Living in the Spirit
November 6, 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

If We view sin as separation from God then for Christ to remove our sin, his sacrifice of himself somehow, miraculously even, reconnects us to God forever. Scriptures exist to help us understand this. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29) For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The difficult truth is we can be connected to God or another person and not be engaged with them. I love the imagery of being yoked with Christ. Two animals yoked together are capable of pulling more than the sum of what they can pull separately. Two animals pulling against each other creates chaos, resulting in neither attaining their full capacity of work.

The way of God leads to a kingdom of mercy and justice for all. When we pull together toward that end the resulting synergy makes for better progress. When we pull against Christ and each other, we postpone the fruition of the kingdom. The hard part is investing our trust together in God to show us the right path and not letting our own definitions of mercy and justice stall our progress. Of course, that has been the problem since the beginning chapters of Genesis. Are we able to start toward the kingdom by finding the few things on which we can agree and doing them together and through that process begin to see and understand the depth and breadth of God’s mercy and justice?

Prayer: Lord, help us take small but meaningful steps together with one another and with you toward realizing the fulfillment of your kingdom. 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.