Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
Hebrews 12:28-29 English Standard Version
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
The word shaken here means unmoved; unshaken; immovable.[1] God’s kingdom is unmoved, unshaken, and immovable because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His kingdom will endure for all generation and all eternity. What we can know is when we place our hope and trust in Jesus Christ it is sure. It does not change like the wind, but to build our lives upon Jesus Christ is to build our lives upon a foundation that is sure and unchanging.
Why we can be grateful and have hope is because we are receiving a kingdom through Jesus Christ. Everything we have in Jesus is based upon His finished work at Calvary. It is not based upon our works or our performance. It is based upon who He is and what He has done. When we simply trust Jesus, everything God has available to us is released into our lives. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive The Holy Spirit. We are adopted into God’s family and all that is available in His kingdom is now available to us.
The reason we come with reverence and awe is because Jesus Christ is Almighty God. In the book of Isaiah, we have a picture in chapter six as Isaiah stands in the throne room and encounters how truly awesome God is. The word reverence means awe; fear of God; reverence.[2] Worship is not merely singing songs on Sunday morning or during a time when the body of Christ comes together. Worship is how we live our lives. It is based on who we serve and who we are living for. But bringing worship that is acceptable is based upon a right understanding of God and His kingdom. The more we rightly understand Him, the more we live according to His ways and purposes. We developed a healthy fear of who He is. We come to have a small glimpse and understanding of how awesome He is.
Our God is truly a consuming fire. Nothing of sin and wickedness can be in His presence. Throughout the book of Hebrews, the author shows how all that we see under the Old Covenant simply points to the coming of the Messiah and the better and new covenant. When we walk closely with God He will prune and refine. He will burn away and remove anything that would hinder His work. We understand He is a consuming fire because none can stand in His presence without the precious blood of Jesus Christ. May we daily seek Him and grow in our relationship with Him.
Prayer
Father thank you for your love and grace. Thank you for saving me. May your will be done in my life and in my family. Father teach me each day of the depths of who you are. Remove from my life anything that would hinder your work. Father may I simply live a life to glorify and honor you. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
[1] Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Septuagint, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
[2] Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
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