Delight in Grace

Jesus Christ intercedes for me in the presence of the Father to guarantee the promise based on his redemptive sacrifice. As Charitie Bancroft penned in a poem that is now a well-known Hymn:

Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea,

A great High Priest whose name is Love Who ever lives and pleads for me.

Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free;

For God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.

What is the function of a priest? What does it mean that Jesus Christ is our high priest? These are questions Pastor Rich answers from today’s text in Hebrews 7:20-28. Jesus guarantees that those who are in him are acceptable to God. This is vital to us because our ultimate objective is to draw near to God. So it makes sense that Jesus would be the one to say, “no one comes to the Father but by me.”

We who are “in Christ” can seize the hope set before us. This hope is the opposite of despair. Instead, we can patiently endure, looking toward our anticipated destination which is God himself who has drawn us to himself.  In the rescue boat of Christ, we may get splashed by the sea of unrighteousness, but we are guaranteed safe arrival, and are ultimately unaffected by the splash. This is a strong encouragement because what we know about our future impacts how we experience the present.

Today, Pastor Rich interviews Chris Wittlinger the director of Grace Counseling Ministry. Grace Bible Church's counseling ministry provides biblical counseling and support for those who are struggling with common yet burdensome life challenges. Listen in as Christ shares about the soul care that is happening in the Grace Counseling Ministry, and about how you can find help in your own walk through life's hardships.

Romans 1:18 informs us that the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

But the good news is that the Creator looks to our Self-focused land of doom in the sea of unrighteousness, and He makes a promise of rescue. The only rescue we have from the coming tsunami of God’s holy wrath is in God himself.

Jesus Christ is our rescue boat who takes to the Father. As people who are in the rescue boat – in Christ – we are people of hope because we have an anchor of the soul that guarantees our safe arrival home.

This is part two of the message entitled “The Anchor of our Soul”. It was first preached on July 29th, 2012.

If God is not the answer to the basic questions of life – the questions of origin, meaning, purpose and destiny – then you’ve affirmed yourself as the greatest and most important reality with nothing to live for but yourself.  That disposition leaves you with one destination – despair.

Romans 1:18 informs us that the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

In the first part of this message titled Anchor of the Soul, Pastor Rich discusses the road we take when self is the center and focus of the universe.  Let’s listen in.

Genuine faith does not remain alone and hidden.  It produces evidence of itself the more it matures.  Today Pastor Rich looks at how a mature faith in Christ will manifest itself, both out front and behind the scenes.  Rich speaks from today's text, Hebrews 6:9-12.

In Revelation 5:6 John saw that in the midst of the throne of God stood a Lamb as though it had been slain.  That Lamb is Jesus.   He went to the cross so He could bring us with Him into the presence of God.  Even now, Jesus, our High Priest, stands in the presence of the Father and speaks on our behalf, having taken the punishment for our every sin.  In today’s message, Pastor Rich pulls from Hebrews 8:1-5 and chapter 9:1-11 to show the beautiful duty Christ performs on our behalf: interceding for us in the presence of God.

Genuine faith does not remain alone and hidden.

If you are merely associated with Christ you will be frustrated and fall away from Him. You must surrender to Christ to move on to complete faith in Him. Investigation is not enough.  God calls us to immerse ourselves fully.