SPIRITUAL
DIARY
Date: 04-20-03
My
Worship Time Focus:
2nd comparison; ceremonial cleansing and conscience cleansing
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Hebrews 9:13, 14
1. Message of the verse: “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the
ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the
cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?”
(NASB) “For if sprinkling the
unclean with the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sanctifieth
to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (KJ21)
In these
two verses there is a comparison made between the outcome of the sacrifices
that were made under the OT and that of Christ’s sacrifice made for us in the
NT. The OT sacrifice worked on the
external of man while the NT sacrifice worked on the inside of man, the part
where the problem of man really existed.
The bloods of goats and bulls have already been discussed from previous
verses, however the ashes of a red heifer have not been talked about yet. This comes from the book of Numbers and
chapter nineteen. The word for unclean
in the Greek means to make common, this definition comes from Strong’s
Concordance. The ashes of the red heifer
were applied to things in order to make them clean, or ceremonially clean. These sacrifices are compared to the perfect
Son of God and the question is asked, “How much more will the blood of Christ
cleanse your conscience from dead words to serve the living God?” I think the answer is quite obvious.
2. Spiritual meaning for my life today: John Macarthur says that the word used for
conscience is used for salvation when it is used in the book of Hebrews and I
am not sure that I agree with that. I
can say that I believe that I have an overactive conscience, but when I think
of what it was before I was saved it is different in the sense that I know
without doubt that my sins have been forgiven, and in that sense I agree with
the interpretation of Dr. Macarthur.
It is Easter
Sunday morning and I am so glade for that first “Easter Sunday” morning when
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead assuring that His sacrifice for the world
was accepted by His Heavenly Father.
This is the most important event in the history of mankind because it
meant that there was made for man a way back to God, and without that all
people would have no hope of heaven only the reality of hell.
I am
thankful for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on my behalf, and I owe Him
my all throughout all of eternity.
The Word of God was very instructive and informative to me
as I read it this Easter Sunday morning.
My
Steps of Faith Today: First of all I am
thankful that we all had a safe trip yesterday, Kim & Tim from Cleveland to
West Palm Beach, and Sandy & me were also given safety as we traveled up
there to pick them up. I am also
thankful to the Lord for answering my prayer about not having any problems with
EBS in the physical realm, and not to many problems in the mental realm. I pretty much have the same requests this
morning as we go to Church with the kids, that the Lord would give me victory
over the effects of EBS in both the physical and mental realms. I must continue to trust the Lord to give me victory
over this fear that I have.
Memory verses for the week:
Psalm 40:9-11
9.
I have proclaimed glad tiding of righteousness in the great
congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.
10. I
have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy
faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy
truth from the great congregation.
11. Thou,
O LORD, will not withhold thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy
truth will continually preserve me.
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