“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” – Hebrews 1:1-2 KJV
Welcome to the 17th Weekly Devotional Recap of the year. This week, we learnt about the true ordinances of the Christian faith – God’s salvation plan revealed throughout the scriptures, from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
On Monday, we learned about true Circumcision. The Jewish Circumcision, ordained by God through Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14), symbolised the salvation of mankind through Christ. Just as the foreskins of males were removed, foreshadowing the destruction of the body of sin in Christ, believers today are also circumcised—not by human hands (Colossians 2:11), but by the Holy Spirit, who seals us until Christ’s return (Ephesians 1:13).
In Tuesday’s devotional, we learned that baptism symbolises Jesus’ death and burial. Like circumcision, true baptism is not performed by human hands. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4), we are united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. True baptism is through the Holy Spirit we receive (1 Corinthians 12:13). So when God looks at the cross, He doesn’t just see Christ; He also sees you there. As Christ was raised from the dead, you too are raised!
On Wednesday, we learned that Holy Communion points to Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7b). Jesus told His disciples that the bread they broke symbolised His death and burial. The essence of the Last Supper and Passover is Christ and the salvation He brings to mankind.
We partake of Him not by eating the bread but by faith in Christ (John 6:53-57). The blood of Jesus protects us from the evils of the world. Christ is truly our Passover.
We were reminded on Thursday that God no longer dwells in a tabernacle made with human hands, He now lives in us! (1 Corinthians 3:16). The man in Christ is a carrier of God’s presence. The Spirit of God is alive and at work in you! (Ephesians 1:13). You must always live in the consciousness of this truth.
Finally, we ended the week with a lesson on the true sabbath. ‘Sabbath’ means rest and the Jewish practice of observing a Sabbath day was a pointer to Christ. God through the ordinance of the Sabbath, demonstrated how the believer is to rest in the finished works of Christ (Hebrews 7:27). Christ is our Sabbath, not a day of the week. In Him, we find perfect and eternal rest (Hebrews 4:3).
Friends, all of Scripture testifies of Christ (John 5:39). The only way to rightly divide the Word of truth is to see the entirety of Scripture through the lens of Christ. Let us go forth living in the truth we have realised!
Bible Reading Plan Catchup