Done Deal

 

Salvation is the deal. 

As we head toward Easter it will be what we are focusing on as we cover our United Methodist beliefs. This should an especially important topic to us as we think about confirmation in this time of the year. Our confirmation class is on its 4th week today. We are following a study by a Nazarene pastor and theologian, Charles "Chic" Shaver, who put together a series of Basic Bible Studies (now known as "The Journey"). Our confirmation group are asked to fill in the blanks with this study as they answer questions while looking up scripture references that correlate to the numbered format. 

One of the scripture we have touched on comes from Hebrews 10. In the midst of our Lenten season and here in the middle of our confirmation time, we are looking at the matter of our salvation as a done deal. It has been covered, taken care of, forever, in the hands of Jesus Christ. Lets look at what the writer of Hebrews has to say on the subject. 

Maybe we can work with that "fill in the blank" format as we look at the scriptures this morning. If you are following along at home, then it should be easy to see where your answers come from and should go. I'll make it as simple as possible. We are going to have a nice three-point message today. 

Sacrifices

For the entirety of the Old Testament, minus some moments when the Israelites did not have their Temple to worship in, the need for a sacrifice was all important to their religious experience. Every year, a lamb was to be brought to the Temple and offered to the priest who cut it open and give it to the altar and the fire. The smoke of that sacrifice would go up, as symbol of our prayers going up to God. The blood from the lamb would be sprinkled over the altar, a sign of the blood covering and marking us. What the writer of Hebrews notes for us is that law was simply a shadow of what was to come. We need to see the illustration in the moment of sacrifice and put the necessary correlation into the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was to be the sacrifice for our sins. Refereed to as "The Lamb of God", our Savior took our sins on his shoulders just as the blood from the lamb was supposed to cover a families sins for the coming year. Jesus takes our sins and covered them in such a way that the old system is no longer necessary. There is no need to keep repeating that old system over and over again. It means nothing now. It was simply a sign of what was to come. And, now it has. And, Salvation is open to everyone. 

In verses 2 and 10 from Hebrews chap 10, it has a particular three word phrases that need to stick with us. It is the "meat and potatoes" of this passage. 

² Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed _________________, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ __________________.

What Christ does for us is done for all time. It need not be repeated annually. It is over and done. The Lamb was sacrificed for our sins and the matter is closed. 

Priest

 Because of what Jesus has done for us, power and control has been established and founded in His name for all time. When a sacrifice was brought to the Temple it was given to the priest. This is one of the moments where we see Jesus being our All in All. He takes on many roles in our lives and sometimes he wears different hats. I could bring to the surface an illustration of multi-tasking. Anybody here actually good at doing multiple things at the same time. We aren't supposed to text and drive, but some people do it amazingly well. Some folks can't handle chewing gum and walking at the same time. It's even harder to carry on a conversation and watch your favorite television program. We are finite beings and we cannot fathom the ability to handle more than one thing at time. Maybe two or three things can be rolling around in our noggins. How does God do all that he does for us? In the matter of our salvation, he is the sacrifice and he is the priest - at the same time. Lets look closer at verses 11 thru 13. 

¹¹ Day after day every ______ stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when this ______ had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the _____________, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.

Covenant

It is important to bring to light what we are doing with God. We are in a relationship with him. We are in a covenant with him. That's a word we aren't very familiar with in our lexicon. We've heard references to marriage vows. We are used to thinking about friendships and close personal relationships with others. What exactly does a covenant mean for us in this religious context?

 

The noun really is what you expect with some legal jargon in just the right places. "a usual formal, solemn agreement." Sometimes written, Sometimes simply verbal between parties. A handshake might ensue. Prayers might be given. 

The verb side does give us some interesting things to think about.
It's one of those words that can go both transitive and intransitive at the same time. Makes me think about how God can be all things to us. If two or parties are involved in this covenant matter, then we can "pledge" to be there for each other. We can lean on each other and find the help we need in the moment we need it. It always go the other way. When we "enter into" it might feel like we are being handed a contract. The contract states that we have certain criteria that we are to uphold. There might be specific things that we have to do in order the covenant to be in effect. If anything get broken or does not get done by us, then we owe something in return. When was the last time you stayed at a hotel? There is usually a contract of some kind hanging on the door inside your room stating what you will charged if anything get broken. If you don't leave the premises by check out time, then you will get billed for another day for the time you spent there. 

The nice thing about our contract is that Jesus paid it all.

¹⁴ For by one sacrifice he has ___________________ those who are being made holy.

The subject here should translate to the matter of us following Christ and not doing anything that would run the bill up higher. Not only is Christ putting our sins behind us, he wants us to have a complete change of heart as to how we approach life.  We need to walk with him and be amazed at what has done for us and continues to do for us. The hymn writer, Charles Wesley, put it in his own words.

"And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

Be Amazed. Walk with Jesus and know what he has done for you.