Are you God’s house?
The writer of Hebrews continues “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3: 1-6)
The word ‘holy’ means ‘set apart’ unto God. God calls us to enter into a relationship with Him through what Jesus has done for us. If we do, we become ‘partakers’ of the heavenly calling of salvation. Romans teaches us “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8: 28)
The writer of Hebrews then asks his readers to ‘consider’ how distinct Christ is. The Jews highly revered Moses because he gave them the law. However, Jesus was an Apostle, a ‘sent’ one with the authority, rights, and power of God. He was also a High Priest like no other, because He has the power of eternal life.
Jesus is worthy of more glory than any of the Old Testament prophets, including Moses. He alone was the Son of God. Jesus was faithful to God. He obediently surrendered His will to God and gave up His life for us.
Jesus created all things. We learn of His glory from these verses in Colossians – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1: 15-17)
Jesus told His disciples – “‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” (John 14: 23)
Jesus has asked us to ‘abide’ in Him – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 4-5)
As we grow older, we long for physical renewal! Consider these words of comfort – “For we know if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5: 1-7)
