What are the good things that have come to us through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ?  Here are some:

1.     We are brought into the presence of God.  Before Calvary “the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing”  (Hebr. 9:8).  But praise God, there are now no religious “sections” of any kind that will block our way to the Father.  “Therefore, brothers….we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus”  (Hebr. 10:19).  This is powerfully demonstrated at Calvary when “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom”, Mt. 27:51.  The way is a “free way”, with an open Heaven – all because of Christ.

2.    A purified (clean) conscience, enabling us “to serve the living God”  (v.14).  Don´t let anybody puff you up because of your “wonderful” qualifications, your education, natural talents, charm, social position, theological knowledge, etc. as if they be great assets for serving the Lord.  We must all come to the place where we before God humbly acknowledge our own unworthiness and cling to the merits of Christ alone for our service.  A servant of Christ is redemption conscious –  not qualification conscious.

3.    We are partakers of “a new covenant” with eternal, spiritual riches.  The death of Christ has made that will valid.  Hebr. 9:15-17.  An old friend, a servant of Christ, reminded me in my early youth of this very fact and wrote in my first Bible:  “It is your privilege as an heir of that will to make use of its capital now available – every day!”  What a wonderful truth!

4.     We are going to see Him!  “Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him”.  Hebr. 9:28.  He will the appear, not as “a man of sorrows” (Isa. 53:3), but happy, glorious, smiling, without any burden of sin laid upon Him any more, but now enjoying in full measure “the joy that was set before Him”  (Hebr. 12:2) as the great reward of the cross.

“The goods things that have come!”  Or, as the Danish translation puts it, “The good things that have now become reality”.  So don´t let us behave like spiritual paupers, but let us lift up our heads, drinking from the brook by the way (Psa. 110:7) – the brook of blessings flowing to us from the new covenant through the blood of Christ.

-jn-

3.6.09