Saved and Sustained by Grace

Hebrews 2:14-18 

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

God in Christ shared in our humanity by becoming flesh to demonstrate His understanding of our frail state and the temptations we face.  But He lived without sinning in the face of all we face as He lived among us, and so made the perfect sacrifice for our sin as the lamb without any blemish, a holy sacrifice able to destroy death’s power over our helpless state, lost in sin with no other sacrifice able to release us from the fear of God’s judgement in wrath on our sin.  But we have been set free, saved from that wrath by Christ’s perfect atoning work up to and beyond the cross.  We are no longer slaves to sin, we who are saved by grace alone from this sentence of death, and have a certainty of eternal life that cannot be taken away.  He has destroyed the devil who held the power of death in accusations against us, for though they were true, the forgiveness in Christ has abrogated them entirely.  Therefore God has not given help to fallen angels (who are beyond help - Jude 1:6), but to the promised seed of Abraham by His promise to all nations.  This is why Christ had to be like us, a man, yet with the power as God as well.  He intercedes forever as both priest and sacrifice, paying the price to ransom us from our just end with the fallen angels.  He was tempted and suffered so that He can now help us in our temptations as well for our sanctification; His work does not end at salvation from His wrath on our sin, but adds abounding grace to finish the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).