Doug Van Pelt

Permanent

Hebrews 10 underlines the fact that Jesus' sacrifice for our sins was once and for all. Like much of the book of Hebrews, it correlates the sacrifice of animals to the sacrifice of Jesus Himself. The animal sacrifices had to continually happen, because the cleansing from sin was only temporary. The cleansing that comes from the blood of Jesus, however, is permanent.

"The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

'This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put My laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.'

Then he adds:

'There sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.'"

It is through this cleansing and forgiveness that empowers us to "hold unswervingly to the hope we profess" and "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." It is why why should "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..."

This forgiveness and pardoning of our sins is a contagious good virus that spreads and grows when we're together. Mistakes, sins, hurts, betrayals, gossip, slander, and all kinds of sins that have happened inside of church walls are damaging, but we should actually persevere through them and apply the healing grace and pardoning of sins (in the proper way, not glossing over sin). It is natural to want to withdraw and shy away from that which brings us pain. In some rare and extreme cases a temporary separation can be helpful when the main goal is restoration.

We know that God is pleased when brothers dwell together in unity.

Finished watching Subject To Change: The Making of ...And The Rest Will Follow, the Project 86 DVD. It is put together really well. It's mixed sweet, with loud, booming rock and roll accompanying the insider's documentary. It really makes me dig P86's music all the more.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at March 3, 2006 08:49 AM