Marsha's Musings: But You Have Come...To the City of the Living God (Hebrews 12:18-24 NKJV

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:18-24 NKJV)

What a contrast between the Old and the New Covenants!  Before, the people could not approach God without a mediator or they would be struck dead. Now we have Jesus, our mediator between us and His Father.  We no longer have to fear coming into His presence.  We can boldly come into His presence as it says elsewhere in Hebrews.  Yes, we are to fear Him, not with the dread and terror that these Old Testament saints had. We fear Him for Who He is.  He is Almighty, all-knowing, and everywhere present.  We fear Him in the sense of reverentual awe and a desire to please Him.

Some times I forget that.  Some times I forget that He is all-seeing, all-knowing and everywhere present.  If I kept this fact in my mind, there are many things I would not say or do.  Many attitudes of the heart that would be better kept in check.  Scripture commands us to do all things to the glory of God. But I often forget this too.  I want to do better.  Lord, help me!

I need to remember my citizenship.  I have come to the city of the living God.  This is my residence.  Yes, I live in the nasty now and now, but my citizship is in the sweet by and by.  Intead of comforming to fit in where I am now physically, I need to remember where my citizenship is and be a good representative of it to those with whom I rub shoulders with here.