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Pronouns Metaphors Errors Part 30
Pronouns Metaphors Errors Pt 30
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Metaphors In Scripture
MIS 30 Hebrews 9.14 Purpose Clause
June 07, 2015
Part 30
Scripture
Hebrews 9.12
Hebrews 9.14
1 Peter 1.2, 18-19
1 John 1.7
Rev. 1.5
Rev 5.9-10
NKJ Hebrews 9:14
how much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:14
how much more than the blood of animals
the blood of Christ, who by means of the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot( faultless( sinless))
to God, will (future tense) cleanse your conscience
from dead works, in order to get into serving
the living God?
So, what does it mean “to get into serving the living God”?
to get into serving the living God. The keyword is serving, and if you carefully
in the New Testament text, and the Old Testament
Septuagint, at all the locations where 
is used, or some form of it, you will discover
that it is translated either to serve,
or to worship. But this information alone is not enough for us
to discover the significance of its meaning.
Earliest Greek usage
In the earliest non-biblical use, our word was
strictly secular, yet some relationship does exist
with its modern ecclesiastical use. The main usage was more of a technical term. Citizens with an income above a fixed level had
by law to accept doing specific services to the
body politic at their own expense. So the infinitive
(also from which
we get the word liturgy) is to do things which
are related, not to private concerns, but to the
national community as a political unity. Liturgies was a system that spread from Athens
to the distant Greek democracies. According to Aristotle, it was the fleecing of the
wealthy by liturgies. The paying of these solemn liturgies could
include feeding the members of an embassy or
the payment of military taxes that came up short.
Some performed allotted liturgies under compulsion and grudgingly, others willingly and freely, for patriotism or vainglory; whatever, they were financial burdens and obligations imposed to help the communities. Eventually, the word became to denote rendering a service in general, even at the personal level; friends serving friends, a father serving his son, and even as in the organs of the body rendering service to the body.
The jump to the religious context comes as is used much in the OT for the idea
of serving Yahweh, not only in general worship,
but the tent, the house, the priestly cultus, the
altar of God, the name of God, and God Himself. The main idea the LXX translators obviously
tried to show was that there is no trace of the
earlier liturgies to be found; that the service to
God is to be rendered as a special relation to God
as compared with all the other relations of
service in which men might stand!
The notion of the cultus
Cultus
an honoring, a reverencing,
a veneration of the divine
A word derived from colere; a caring for, a cultivation of, or honoring of something or someone.
Cultus may be distinguished into:
cultus interus, inward devotion; consisting of virtues of faith, hope, and love; and cultus externus, external devotion; consisting of outward worship and service.
When we think in terms of a modern cult, we are talking about an inordinate devotion to a person, personality, or a particular principle which involves both of these types.
So, it has always been possible to serve God…
(1) by external means, as in rites and duties performed
(2) by internal means, as in faith believing from the heart.
With the coming of the Christ, there is actually a third possible way…
(3) by spiritual means, as in spirit and in truth.
Cultus
At one time in the wilderness, the heart of Israel was turned to worship and to serve a calf-deliverer and the stars.
NKJ Acts 7:42
Then God turned and gave them up to worship( to serve) the host( stars) of heaven…
The temple sacrificial rites…
NKJ Romans 9:4
who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption,
the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
Regulations and the order of services…
NKJ Hebrews 9:1
Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly
sanctuary.
The performance of the required duties…
NKJ Hebrews 9:6
Now when these things had been thus prepared,
the priests always went into the first part of the
tabernacle, performing the services.
It will seem to some that they are presenting an acceptable( God pleasing) service in the presence of God…[Remember the Book of Judges?]
NKJ John 16:2
They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the
time is coming that whoever kills you will think
that he offers God service.
Earnestly worshiping God continually…
NKJ Acts 26:7
To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestlyserving God night and day, hope to attain.
For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused
by the Jews.
The services of the temple sacrifices were not able to cleanse the conscience of men.
NKJ Hebrews 9:9
It was symbolic for the present time in which
both gifts and sacrifices are offered which
cannot make him who performed the serviceperfect in regard to the conscience –
NKJ Hebrews 8:5
who serve the copy( pattern) and
shadow( foreshadow) of the
heavenly( supernatural( spiritual)) things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was
about to make the tabernacle.
NKJ Luke 2:37
and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four
years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night
and day.
