Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Hebrews 6

    Hebrews 6

    Read Hebrews 6

    1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

    4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

    9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

    The Certainty of God’s Promise

    13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

    16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

    Go Deeper

    Throughout the history of the church, Hebrews chapter 6 has been one of the most difficult passages to understand in Scripture. As we study Scripture, we have to keep in mind the whole counsel of the Bible. To take out pieces of text and bend them to fit our context and culture is dangerous. Some interpreters think Hebrews 6:4 means believers can lose their salvation, but the rest of the Bible teaches our eternal security in Christ. 

    What we do read in Hebrews 6 (building off the end of the previous chapter) is a call to maturity. Remember, the original audience is familiar with Judaism and its practices: repentance, faith, resurrection, and judgment. But, Jesus is better than the old laws and practices. He ushered in a new doctrine, a new covenant. For many of the Hebrews, Judaism was easy and comfortable, it was familiar. One could practice the elementary principles without ever believing in Jesus as Messiah. The lines between Judaism and Christianity were blurry to these Hebrews, but living in this comfortable tension of practicing elementary principles without pushing through to maturity meant they could potentially avoid persecution and blend into the world around them. 

    We are not unlike the Hebrews. We like to play it safe checking the boxes of Christian practices, but not practicing trusting Christ. We like comfort and tradition over the hard work of maturity and sanctification (God’s work in us to make us holy and set us apart). We like to blend in with one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity. 

    But, Jesus beckons us to deeper waters. Giving us hope as an anchor for our souls. We have a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises. It is impossible for Him to lie. He has not brought us this far in our journey with Him to abandon us now. Let’s move beyond comfort and apathy and pursue maturity. Let’s run hard after Jesus.

    Questions

    1. In what elementary principles of faith do you sometimes put your trust in, rather than trusting in the sacred work of Jesus? 
    2. How does this passage encourage you?
    3. What areas of your life do you need to move past familiar and comfortable and pursue maturity?

    Did You Know?

    God swears by Himself because there is no one greater to swear by. In fact, this is the reason humans still invoke the name of God when they take an oath in office or an oath in court.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Hebrews 5

    Hebrews 5

    Read Hebrews 5

    1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

    5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

    “You are my Son;
        today I have become your Father.” 6 And he says in another place,

    “You are a priest forever,

        in the order of Melchizedek.” 7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

    Warning Against Falling Away

    11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
     

    Go Deeper

    In Hebrews 5 we are encouraged to obedience, even in our suffering, because Jesus serves as the perfect model of growing our faith. In Exodus, God appointed Aaron and his descendents as priests and provided extensive detail for sacrifices to account for the Hebrews’ sins. Now, in the book of Hebrews, there is Jesus! The high priests in Exodus were sinners, too. While they were doing their best as ordained by God, they fell short of serving as adequate role models for the people. But Jesus! Jesus encountered the same temptations we, as humans, encounter and “He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”  

    Based on this scripture, we are to follow Jesus’ model and learn obedience when we suffer.  We see suffering all around us and experience it ourselves. How do we learn obedience from all this? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, obedience is “submissive to the restraint or command of authority: willing to obey.” So, as Christians, we should be willing to be restrained by or commanded by God. Obedience is the practice of living as Jesus modeled, especially in our suffering. Suffering offers the most visible (and most difficult) opportunities to practice our faith.  

    So how do we answer the call to obedience? We look to Jesus. We study Him as our perfect, eternal model, and we do what He did and what He tells us to do. If we are spending time with God, reading His word, watching Jesus through the stories of the gospels, hearing how He works in our friends’ lives, then we are much more likely to behave like Him. He is the only model to follow. Everyone else falls short: the high priests of the Hebrews, the professional athletes of today, the politicians we vote for, our best friend, everyone. Our only hope is to obey the only adequate (and perfect) model of Jesus.

    This passage ends with an encouragement and reminder of the goal of spiritual formation: that we would grow in maturity. By using the example of a newborn who is reliant on milk vs. a more mature person who is in need of solid food, the author of Hebrews is highlighting the importance of growth in our relationship with Jesus. Too often we settle for an elementary understanding of who God is instead of growing in maturity such a way that we can encourage others to follow us while we follow Jesus. Our faith is not meant to stall out and stay surface level, but instead is meant to be developed, matured, and passed on to those around us. 

    Questions

    1. When you suffer, do you respond by learning obedience? Or do you respond by avoidance or by rebellion?  
    2. Who do you tend to model? Who or what do you watch? How does their behavior influence your own?
    3. In what ways are you currently suffering? How can you learn obedience through this suffering?

