Worship “Coming Back” by Thrive Worship
Scripture
“First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’
“Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’
“And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.” -Hebrews 10:8-18, emphasis added
Wonder Let the power of those words wash over you. The Perfect One, who made the one and only sacrifice to make you perfect, declares it done—the only perfect sacrifice ever, once and for all time. And it was yours at salvation and throughout your consecration and sanctification till you see Jesus face-to-face. You have received His holiness. You have received His perfection. You have been forgiven, cleansed, and purified. He did it all, and it’s His covenant promise He does not retract based on your imperfection, disobedience, or sin. Holy Spirit, wash us with the power of Your word this morning that we truly believe Your promises to us and live under the blood of this glorious promise. Let us draw near to You 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. As I sat with the Lord on this passage of Scripture, I penned the words He was speaking to my spirit: Either My blood covers you and all of your faults and sin—known and unknown—or it is not sufficient. I have already decided it is enough. You have to agree and believe that My blood is enough to cover and wash you. Once you can receive this, you walk in truth, repenting of unbelief—all unbelief. Nothing you do adds to the efficacy of My blood. It was the perfect sacrifice for sin. So, all of your self-loathing, guilt, pride, and attempts at righteousness will not equal My sacrifice. Come and commune with Me under My powerful blood. It’s enough; it’s the only thing for your righteousness and purity. There are no additions. My blood and your obedience don’t equate to holiness. My blood gives you holiness. My blood gives you access to a life of faith and righteousness. Your actions don’t make the way. I made the way. I loved first. You live in response to all of this. Even repentance is response—it’s not initiated by you but by My Spirit. It’s Me drawing you to Myself in invitation. But your faith, your surrender, your belief, your obedience are expressions,—deep unto deep, heartfelt expressions of responding to Me in love. It is not to earn something from Me—I already did that—but to receive the healing, deeper consecration, and sanctification of My life in you. So just come to Me in the simplicity of response. Allow Me to wash and cleanse, heal and restore, make new, and lead you to new frontiers in Me. If I could give My life as the one and only perfect sacrifice, do you not think I can transform your life to live as a perfect sacrifice holy and pleasing to Me? There is something so freshly revelatory in this passage of Scripture that Holy Spirit is highlighting! As evil is no longer hidden, many are falling away from the true gospel, and churches are filled with a mixture of Old and New Covenant theology, we are reminded afresh that He did it all. His sacrifice was perfect, and it was enough for your brokenness and mine. We add nothing to it. Nothing. There can be a fresh sense of awe and worship in that reality, when we turn from striving and enter His perfect rest of substitution, redemption, and holiness. Breathe that in and let it wash over your tiredness, shame, straining, spiritual exhaustion, and the hope that you are somehow measuring up to His expectations. His perfect blood says you measure up and stand in the completed work of Christ. “The Christ who died on Calvary’s cross, will not have to die again for my new sins, or to offer a fresh atonement for any transgressions that I may yet commit. No; but, once for all, gathering up the whole mass of his people’s sins into one colossal burden, he took it upon his shoulders, and flung the whole of it into the sepulcher wherein Once he slept, and there it is buried, never to be raised again to bear witness against the redeemed any more for ever.” -Charles Spurgeon “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God … .” -Hebrews 10:12 “In contrast, the seated posture of Jesus is important. It shows that His work is finished. He doesn’t need to stand ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices as priests under the Old Covenant had to. Jesus still ministers in heaven – He has a ministry of intercession for His people. But that ministry flows from His completed work, so He can adopt a posture of rest – He sat down at the right hand of God.” -David Guzik, Hebrews 10 commentary Your heart can take this same seated position with Christ. What He completed is yours for the taking today. It’s time we cut loose from the cords of unbelief that doubt the sufficiency of His sacrifice or limit the depths of grace that flow from this very spiritual reality. We must choose to step across the line of unbelief that says we must add our righteous acts to the blood of Jesus. That’s an impossibility that has its roots in pride and self-righteousness. Instead, we stand under the blood of Jesus and submit our hearts and lives to His sanctifying work as He makes us more and more like Himself. And from this place flow faith and works, in perfect worship, anchored in the cross and resurrection from which you stand. “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” -1 Timothy 4:10 This morning I invite you to be washed in this truth so that the chains of heaviness, lack of approval for yourself, unbelief, and spiritual exhaustion can fall at the feet of Jesus. He wants you running in freedom today with the wisdom of heaven because of all that He accomplished as your perfect sacrifice. It’s time to lay down everything that keeps you looking back and fix your eyes forward on Jesus! Stop looking back. The clock is ticking, and we don’t need to waste any more days or moments trying to earn His righteousness or forgiveness. You have it, now breathe it in, and run in forgiveness, wholeness, and freedom in Jesus’ name!
(Article is from Julie King at jking@eastwest.org August 16th, 2023)