NKJ Matthew 4:9-10
And he said to Him, "All these things I will give
You if You will fall down and
worship (
) me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!
For it is written, 'You shall worship ()
the LORD your God, and Him only you shall
serve (
).' "
NKJ Acts 7:7
And the nation to whom they will be in bondage
I will judge,' said God, 'and after that they shall
come out and serve Me in this place.
A major shift from the cultus to the work of the Holy Spirit
Overcoming fear from within
Cleansed Conscience( fear from within)
NKJ Hebrews 9:14
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
NKJ Hebrews 10:2
For then would they not have ceased to be offered?
For the worshipers, once purified, would have
had no more consciousness of sins.
If the temple sacrifices had been fully effective in cleansing the conscience, God would have continued its requirement, but He ceased it instead after the perfect sacrifice had been made…
NKJ Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom
which cannot be shaken, let us have grace,
by which we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear.
With reverence and awe of God; not 
as in the fear of men…
A major shift from the cultus to the work of the Holy Spirit
Overcoming fear from without
Cleansed Conscience( fear from without)
NKJ Luke 1:74
To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
Without fear adjective used as an adverb
enemies in general
of enemies implied: enemies of God
we have been delivered
purpose clause
to serve Him
Examples of outward fear.
1 Corinthians 16:9
For a great and effective door has opened to me,
and there are many adversaries.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 16:10
Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with
you without fear for he does the work
of the Lord, as I also do.
NKJ Philippians 1:14
and most of the brethren
in the Lord, having become confident by my
chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear .
Serving in spirit and truth
NKJ Romans 1:9
For God is my witness,
whom I serve with( by means of) my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing
I make mention of you always in my prayers,
NKJ 2 Timothy 1:3
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure
conscience, as my forefathers did [?],
as without ceasing I remember you
in my prayers night and day,
NKJ Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable( truth of the word) service.
Basically, that believers owe a holy body to the Lord as a temple of service…
NKJ Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,
rejoice in Christ Jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh,
NKJ Acts 27:23
For there stood by me this night an angel
of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,
So what does it mean to serve God?
The answer is simple. All we have to do is think about what it means to “serve” someone; the character of the service depends on the relationship.
Basically serving someone simply means doing
what they want; attending to the things that are
of their best interest of someone else.
It can also mean to provide for, as in the goods
and services of someone, like a waiter who
sets food at a customer’s table upon request.
It can also mean to function for, as in the idea of
serving as a representative or representation
in the interests of another.
For example, we recently celebrated Memorial Day by giving recognition to those who served our nation some capacity as members of some military organization representing the interests of the people of our United States of America.
With the notion of service, need is primarily
secondary to want. God does not need us to serve Him, He wants us
to serve Him. Serving God is ultimately doing the things that
please Him, worship and doing His will in spirit
and truth, by the power and provision that comes
from God the Holy Spirit.
Many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment when they discover
that it was just as the Word of God says;
only the righteousness of Christ is able to save you.All men are sinners and no one can save himself.
God is just, so He must punish sin;
but He is also merciful, moreover gracious,
and offers His Son as the perfect sacrifice
in order to purchase a place for you in heaven,
which He offers to you as the free gift of eternal life.
Jesus is God Incarnate,
In order to pay the debt of our sins, He came from Heaven, having been sent by the Father,
where He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father
even unto the shameful death upon the cross
in order to pay the debt of your sins.This gift must be received by faith,
believing that Jesus’ perfect life and Cross Work
was His complete and necessary Atonement
for your sins, in your behalf.
Faith is a gift that comes by the Power of God the Holy Spirit working in a person’s innermost being.
Only the power of God can open your heart to the willingness to have the void within it filled
with the presence of Christ by His Spirit.The Holy Spirit has the authority and power to quicken your dead spirit, to make it come to life.
Only the life of His Spirit’s quickening of your heart will allow the Gospel message of salvation to even make sense to you, to truly “hear” the message and give you the ability,
as the Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus,
to recognize your need for forgiveness and restoration, and gain the desire of your heart to be favorably inclined to want to receive Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.If you have not done so before this moment,
ask Jesus to forgive you your sins,
tell Him you’ve stop trying to be your own savior,
and ask Him to come into your life right now,
and to give you eternal life. Then, in faith believing,
thank Him for the gift that He is giving you,
the one He paid for in full in your place,
in Jesus’ name,
AMEN
Copyright June, 2015
Rev. Jim Craig
All Rights Reserved
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