Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, Hebrews 3:1

It is your heavenly calling to daily consider Jesus. He has made you holy and with the shedding of His blood bought you into the family of God. Consider Jesus because you are justified freely by His grace and the redemption that is in Him. Consider Jesus because it is because of His perfect sacrifice that God can still be just and the justifier. Jesus is to be considered because God set Him forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness. God's holiness nature and patience in passing over previous sins can stand together because of what Christ did on the cross to exalt God and bring sinners to Himself. Consider that the privilege that you have to spend time with Jesus is greater then any earthly opportunity presented to you.

Consider Jesus whose name is more excellent then any other name because it was through Jesus that the Father choose to completely reveal Himself to the world. Consider Jesus that is the heir of all things and because He has made us co-heirs we shall receive all blessings from Him and live with Him in His eternal kingdom. In the word of Jesus all things are held together by His incomprehensible power. Consider Jesus who sacrificed Himself for the sins of many so and is sitting on the right hand of Majesty on high. Consider that it is worth it to forsake all sin for the name of Jesus.

Consider Jesus who found glory in being a servant and by the suffering of His death He was crowned with glory and honor. Because He humbled Himself the Father found it fit to lift Him to the highest place and exaly Him above all. Our High Priest has been counted worthy by the Father and one day everyone on earth, under the earth and above earth will bow to Him. Jesus is the resurrected king that is above all whose majesty and honor is unmatched. Consider Him who is the brightness of God's glory and how all this world has to offer is a dying flame compared to His radiance.

Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Hebrews 3:6

This verse provides crucial instructions on how to be considered one of the saints that perseveres to the end. You take part in persevering by a maintaining a fearless confession and joyful hope in what is unseen, holding fast unto your faith with full assurance that God won't let go. God never promises that perseverance will come easy, it is a fight and a struggle, but you must remember that the victory has already been won by Christ. All that is left for us to do is to hold fast to Him who we believe because in Him we find our strength.

Persevering to the end is only possible by the grace of God, but it does not happen without you holding fast to the cross. Let your desire to persevere be fueled by the promises of God's Word. He will never leave you nor forsake, there is no way to sin past the grips of His love. The work of grace that He has started He will be faithful to complete, His completion of the work will be because of your faithfulness and not your merit. If he has given you eternal life then you have no need to fear because you cannot perish and His grip is firmly on you and none can snatch you from His hand.

Your key task is to work out your salvation with fear and trembling to verify that you are indeed in God's grip. There are many who initially claim Christ, but don't hold fast. Instead of believing, they gradually drift into unbelief about God's faithfulness and promises. The sin of unbelief rarely happens in a big leap, but it is always the result of a steady inching away from truth to lies and self-sufficiency. Fight the lies with confessing the gospel and self sufficiency with rejoicing in the hope founded on the truth that salvation is not dependent of yourself. He is the author and perfect of your faith, so look to outwards and upwards where your grip is and see that He will never let go of you.

“Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20

How magnificent is it that Jesus never treats us as our sins deserve. After the disciples deserted Him when he was crucified He approaches them with a message of “Peace be with you.” When Jesus comes to the disciples He does not remind them of their sin, but instead of the good news. Because of His atoning sacrifice there is no need to fear condemnation or disgrace from God. All of our sins have been laid on Jesus so that we can have peace with God.

Let us then follow the example of our Lord and be more quick to remind others of their peace with God instead of their sin. The greatest good that we can do for one another is to point them to the hands and sides that was pierced for them. For most Christians they do no need to be taught new truth or see what they lack, but the need they will always have until they reach home is to be reminded of the grace that God is eager to pour out on those that turn to Him.

We are called to be Christ ambassadors. That is our number one task. He who did not know sin became sin on our behalf so that we can show an unbelieving world that we have a Heavenly Father who loves unconditionally because He is glorious and we are nothing compared to Him. We cannot be Christ ambassadors without His peace that He has given to us to carry and show to all. True gladness and joy is not found apart from peace from God. Hearts cannot be satisfied without this trut

And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, (Hosea 2:15)

Turning the Valley of Achor into a door of hope is no small feat. Historically the valley of Achor has been viewed as a place of judgment and destruction. How can a place of judgment and destruction become a place of hope? Only at the cross where Christ was troubled as our sin became His so He could be judged for us so that we can be heirs of hope.
The door of hope I find at Calvary where Christ was walked through His own Valley of Achor is where I sing because that is where God declared Himself to no longer be my master, but my husband. By His righteousness and justice my sins were nailed to the cross. Through His mercy and lovingkindness I’ve been brought into relationship with Him. In His faithfulness I have been betrothed to Him for all eternity.
Oh believer, do life’s circumstances have you placed in a Valley of Achor? Know that Christ was troubled for your sake so that you can lie down safely and rest in Him. Let the Spirit open your eyes and realize that your Valley of Achor is a door of hope. Your troubles are meant to lead you to God for you are His bride that He cares for and has orchestrated all things for your good. Embrace His mercy as He has drawn near and ready to not only, but also answer. He has shed His blood to win you for Himself, so how can He not do all else.

My Sympathy is Stirred

If you are more aware of your sin then God’s love for you, then direct your attention to the cross. Kneel before the cross and realize that the death of His Son was for you. The only begotten Son of the most high king gave up His life for you to be adopted into the family of God. Nothing can break these family ties for you have been wrapped with His bands of love. At calvary, the most heinously conceivable sin was displayed for all to see that even when sin abounds to its highest level that grace is still triumphant. All of your sins were placed on the son at the cross so that there is no fear or dread of any punishment.

At the moment that you notice condemnation lurking around the corner, remember that our God is not like man. He is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin, because of His great love for you He has washed you clean of the sin that stains you. His grace has abounded greater then any past, present or future sin. Your coming before Him is not on the basis of your works, but what He’s done. Your holiness is not what you’ve earned, but what He’s given you. You are eternally His, He has bought you with the blood of His Son and will not give you up.

How can this be you ask? God’s heart for you is a heart that overflows with compassion. Instead of treating us as we deserve, He crushed His Son for us. The fierceness of His anger was the burden that Christ faced so that we can experience God’s love poured out into our hearts. Due to our sin, we should have been destroyed by God’s holy wrath, but the righteous One who knew no sin, took on our sin and died in our place so that we can be considered righteous. At the cross God’s sympathy is displayed and we find no greater display of love.