This is the last unit before the main turn to really embed into the hearers the importance of bold faith and unity.
10:1-18 wraps up the teaching that the ministry of the old covenant, as good and important as it was, pointed to a new covenant in Christ that is eternal. The old covenant could deal with sin in a temporary way, but the new covenant deals with sin in a permanent way by making us holy (v. 10).
This is one of the main distinctives of United Methodist (Wesleyan) theology: an essential aspect of the Christian faith is that God's will is that we be holy people and that means toward that is Christ's sacrifice for us and continued work in us.
You and I are not meant just to be forgiven...we are meant to be freed from the power of sin. We are not meant to be only be justified...we are meant to be sanctified. We are not meant just for our past sin to be wiped away, but for our present and future to be lived apart from sin.
So, a new law is at work - a law of holiness and love that springs from a new covenant with God through the ministry of Jesus the sacrifice and priest.
So, I'll leave with a prayer from John Wesley:
O merciful Father,
do not consider what we have done against you;
but what our blessed Savior has done for us.
Don’t consider what we have made of ourselves,
but what He is making of us for you our God.
O that Christ may be “wisdom and righteousness,
sanctification and redemption”
to every one of our souls.
That His precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins,
and that your Holy Spirit may renew and sanctify our souls.
May He crucify our flesh with its passion and lusts,
and cleanse all our brothers and sisters in Christ across the earth.
O let not “sin reign in our mortal bodies,
that we should obey it in its lusts.”
But, “being made free from sin,
let us be the servants of righteousness.”
Let us commend our hearts to you,
and let all our ways be pleasing in your sight.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
do not consider what we have done against you;
but what our blessed Savior has done for us.
Don’t consider what we have made of ourselves,
but what He is making of us for you our God.
O that Christ may be “wisdom and righteousness,
sanctification and redemption”
to every one of our souls.
That His precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins,
and that your Holy Spirit may renew and sanctify our souls.
May He crucify our flesh with its passion and lusts,
and cleanse all our brothers and sisters in Christ across the earth.
O let not “sin reign in our mortal bodies,
that we should obey it in its lusts.”
But, “being made free from sin,
let us be the servants of righteousness.”
Let us commend our hearts to you,
and let all our ways be pleasing in your sight.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Then he adds:
ReplyDelete“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”[c]
Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
(Casting Crowns)
Done, once and for all eternity. Sin is defeated.
Here's a prayer on sin I learned as a kid . Loved it then ; still do . I don't know if it fits in with Wesleyan theology or not .......
ReplyDeleteO my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins,because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee , my God ,who art all good and deserving of all my love . I firmly resolve , with the help of thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.