Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by (what?) faith, (the same thing we’ve been talking about in Hebrews 11) we have (in the here and now) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
What more could we ask for? To be at peace with the Sovereign, Eternal, Ruler of the Universe, Who no longer has one ounce of controversy against us. Why? Because we’ve trusted then believed, then received and then comes faith and obedience. We’ve placed our faith into the finished work of the cross. Through which we've passed in order to become a son of God. To come to obedience and faith requires death, in that death we're sanctified because there's a putting to death of self-will, ego, and the lusts for the spirit of the world in which religion is the major partition. In other wards we mortify the essence of Satan that rules our flesh and God then gives us the ontological essence of Christ through which He then begins the process of working out our total salvation and restores our attention to His character within us, as was in Jesus as the son of man. As He illustrated by saying, “I and the Father are one” (paraphrased) in, Matthew 11:27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” and John 17:11 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” and then John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” and finally Romans 11:16 “For if the firstfruit be holy (Christ Jesus), the lump (Body of Christ) is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches (individual believers).”
Romans 5:2
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
We are to be in receptivity of His Grace activity by or through faith. It's Grace and faith all the way. Form here I have to go from here right over to Romans 8 verse 1 - one of my favorite verses.
Romans 8:1a
"There is therefore now no condemnation (do you see that? Because of what he’s just been saying, including this verse in chapter 5. Therefore, there is now no condemnation) to them which are in Christ Jesus,…"
Isn’t that a fabulous position to be in? God cannot make one accusation against us because it’s under the blood or through the death and resurrection in the blood. For the word "blood" always speaks of death and resurrection where every used. Our faith has caused Him to cancel it. Now that’s not license. That doesn’t tell us to go and do as we please. Quite the opposite. But, nevertheless, this is that whole concept of faith that causes God to give us peace with Himself which took away all condemnation. We have then entered His rest. That makes us totally opposite, coming back to Hebrews, of people like Esau. Who represents the peoples of religion. Now remember, Esau isn’t the only man like this. This is the world in general. The world, in general, is more like Esau and Ishmael than they are anything else. They have no faith. They have no concern about what God says. My, they’ve got money in the bank and got a roof over their head and food to eat. That’s all they care about. But for us who know better, our faith becomes everything. For Christ tells us in Revelation that we're to be blessed by overcoming the worlds diabolical religion in what ever from it presents itself. Our knowing Him is everything and then being known by Him is far greater because it comes through the veil of His flesh and blood.
Hebrews 12:18a
"For ye…"
Never forget that Paul is speaking to these Hebrews, and is trying to convince them that the whole concept of salvation is through Grace by Faith alone! It is so much Better than the Levitical Law and Judaism and all the things that came from the Old Testament believers religion. Yes! Judaism is opposed to all the knowledge of God found in Christ Jesus and God hates all forms of religion. For this is the revelation of the book of Revelation as it reveals both God and His Christ at war with Satan and his Religion and government of men. This worlds order.
Hebrews 12:18a
"For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire,…"
Where’s he taking them? Back to Mount Sinai - and what happened at Mount Sinai? The Law and the Levitical Law was given. And he says, you’re not under that. But I think that Paul here maybe alluding to the heavenly mount of God and of His Christ. The very mount that Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and possibly Jacob saw. I know that king David and the prophets saw it as they were aloud to speak of it but only in shadowy figure language much like the of John is his descriptions of his heavenly visions as he spoke in picture language throughout the Revelation.
The whole Epistle of Hebrews is directed to Hebrew-Christians who were battling the spiritual warfare of coming out of Judaism with all of its law and demands and "works based religion," and stepping into Paul’s Gospel of Grace and Faith plus nothing. Based on the promised New Covenant as founded and revealed in Christ. Now, of course, Paul doesn’t reveal himself because the Hebrew and Judaisms hated of him, and so he wasn’t about to show his cards. But, nevertheless, we’re convinced that Paul is the writer of this epistle. He uses several Pauline statements, and the quoting of the Septuagints LXX Greek Old Testament as well as what Peter says in his little epistle "remember what the Apostle Paul has written to you." And we know that Peter is addressing Hebrew-Christians so that sort of puts the frosting on the cake that Paul is writing to Jewish people who are fighting this battle of overcoming the draw back into Religion and more particularly Judaism. Consequently, all the way up through Hebrews (and I’ve been pointing it out whenever it comes along, that yes, the past in the Old Testament and Law and the Four Gospels was good, but) pure Grace under Paul’s teachings is so much better. Because it reveals the activities of God in Christ and their working within the receptive believer. So as we begin Paul is going to make a reference to Mt. Sinai in verse 18.
Hebrews 12:18-19
"For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:"
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