Beloved child of God, your blessing in this life is secure. Your blessing is based on the standing of your representative in heaven, which is Jesus Christ. We are blessed because of the finished work of Jesus and not of our own volition. Through His work and standing before God you can boldly expect good in your life. I realize all the circumstances in your life may not be favorable but because of the favor of God in your life in Christ all things will work together for your good. The Bible encourages us to come before God, knowing Jesus, our righteous High Priest stands on our behalf. We can boldly ask for what we need and expect to receive good from our heavenly Father because Jesus stands as our representative.
“Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).
Under the old covenant, the people of Israel were blessed based on the status of their high priest. If the high priest was righteous, then the people were blessed; likewise if the high priest did evil, then the people suffered. Today Jesus stands as a High Priest for every believer after the order of Melchizedek. The Bible says He reigns continuously, in the power of an endless life. This is a picture of our resurrected Lord Jesus who now stands as High Priest forever.
If perfection were attained through the Levitical priesthood (for through it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise in the order of Melchizedek, rather than established in the order of Aaron? For a change in the priesthood necessitates a change in the law. For the One concerning whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe, from which no man served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe concerning which Moses said nothing about priests. This is far more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who becomes a priest not by a law pertaining to ancestry, but by the power of an endless life. For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”For there is then an annulling of the previous commandment due to its weakness and uselessness. For the law made nothing perfect, but now a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God (Heb. 7:11-19).
This means that as long as Jesus is righteous, we receive all the good, blessing and favor He deserves. Jesus is righteousness perfected; therefore we can rest with assurance that we are blessed. Jesus will never be unrighteous; you can trust Him as your representation before God and know that the blessing on your life cannot be reversed as long as you are looking to Christ as your justification and not religious law keeping.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them.” Now it is evident that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, for “The just shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, for “The man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us—as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—so that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:10-14).
Christ kept the law perfectly on your behalf; therefore, you can be assured that God’s blessing will remain on you. Sin will not stop the blessing of God in your life, God’s goodness will be the very catalyst that will cause you to live victorious over sin.
“Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4).
Received His forgiveness today and every day and know that your blessing in life is secure. Your Father is forever merciful, favorable and compassionate toward you. This is the wisdom of God to base the promises of the new covenant upon the work and standing of a mediator. One who could never fail! This is the mediator that Job cried out for, “Oh that I had a mediator, a representative in heaven to plead on my behalf.”
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more” (Job 9:32-34, NIV, author’s emphasis).
This was a prophetic cry of what was to come in the new covenant of grace. I hear believers saying things like, “What about Job?” Believer, you are not in Job, you are in Christ. The Lord says that His people perish for lack of knowledge (see Hos. 4:6); the word here is “revelation knowledge.” Do not perish because you don’t understand who now represents you in heaven. Job attempted to justify himself before a holy God based on his religious law keeping. God makes it very clear no man shall be justified in his own standing; we are only justified in Christ. God declares in Hosea that as the people should be judged based upon the status of the high priest.
“And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds” (Hos. 4:9, MEV).
Those in Christ, you are now continually clean, forgiven, righteous and beloved before your Father. Do not let anyone mislead you from the truth, bringing you back under the works of the law leading to condemnation. What wisdom our Father in heaven possesses, come boldly to your Father today and find help in time of need, and believe with confidence you will receive what you ask.
For more on the abundant life the Lord has called us to, listen to the full episode of Revealing Jesus on the Charisma Podcast Network here. {eoa}