Lighthouse scribes

V2 speaks of the consciousness of sin. This is the guilt that, through the natural man’s conscience, a person should feel when they do what is wrong. The sacrifices of the Old Testament were not perfect, as they did not take away the guilt. At best, they atoned in a way that they were not punished for the wrongdoing, but the guilt and shame stayed. The sacrifices served as a constant reminder that they were sinners, just as Jesus sacrifice serves as a reminder that we have been redeemed.

Jesus came to earth to do the will of God.

V5-10 elaborates on Jesus’ purpose on earth, but verse 7 captured my attention. There’s only one way for us to live; it’s to know God’s will and do just that. Christ knew what the Father desired, and He didn’t try to do what might have been easier for Him at any time. Both the New and Old Testaments point us to the fact that our entire existence is to glorify God (Isaiah 43:6-7, Phil 1:20, Corinthians 10:31). Living for God is not relegated to the ‘religious’ part of our lives. If we live in such a way that we compartmentalise what areas we bring God into, we do not know what we are here for or made for. We have not fully known God. Contrary to popular belief, God hasn’t given you a brain first of all to be independent in your thoughts. There is the divine in everything we are and do, for in Him we live and move and have our being.

Put it on God.

The Will of God (the Father) v10.

The Work of God (the Son) v12.

The Witness of God (the Holy Spirit) v15.

Total package with no hidden charges. God took care of everything required for our salvation and sanctification.

So?

We can boldly go to God without requiring a human intermediary v19.

We must go to God in sincerity and with trust v22.

We must hold tightly to the hope we profess in v23.

We must encourage one another to love and to do good deeds v24.

We must not quit meeting as Christians but continue in fellowship to encourage one another in the faith v25.

We must not deliberately continue to sin; the consequences are dire, and a person will go from being held in His hands to falling into His hands (incurring His wrath and judgement) v26-31.

We must persevere in God’s will. We were made for eternity and should live with that truth in focus v35-39.

The early Christians didn’t have an easy life, and the only Christians who can even remotely relate to the life they lived are those in nations where persecution is rife. As a Christian, it grieves me when a gospel hinged on earthly prosperity and wellness are the benefits we preach loudly as the evidence or rewards of following Jesus. God will give us what we need; He has promised to supply what we need (Phil 4:15-19, Matt 6). We will not all have the same amount, but if we are faithful in our work, he will bless it and meet our needs. Christians were persecuted for political, economic, religious, and social reasons, and it hasn’t changed today. Christians are persecuted because we belong to God. In a paper released by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, at least 52,250 Christians were reported to have been persecuted and killed in Northern Nigeria between 2009 and 2023. OIDAC Europe in the 2022/2023 report reported a 44% increase in persecution of Christians in Europe. All over the world, there’s an increase in the discrimination of Christian values and Christian views. I know there’s a limit to our fight in this world because we are not called to fight for earthly supremacy. However, are we sleeping on what matters? Are we invested in God as we ought to be? Are we walking in His steps and raising a godly generation that lives to glorify Him? For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink but of living a life of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).

Love,

Osi

P.S

Make it a duty to pray for the Christians globally, that our strength will not fail.

Make it a duty to pray for persecuted Christians (specially), that their strength will not fail.