Project Ezra Hebrews 2 - So Great a Salvation

Hello Project Ezra!  I pray that you all had a wonderful resurrection Sunday.  Thanks to those of you who participated in Mission Good Friday.  We had several dozen people participate from all over the world.  There were some great pictures and testimonies posted, and I am in the process of putting some of them together to post on the blog shortly.  I’m sure they will be an encouragement, and they will be great to forward to friends and church family who may have considered participating, but have not done so yet.  If you have not posted your testimonies, pictures, videos, etc. on the event page or main page yet, please do so.  They truly make a huge difference.

This week’s chapter, Hebrews 2, is very powerful, and includes some great verses and subjects, many of which could justify a post all by themselves.  But this week we will be looking at how profound Christ’s sacrifice on the cross really was.  Under the best of circumstances, with the best of intentions, the truth that God the Son chose to humble Himself and die is very difficult to wrap one’s mind around.  It seems we often take it for granted, and treat it in such a light manner that it is clear that we really haven’t considered the implications.  It was not a good man who died on the cross.  It was not a great prophet, or a powerful human ruler.  It was God the Son.  It was our creator and judge, who chose to die and rise to become our advocate. 

When we think about that fact, it should amaze us and humble us.  When we share that truth with others in our evangelism, we should pray that they are impacted by that truth.  Just as God’s nature and character must be at the heart of the preaching of His law to bring the conviction of sin, the preaching of his grace and mercy must be built on the foundation of the deity of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.  That great truth should impact us daily, and we should pray that we would handle that truth carefully and faithfully, and that it will impact those we talk to as well.  So think about that truth with your reading this week, and preach Jesus Christ, God the Son, crucified for our sin and raised to be our advocate with the Father.  What a great God we serve!!

All for His glory,
Dan

Today I will be sharing of the truth of God’s salvation

Reading of His word, words inspired/breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

This message, we are told, proved to be reliable, and that is the case

In the passage it says we must pay close attention, lest we drift away

We encourage you to pay close attention, and hear the great gift we have been given

Read Hebrews 2

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

Salvation of men by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice the greatest act since the creation

First, need to understand who man is, and who God is

God is the creator

For whom and through whom all things exist

He created us, and we are His

God is holy.  Perfect, pure, unchanging, and just

Justice means will see that every sin, every breach of His law, will be punished

I must tell the bad news first, but please don’t leave without hearing the good news

Every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution

Man is wicked, evil, sinful, selfish

Man in rebellion against God, does not seek Him

Romans 3 says As it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

                                no one understands; no one seeks for God.

                All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

                                no one does good, not even one.”

                “Their throat is an open grave;

                                they use their tongues to deceive.”

                “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

                                “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

                “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

                                in their paths are ruin and misery,

                and the way of peace they have not known.”

                                “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Look at yourself in light of God’s law, and see if that is true

The law given as a mirror, to show how we reflect God’s holiness

Have you told a lie?  All of us have.

We often treat lies as a small thing, but the Bible says all liars will have their part in the lake of fire

Have you ever stolen?  Even if what you stole was small, it still makes you a thief

No thief will inherit the kingdom of God

Have you committed adultery?  If you have even looked with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart.

You may say that you’ve never done anything really bad, like killing someone

But God’s word says anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life in him

Says anyone who calls someone a fool is in danger of judgment

Every one of us, including me, have sinned more times than we can count

God is a perfect judge, will see to it that all sin is punished perfectly

Bible says sinners will be punished in a place called hell

Weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth.

Fire, pain, and separation from all God’s goodness for all eternity

Even the smallest sin is infinitely sinful against an infinitely holy God

So the punishment and suffering in hell will also be infinite.

That is the bad news.  But there is good news!

Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, bore our suffering

God make the founder of their (our) salvation perfect through suffering

Sin was paid for through His suffering on the cross

This is incredible.  Need to understand how amazing this sacrifice is

Need to remember who made that sacrifice.  God the Son

God said He:

Made Him a little lower than the angels,

Crowned His with glory and honor

Putting everything in subjection under His feet

Nothing outside His control

God made His own Son a sacrifice for sin.

He said:

By the grace of God He might taste death for everyone

Through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil

Deliver those subject to lifelong slavery

God the Son, our judge, became our lawyer before God, our high priest, offering Himself as sacrifice

A faithful high priest in the service of God,

To make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Anyone who repents and trust in Christ alone can receive that propitiation, that satisfaction and payment for sin

Have you done that?  Have you turned from your sin, and put your trust in Christ alone to save you?

Do you desire Christ?  Do you hate sin?

God says he will take out your heart of stone, give you a heart of flesh (Eze 36:25-27)

You will never be perfect, but you will also never be the same

Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.

If you are not, take your eyes off the world and your sin, and fix your eyes on Christ

Today is the day of salvation.

Trust in Christ while He has given you time