.

8  When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),
9  then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
10  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:8-10

Here we see that the first things—sacrifices and offerings—weren’t enough to make us holy.

It took the second thing—Jesus—to close the deal. “He does away with the first in order to establish the second” (Hebrews 10:9).

Take Your Foot Off First

But it’s not always easy to give up the first things, the things we know, the things we’re comfortable with.

We feel safe surrounded by the things we already grasp.
We find refuge in following set rules.
We are satisfied knowing what to believe without knowing how to apply it.

Why would we discard our security blanket to run to higher ground?

Because until we take our foot off first, we’ll never run to second.

That’s what Rickey Henderson did so well. He currently holds the record for most stolen bases and runs in Major League Baseball. He was successful in stealing bases exactly 1,406 times in his career, earning the nickname the “Man of Steal.”

But there is always a risk. A player who tries to steal a base can be picked off or thrown out. Then instead of putting your team in scoring position, you hurt them by adding another out.

Yet to make no progression forward hurts the team even more.

As maturing believers in Christ, we have to be willing to move on to the better thing, to Jesus himself, instead of clinging to baby steps we might have learned as a child or when we were brand new to the faith. Not that those principles were wrong, but they were only milk. Jesus is solid food (Hebrews 5:13-14).

The grand scope of the Bible shows us the progression forward, as we read in Hebrews 10. The old covenant was the first step in God saving His people.

But the new covenant, the offering of Jesus, was the permanent order. This is the once-for-all place we want to be. It was his plan all along, as Jaime writes here.

3 Ways to Move to Second Things

How can we grow from first things to second things?

1. Learn from the first thing to propel you to the second.

When a baseball player makes it to first base, he doesn’t relax and take a seat. He stays engaged. He’s alert to the next person at bat, to the next pitch, to the base coach. He doesn’t want to stay at first; he wants to progress to second.

We, too, can learn from first things, without staying there. For example, the Old Testament scriptures are here for our learning. We can use them to increase our fuller understanding of God’s plan for salvation, and to better appreciate the completion of the plan in Jesus Christ.

2. Start with behaviors but grow into love.

Young children in Little League baseball and softball first learn the basics: how to hit, where to run, how to catch. But learning the rules is only part of the game. The truly passionate baseball players, the ones that stay with the game for years to come, fall in love with it.

When we first came to know Christ, maybe we were similar to the Little League players. We valued obedience to the rules above all. We checked the boxes of Bible reading, church attendance, financial offerings. But as we grew in faith, our motives grew beyond mere obedience into a genuine love for God.

Love is what keeps us engaged in the game for eternity.

3. Use your skills but don’t depend solely on them.

While the best baseball players need to be coordinated, quick, and aggressive, they also have to rely on the help of others to be truly successful. Each player need constructive feedback from their coaches, coordination from managers, advice from other players.

As children of God, we’ve each been gifted with a set of skills, too. They may serve us well and help us honor God. But our success doesn’t depend on what we do alone; we need our community to keep us straight.

And our ultimate deliverance comes solely from Jesus. Once we willingly give up our survival instinct for self-preservation, we see we’re safest when we throw ourselves into the arms of Jesus.

Make It Home

It happened in the fourth inning on May 1, 1991. The Oakland Athletics were playing the New York Yankees at the Oakland Coliseum.

Rickey Henderson of the A’s got on first base, then advanced to second on a single. To progress to the next base, he didn’t wait for a hit. He sped off second and stole third, breaking Lou Brock’s old record of 938 stolen bases.

He pulled the base itself out of the ground, lifted it above his head in celebration, and waved to the crowd as he received a standing ovation.

[watch it here]

Rickey didn’t just play baseball. He loved baseball. It was in his blood.

As we step off first base to run to second, let’s do so knowing that once we get there, we’re now home-free. No more base running is necessary. Christ has done it once for all.

Christ’s blood is now in ours.

Welcome to the big leagues. You’re safe here.

You’ve made it home.

Don’t stay on first base. Run to second. There is more there. Hebrews 10:8-10 #OnceForall

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Are you a risk-taker? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Once for All, the Plan All Along

July 16, 2019 by Jaime Hilton 1 Comment

This month on the blog we’re looking at Hebrews 10, which teaches us about the completeness of Christ’s sacrifice. Today we’re looking at verses 5-7 which reminds us that Christ was God’s plan all along.

