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Christ’s Superior Priesthood, Part 2 Have you ever been in a conversation with a friend in which you were explaining a complex argument? After working through all the pieces, you might end with a summary statement by saying, “The point I am trying to make is . . .” Today’s passage opens in a similar way. Having worked through the complex...

Redemption in Christ’s Blood A military wife waited six months for her husband to return from deployment. Although she could look at photographs of her spouse and even communicate through video chats, those were never fully satisfying. They only built stronger anticipation for the day when he would arrive in person. Scripture tells us that,...

The Necessity of Christ’s Sacrifice In the Greek language, the word diathēkē can be translated as both “covenant” and “will” (as in a last will and testament). Understanding that double meaning helps us see the logic of the argument in today’s reading. Because the “new covenant (diathēkē)” established by Christ is also, in a sense, a last...

The Uniqueness of Christ’s Sacrifice A shadow is a mere silhouette of the person or object. From looking at the shadow we might be able to guess the object’s shape and size, perhaps, but only when we turn to the object itself can we see it with clarity and in detail. Scripture uses that same metaphor when talking about the old covenant: “The...

Faith, Hope, and Love As one Christian teacher put it, the Bible tells us “what is true” and then tells us “what to do.” Theology is never an abstraction or mental exercise; it always includes an application to our lives. That is also true for the book of Hebrews. Having laid out the great truth of Christ’s priesthood, sacrifice, and new...

Life in the Heavenly Jerusalem In Tolkien’s The Two Towers, Strider employs his acute tracking abilities to pursue his two hobbit friends who have been captured by evil orcs. The pursuit takes days and requires his single-minded attention to navigate across vast terrain in order to find his friends. That picture of an active pursuit of a...

Final Exhortations: Love, Purity, Contentment A recent poll asked people about their perceptions of Christianity. The leading negative impression cited was hypocrisy, the perception that Christians say one thing but live another way. The danger of hypocrisy is not new, and the final chapter in the book of Hebrews offers a series of exhortations...

It’s time for a reality check. What don’t you like about your church? Why not make a list—and then pray through it? No doubt some of the items are due to differences in taste or personalities. But where there are issues that can be traced to sin, ask for God’s forgiveness and transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit.

No matter what your biological family background is, you are invited to be part of the family of God. You can join by following Abraham’s example of faith. Turn to Jesus and trust in His life, death, and resurrection for the power to make you God’s child. As the song says, you will be so glad you are a part of His family.

The nature of the church’s task requires the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. No matter how persuasive our message might be, ultimately it is the Spirit who convicts people of their sins (John 16:8). Marketing and branding tools might have their place, but they will never be sufficient to add new believers into the community of faith.