Keep Your Fork
Therefore brothers since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25
Insight
It’s a typical Sunday afternoon at my grandparents’ house. As with nearly every other Sunday of my childhood, we all sit around the table with not one empty belly to be found. After some laughs and a little conversation, right on time as always, my grandmother gives the signal for dessert, “Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.”
For myself and others around that table, we knew this was a playful allusion to a sermon my uncle had preached at church a few years earlier. While it’s a cute saying, his dessert analogy turned spiritual encouragement was on point.
Today’s passage from Hebrews continues to build on what the writer aimed to get across to them in the letter. Chapter 10 opens by stating “the law is but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities.”
We read on to learn that indeed, Jesus paid it all. We are forgiven and offered life with God through Christ. We have full access to God because Christ assumed authority as our high priest. We are indeed free of our sins and free to live without the shame of our past. But what do we do with all that now?
We 21st Century humans, Christ followers included, tend to hold the cross in a symbolic place of beauty and rightfully so. Conversely, 1st Century humans were still in a place where a cross could bring up horrible images of execution and suggest the existence of foul play. As it follows, the cross of Christ more precisely is a concrete image of our corruption exposed and simultaneously redeemed. This new covenant gives us a few things we can keep mindful of and do in the interim before The Day of Christ:
Be confident in our forgiveness. The Cross has given us passage to live holy.
Be confident in our faith. Grace is here. We can move beyond our past.
Build up others and let them build us up. We all fall, but what we have through Jesus is an ongoing reinforcement of truth.
Christ is truly the “author and perfecter of our faith.” We can be assured that the cross of Christ has had victory. No longer are we obligated to let past sin burden us or bind us to falling back on the same habits. While in this world, worldly atonements for reassurance will not go beyond the shadows of a big, big God. We have to encounter Jesus and let that move us to steadfast faith. It may seem long before the Day of Christ, but God gives us clearance to remain hopeful in these truths. With real knowledge of that, the gratitude possible can drive us to encourage others.
Despite the challenges that our world will bring, the best is yet to come, so take hold of that fork. Take hold of a life in Christ because He has defeated the things that hold us back from the real joys to come.
Reflection
What makes it hard to take hold of full assurance of your faith?
How can your story of redemption impact others?
Prayer
Jesus, I am forever grateful that You are my high priest, and in You, I stand redeemed. Help me to hide the truths of Your word in my heart and let the goodness of them fill me with gratitude. May I hold fast to Your forgiveness, knowing I do not need to be afraid, or fall back on my sins of old. Allow the ensuing gratitude to drive me to lift up the ones around me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
Port City writer Adam King wrote today’s devotional.
