FROM THE PASTOR

At the very core of Jewish discipleship, the Rabbis preach a very simple principle: retention through repetition. But according to Jeremiah, in order for God’s will to be lived out in our lives, His Word must be written on our hearts, not our memory. The covenant that formed Jeremiah’s vision for God’s people has to be inscribed internally.

The rabbis spoke about the ‘yetzer hara,’ the evil inclinations of our hearts, while at the same time they also spoke about the ‘yetzer hatov,’ the good inclinations. The Talmudic writers taught that Adam was created with both, yet the greatest warning comes about the evil inclinations which Dr. Sacks says that a Rabbi Assi noted that it “begins like a spider’s thread but becomes like wagon ropes.”

External religion is the best that man can conjure up on his own. Trying to be good enough never has and never will fly with God. What we need is a complete wiping clean of our filthy slates. Jeremiah prophesied about the New Covenant, that a day would come when people would have a very intimate and personal knowledge of the Living God.

This could only happen as the result of having our sins totally forgiven. God has said that we could all know Him, “for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” He said, “I will be their God and they will be My people.”

Hebrews 8:1 shares the point. “Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the Majestic God in heaven…” Messiah’s saving work is so comprehensive it’s as if the forgiven sinner had never sinned. He sat down because the sacrifice He made for our sins was once and for all. That’s a deal we all need to take Him up on, and that’s the point!

Blessings,

Randy & Pam