    Did You Know?

    Hebrews 5 gives us our first reference to Melchizedek (with more to come in Hebrews 7). Melchizedek was the very first high priest referenced in scripture all the way back in Genesis 14.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Hebrews 4

    Hebrews 4

    Read Hebrews 4

    A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

    1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

    “So I declared on oath in my anger,
        ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

    And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

    6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

    “Today, if you hear his voice,
        do not harden your hearts.”

    8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

    12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

    Jesus the Great High Priest

    14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

     

    Go Deeper

    Hebrews 4 is a key passage detailing Jesus as our sabbath rest. This chapter tells us that entering into God’s rest should be a major priority for believers (v. 11). What is God’s rest? Why do we need to enter into it? In order to define God’s rest, the author of Hebrews references the Promised Land and the sabbath system that God instituted, all which the readers of Hebrews would have been familiar with. This chapter takes us back to the exodus generation who were unable to enter into the Promised Land. The unbelief and disobedience of the Israelites kept them from entering into God’s rest. God promised them in the book of Deuteronomy that He would go before them and do the work on their behalf (Deuteronomy 12:9-10). God promised to take care of them, they only needed to trust Him. They only needed to release control—or what made sense in their finite minds—to experience rest in its perfect form. As we know, the Israelities did not trust God. They rebelled against Him. They did not obey His voice. They heard the word of God, but they did not receive and believe it with faith. As a result of unbelief, the Israelites were unable to enter God’s rest. This was a warning for believers of the day. 

    The author pleads with the readers to not reject God’s provision for sabbath rest in Christ. The word sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “shabbat” which means to stop, delight, rest, and worship. God commands the Israelites countless times in the Old Testament to remember the sabbath. In Exodus 20, God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments, one of them being, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.” The keeping of the sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Exodus 31:13). Rest and sabbath are rooted in a dependence on God. Apart from Him we can do nothing. We are able to enter into God’s rest not by relying on our own works, but by believing in the promises of God. In creation, God took the seventh day to rest. God did not need to rest, but He knew that we would. God wove rest into the rhythm of creation and life. He took on a human requirement in order to show the importance of it. He modeled it for us.

    All of these sabbath laws in the Old Testament were ultimately pointing to Jesus. He is our eternal rest and our ultimate sabbath. Matthew 11:18-20 is a great reminder for us! Jesus famously says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we seek Jesus, we find His grace and His rest. This chapter concludes saying, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (v. 16). True rest is ultimately accessed by faith and found in a relationship with Christ. Just as the sabbath is based on ceasing from our work and trusting in God, our salvation is the same way. We can not work our way up to God; we simply trust in the finished work of the cross. He did the work on our behalf. We can rest in the fact that we are sealed in acceptance through Christ. He provides eternal rest for our souls.

    Questions

    1. What does it look like for you to daily enter into the rest that Jesus provides? 
    2. Have you ever practiced the discipline of Sabbath? What does the sabbath teach us about God?
    3. God’s rest is also found in God’s Word. Write down and reflect on the characteristics of God’s Word in verse 12. How do these characteristics impact the way you see Scripture?

    Keep Digging

    Interested in learning more about sabbath and the implications for Christians today? Check out this helpful article from The Bible Project.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Hebrews 3

    Hebrews 3

    Read Hebrews 3

    Jesus Greater Than Moses

    1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

    Warning Against Unbelief

    7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

    “Today, if you hear his voice,
    8     do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion,
        during the time of testing in the wilderness,
    9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
        though for forty years they saw what I did.
    10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
        I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
        and they have not known my ways.’
    11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
        ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

    12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said:

    “Today, if you hear his voice,
        do not harden your hearts
        as you did in the rebellion.”

    16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter starts out with a pretty blatant command: “consider Jesus.” Other translations interpret this action step as “fix your eyes on Jesus” or “think about Jesus.” The Hebrews were in the midst of some distressing days and were more than likely being tempted to return to the Levitical system. The author knows that the first step in encouraging these Christians in their faith is to remind them to take their eyes off of their circumstances and consider Jesus. Consider who He is. Consider what He has done for them. Consider what He has promised them. 

    In verse 12, we learn that the reason we need to take this step to set our minds on Jesus is to protect our hearts from unbelief. Sin breeds evil and unbelief in our hearts. Then verse 13 goes on to say that the deceitfulness of sin can literally harden our hearts. We also need to pay attention to the fact that sin is described as deceitful (misleading, fraudulent, tricky), because this may mean that our hearts are becoming hardened and we might not even realize it!

