NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum.
Bible Passage: Hebrews 7:22-28
Discussion Questions: What are some misunderstandings people have about salvation? How will you help others who are still searching come to know Jesus?
Food for Thought:
Jesus is coequal with the Father, and everything that can be said about Jesus is true of the Father. Jesus came not to condemn us but to save us. He wants a deeply spiritual relationship with us for all of eternity. This lesson presents yet another opportunity to connect with Jesus on a deeply intimate level.
The New Testament tells us Jesus is our Intercessor, our Mediator, our Savior and King. But only the book of Hebrews tells us that He is our Priest. Priesthood is the purpose for which Jesus was made human (Hebrews 2:17). He is unchanging, eternal, and holds His priesthood permanently. It would endure to the end of the age and withstand the test of time. Jesus’ priesthood was superior to the Levitical priests and is why we should hold fast to our faith. It is the proof that the old covenant has been set aside. Jesus’ atoning death makes the covenant a certainty and His risen power assures believers that their hope will be fulfilled.
Unlike the Levitical system where the high priest office was always changing hands, Christ’s sacrifice was offered once for all, and permanent forgiveness is available to everyone who receives it. Under Christ’s new covenant of grace, the Levitical priesthood was cancelled in favor of Christ’s role as High Priest. By entering God’s presence on our behalf, Christ secured for us an “eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12, 15). “For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
God’s plan for our salvation has three distinct parts: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Justification is God’s unconditional love for us, manifested through Christ’s death on the cross (John 3:16). The sanctification process teaches us to live free from sin in the presence of sin. Glorification is when we are saved from the presence of sin. Once you are saved, you are always saved. The Scripture affirms eternal security saying, “No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). “God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). “Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).
Jesus is indeed the living Word, the Master Fisherman, our exclusive Messiah, and the ultimate High Priest. He is uniquely, exclusively and permanently qualified to serve as God’s priest, Savior of the world, and the once-and-for-all sacrifice. The remarkable provisions God has made for us are affirmed through His Son Jesus Christ. His holiness, grace, mercy, love and work of redemption qualify Jesus alone as the ultimate High Priest. He died to save us completely, lives to intercede for us, and brought us into the spiritual realities of grace through His redemptive work on the cross.
YOU
Intentionally focused on urban and multicultural believers, YOU’s short, topical studies are culturally relevant with clear life-application components that challenge learners to live missionally as they connect, grow, serve, and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for Christ. This flexible, non-dated 3-in-1 quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals, and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional online teaching resources, visit LifeWay.com/YOU.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
