Tag: Hebrews

The Law, the Heart, and the Mind

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Journal Entry// November 4, 2021

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10 ESV

God’s laws have been placed into my mind and written on my heart. I often struggle with the role of the law in the life of a believer now that Christ has come and fulfilled the law. If there is forgiveness of sin, surely there is no need to focus so heavily on God’s law. But this passage counteracts my faulty view of the law and reveals not only the true nature of my heart, but the heart of God for me.

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Soul Anchor

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Journal Entry // November 2, 2021

so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. [19] We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Hebrews 6:18-19 ESV

A sure and steadfast anchor of the soul… Hope. When I think of the word hope, I don’t immediately think about the surety of the thing hoped for. I use this word more casually and with no assurance. I hope it doesn’t rain today. I hope my favorite team wins the game. I hope I pass the test. This is not the hope offered here in this passage. It is not a wishful expectation to have my desire fulfilled. This hope from God is sure and steadfast. So much so that we are to anchor our soul to this hope.

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Constant Maturity

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Journal Entry // October 30, 2021

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:14 ESV

Maturity comes with learning obedience through suffering. Just as the Son of God learned through suffering, this pattern is set for us all. There can be no maturity without suffering. For maturity is the ability to discern good from evil. We must be trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. The implication here is that in order to choose the good and reject the evil, we must be familiar with sin. We must be engaged in a life filled with repentance and faith.

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Radiance of God’s Glory

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Journal Entry // October 27, 2021

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Hebrews 1:3a ESV

This is one of my favorite verses that always makes an impression upon me when I read it. I love the simplicity of the wording and how it all flows together. But more than that, I am always encouraged when I read this verse as it reminds me and realigns my mentality about the beauty and power of Jesus. My thinking about Jesus will drift over time to a place of comfort. Comfort in the sense that I will put Jesus in a box on a shelf in my mind and think to myself that I know him and can bring him out of that box whenever I need him. This verse reminds me how futile my think really is.

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