Understanding Christ: Dignity, Eternity, and Purity
Devotional
Day 1: The Infinite Worthiness of Christ
The dignity of Christ is foundational to understanding His role as our Savior. As the Son of God, His worthiness surpasses all earthly measures, making His sacrifice sufficient for our eternal salvation. This infinite dignity assures us that Christ's sacrifice is not only adequate but also the ultimate solution to our spiritual needs. In a world where worth is often measured by transient standards, Christ's dignity provides a stable foundation for our faith, offering us confidence in the face of spiritual warfare. [22:23]
Psalm 8:4-5 (ESV): "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor."
Reflection: Consider an area in your life where you struggle to see your own worth. How can recognizing Christ's infinite dignity help you understand your value in God's eyes today?
Day 2: The Everlasting Assurance of Salvation
Christ's eternal nature guarantees that the salvation He offers is everlasting. Unlike anything else in creation, which has a beginning and an end, Christ's salvation is as enduring as God Himself. This assurance provides us with an unshakeable foundation, reminding us that our salvation is not dependent on our circumstances or actions but on the eternal nature of Christ. In a world where change is constant, the eternity of Christ offers us a steadfast hope. [06:06]
Isaiah 40:28 (ESV): "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."
Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you feel uncertain about the future. How does the eternal nature of Christ's salvation provide you with hope and assurance in this situation?
Day 3: The Unblemished Sacrifice of Christ
Jesus' purity, demonstrated through His suffering, qualifies Him as our perfect sacrifice. His unblemished nature ensures that His sacrifice is wholly acceptable to God, offering us complete forgiveness and acceptance. This purity is not just a theological concept but a reality that impacts our daily lives, freeing us from the burden of guilt and shame. In a world tainted by sin, Christ's purity offers us a path to true freedom and redemption. [06:46]
1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV): "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel burdened by guilt or shame. How can embracing the purity of Christ's sacrifice help you experience freedom and forgiveness today?
Day 4: Confidence in Christ's Salvation
Understanding the dignity, eternity, and purity of Christ strengthens our confidence in His salvation. This confidence is crucial for living out our faith, especially when faced with challenges and doubts. By recognizing who Christ is and what He has done for us, we are empowered to live boldly and assuredly, knowing that our salvation is secure. In a world filled with uncertainty, this confidence in Christ provides us with the courage to face any obstacle. [10:38]
Hebrews 10:35-36 (ESV): "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised."
Reflection: Think of a challenge or doubt you are currently facing. How can the understanding of Christ's attributes strengthen your confidence to overcome this challenge today?
Day 5: Building a Personal Relationship with Christ
Knowing who Jesus is and what He has done for us enables us to have a personal relationship with Him. This relationship is built on understanding His attributes and listening to His voice through Scripture. By deepening our knowledge of Christ, we are invited into a closer walk with Him, experiencing His love and guidance in our daily lives. In a world that often feels disconnected, a personal relationship with Christ offers us true connection and purpose. [12:17]
John 10:27-28 (ESV): "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."
Reflection: Consider how you currently engage with Scripture. What is one practical step you can take today to deepen your personal relationship with Christ through His Word?
Sermon Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound truths about Jesus Christ through three pivotal words: dignity, eternity, and purity. These concepts are not just abstract theological ideas but are foundational to understanding the nature and work of Christ as our eternal Savior. The main point of our discussion is rooted in Hebrews 5:9, which declares that Christ has become the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. This salvation is not temporary or conditional; it is everlasting, freeing us from sin, guilt, condemnation, and the power of death and hell.
Firstly, we delved into the dignity of Christ. Dignity, in this context, refers to the worthiness of honor. Just as dogs have more dignity than ants, and humans more than dogs, God possesses infinite dignity. This dignity is crucial because it underscores the worthiness of Christ as our Savior. His role as the Son of God elevates His priesthood above any earthly priesthood, making His sacrifice sufficient for our eternal salvation.
Secondly, we examined the concept of eternity. Eternity is defined as having no beginning and no end. While everything else in creation had a starting point, God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are eternal. This eternal nature is significant because it assures us that the salvation Christ offers is not bound by time or circumstance. It is as enduring as God Himself.
Lastly, we considered the purity of Christ. Purity means being unsoiled and untainted. Jesus, through His suffering, remained pure, never succumbing to sin or self-pity. His purity is essential because it qualifies Him to be our perfect sacrifice, unblemished and wholly acceptable to God.
These three attributes—dignity, eternity, and purity—are not just theological concepts but are vital for our confidence in Christ's salvation. They assure us of His sufficiency as our Savior and enable us to have a personal relationship with Him. Knowing who Jesus is and what He has done for us strengthens our faith and empowers us to live out our calling with confidence and assurance.
