Upon Further Review; Hebrews

I need to keep reminding myself that this is an experiment.  I'm still not quite sure how all of this works together.  I spent over 2 years working through different books of the Bible one chapter at a time trying to 'learn where stuff is'.  After a few years in ministry (even preaching a good bit) I found that I had lost the overall picture of Scripture.  So I began the CMS; Chapter Memory System.  Which, upon further review should probably be renamed, since it sounds like I'm memorizing whole chapters at a time; not the case.
For a while, it was easy to review, because there weren't that many verses.  After a few books, I found that adding 3-5 verses in a week AND reviewing 30 or 40 other passages (of 3-5 verses each) became a little overwhelming.  So, at the beginning of this year, I declared a season of review.  And so far I've only been able to review one book.  It is a big one, but it's been just one.

So, for this first review entry, I'm feeling led to give an overview, impression, reaction to my re-reading and re-reviewing.

First of all, what a tremendous description of the necessity and efficacy of the work of Christ.  I actually just sat down and read straight through Heberws one day.  I came away tremendously encouraged.  Jesus went through a lot on this earth in order to accomplish His mission.  His role as High Priest was not just granted, it had to be 'earned' by His suffering.  Earned by His blood.  I've read Chapter 9 a few different times, but I was reminded this time about the tremendous cost He paid; the shedding of His own blood for our sins.

If there was a verse that stuck with me upon this further review, it would be this one:

Hebrews 10:22 (ESV)
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

So, somehow we can draw near with a true heart, with faith, and with a clean conscience.  This whole section of Scripture is full of 'let us' phrases; things we are supposed to do!  Not on our own, of course.  Not without the work of Christ that opens the 'new and living way', of course.  But once we are given a new heart, a new faith and a new conscience, we are to 'enter the holy places', 'draw near' to God, 'hold fast the confession', 'stir up one another to love and good works'';  God doesn't just do everything for us.  He prepares the way and equips us, but there are some things He wants us to do.  How else would we grow!

What do I get if I do everything for my kids instead of teaching them how to do things themselves?  Spoiled, lazy, increasingly demanding brats who never grow up.

That's not who I want to be, and I'm pretty sure it's not who God wants me to be.

And how I learn to live from my new heart, faith, and conscience is by drawing near to Him.  Walking with God.  Learning, training, growing.  He doesn't want us to try to do it without Him, and He doesn't want us to try to do it without each other.

Thus ends my first review of Hebrews.  It was good for my heart.

Ethan

Season of Review

I hereby officially declare a 'Season of Review' for His Word, my heart. After basically taking the month of December away from my systematic study, I have found that lack of reviewing has led to, well frankly, a lack of remembering. I need to review. And jumping right into another Book while also trying to review the old ones seemed a bit daunting.

So, I'm going to call the next series of posts 'Upon Further Review' (probably because it's football season ;). I will go back over the outlines and themes, review the memory passages, and reestablish a consistent interaction with God's Word.

I know, this may sound like a New Year's resolution, and I assure you it is not. In the ongoing experiment that is this blog, I need to figure out how to better facilitate the absolutely necessary review process.

Also, I've decided to work back through the studies from most recent to most distant. The reason for that is the most recent ones are the least established in my memory.

So, coming soon, 'Upon Further Review: Hebrews'.