SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2022 9:00 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: PT-4
“The Principle Stated”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
15:10-11
Message of the verses: “10 And after He
called the multitude to Him, He said to them, "Hear, and understand. 11 "Not
what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth,
this defiles the man.’”
MacArthur comments on not worshiping God when
ceremonially unclean: “God’s forbidding
a person to sacrifice while ceremonially unclean was a picture of not coming to
worship Him when not spiritually clean from sin. Outward cleanliness was a picture of inward
cleanliness. The Old Testament nowhere
teaches that circumcision, a ceremonial cleansing, refraining from certain
foods, or any such outward act—even though prescribed by God—could save a
person and make him right with the Lord.
As Paul makes clear, Abraham was counted righteous on the basis of his
faith—before the rite of circumcision, or any other rite, was established. Circumcision was but ‘a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised’ (Rom.
4:1-12). That is why, even from the
earliest days of the nation Israel, God’s command was to ‘circumstance…your
heart’ (Deut. 10:16; cf. Jer. 4:4).” I
hope that this quotation will be a good review for believers and also something
that new or unbelievers can learn from.
I
have mentioned a number of times that I am teaching through the book of Hebrews
in our Sunday school class and one of the things that one has to understand
about Hebrews is it is a commentary on the book of Leviticus, and neither can
be properly understood without the other.
The author of Hebrews reminds his Jewish readers that the Old Testament
sacrifices were but pictures of the real, true, perfect, and complete sacrifice
that Christ made on the cross. Hebrews
teaches that the Old Testament priests were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly
things” (Heb. 8:5). The tabernacle and
its Holy Place were “a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are
offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they
relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body
imposed until a time of reformation” (Heb. 9:9). The time of reformation was the time of the
ministry and sacrifice of the Messiah, God’s Son. Paul tells his readers in Romans that there
is nothing wrong with the Law “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is
holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12).
Now just because the Old Testament Law is holy and true does not mean
that it is not “a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of
things” (Heb. 10:1). MacArthur writes “It was always God’s desire and
intention that His people ‘draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of
faith, having [their] hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and
[their] bodies washed with pure water’ (Heb. 10:22).
I
think it is best for me to stop here and finish this section in our next SD.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Drawing near to God with a sincere heart is
something that has been on my mind for a while, and I certainly desire to do
it.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord as our grandson Jagger is
having knee surgery today.
7/14/2022 9:52 AM
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