“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

Foreshadowing

My favorite thing about a well-crafted story is following a character’s journey from humble beginning to glorious happily ever after. There comes a moment when everything starts coming together and you realize it’s wrapping up exactly the way it is supposed to. The ending was foreshadowed, hinted at, from the start. Not obviously spelled out, spoiling the story, but gently suggesting that the author does have and indeed has always had a plan.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” John 5:39

Verse five tells us that God’s plan to save humanity and restore us to relationship with him was set from the start. We see this in the story of the Fall (Genesis 3), when God is cursing Adam, Eve, and the serpent for their disobedience. He makes a prophetic proclamation, promising future redemption.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15

Since the time God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins, covering their sin and shame with a sacrifice, we have had the Law showing us the great divide between us and our holy God.

The Law

But the Law was never meant to save us. As Ali reminded us in last week’s post,

“Hebrews 10:1 shows us that the Old Testament Law was a shadow of the good things to come. It was a guardian that taught people how to live in the presence of a holy God until Christ came and gave His life once for all.”

In today’s verses, the author of Hebrews has Jesus quoting Psalm 40:6-8 as the reason He had to come. The blood of goats and bulls was only ever meant to cover sin. A perfect body was needed to wipe sin away completely.

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” 1 Peter 1:10-11

In Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, Elyse Fitzpatrick writes about how to read the Law as a love letter from Jesus. It’s not easy to see the gospel message in the rules about how and when to kill animals. But it’s there. The purpose of the Law, she says, is to teach and guide and ultimately show us how desperately we need to be rescued. It sets up the gospel and needs to be read and understood alongside the good news of the gospel, that Jesus came to do God’s will which was to save and sanctify us.

“The law and the gospel are partners in bringing us closer to him. He promises that he’s done everything for us, and we respond by desiring and seeking after him.” (Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, Elyse Fitzpatrick)

There is nothing we could do to, no way to be good enough on our own. The Law proves this. Only His perfect sacrifice could do the job. That was the plan, all along.

A Shadow of Good Things to Come

July 11, 2019 by Ali Shaw 1 Comment

(Today’s post looks at how the Old Testament Law and sacrificial practices were a Shadow of Good Things to Come. All this month on the blog we’re doing a series called Once for All and studying Hebrews 10:1-25 where we’re looking at the finality and completeness of Christ’s sacrifice.)

Each day, I clean my kitchen. And each day, dishes pile up again, counters gather new crumbs, and floors get fresh splashes and mysterious smudges. It’s a daily cycle of the clean getting dirty (again) and the dirty being made clean.

The Old Testament System

It reminds me a bit of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament.

There was a similar cycle of clean and dirty, relating to sin, of course. Each day, year by year, (and also at the yearly Day Of Atonement) God accepted the offered sacrifices and so covered the people’s sin. But each day, year by year, new sins “dirtied up” the hearts of God’s children creating the need for more sacrifices. The sacrifices reminded the people of their sins and their continual need for right standing with God.

The author of Hebrews reminds his audience of this fact in Hebrews 10:1-4.

1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Read that very last verse again.

It is impossible for bulls’ and goats’ blood to take away sins! So why did the Jews offer them?

In short, because God said to. But a longer explanation would tell how these sacrifices were a substitutionary covering of sin.

The Jamieson Faucett and Brown commentary puts it this way:

“The Greek, Hebrews 10:11, is stronger, explaining the weaker word here, “take away utterly.” The blood of beasts could not take away the sin of man. A MAN must do that (see… Heb 9:12-14).” (Bold emphasis, mine.)

Shadows of Things to Come

My toddler grandson noticed a shadow today, and for the first time, he verbally expressed his observation. We’d gone to an event and he was given a helium balloon. As we trudged to the car, the hot sun behind us cast the balloon’s shadow ahead on the asphalt. “Ball, ball!” He squealed and jumped in my arms.

It seems funny to be excited or content with a shadow, doesn’t it. But if it’s all you have? Well then, that makes the story different.

Hebrews 10:1 shows us that the Old Testament Law was a shadow of the good things to come. It was a guardian that taught people how to live in the presence of a holy God until Christ came and gave His life once for all. (See Hebrews 10:12 and Galatians 3:19-26)

The people only had the shadow and knew nothing else.

Until Christ came.

This Side of the Cross

The Bible tells us that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) His sacrificial act of laying down of His life was so mighty and so complete! Offered to everyone, it is enough to wash clean the hearts of as many as receive Him (John 3:16, John 1:12 and Romans 5:17-19).

Why be content with shadows to make us righteous? You and I likely don’t (okay, never) turn to the shadows of a Levitical sacrificial system, but maybe we turn to other things.

