The Word at Work

Welcome to our first episode in our series on 2 Peter.   In this Episode, we see Peter describing salvation in a way that we  don’t usually think about salvation. He describes salvation as  "Participation in the Divine Nature". He then unpacks what effect this  should have on how we live. 

Subscribe to our channel and become part of our online fellowship. The  Word at Work exists to help you be an everyday disciple of Jesus.   #2peter

In Hebrews 12:28 the writer exhorts us to ‘offer to God acceptable  worship’. This language means different things to different people  depending on their context. In Hebrews 13 the writer describes this  acceptable worship as a way of life and a way of speaking which brings  praise to God. Daily life and doctrine in practice are thus the way that  we worship God.This is a very different view to the one that sees  worship merely in terms of what happens in church or the songs we sing.

In Hebrews 12:3-29 we are given a description of Kingdom Life, that is  the way of life that we are to pursue as those who, in Christ, are  receiving a KIngdom that cannot be shaken (10:28). Once again the writer  reminds us of our privileges and responsibilites. As sharers in the New  Covenant we are part of the heavenly church and part of the family of  God. Therefore we are to fight sin and pursue holiness. In this God’s  loving discipline (instruction) is critical.

In Hebrews 11:1-12:3 we have a profound and powerfully motivating  description of the life of faith. It is by faith that we run with  perseverance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 11 shows that God’s  people were always called upon to live for the future and thus by  faith. But the greatest hero of the faith is Jesus Himself whom we are  called to imitate. The link between faith, sight, hope and the future  promise brings together the writers concern throughout the letter - that  we persevere in our faith in the Lord Jesus no matter what the cost.

In this episode we look at Hebrews 10:19-39, the response to the fact  that in Jesus we have become sharers in a new and better covenant. The  writer urges us to remember that we are living in the light of eternity  and the approaching day of judgement. With that in mind we are exhorted  (1) to draw near to God’s heavenly throne through Christ our mediator,  (2) hold fast to our confession of faith and (3) encourage one another  in personal fellowship and godly perseverance in our faith.

In this episode we look at Hebrews 8:1-10:18, a passage in which the  writer shows that the covenant that Jesus brings is far better than the  first covenant of which Moses was the mediator. Both came from God but  the first was temporary and fallible, at best a shadow of what was to  come.   The covenant in Jesus is the fulfilment of what God promised in Jeremiah  31, and succeeds for us because in it Jesus’ offers a perfect sacrifice  in the true Holy place -  the one in heaven of which the earthly  tabernacle with its ritual was just a copy rather than the reality.

In this episode we look at our response to the fact that Jesus is the  great high priest who has entered heaven and who remains a priest  forever. We see that in Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 5:11-6:12 we are  urged to hold fast to our faith by growing to maturity of understanding  of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. We are also warned that  since Jesus is the great high priest, He alone can save. To turn away  from Him is thus to forfeit the salvation he has come to bring.

In this episode and the next we will be looking at the central claim of  the letter, namely that Jesus the Son of God has become our great high  priest and that His priesthood is permanent and thus superior to all who  have gone before. This point is made and applied to the Christian’s  daily life in Hebrews 4:14-7:28. Today we are looking at the truth about  Jesus’ priesthood and in the next episode we will think about how we  are to respond to Jesus our High Priest.

In Hebrews 3:1-4:13 the author shows that Jesus is far greater than  Moses and that the Sabbath rest that Jesus gives is far greater than  anything that Moses or Joshua could give to the people of Israel in the  Promised land. God’s creation purpose of true rest and blessing in  relationship with Him is thus fulfilled by believing the gospel about  God’s son Jesus - today and everyday.

In Hebrews 2:5-18, the focus shifts from the glorified Son Jesus to the  incarnate, suffering Son Jesus. For Jesus the road to glory is via the  cross and it is there that he deals with our sin. But to do this he has  to become just like us, sharing our humanity, so that through His  obedience even to death, He can become our sympathetic high priest.  Furthermore, by His death Jesus defeats death and overcomes the devil,  thus setting us free.  

The Word at Work exists to help you be an everyday disciple of Jesus.  Subscribe to our channel and become part of our online fellowship.