June 18, 2025 | Be God's Family
Christ's Sacrifice Made Us Perfect
Scripture: Hebrews 10:11-18(NIV)
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Devotional
My son, Joshua (a high school freshman), avoided me around the semester's end. When I asked him about his grade in Math (his favorite subject), he replied, "You do not want to know." I sensed the shame in his voice because he thought I would be disappointed by his grade.
At first, I warned him that school would continuously get harder and that he would need to grow. But I also reassured him that I would always be there with him, supporting and encouraging him as he continued to grow.
We will never be perfect, yet, as Jesus' followers, we are being made holy. Through His death and resurrection, Christ, once and for all, made us His new creation, whom God sees as holy. At the same time, He progressively cleans and sets us apart for His special use in our daily pilgrimage here. We should not be surprised, ashamed, or shocked that we still have room to grow.
God is not finished with us. We can encourage this growth process by deliberately applying scripture to all areas of our lives, accepting Christ's discipline and guidance, and giving Him control of our desires and goals.
A Call to action: Can you think of how to continue to grow and apply the scripture to all areas of your life?
Poem
How Good To Know
Psalm 9
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2
How good to know the LORD saved me!
How good to know the LORD’s grace!
How good to know He willed to lay down His life
“Once for all” saving our race!
How good to know all of God’s precepts!
How good to know life-giving law!
How good to know, pondering fully,
The ways in our lives which are flawed!
How good to know God’s full forgiveness!
How good to pass this to our friends!
How good to know, even to enemies
A grace that extends, never ends!
How good to know comfort in suff’ring!
How good to know the Spirit’s voice!
How good to know whate’er may happen
In everything—always rejoice!
