SCRIPTURE
27And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:27-28
OBSERVATION
For those who have repented and believe in Christ our day of judgment isn't something to be feared, but something to be anticipated. No one rushes to something dreadful, but we all run to a free gift. This offering of Jesus, described in this chapter, as both our High Priest and our Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb is the free gift of salvation available to all. There should be a line out the door and around the block to recieve this eternal salvation that finds its ultimate culmination in Christ's soon return. Yet, I'll be honest. I don't often wake up an ask Jesus with excitement in my voice, "Is today THE day You're coming back for us?" I need a fresh revelation of this free gift that clealry I've been taking for granted (1 Cor. 1:7). Have I been "Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us" (Titus 2:13-14)?
APPLICATION
As a father of five boys I've spent years looking for the free! Today, for example is July 11th, which in my home means free slurpee day at our local 7-Eleven! I called a bunch of people to tell them the good news. You had better believe we are all there standing in line and were soon sucking down our Coca-Cola Slurpees on this hot day. Yesterday was Wednesday which meant a free chicken biscuit sandwhich at our local Chick-Fil-A. I called a bunch of people to tell them the good news. You had better believe we were standing in line and were soon enjoying "The Lord's Chicken". As we did one of my boys repeated a phrase they learned from me, "nothing tastes better than free!" Due to rising costs in just about everything we weren't planning on going to the San Diego County Fair. Then, this past Sunday our friend Dawn Hesse, provided our family with free tickets to enjoy the festivities. She worked for the fair and was able to gift tickets to family and friends. We had a person on the inside who got us inside and we had so much fun together. We called up the family to tell them the good news. You had better believe we were happy to wait in low for my first experience at the fair! What a waste it would have been stay outside with free tickets to go inside. We would never waste a free gift right? Free is worth waiting for yet we've grown tired of waiting for Christ's return and tired of telling others about Him. They say the best things in life are free, but Jesus proves the best thing is eternal life in Him! Today's reading reminds me that He paid for something I could never afford! If I truly understood what He has given me I'd be waking up every morning with eager anticipation for His return. More than a free Slurpee, free chicken sandwich, or free fair entrance Jesus has provided a way for me to freely live in His presence.
PRAYER
Lord, I'm setting up camp at Your mercy seat! I want to wake up every single day thanking You for the best thing in life- Your Free Gift of Salvation! Just the fact that I can sit here at Your feet, read Your Word, and live in Your glorious gift of forgiveness is more than I can fathom. You are worth standing in line for. You are something everyone needs to know about! Forgive me for taking Your free gift for granted and for not sharing You with others! It's never a waste of time to share the freedom that I've found in You!
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