Friends, I had no idea when I wrote yesterday’s devotion that there would be a direct connection to today’s devotion, and I have to share it with you! So, today’s passage is from Hebrews 10, in the New Testament, and verses 5-7 are a direct quoted reference of verses 6-8 from Psalm 40, in the Old Testament, which were the first three verses from the passage in yesterday’s devotion. I just love how that divinely worked out!
I’m thinking that God knows there is a need to continue to work on allowing the Holy Spirit to break our religious mindsets so that we may be free in our relationship with Jesus. In complete transparency, I pray often for the Holy Spirit to overtake me and to remove any religious bondage from me. I want Jesus to be able to use me for the good of His Kingdom, and I realize that in order for Him to do that there is no room for my own religious judgement.
For those who are not familiar with the Old Testament Mosaic Law, it is the law which God gave to the Israelites through Moses. It began with the Ten Commandments and includes 613 Jewish commandments (or rules of religious observation) given within the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The Mosaic Law was the old system which included animal sacrifices to atone for sin. As we know, Jesus came into the world to put an end to the old system. A system that repeated over and over and over again, as a ritual, because it alone could not take away sin. In fact, it was a systematic reminder of sin, not a removal of sin. Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice, Who was/is/and will forever be The One Who takes away sin and removes the year after year reminder of guilt and shame. In Jesus there is no guilt or shame.
Religion can help us to put a band-aid on sin. It’s a temporary covering to make things appear on the outside like they are perfect. But, if we do not seek a thriving relationship with the Great Physician, Who is Jesus, that sin will never be healed by any religious band-aid. It does not matter what type of religion is used, how often religion is practiced, if the religion is changed, or how good the religion can cover up what is on the outside; all of it is fleeting and will never add up to the One and only relationship, with Jesus, Who came to do God’s will, and that is to save you and me from sin for all eternity! THANK YOU, JESUS!
Hebrews 10:1-7 NLT
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving us from sin. Help us to break any religious chains that we have so that we can grow closer and closer to You in our relationship. We lay down our sins at Your feet, and we cast away all guilt, because that is not of You. We ask this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.