A Better Hope

Have you ever tried to be perfect?  How did you do?  On the surface, this is not a bad goal.  After all Jesus Himself said, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  Perfection is required to be right with a perfect God.  But I'm far from perfect and I'm guessing so are you.  So, what do we do?  

We have some options.  We could just try harder.  We could come up with excuses.  We could blame someone else.  We could follow a system, work a program.  Seven Steps to a Better You.  It all sounds good...until it's not.  Until we realize it is all empty of the power needed for true change and transformation.

People are people everywhere and the original audience that first heard Hebrews looked for other ways to achieve righteousness and perfection also.  They were tempted to go back to the Law - a good thing, given by God on Mt. Sinai.  They were tempted to trust a system of sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sins and this system had a purpose, but only to show us our sin.  The Law has no power to save us from our sin.

But then the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world died on a tree He died once for all and declared before His final breath "It is Finished."  And then He rose from the dead so the author of Hebrews can say, "He has become a priest by the power of an indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16).

We have an invitation brothers and sisters.  A better priest from a different tribe has come to accomplish what the Law could not do and what we could not achieve.  Look to Him.  Fix your eyes on Him.  

"For the law made nothing perfect...a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God" (Hebrews 7:19)

"Run, John, run, the law commands,
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the Gospel brings;
It bids us fly and gives us wings."

May we be those who trust in the better priest from the tribe of Judah in the order of Melchizedek who fulfilled the Law and then bids us fly and gives us wings.  Fly high!  Be loved!  Soar!  Rejoice in this better hope which draws us near to God.

See you tomorrow,
Steven