2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 14:12-16:41 ESV, Hebrews 7:18-28 ESV, Psalm 106:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 27:4-6 ESV
Daily Verse: “Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.” (Hebrews 7:22 ESV)
EGGUOS (1450): “Primarily signifies the bail who personally answers for anyone, whether with his life or his property. In Heb 7:22 it refers to Jesus, the personal guarantee of the terms of the new and better covenant secured on the ground of His perfect sacrifice.”[1]
Personal guarantee.
During my college years, my mom made car payments for me. She personally guaranteed I would have a vehicle to drive because I couldn’t afford it. She did for me what I couldn’t do for myself.
Jesus personally guaranteed our salvation because He knows we can’t. Nothing we do can save us from ourselves and our fleshly desires; only Jesus can. Christ guarantees a better covenant, a new promise not dependent on our actions but His.
Selfless love.
Christ brought unconditional love into the world. By studying His life and developing a relationship with Jesus, you will begin to understand true love. His actions selfless, Jesus showed us a new way to live.
Loving God and others, as Jesus commanded, doesn’t mean getting walked all over. Pleasing other people doesn’t mean love. But accepting and loving others, assisting them on their journey, and encouraging them to become all God desires them does.
And sometimes, difficult decisions require ties to break. Allowing others to live their lives, even if you disagree with the choice, does take work, especially when you see a loved one heading in the wrong direction.
But we all make bad decisions. God doesn’t love us because we make mistakes. He loves us because the Lord created us to love. So let Him.
And love God back. Then love others with all those good feelings. Unconditionally, God loves us. Unconditionally, we must love others. Through Jesus, you will learn how to establish healthy boundaries. Allowing Christ to lead will help you know when to walk away, just as He did on occasion.
Jesus came so we could have life to the fullest. Christ put His guarantee on our life. Live it well for Him today.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 74) Thomas Nelson
