Hi, our names are Mark and Jennifer Ritter, and we were asked to give a devotion from Hebrews 9-11.
Key verses:
Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Hebrews 9:22b “….and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
Reflection: As blood gives and sustains physical life, so Christ’s shed blood gives and sustains spiritual life. After Adam’s sin and fall in the Garden of Eden, God immediately set His wonderful plan of salvation in motion. Genesis 3:15 declares, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” In other words, Jesus Christ would be crucified, but Satan, the serpent, would be eternally defeated, hence, victory over sin and death. All through the Old Testament we see the repetitive sacrifice of animals as a foreshadowing of the ultimate and final sacrifice of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ. Animal sacrifices were only able to cover sin, whereas Christ’s sacrifice took away sin, once and for all – forever. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12) The only way that mankind can have access to a Holy God is through the Intercessor, Jesus Christ. We have free and open access to the heavenly Holy of Holies, if you will, the presence of God the Father Himself, because of what Christ has done for us. There truly is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb, in that His blood is more than powerful enough to save and keep us, and to “… present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1:22). The reality of the new covenant provided through Christ’s blood should encourage us to hold fast to our profession of faith without wavering, for we know that He who promised is faithful! We can rest assured of our hope in His promises and certain of what we, as of now, cannot see!
Application: As Christians we should rejoice in the fact that “our sins are all pardoned, our guilt is all gone!”, and live wholeheartedly for Him because of the surety of His precious blood that provides a faith that is unshakeable.
Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ, Mark and Jennifer
NAME: Mark and Jennifer Ritter
FAMILY: Children -- Anthony, Austin and Ashley (Rickie)
OCCUPATION: Mark -- doctor; Jennifer - full-time wife and mother
NAME: Mark and Jennifer Ritter
FAMILY: Children -- Anthony, Austin and Ashley (Rickie)
OCCUPATION: Mark -- doctor; Jennifer - full-time wife and mother
