Hebrews 12:18-24

Hebrews 12:18-24 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Exodus 19:10-18 LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain.” After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.” On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

Under the new covenant, Christians abide eternally in the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of grace and joy garnered by faith in Jesus Christ and his works of holiness. In contrast, entering the presence of God in the Old Testament, as revealed at Mount Sinai, represented a fearful experience, even though Moses consecrated the people and made them outwardly clean. At Mount Sinai the people remained under a cloud of dread and fear; the new Jerusalem provides peace with God, causing the angels to rejoice. The former ends with death; the latter leads to eternal life. The old covenant resulted in shame and bondage to sin such as Abel's blood crying out for revenge; Christ's redemptive work leads to freedom and peace. Only death could equal the scales of justice under the Law. As the Exodus passage reveals, even consecration, cleanliness, and abstinence from sexual activity do not cover man's sinful acts, his rebellious nature. Jesus said God sees our hearts, hears our every thought. Outward acts of holiness do not satisfy God's wrath, we must have a thorough inward cleansing, a "born again" experience. The blood of Jesus spawns a new creation, bringing believers into right relationship with Almighty God.

As children of God we live by faith in Christ, not by works. Good works will never secure a place in the presence of God. When we feel discouraged, condemned or defeated because of displeasing God in our flesh, let us abandon the pit of sin by placing our faith in Christ's work and not our own, by claiming his victory and not ours. At Mount Sinai the people did not please God because their basic sin nature of rebellion brought defeat. Though outwardly clean, their sins kept even the soles of their shoes from touching God's holy mountain. Jesus the mediator of a new covenant speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Thoroughly convinced of the power of the cross, the author of Hebrews uses the word better twelve times to describe the new covenant of grace and mercy (KJV). This new and better way brings us into God's presence where we call him Abba Father, and He calls us his children. We have so much more through Christ than what we have by our own works. Our works lead to death, but faith in Christ leads to life. Failing to recognize that axiom brings us under condemnation and finally judgment because we say Christ's work is not enough for salvation.

Now, what does all of this say about our daily lives? Since Christians love and serve Jesus, we should desire to please him because He has paid the full price for our redemption. Yes, we will feel sad when we fail or when our flesh gets out of control. But as we repent of our sins and ask God to cleanse us of the behaviors that do not reflect his nature, we grow in grace, strength and the knowledge of the Lord. Jesus works on the inside, changing us from the inside out. As we walk in sincerity and humility, trusting in the power of the cross, we take on the nature of Christ and become more like our heavenly Father. As we sit at the feet of Jesus, we will give more grace, exude more patience. The fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, naturally overwhelms the old nature with all its frailties. When change fails to occur, we need more of Christ, not less. We need to depend more on him, less on our own abilities. As we develop a close relationship with him and hear the Spirit more clearly, our hearts become more tender, and we allow God to control our thinking and behavior. In thankfulness and with tears of joy, we will do his work and shine for him in this dark world.