    This may seem like all bad news, but take heart because these warnings come with a solution!  Verse 13 states “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” God knows we need help. We were not meant to bear burdens by ourselves or walk roads alone. God wants us to truly live in community with other believers who will know us so well that they will recognize when our hearts are starting to get calloused. They will not only tell us about it, but they will encourage us away from sin and back to focusing on Jesus.

    We need to be reminded, just as the Hebrews did, that sin is powerful and through lies that can lead to unbelief, sin has the ability to change the state of our hearts. The graciousness of God can be seen and felt by the fact that God doesn’t leave us on our own to let our hearts continue to harden. Instead, He surrounds us with a community of believers who can advise us, encourage us, and admonish us to seek Truth and consider Jesus in all that we do. May we seek to constantly encourage those around us to consider who Jesus is, consider what He has done for us, and consider what He has promised us for our future.

    Questions

    1. How often do you consider Jesus in your day to day affairs?
    2. Would you describe the condition of your heart as soft or hard? Why?
    3. Do you allow others to speak into the state of your heart?

    Did You Know?

    Verses 16-18 are a callback to Israel’s sinfulness resulting in them wandering in the desert for 40 years, causing an entire generation to miss out on the Promised Land.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Hebrews 2

    Hebrews 2

    Read Hebrews 2

    Warning to Pay Attention

    2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

    Jesus Made Fully Human

    5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

    “What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
        a son of man that you care for him?
    7 You made them a little lower than the angels;
        you crowned them with glory and honor
    8     and put everything under their feet.”

    In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

    10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

    “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
        in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

    13 And again,

    “I will put my trust in him.”

    And again he says,

    “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

    14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanityso that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

    Go Deeper

    The main idea of Hebrews 2 is a continuation of the first chapter: Jesus is greater than anything or anyone in all creation, and we must not lose sight of what He has done for us. In the midst of the conversation about angels, we read that Jesus Himself was “made lower than the angels for a little while”. The Word of God had the humility to become a human being (v. 9). As believers, we must listen to the author of Hebrews’ opening words and not lose sight of how history-altering Jesus’ life was. We should remind ourselves often that the God of the entire cosmos became a human for 33 years to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). 

    Next, we read that because human beings all share the common experience of a life on earth, Jesus “too shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death” (v. 14). In order for Jesus to be the pioneer of our salvation, He had to wholly share in what it means to be a human. We as people, committed sins against an infinitely good God, which means that humanity owed an infinitely large debt that we could never repay. But because YHWH is loving, merciful, and relentless, He became a human “in every respect” to redeem our lives (Hebrews 2:17). An old Church theologian, Gregory of Nazianzus, said it well: “That which is not assumed is not redeemed.” Jesus had to assume the wholeness of humanity and the wholeness of His divinity to free us from the curse of sin, and we must not forget it. 

    In light of all this, what do we do? The first thing this passage should lead us to is to thank God for all He has done for us. God has done something so beautiful and loving for us, and we should take the time to be grateful for it. Secondly, we should learn humility from our Servant King who ate with sinners and tax collectors, and stepped off His heavenly throne to live among us. Thirdly, we can share the amazing news that God freed us from sin with someone!

    Questions

    1. How can we remind ourselves to say “thank you” to God for all He has done? Try putting a sticky note somewhere in your home, or setting a notification on your phone as a reminder.
    2. When during your day can you practice humility? Could it be by learning to be a better listener, or doing the mundane tasks/chores that no one else wants to do?
    3. Who can we share the Gospel with? Who needs to know that God died on a cross and rose from the dead for their sins so they could spend eternity with their loving Creator?

    Watch This

    If you want to learn more about the angels that this passage mentioned, click here to watch this short video from The Bible Project!

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Hebrews 1

    Hebrews 1

    Hebrews Overview

    Hebrews, which is written as a letter (also known as an epistle), is unique among the other letters in the New Testament. There are some things we know and don’t know about the book of Hebrews. For example, we aren’t quite sure who wrote it. Different scholars have different theories as to who wrote it, but regardless who penned this book, we know that the author was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

    The audience isn’t as specific as some other letters either (for example, the book of Philippians was written specifically to the church at Philippi). It is addressed to both Gentile and Jewish Christians, but it’s loaded with references the Jewish Christians would resonate with (hence the name Hebrews). Throughout the book there are quotations from and references to the Old Testament, specifically Genesis and Exodus. Based on what the author says about Timothy’s release from prison, Hebrews was likely written around 67 AD. 

