Bible Studies

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The Letters
Hebrews 12:18-29 – House Cleaning
Key Verses: (MSG)

• 18-19: “Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai--all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble-- ¹⁹to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged Him to stop.” – The writer of this letter is describing the differences in our relationship with God before Christ. These verses speak of the “then.”
  
  
• 22-23: “No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels ²³and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just.” – And this is the “now.” God is no longer distant and threatening but lovingly near, instead.
  
  
• 24: “You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's--a homicide that cried out for vengeance--became a proclamation of grace.” – Grace: a love beyond all understanding.
  
  
• 25: “So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings?” – The writer, just as the prophets of old, has been inspired by God to bring an important message to His people.
  
  
• 27: “The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.” – The earth will crumble and God’s kingdom will endure forever.
  
  
• 28-29: “Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. ²⁹He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and He won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” – God works intently on cleansing us of our sins; teaching us how to live holy and worshipful lives. He is persistent as the fire of His love inspires and leads us to His glory.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• What is your image of God? Are you fearful of Him? Do you tremble at His voice? Are you begging Him to stop? Is He distant, cold, and uncaring? Or can you crawl upon His lap and feel His loving embrace? Do you seek Him when you need comfort or shelter from the storms of life? Does His voice fill you with contentment and happiness? Are your fears and anxieties erased and have you experienced His eternal peace? Are you allowing Christ to be your mediator into the Heavenly City and the infinite love of God?
  
  
• Are you turning a deaf ear? Are you listening to the warnings? Do you allow Christ to change and transform you into His holy image or do you resist and remain firmly entrenched in your earthly ways? Are you increasingly moving towards becoming a fully devoted disciple of Christ or are you comfortably sitting along the roadside not willing to take another step? What heavenly warning does Christ have for you today? What new journey of faith is awaiting you?
  
  
• Is your house being cleaned? Are you allowing Christ to clean up “all the historical and religious junk” that is cluttering your life? Are you like the Hebrews, desperately clinging to your past and not looking forward to the new future that Christ has to offer? In your tendency to hold onto to things you have come to value are you eliminating Christ’s ability to prepare you for greater things? Have you established any entrenched biases or opinions that are blockading God’s cleansing fire from entering your heart? If so, do you feel God’s persistence knocking?
  

Promises of the Gospel:

God pursues us with a love so deep and wide that we can become overwhelmed by its intensity. His fires are poised and ready to sweep into our hearts in order consume all that is in the way of becoming the disciples He is calling us to be. He offers a future that cannot be imagined. All we have to do is open our hearts and allow Him in. We need to set aside our tendency to grasp onto the past, regardless if that past is good or evil, and allow Him to change and transform us into beings that reflect the holiness of Christ. Our destination is guaranteed if we allow Him in.

FUMC Devotionals

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