Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

When reading the book of Hebrews, a person notices the repetition of certain ideas, such as the concept that we have a new, a better, and a more excellent covenant sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today's verses, the author of Hebrews says, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, and since we have Christ as our high priest, we should draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Given our new circumstance of holiness through Jesus' work at the cross, these verses encourage us to persevere because God is faithful, and they tell us to encourage each other toward love and good deeds and to meet often to worship and to minister to other believers. These words ring true to our ears even today when we think of the plan of God and the hope we have through our faith covenant with him. WE HAVE GOOD NEWS: THE BATTLE IS OVER, CHRIST HAS WON. God has made a way for us, and Jesus is that way, the only way.

Yes, in view of the grace and mercy that God has provided to us through his Son, we should enter his presence confidently, knowing that our high priest is making intercession for us right now, right this very moment. When I send someone an email or a message, I often say, "I am praying for you right now." I say that because I want the recipient to know their situation matters to me, is on my heart, and at that exact moment I am lifting them to the Father through Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Most of us have hard times or struggles in life. During life's trials, the prayer support of others means so much. Prayer is a lifeline that believers share, an anchor for us to hold onto in every situation. That is why Paul wrote numerous times to the churches and to Timothy, his spiritual son, to pray without ceasing. None of us will come before God's throne in heaven with heavy hearts because we prayed too much during our earthly journey. We may regret the times we forgot to pray or the times we offered absentminded or hurried petitions to God, but we will not regret earnest prayer because we know the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16 KJV)

As believers develop a personal faith walk with Christ as our Savior, God as our Father, and the Holy Spirit as our comforter and guide, we reach out to people of faith with encouragement, and we share our testimony with unbelievers, hoping they accept Christ as Lord of their lives. God calls every Christian to this ministry of hope and reconciliation. When Paul gave Titus instructions on how to deal with people as he awaited the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, he told this young evangelist to encourage and rebuke with all authority. (Titus 2:13 &15) Since God has written his thoughts on our hearts and put them in our minds, we can share confidently with those we meet: encouraging, teaching, and showing the way to victorious living on Earth and to eternal life with God. Sometimes in trying to encourage, I miss the mark a little or the person I try to build up feels threatened perhaps thinking I am being too spiritually minded to be any earthly good. But I try to treat others as I want to be treated. I try to share what I need: faith in Christ, hope in his sufficiency, and acceptance of God's unconditional love. Nothing blesses me more than having someone pray for me, encouraging and helping me overcome sin's temptations and my human weaknesses. Let us step out today with confidence that God has made a new way and given us the strength to walk by faith, trusting in his plans and not ours.