But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.
Hebrews 12:22-23 NIV
We have earlier seen how the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ is far more glorious than the ministry of the Law that was given through Moses. Additionally, we have learned that the only way to remove the veil from our hearts is through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Now, let us contrast these two ministries again from another perspective.
The ministry of the Law brought the people near to God, but not in a pleasant way. The mountain where God appeared burned with fire, and darkness, storm, and wind covered it, preventing them from touching it. They heard the sound of a trumpet and a voice that terrified them. So, they begged that the voice would stop speaking to them. The people trembled at the commandment that said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Even Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”
You have come near to God. But you have not come to a place that you can touch, like Sinai mountain. That mountain burned with fire. But where the people stood, it was completely dark. They could not see at all. There was also a very strong wind and a storm. There was the loud sound of a trumpet. There was a powerful voice that spoke to them. When the people heard that voice, they were very afraid. So they asked that the voice would not speak to them any more. They were very afraid of what God had told them. God had said, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, you must kill it with stones.’ Even Moses was very afraid when he saw God’s great power. He said, ‘I am full of fear!’
Hebrews 12:18-21 EASY
However, as believers in Christ, we have not come to God in that way. We have come to a different mountain, a heavenly one. We have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God. Through the gospel of Christ Jesus, we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, where there are countless angels rejoicing. Furthermore, we have come to the assembly of God’s people, who are his firstborn sons and daughters. We have come to God himself, who is the Judge of all. We have come to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect by his grace. (Hebrews 12:22-23)
This is a wonderful privilege that we have as Christians. We have access to God’s presence, not through fear and trembling, but through joy and confidence. We have a relationship with God, not based on the Law, but on the gospel. Additionally, we have a citizenship in heaven, not on earth. We have a family in Christ, not in the flesh.
However, this privilege also comes with a responsibility. We must not take it for granted or abuse it. We must not ignore or reject God’s voice. Also, we must not despise or resist God’s grace. We must not be ungrateful or disobedient to God’s will. We must not forget or neglect God’s kingdom.
While many may rejoice in that they have also come to God, I would like us to reflect upon our lives lest our rejoicing here on earth might be based on a costly assumption. When Jesus said that on the great day of judgement many would claim relationship with Him, they would be proud to enumerate many things they had done in His name, but that would not be sufficient to grant them entrance into eternal life, because they are not know to Him. (Matthew 7:21-23)
So, my question to you today is this: “Has heaven written your name in the book of life?”. How can you claim to have come to God when the bible clearly says that those who have come indeed: “belong in heaven because God has written down their names.”? What is the basis of your assurance that you belong to God’s kingdom?
Therefore, let us examine ourselves and see if our names are written in heaven. Let us ask ourselves if we truly belong to God’s family. Let us make sure that we have repented of our sins and trusted in Christ as our Saviour and Lord. Furthermore, let us live in a way that honours God and reflects His glory. Let us worship him with reverence and awe, for He is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)
In conclusion, we have seen that the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ is far superior to the ministry of the Law. We have also seen that we have a wonderful privilege as Christians to come to God’s presence through faith in Christ. However, this privilege also comes with a responsibility to live a life that honours God and reflects his glory. May God bless you and keep you as you draw near to him in faith and love. Amen.
