PRECIOUS PROMISES

Jesus is our High Priest. We have an advocate with the Father. The promises in the whole Bible belong to those who acknowledge His position, His sacrifice, His holiness and His position in the eternal heaven of heavens. This is a day by day lifestyle; not only once upon salvation and baptism. It is a way of life for us.



I was reading this morning from the Book of Deuteronomy in Chapter 26:3,18,19 of the position we as a designated nation of priests (intercessors), one new person in Christ Jesus. The veil of the temple was torn asunder, from top to bottom (from heaven to earth) when He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. His sacrifice reverberated throughout the entire universe. Things changed for all of eternity.



The verses in Deuteronomy say that we shall go to the Priest who is in office at that time (for us this is Christ) and say to Him, I declare this day to the LORD my God that I have entered the Land which the LORD sworeth to our fathers to give us. This is a land of milk and honey. Although living in a sinful world, surrounded by the influences of the enemy, spiritually we are residents of a land of milk and honey. While living with and for Him, we are seperate and holy unto God.




The verses continue to declare that we are to be, and we are, His people, a treasured possession to Him and He has promised us as we keep all of His commandments. The most important of these being to love the LORD our God with all of our heart, soul and mind. If we do this, all other things will fall into place.



He promises that He will set us high above all nations, and He made them all, to be a praise, for fame and for honor. He says we will be a consecrated (set apart) people to the LORD our God. He has declared and it is so.



Hebrews 10:19-22 declares unequivocally tht we have confidence to enter into the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He inagurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. Since we have such a great High Priest over the entire house of God (all of creation; the universe included) if we draw near unto Him with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience our bodies washed with pure water (a daily, hourly process that never stops while here on this polluted planet), LET US HOLD FAST the confession of our hope without WAVERING, for He who promised is faithful.




I cannot imagine being a High Priest, who went into the Holy of Holies once a year into the very presence of God. What an awesome, fearful thought. If he were to have any stain, sin or if he did not enter in the proper manner, he was a dead man! But now, through Christ, we can boldly enter into the presence of the Father to make our petitions known. And, most important of all, we have an Advocate sitting at His right hand; a position of authority. May our petition be to be more like Him, to fulfill the His admonition and promise that we are His treasured possession and that we keep all of His commandments. He will truly set us in a high place in the heavenlies (which is where all of the action is occuring, after all) and that we will be high above the distress, sin and worry here on earth. He has made us for His praise, His fame, His honor as we continue to consecrate (set ourselves apart) to the LORD our God.




I am reminded of song I learned as a child in Vacation Bible School. How important it is for us today:



"Every promise in the Book is mine;
Every chapter, every verse, every line"



Let us continue to encourage one another to love and perform good deeds in His name. Draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.