A response to Then Came Jesus by Lara Williams :: Week 3, Day 3

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭17-20‬ NKJV)

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For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ” Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them ” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭1-10‬ NKJV)

Once. For. All.

I don’t have much to say.  What can I say other than thank You? I am thankful that my sins are not just atoned for or covered up like they would have been with the blood of Old Testament sacrifices.  My sins are completely and utterly washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Based on His words in the first passage, I should by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  I am a mess and have failed so many times.  I continue to fail day after day after day.  And the realization of that fact breaks me  — completely breaks me.

I am a broken mess but what makes my mess so incredibly sweet is that Jesus still wants me.

No, I cannot enter heaven through my own righteousness, because I have none — not even an ounce, but by the sanctification through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ I may enter His kingdom.  Praise God!

So I don’t have much to say.  What can I say?

Are you reading Then Came Jesus or another advent study?  What is God revealing to you?  Please let me know by leaving a comment.  You can also find out more about Lara Williams and her book Then Came Jesus here.