Thread by @BethMooreLPM

Reading through Hebrews presently. 2nd chapter today. By the time I came to the end of it, I felt like standing to my feet & shouting a thousand amens to God. So what I’m going to do here in this thread is throw out some verses from it & a comment here & there for encouragement.

“For in subjecting everything to [Jesus], [God] left nothing that is not subject to him.” V.8

This reminder and powerful wording encouraged me tremendously. I got to stop here & intercede for my beloved @LiciB with fresh strength. “Jesus, her body & mind are subject to you!...”

“For in bringing many sons & daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom & through whom all things exist—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” V.10 Good grief, the cost.

Try to wrap your mind around this next part:

“For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one father.” (Stop & let that sink in. THIS is the power of the cross! This is death and hell defeated.) “That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers & sisters...Here I am with the children God gave me.”

I’m going to need to repeat that for those of you who are like me & have dealt w/nothing more consistently in your life than shame. I don’t have a single memory of life before I felt ashamed of myself. Because of his cross, “Jesus is NOT ASHAMED to call [us] brothers & sisters.”

If you’re in Christ, men, Jesus is not ashamed to call you brothers. If you’re in Christ, women, Jesus is not ashamed to call you sisters.

SHAMELESS LOVE.

Then, what about all that failure & weakness, all that temptation, fear, angst, heartache & pain?

Hold up. Here it comes:

“[Jesus] had to be like his brothers & sisters in every way so he could become a merciful & faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he’s able to help those who are tempted.”

Jesus is merciful & faithful & able to help! I know this scripturally. I know this experientially. He set me free from a cycle of sin I believed would haunt, harass and have me to my last breath. You will never draw close to someone you’re convinced is ashamed of you. He’s NOT.

Trust Jesus. Take every bit of it to him. Tell him what harasses and haunts you and wants to have you. Tell him how you’ve felt shamed & try to articulate why. Yes, he already knows. But pouring our hearts out to him is essential to drawing near to him. He is MERCIFUL. FAITHFUL.

And he shamelessly loves you.