    The entire book centers around Jesus. This Hebrew audience had a high view of the priests, specifically Moses. Over these 13 chapters, the author wants to drive home the idea that Jesus is supreme. He’s greater than angels. He’s greater than Moses. He offered a greater sacrifice. Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), is the ultimate example for us to follow and this is the whole point of the letter. 

    Over the next two weeks, we’ll learn so much more about the nature of Jesus and what it looks like to be a Christ follower. We’re excited to see how God uses these 13 chapters to change our lives and deepen our understanding of who Jesus really is.

    Read Hebrews 1

    God’s Final Word: His Son

    1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

    The Son Superior to Angels

    5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

    “You are my Son;
        today I have become your Father”?

    Or again,

    “I will be his Father,
        and he will be my Son”?

    6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

    “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

    7 In speaking of the angels he says,

    “He makes his angels spirits,
        and his servants flames of fire.”

    8 But about the Son he says,

    “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
        a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
    9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
        therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
        by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

    10 He also says,

    “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
        and the heavens are the work of your hands.
    11 They will perish, but you remain;
        they will all wear out like a garment.
    12 You will roll them up like a robe;
        like a garment they will be changed.
    But you remain the same,
        and your years will never end.”

    13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

    “Sit at my right hand
        until I make your enemies
        a footstool for your feet”?

    14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

    Go Deeper

    After our recent study of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, we now begin the New Testament book of Hebrews. Both books were divinely inspired by God to reveal his love and care for his people. At this time in history, Hebrew Christians had just come to faith. Those who had only known the law and the prophets, were now challenged with the new revelation that Christ was indeed the fulfillment of the law. No longer were rituals and ceremonies required to reconcile with holy God, as Christ had shattered the barriers providing salvation and eternal life for all people. These new believers were steeped in centuries-old traditions, and letting go of them would push them out of their comfort zone. They risked persecution from fellow unbelieving Jews as they stepped into their new faith. As baby Christians, they cautiously approached this new revelation, and returning to their old, traditional ways was a fierce temptation. Was Jesus really the Messiah their people had sought for centuries? 

    The writer/writers of Hebrews present a claim of the sufficiency and superiority of Christ, and then masterfully backs it up. The opening verses reveal that the old and the new covenant are both revealed by God. “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (v. 1-2). Seven distinct descriptors of Christ are presented:

    1. He is the heir of all things. 
    2. He made the universe.
    3. He is the brightness of his Father’s glory.
    4. He exactly represents God to us.
    5. His word can uphold all things.
    6. He purged our sins.
    7. He is seated at the right hand of God.

    Any single trait would be convincing enough, but tying all seven together compellingly defined the superior Savior. 

    All people were created to  worship the Creator, but some Jewish Christians had an imbalanced belief in angels and their God-given role. After all, angels appeared in the Old Testament when something dramatic or meaningful was about to happen. Instead of viewing them as special messengers with God given authority sent to serve and carry out his commands, they tended to revere and worship angels. Hebrews details that Jesus was not an angel but the Savior of the world who deserved our worship. The Hebrew writer then compares Christ’s greatness to the angels:

    1. His name is above all names (v. 4).
    2. Jesus is God’s honored first born son (v. 5). 
    3. God calls his angels to worship his Son (v. 6). 
    4. His righteous throne endures forever and ever (v. 8). 
    5. Christ is anointed over anyone or anything else and his kingdom is forever (v. 9). 
    6. Jesus has authority over all creation (v. 10). 
    7. All things will fade, pass away or perish, yet Christ remains the same and is changeless (v. 11). 
    8. He is honored and seated at the right hand of God (v. 13). 

    The book of Hebrews builds a solid case for all who are struggling to understand biblical truth and believe that Christ is both sufficient and superior. Whether you are new to faith in Christ or a seasoned believer, it is an exhortation to all believers to continue strong in the faith, being careful not to drift away. Let’s be challenged to see things from God’s perspective as this book weaves the old way with a new and better way, through the ultimate fulfillment of the law in Christ.

    Questions

    1. Who/what do you tend to worship instead of God? Write it down and confess it to someone to build accountability into your life.
    2. If you truly believed Christ to be superior, how would it change your mindset and behavior?
    3. What habits are you currently choosing that will grow your understanding of biblical truth?

    Watch This

    The Bible Project gives a compelling overview of the book of Hebrews. Click this link to check it out!

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Editor’s Note

    Hebrews will start tomorrow!

