Hebrews 4:14-16

In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33 sheds light on our passage)

This was the verse that popped up in my YouVersion Bible app. Without that declaration, “I have conquered the world“, it would be difficult to connect “Taking heart” and “continued difficulties“. So, what does that mean, that Jesus has conquered the world? How much relief am I to expect in my continuing difficulties by virtue of His victory?

Jesus is presented to us in our passage as the great high priest. Why does the author give him status as “great”? The traditional duty of a high priest was to oversee the sacrifices and to offer up the blood of beasts in behalf of Israel’s sins. This inspired author points to Jesus coming down from His high place in heaven and taking on human flesh so that he could experience our frailty and temptation. He was great because in doing this He never once sinned. He was also great because He didn’t just oversee the sacrifices. He became the sacrifice, once for all.

His sinless life qualified Him as a spotless, perfect sacrifice whose death met heaven’s criteria, blood from an unblemished substitute, for the cleansing of mankind’s sin. It was in this sacrifice that He secured a victory for all who would believe in Him. It was at the cross that He conquered the world. This is what made Jesus a great high priest.

So, beyond the obvious gratitude and thanks that is due Him, what other application is there for us, now that we have a fresh reminder of God’s greatness? Two things; the first; Holding fast to our confession. In Romans 10:9-10 Paul ties our profession to our salvation. I don’t believe he was speaking only of the initial profession of faith our traditions require at baptism. I believe Paul was speaking of a life style of profession where our union and our experience with Christ is expressed throughout our lives in the midst of ongoing difficulties.

The second application is; Drawing near to God with with confidence. The early part of Hebrews 4 is discussing the essential nature of rest in a believer’s life. Resting from our works mentality (that thing in us that says approval from God is earned) will keep us from coming confidently before God. Resting in God’s work on the cross enables us to come boldly before His throne so that we may find grace in the difficulties we are told we will encounter in this world.

We live in a great cosmic war with men’s eternal souls as the prize. I can imagine our hearts as a kind of beach head in this earth, like Normandy in WW II, where The Lord of Hosts Himself has entered into a stronghold of enemy opposition. The ground we permit Him to take in our hearts translates into our confession (or the telling of our story). With the formidable weapon of our testimonies we combat Satan who is always saying something to this effect, “Just look around. You and I both know you are outgunned. We both know exactly who is in charge here. The reason that this world appears as a godless place is because it is a godless place. Hasn’t your suffering confirmed to you yet that God is absent or indifferent? Don’t you think that If God was as good and all powerful as He claimed, He would have relieved you of your suffering by now?”

On spiritual warfare. While there are no doubt great spiritual battles being waged in the heavens between intercessors and spiritual principalities, I think every believer is on the front line of the battle being waged on earth; one that may be ongoing right now in the midst of our own individual hearts. We will discover our destinies as conquerers as Satan’s lies are dislodged and rooted our of our belief systems. When we learn to watch over our hearts with all diligence, there will be a dramatic shift in the battle. The greatest warriors are those who have learned to rest.

I picture the end of times concluding with Satan’s last accusatory, condemning and intimidating lies being drowned out by our professions of God’s faithfulness; of His proven greatness in delivering us from and sustaining us through our continuing difficulties.

Father, give counsel to our hearts that we may arrive at Your perspective on the difficulties of our lives. Help us to meet You in the midst of life whatever comes our way. Show us where and how to resist enemy attacks and show us where to rest and entrust our circumstances to you. Amen.

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