-Persuaded Of Better Things PART 2
Last month we looked at a better priest, a better covenant, a better sanctuary and a better sacrifice. This month we’ll look at better blood, a better hope and better promises.
Better Blood that Speaks Better Things
We come “to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:24). Even though our sin nailed Him to the cross, yet His blood does not cry out for vengeance as Abel’s did (Gen. 4:10-12). We are not cursed for this deed. His blood is for reconciliation. His words confirm this, as He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34). Cain killed Abel because Abel obeyed God in offering a proper sacrifice. In turn his blood cried out for vengeance and a curse was placed on Cain.
When Christ was delivered up to Pilate for envy (Mk. 15:10), “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). But His was for the reconciliation of the world. Instead of the day of vengeance, it became the acceptable year of the Lord; instead of cursing, He Himself became a curse by hanging on the tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (Gal. 3:13-14). His blood is better than that of Abel, and therefore speaks better things to us who believe in Him. Our Lord Jesus is a better priest, serving a better covenant with a better sanctuary, on the basis of a better sacrifice, due to better blood that speaks better things. We now have a better hope established upon better promises which is a better substance. That hope is of a better country, because we obtain a better resurrection.
A Better Hope
“For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Heb. 7:19). Hope is not mere wishing. It is expectation with confidence that it will be fulfilled. The expectation is such that we would desire it sooner, rather than later. There are a number of things included in this better hope: “the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23), “the hope of salvation” (1 Th. 5:8), “the hope of eternal life” (Ti. 3:7), “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27), and “the hope of the promise” (Acts 26:6), referring to the resurrection of the dead.
The Law could only condemn us, for it was contrary to us; there is no hope for salvation through the Law or law-keeping. Through the Law came death: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law” (1 Cor. 15:56). The Law brought out our exceeding sinfulness; we have nothing in which to glory. There is no hope for glory in the Law or law-keeping. The Law and the promise are at odds, “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise” (Gal. 4:22-23). That bondwoman speaks of Mount Sinai, where the Law was given. Just as the son of the bondwoman was cast out without receiving the inheritance promised by God, so there is no hope of the promise by the Law or law-keeping.
Better Promises
Besides the promise of being raised again, there are other “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Pet. 1:4) under this better covenant. They are the promises of: eternal life (1 Jn. 2:25), the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49), being heirs (Rom. 4:13), eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15), new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:13), rest (Heb. 4:1), and His coming (2 Pet. 3:4).
The promises of the old covenant were concerning the land, its fruit, its city (Jerusalem) and its people (Israelites). Our promises concern spiritual and eternal things, that we “might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). The first promise made effectual to us is the promise of eternal life: “And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 Jn. 2:25). This life is in His Son, for “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (Jn. 3:36). God promises it; we believe it; and we have it now, so that at the moment we believe we are eternally secure, born into that family of God. Just as it is impossible to be unborn from our earthly family, so, too from our heavenly family.
This life is not called temporary life, but eternal life – but we wait for the physical manifestation of it. We can enjoy the abundant life the believer has on earth because of the eternal life God gives. “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (Jn. 17:3). Knowing God is the basis for life eternal, and as a result we can know what is right and good for our lives on this earth even while suffering. It is the next promise that introduces us to what is right and good.
The promise of the Holy Spirit is our seal for eternal life (Eph. 1:13): “Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you” (Lk. 24:49). That promise was the Spirit of God: “But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive” (Jn. 7:39). This was the Comforter, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (Jn. 14:17). His purpose for the Christian is to “guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me” (Jn. 16:13-14). It is the Spirit of God that is our conviction, our Teacher of the truth to teach us what is right.
When we walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), then we can live our eternal life abundantly even while in the flesh. If we don’t walk in the Spirit then we will “quench” (1 Th. 5:19) or “grieve” (Eph. 4:30) Him. To quench the Spirit is to not do those things He is leading us to do. To grieve Him is to do those things He is preventing us from doing. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).
The Spirit is also “the earnest” (or down payment) of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:14). We can live in the good of that inheritance even though we wait to actually possess it, just like Abraham who had the land promised to him, and who lived in and enjoyed it, but who never possessed and reigned over it.
The promise of being heirs has to do with reigning over this world with the Lord. The promise of eternal inheritance has to do with the heavenly sanctuary in the New Jerusalem, the center of which is “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb … the temple of it” (Rev. 21:22).
For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith (Rom. 4:13). So we see the promise of being heirs of the world is upon all those who are of the like precious faith of Abraham. Jesus told the 12 disciples that when He comes again to renew all things, they would sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Mt. 19:28). Our reward for following Him is as He determines from His judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10). As the parable of Luke 19:11-21 shows, that reward, based on our faithfulness, will be to have an amount of authority with Him when He returns to rule this world. As the Apostle Paul intimates in 1 Cor 4:6-8, we are not to reign now because we would be puffed up one against another. After our bodies are raised up and made like our glorious Lord, we shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev. 20:6)
After that, “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father” (1 Cor. 15:24). This is the end of the universe and world as we know it. But He promises a new heaven and new earth: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13). This was promised in the Old Testament: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isa. 65:17). Also, “The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment” (Isa. 51:6). “And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed” (Heb. 1:12). We can liken the universe to a pencil balancing on its sharpened tip. If the balance were tipped in any direction the whole universe would collapse. As Christians, we know Who holds all things together and by Whom all things consist. When the time comes, He will fold it up and start new. That’s His promise!
With that promise is the promise of rest. This rest we can enter now through faith in His work. This rest will eventually be brought into a Sabbath rest to be enjoyed without interruption by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son. In contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law, this Sabbath is the rest of God Himself. “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Heb 4:1). All the “rests” in Hebrews 4 except one, mean “to cause to cease.”
The rest in Hebrews 4:9 is the “Sabbath” rest. We can enter into rest by realizing that when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it was! Everything necessary for our salvation was done, completed, finished. He ceased from that work. For us to enter into it, we need to cease from any work which would add to it or detract from it. Our work now is for service, not for salvation, and there will be yet a rest from that, called a Sabbath rest.
The last of these better promises, not in chronological order, but in our patience for it, is His coming. “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Pet. 3:4). Jesus gave a parable, “because they thought that the kingdom should immediately appear. He said therefore, ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return’” (Lk 19:11-12). And when His disciples asked Him, “‘Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?’ He said, ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power’” (Acts 1:6-7). Along with His kingdom comes patience: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). It is the patience of Jesus Christ, for He also is longing to take His bride to Himself. We wait, and so does He. It has been almost 2000 years that this waiting has been going on, but at last, when the time is right, He will come. What a marvelous promise!
By Tom Steere
With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA. Website: www.gtpress.org
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