For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. Hebrews 8:7, NIV We only emphasize that Christian life we are in is not based on another form of religious ritual but on a covenant. The question is what type of covenant are you in? Is it a covenant of religion or a covenant of love? It should be a covenant of love. Love is a person and that is God (see 1 John 4:16). The covenant we are in is a covenant based on who He is and not on who we are. It's based on what He has done and not on what we have done. When you sign an agreement form, you understand what type of covenant or agreement you are signing in. And this is the reason why still many Christians missed the true essence of Christianity. It's because they don't understand the covenant they are in. In result, many are so called Christians are still living a life like they don't have Christ. There's no real transformation happened. They think Christian...
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross]. John 3:14 AMPC
When you are surrounded by the culture of unbelief, the tendency is you can become what it surrounds you. Don't allow it. It is not supposed to be that way. You can rise above that culture.
If we will go back to the story in the desert with Israelites. We will be reminded of the importance of staying in faith when others is faithless. Why do we need to stay in faith? Its because your own unbelief will soon kill you just like what happened to them according to the story.
Remember the story when they'd received serpents from heaven because they'd complained to God and His chosen servant Moses. The bible says the people had bitten and many of them died. But the Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. That whosever looks at it shall live (Numbers 21:4-8).
The bronze serpent on the pole was the picture of our Lord Jesus and what He has done at the cross (John 3:14-15). The bible says, He was wounded and bruised for our sins and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Those Israelites who did not look at the bronze serpent have died and those who have looked had lived. Its the same with us today, our complete healing and wholeness can only be found solely in the finished work of the cross. So obviously if you will look around what's happening and meditate on it, the devil got you! You will not get healing and wholeness there. All you will get is fear, doubt or unbelief.
Today the Lord is teaching us to fix our eyes on Him. The bible says, He is the source and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) . So whenever faithlessness surrounds you, remind yourself of the complete finished work of Christ on the cross for you. Be watchful about your belief system. What you believe comes from what you have heard. That's why the bible says, faith comes from hearing and hearing the Good News of Christ (Romans 10:17NLT). Faith is the currency in heaven. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
In order to have faith in the midst of faithlessness, you need to hear the Good News not just in one time hearing, but on hearing and hearing the bible says. As a mortal humans in this world, its easy for us to have doubts and forget the things we have heard about Christ. That's why the bible tells us, "hearing and hearing". It means you need to keep hearing and hearing the Good News of Christ more than the news you are hearing around you. Sandwich your day by the Good News of Christ in the morning and in the evening. That's how you can rise up above the culture of unbelief.
Thoughts Of The Day:
"Be watchful about my belief system. What I believe comes from what I have heard"