Once for All!

I woke up early this morning, and was thinking of the old hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand"...particularly the phrase, "dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne." No wonder I get goosebumps when I sing that song...wow!

I am in awe of the good theology behind the old hymns. Not that there aren't good modern songs, but the amount of excellent Bible doctrine written in thousands of the hymns, doesn't even compare to the ones written today. Singing the old hymns growing up taught me sound Bible doctrine.

We're going through the book of Hebrews in Bible Study and I came away so encouraged yesterday, after reading through chapters 8-10, and hearing Michael Pearl teach on chapter 9. I've grown up believing imputed righteousness, but just realized it! :) Studying the Bible and learning new things is so exciting to me!

The old covenant--O.T. priests that were needed every year to offer blood sacrifices for the sins of the people-- was not good enough because of us (sinful people), so Christ came to provide a better way. "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect...By the which we will are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." He died once for all, for all sins--past, present, and future. There is such assurance of salvation in Hebrews 10, it's unbelievable! I wish I would've understood that when I was 10 years old. Jesus was the blood sacrifice for sin and "entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." So, when I believe (and keep on believing) in Jesus and what he did, God sees me through Jesus. I'm holy and clean through and because of the work of Jesus. I suppose I never understood the fact that I don't need to live in a guilty cycle of confessed/unconfessed...or be afraid that if I die at the "wrong moment" that I may not be saved. My salvation is not based on MY confession of MY sins and short-comings, but it's based in the work that Christ did on the cross. Now, instead of living in a guilty state, wondering if I remembered to confess to God all that that I've done wrong, I can just thank him for the Cross.

"living He loved me, dying He saved me, burried He carried my sins far away, rising He justified, freely forever..."

I'm complete, whole, forgiven, justified b/c of Jesus. This "old/Biblical" way of thinking has been a liberating thought to me. It puts all the glory and worship on Jesus...and there's no room for self.

"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:24-25

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised.")