"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." (Hebrews 7:23-26 NIV)
"Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed." (Hebrews 7:16 NLT)
This past year, I lost the earthly presence of a friend. The victory of physical (as well as mental and emotional) death over her life was not for lack of a valiant battle. She herself, her friends and family, doctors, counselors, and prayer warriors all wanted her to be saved. But they were not able to make it happen. Many saving efforts were made, but they were not complete.
Yet her Savior was able to save her completely. This did not happen in the fashion any of us preferred, but He did save her. Completely: mind, body, and soul. Forever.
In this fascinating chapter of Hebrews, we see again evidence of the perfect package that is Jesus. He is "able" to save: He has the position, the authority, the means, the will, the nature, the standing to do the saving. And He can do it completely, without a single unchecked box or caveat or disclaimer. Only one part is not His but ours: Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him. This is the optional exercise of our free will. We are glad to have this free will, because it is what makes us human, but we cannot take the opportunity of it without also taking the responsibility for it.
When I am in the fire, God asks me to lift up my hands to my Rescuer to show my trust in His ability to save me completely. If He rescues me for more life on this earth, my skin may be blistered. My hair might smell of smoke. Or they might not. But either way, my soul will be saved and sound.
This Complete Savior "truly meets our need." He does not just throw a little water on the fire. He does not just offer a bit of salve for our burns. The life of faith in this Savior we must choose is not easy, and sometimes we want a simpler Savior. We're willing to settle for mildly capable rather than fully able. We're willing to settle for partial rescuing rather than complete saving. We're willing to settle for our need just being tempered a bit rather than fully met. But our eternal souls know the difference, and they are begging us to settle for nothing less than the All in All.
Whatever you and I might need saving from today—ourselves, our circumstances, other people—may we not settle for anyone less than this Rescuer. May we lift our hands to Him and meet the fire or the flood or the battle or the darkness with this declaration: "Jesus, my Great High Priest, I know You are able to save me completely, by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed!"
Yet her Savior was able to save her completely. This did not happen in the fashion any of us preferred, but He did save her. Completely: mind, body, and soul. Forever.
In this fascinating chapter of Hebrews, we see again evidence of the perfect package that is Jesus. He is "able" to save: He has the position, the authority, the means, the will, the nature, the standing to do the saving. And He can do it completely, without a single unchecked box or caveat or disclaimer. Only one part is not His but ours: Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him. This is the optional exercise of our free will. We are glad to have this free will, because it is what makes us human, but we cannot take the opportunity of it without also taking the responsibility for it.
When I am in the fire, God asks me to lift up my hands to my Rescuer to show my trust in His ability to save me completely. If He rescues me for more life on this earth, my skin may be blistered. My hair might smell of smoke. Or they might not. But either way, my soul will be saved and sound.
This Complete Savior "truly meets our need." He does not just throw a little water on the fire. He does not just offer a bit of salve for our burns. The life of faith in this Savior we must choose is not easy, and sometimes we want a simpler Savior. We're willing to settle for mildly capable rather than fully able. We're willing to settle for partial rescuing rather than complete saving. We're willing to settle for our need just being tempered a bit rather than fully met. But our eternal souls know the difference, and they are begging us to settle for nothing less than the All in All.
Whatever you and I might need saving from today—ourselves, our circumstances, other people—may we not settle for anyone less than this Rescuer. May we lift our hands to Him and meet the fire or the flood or the battle or the darkness with this declaration: "Jesus, my Great High Priest, I know You are able to save me completely, by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed!"
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!