Are you content with shadows? (See Hebrews 10:1-4) Remember, righteousness comes by grace through faith! #OnceForAll

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Sometimes we seek righteousness through obedience. There is definitely a connection between the two, but it’s this: righteousness comes by faith. Faith is shown through obedience.

Good questions to ask ourselves are: What is my motivation for obedience? Is it faith? Does it originate from an inward change of faith in Jesus? Or is it works? Does it originate from the desire for an outward appearance of righteousness and holiness?

If works are the motivation behind things like reading the Bible, having a daily quiet time, praising God, praying, or fill-in-the-blank, that’s just a shadow. (For more on legalism read Colossians 2:20-23 and see this article.)

If faith in God prompts our obedience and devotion, then that’s the real thing! It’s only through faith in Jesus that our sins are removed and we are made right with God.

Like I said in the introduction,

“There is no work good enough and no deed powerful enough for us to remove our sins and thereby making ourselves righteous in God’s eyes. Only Jesus’ blood can remove sin, once for all. His sacrifice is final and complete! How beautiful and how freeing!”

True freedom and cleansing from sin comes by grace through faith Jesus. (See Ephesians 2:8-9) And that’s no shadow. That’s the real thing: grace and truth! (See John 1:17)

Is God calling you to give up any shadows to walk in real freedom?

Ali

Once for All: A New Series on Hebrews 10:1-25

July 9, 2019 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

(This month on the blog we’ll be starting a brand new series called “Once for All” where we’ll look intently at Hebrews 10:1-25 and the finality and completeness of Christ’s sacrifice.)

What Does it Mean?

All this month on the blog, we’ll be looking closely at Hebrews 10:1-25. This is a beautiful section of Scripture that brightly highlights the “once-and-for-allness” of Christ’s sacrifice. It is rich for study! This passage ties the Old and New Testaments together in a clear way (like all of Hebrews does, really). In it, we see that Christ completely fulfills the old system of Levitical sacrifices. And in the same vein, it is Jesus’ sacrifice that pays the debt of our sin. It is by the gift of grace through faith in Jesus that we are saved and made right with God.

Christ’s sacrifice is “Once for All.” And as a result, it should affect our daily walk in Him. But how?

Here’s a thought to start with: there is no work good enough and no deed powerful enough for us to remove our own sins! We cannot make ourselves righteous in God’s eyes.

Only Jesus’ blood can remove sin, once for all.

Yes, His sacrifice is final and complete! How beautiful and how freeing!

In Him,

Ali

Only Jesus’ blood can remove sin, once for all. Month long study of Hebrews 10:1-25

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Marriage Metaphor Series Wrap-Up

June 27, 2019 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

All this month here on the blog we’ve been looking at the Marriage Metaphor. Here is our series wrap-up. You can also click HERE for a link to each individual post.

Posts in Our Series

In the series introduction, I listed three things we’d learn about through this series.

“How does Christ, as the Bridegroom love us, His bride? And what can we learn from that?” I explored those questions in my post, How Christ Loves His Bride.

What is the role of Jealousy and the Marriage Metaphor? Jaime writes that, “God’s jealousy is an expression of His passionate and righteous longing to be in relationship with us.”

Do You Live Up to Your Name? Lisa reminded us that like an earthly couple, the Church has taken Christ’s name. We are “Christians” which means we “belong to Christ.” “Even though Christians don’t live up to the reputation of our bridegroom, we can still wear the name proudly and point others to Christ.”

In her post, God’s Invitation to Spiritual Intimacy, Cheli says, “While earthbound, God invites us to experience spiritual intimacy with Him, knowing it is only an inkling of our relationship with Him in Heaven.”

What is the role of Unity in Marriage and how does that point to Jesus? Kelli tells us, “The unity a man and wife share in one flesh is a reflection — albeit a dim reflection — of the unity we have with Jesus.”

In her post, The Adulterous Bride, Pattie reminds us that, “As the Bride of Christ, we are called to have eyes only for the Lord.” God knows our hearts’ tendency to wander, but “Despite our sin and our constantly wavering gaze, God adores His people. When God sent His son Jesus Christ for us, He redeemed us. He loves us so deeply, that despite our wandering ways He has made a straight path back to His arms!”

I pray you enjoyed our look at the Marriage Metaphor found in Scripture. Did any of our posts challenge or inspire you? If so, share with us in the comments or in our Facebook community! Also, please feel free to share this series with anyone you think it would bless. Our goal is to reach women with truth!

In Him,
Ali