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Watch This: Paul’s Missionary Journeys

    Interested in seeing how the Gospel spread across the ancient world? Check out this video from The Bible Project about Paul’s missionary travels.

    Worship With Us

    Join us in person or online at 9a, 11a, or 7p at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Galatians 6

    Galatians 6

    Read Galatians 6

    Doing Good to All

    6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

    7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction;whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

    Not Circumcision but the New Creation

    11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

    12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

    17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

    18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

    Go Deeper

    Galatian churches were a blend of both Jewish and Gentile converts, and Paul emphasized throughout his letter that they were saved by grace alone. Their salvation didn’t come by good deeds, circumcision, or a perfected image, but rather by God’s grace offered through Jesus. We still need this reminder today: nothing can be added to the sufficiency of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Any gospel challenging or amending this truth is false. 

    On a very practical note, Galatians 6 begins by encouraging the gentle restoration of believers who are pursuing sin. Paul emphasizes the need to humbly recognize our own weakness as we lovingly and truthfully call other believers higher. As part of knowing our own and others’ imperfections, we are commanded to carry each other’s burdens. 

    It is tempting to hide our burdens or shame others for theirs instead of relying on each other as Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12). Actively caring for others builds up the body of Christ, and this starts with us seeking to selflessly care for one another. In fulfilling the law of Christ given in Matthew 22:39, we can look for a brother or sister carrying a crushing burden and help them. The seemingly simple commands in Galatians 6:1-2 guide us to avoid pride (by making us aware of our own weakness and depravity) and value others as important (by carrying their burdens). But then verse 5 seems to offer a conflicting view by saying we should carry our own load. Scholars agree this phrase doesn’t negate the command to love our neighbors and bear their burdens. Rather it emphasizes that we are responsible for our own choices. God wants us to walk in obedience and use our gifts for the benefit of others because a “man reaps what he sows” (v. 7). Because the Spirit of God lives within us, we can continue to do good works, not in order to earn our salvation but because of our salvation. The love of Christ lives within us, and we should not miss an opportunity to share the love we’ve been given by grace. 

    Walking by the Spirit is countercultural and often difficult to do. In this broken world, we are tempted to sin and are prone to doubt. However, the wonderful news is that our faith does not rest on our deeds but on God’s love! The Spirit’s power (not our own) sets us free and sustains us to pursue goodness in the lives of others and ourselves. Through Christ, we are a new creation, and His love alters the way we love! 

    Questions

    1. How do you treat others who have sinned? Is there any pride behind your answer?
    2. What is your initial reaction to being saved by grace alone? What areas do you rely on this grace in your life, and what areas do you not? 
    3. What is God calling you to obey as you carry your own load? If the answer is, “I don’t know,” pray to know the promptings of the Holy Spirit more deeply and trust that God will reveal Himself. 

    Try This

    Take some time after reading this passage and revisit it later in the day. Once you come back to it, journal about this at the end of the day:

    • Pray for a deeper love for others and identify a burden someone close to you is carrying. How can you care for them? 
    • Pray for a deeper understanding of the “load” God has given to you. How can you share that with the believers close to you and invite them in to care for you?

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].

  • Galatians 5

    Galatians 5

    Read Galatians 5

    Freedom in Christ

    5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

    2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

    7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

    Life by the Spirit

    13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

    16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

    19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the fleshwith its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter is split into two segments: 1) the freedom found in Christ, and 2) walking in the Spirit. Finding our freedom in Christ is Paul’s first appeal in this passage. Finding this freedom enables us to walk in the Spirit. Christ is the cornerstone on which freedom is found. There is no freedom apart from Him. For believers, we depend on Jesus for freedom through salvation. We are dependent on Him to walk by the Spirit. This dependence is an abiding relationship founded on God’s endless love for us and nothing can be added to or taken away from this love. Christ offers this freedom to everyone! No one is ineligible. 

    We have witnessed how broken this world is, and our own shortcomings contribute to this universal sin problem. Sin is hurtful, unjust, cruel, and wrong regardless of how large or small. God’s faultless Son (Jesus) was the perfect sacrifice that paid all sin in full. Jesus asks us to put our trust in Him as Savior (accepting His sacrifice on our behalf) and Lord (submitting ourselves to His authority). Rather than forever punishing humankind for our wrong-doing, which we deserve, Jesus Christ offers the freedom of being eternally reconciled with God to us out of boundless, immeasurable, and unthinkable grace! For those who have accepted Christ’s life, death, and resurrection on their behalf, we live in freedom (v. 1-15). 

