Living in the Spirit
November 5, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. –Hebrews 9:24-28

A few months after I moved back to Oklahoma City after finishing graduate school in Denver, the heat in my new apartment went out. I called the property manager and reported the outage but nothing was done. This went on for a month so when it came time to pay my rent the next month I informed the property manager I was not paying my rent until he got my heat fixed, and I did not pay it. Now I had looked up the law related to renters and was in compliance with it in my actions. This went on for another month and I did not pay again as he still had not fixed my heat. He sued me in small claims court for the back rent. I panicked and was telling my Sunday school teacher about this mess and he agreed to go to court with me. The judge greeted my Sunday school teacher and looked at him with a question on his face that said, “What are you doing here?” I told the judge I fully intended to pay my rent as soon as my heat was fixed. The judge ordered the property manager to fix my heat as soon as possible and when that was done I was to pay all the rent I owed. He fixed it and I paid my rent.

I knew that my Sunday school teacher was an attorney. I also knew him to be a man of high integrity and a dedicated Christian. What I didn’t know was that he was one of most highly respected attorney’s in the state who was way out of place in small claims court.

Hebrews is telling us in our scripture today that when we have Christ standing by our side we have the best representation possible. There is no greater advocate. What a wonderful gift of grace.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your presence with us each moment of each day. Restore to [us] the joy of your salvation, and sustain in [us] a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12) Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.