Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
When God speaks to us through Christ and His Spirit, we dare not refuse to hear and turn, for this is the repentance that leads to faith taking eternal action. We may refuse to listen to others He sends, but dare not but turn our deaf rebellious ears to the word of Him who speaks from the heavenly throne, the sovereign one over all creation, who allows no escape from sin’s penalty of God’s just wrath if we refuse. He shook the earth when speaking to Moses (Exodus 19:8) and promises to shake the earth along with heaven (Haggai 2:5-7) in the end, but we need not fear who are Christ’s as His Spirit in us testifies to this new covenant which cannot be broken (Ephesians 1:13-14). When He shakes all in that last time, we alone who are His remain, and this promise of an unshakable kingdom given by grace through faith allows us to live in grace to serve Him with godly fear and reverence. This calling to obedient holiness reminds us of the former fear of unending torment by the consuming fire of God’s hatred of our sin’s tainted works which we faced apart from His work, and brings thankful following of Him in response. We who are reborn have not refused Him who speaks through Christ, and so stand assured and in awe with holiness in willing obedience.
No comments:
Post a Comment