Key Takeaways
1. Dignity of Christ: The dignity of Christ as the Son of God underscores His worthiness to be our Savior. His infinite dignity assures us that His sacrifice is sufficient for our eternal salvation, providing us with confidence in the face of spiritual warfare. [22:23]
2. Eternity of Christ: Christ's eternal nature guarantees that the salvation He offers is everlasting. Unlike anything else in creation, which has a beginning and an end, Christ's salvation is as enduring as God Himself, providing us with an unshakeable foundation. [06:06]
3. Purity of Christ: Jesus' purity, demonstrated through His suffering, qualifies Him as our perfect sacrifice. His unblemished nature ensures that His sacrifice is wholly acceptable to God, offering us complete forgiveness and acceptance. [06:46]
4. Confidence in Salvation: Understanding the dignity, eternity, and purity of Christ strengthens our confidence in His salvation. This confidence is crucial for living out our faith, especially when faced with challenges and doubts. [10:38]
5. Personal Relationship with Christ: Knowing who Jesus is and what He has done for us enables us to have a personal relationship with Him. This relationship is built on understanding His attributes and listening to His voice through Scripture. [12:17] ** [12:17]
According to Hebrews 5:9, what role does Christ play in our salvation? How is this salvation described? [02:38]
In the sermon, how does the pastor illustrate the concept of dignity using everyday examples? [04:14]
What does the pastor say about the eternity of Christ and how it relates to His priesthood? [06:06]
How does the pastor describe the purity of Christ, especially in relation to His suffering? [06:46]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the dignity of Christ as the Son of God enhance our understanding of His role as our Savior? [19:32]
In what ways does the eternal nature of Christ's priesthood provide assurance of our salvation? [20:44]
Why is the purity of Christ significant for His role as our perfect sacrifice? How does this purity impact our relationship with Him? [12:17]
How does understanding the attributes of dignity, eternity, and purity in Christ strengthen a believer's confidence in their salvation? [10:21]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you doubted your salvation. How can the understanding of Christ's dignity, eternity, and purity help you overcome such doubts? [11:05]
The pastor mentioned that knowing Jesus is essential for a personal relationship with Him. What steps can you take this week to deepen your knowledge of Christ through Scripture? [12:17]
Consider the concept of dignity as explained in the sermon. How can you apply this understanding of dignity in your interactions with others, especially those you might undervalue? [04:14]
How does the eternal nature of Christ's salvation influence your perspective on temporary challenges or struggles you face? [06:06]
In what ways can you strive to maintain purity in your own life, following the example of Christ? Identify one specific area where you can seek to be more untainted. [06:46]
The pastor emphasized the importance of confidence in Christ's salvation. What practical steps can you take to build and maintain this confidence in your daily life? [10:21]
How can you use the truths about Christ's dignity, eternity, and purity to encourage someone else who might be struggling with their faith? [11:22]
Sermon Clips
Christ has become the source of an eternal salvation. Salvation from sin and guilt and condemnation and death and hell and Satan and life of meaningless labor. Christ is the source of Everlasting or Eternal salvation. It will never ever cease. We are now in Christ and will be forever saved from all these destructive forces. [00:02:41]
Dignity means worthiness of honor, and the best way to get it across to kids and adults is to say that dogs have more dignity than ants do, and the proof of that is that stores sell ant poison and not dog poison. If you kill all the dogs in your neighborhood, you'll be in big trouble because dogs have more dignity than ants do. [00:03:55]
You have eternity if you didn't have a beginning and won't have an ending. If you exist now and you're going to stop existing, you don't have eternity. If you didn't exist and then came into being like everything but God, you don't have eternity. If you never had a beginning and never have an ending, you have eternity. [00:05:46]
Jesus, through His suffering, remained pure, never succumbing to sin or self-pity. His purity is essential because it qualifies Him to be our perfect sacrifice, unblemished and wholly acceptable to God. This purity assures us of His sufficiency as our Savior and enables us to have a personal relationship with Him. [00:06:25]
The main point of the text is verse 9: Christ has become for us the source of Eternal, NeverEnding salvation from sin and guilt and shame and death and hell and Satan. The way He has become the source of Eternal salvation is by virtue of His dignity as the Son, His eternity as the priest like Melchisedek, and His purity in suffering. [00:07:08]
You need to know why Jesus is a suitable savior to die. We all love the death of Christ; it is our death, it is our life, it is our forgiveness, our acceptance, our foundation. It's everything to us. But you got to know why He was a suitable Savior, and if you don't know why, you're not going to be as confident in His salvation. [00:09:51]
Without knowing Jesus, you can't have a personal relationship with Him. Sometimes we have a kind of cloudy, airy, subjective notion of how to relate to Jesus as a person. The Bible and texts like this are written so that you can know the Dignity of the Son, the Eternity of the Son, and especially the purity of the tortured Son. [00:11:22]
The way a relationship happens is that you listen and you watch and you see where He's coming from and where He's going and what qualities He has and how strong He is and how long He lasts and how He responded to suffering and what He said and how He prayed and what He did in the midst of crisis. [00:12:29]
I get up Sunday mornings ready to get my heart ready to do this, and I say to the Lord as I open my Bible, "You living God, speak, because if you don't speak, I can't speak. If you don't assure me that I belong to you, if you don't assure me this morning that my sins are forgiven, if you don't establish my call again to the ministry of the word this morning and address me as a living person and relate to me in this little corner of my study, I cannot and will not go into that pulpit." [00:12:49]
I have a relationship with God. He talks to me in the Bible very powerfully because in Jesus Christ, you can know that what He addresses to His Covenant people, He addresses to you. You don't have to shut your Bible and ask for some vibrations. All the vibrations you want will come out of the Bible if the Holy Spirit is on you and on that reading of the Bible. [00:14:34]
When you struggle and you wrestle Friday and Saturday with about seven verses, you meet Him, you meet Him, and He speaks, and you know Him, and you relate to Him. I called Noel into the study yesterday about 3 in the afternoon. I was really struggling because I don't know if you diagrammed these verses. [00:15:18]
I could preach a sermon on every word in this text. This text could go for one year. What am I going to do? And you wait and you trust that having prayed and having worked as hard as you know how to work to determine the structure of the thought, you make choices, and you believe that God is in it. [00:17:00]