    When our understanding of freedom is set on the foundation of Christ, we walk by the Spirit (v. 16-25). Lies, temptation, hardships, and sin will vie for our heart, yet walking in the Spirit and carrying out the desires of the flesh are not compatible (Matthew 6:24). We will want to sin because we are susceptible to believe the lies spun by the enemy and this world. Yet, for those of us in Christ, our flesh has been crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20). Christ’s Spirit remains, and we can all too easily forget or ignore the Spirit’s presence. Truly sit in that for a minute. God—sovereign, infinite, glorious God—placed His very Spirit within you. Satan is not even close to touching God’s power. While we can struggle to walk by the Spirit, God does not struggle. This is all the more reason to abide in Him.

    Questions

    1. What does it mean that Jesus alone is our righteousness and freedom?
    2. How are you tempted to go back into sin? 
    3. Do you understand what the Holy Spirit’s presence within you means for walking in the Spirit?

    A Quote

    C.S. Lewis once said the following:

    “Our desires are not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

    Take time to confess today how you are too easily pleased, and reflect on what God’s infinite joy means for your life now and eternally.

     

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].

  • Galatians 4

    Galatians 4

    Read Galatians 4

    4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

    Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

    8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

    12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

    17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

    Hagar and Sarah

    21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

    24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

    “Be glad, barren woman,
        you who never bore a child;
    shout for joy and cry aloud,
        you who were never in labor;
    because more are the children of the desolate woman
        than of her who has a husband.”
     
    28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

    Go Deeper

    Galatians is all about the freedom we find in Christ. Paul wrote this book to the churches he had founded in the Galatian region of modern-day Turkey. False prophets had infiltrated the churches claiming salvation by works. These false teachers claimed that all Christians needed to be circumcised according to Jewish tradition. Paul spends the first two chapters of the book  reminding the church of who Jesus is and His sacrifice on the cross that freed them from the works of the law. 

    Paul then addresses their error in seeking justification from the Mosaic law. His message is simple: we are justified by faith, not by works. No one can perfectly keep the law. That is why Christ took on the curse of the law and the consequences for falling short.  Paul says, “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (v. 4-5). They were free from the law yet living as though still enslaved to it. They needed to understand that salvation is not found in following the law, but in trusting in the person of Jesus. 

    Paul uses the sons of Abraham to illustrate his point. God’s promise to give Abraham many descendants did not depend on Abraham’s strength or Sarah’s fertility, but on the Lord’s sovereignty. Paul sums this up by saying, “His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise” (v. 23). Born “according to the flesh” meant by their own works. Abraham and Sarah relied on human schemes instead of trusting in the Lord’s provision for a son. Isaac, on the other hand, was born according to God’s promise through Sarah, who was beyond childbearing age. God supernaturally intervened to fulfill His vow. (For more context on this, check out Genesis 16.) God’s promise to Abraham did not depend on Abraham’s strength but on the Lord’s sovereignty. Paul uses this allegory, comparing the law and the promise, to point out that the Galatians were not walking in the freedom that was available to them. 

    The Galatians were reminded that they were no longer slaves to the law, but sons and daughters adopted into God’s family. When the Galatians heard the word “adoption,” they might have thought of something different than we do today. The word adoption in this text translates to the Greek word “huiothesia,” which means “placed as a son.” In the first century Roman empire, adoption was a common practice. Those who did not have male heirs would “adopt” a son to pass on their wealth and inheritance to. Many well-known Roman emperors were adopted, including Augustus and Nero. When someone was adopted, their debts were canceled, and they received a new name and the benefits of being a part of that family. 

    This is true of us today. We are no longer orphans. We are adopted sons and daughters of the King! Our debts have been canceled through Christ, and we are given a new identity. The message of the New Testament is that we receive adoption through atonement. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows us the opportunity to become a part of God’s family. John 1:12 says, “​​Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” What a privilege that is! Theologian J. I. Packer puts it this way: “Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.” As believers we are freed from the law to walk in the identity and privilege of being children of God. 

    Questions

    1. What did you learn from reading this chapter? Is there a verse that stands out to you?    
    2. Do you find your identity more often in what you do, or who you are as a child of God?  
    3. The life of a child of God looks a lot different than that of a non-believer. Write down some words that come to mind when you think about being a child of God. Does your life reflect this truth, or do you live with an orphan mentality?   

    Keep Digging

    Check out this article from GotQuestions.org about what it means for Christians to be adopted by God.

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].