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希伯来书：：20-22：20再者，耶稣为祭司，并不是不起誓立的。21至于那些祭司，原不是起誓立的，只有耶稣是起誓立的。因为那立他的对他说：“主起了誓，决不后悔，你是永远为祭司。”22既是起誓立的，耶稣就作了更美之约的中保。

         上帝花了这么多篇幅就是让我们坚信我们会被拯救。他甚至和我们立约，应许我们为了耶稣的缘故赦免我们的罪。我们还能有比这更好的担保吗？担保的人就是耶稣，他在上帝的宝座前做我们永久的大祭司。

         对于人类来说，我可以说在我的有生之年与你签订契约，但是我和你立的约不能超越我的生命。死亡会解除我立的所有契约。上帝藉着耶稣和我们立的约是永久的约。它永远也不会失效和作废。上帝自己会持守他约定的内容，而耶稣正是上帝与我们立约的担保人。

         这就是为什么我可以放胆向上帝祷告。“父啊，为了耶稣的缘故请赦免我的罪，因为你已经这样应许我了。”这也是为什么圣餐对我们来说是如此的特别。牧师在举行圣餐的时候你会听见这句话：“这是我立新约的血，是为你们流出来的，使罪得赦。”上帝已经起誓，就不会再改变心意了。

祷告：主耶稣，在你被卖的那个夜晚，你设立了圣（餐）礼，你是用你流出的宝血和我们立约，为的是让我们的罪得赦免。谢谢你这样提醒我并让我确信我的罪已得赦免。我祷告自己每一天生活在对罪得赦免的感谢中。阿们。

Hebrews 7: 20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:  ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

        God has gone to such great lengths to make us confident of our salvation. He has even made a covenant with us, promising to forgive our sins for Jesus’ sake.  And what better guarantee do we have than this, that the guarantor of the covenant is Jesus, who serves as our forever high priest before the throne of God!

         I can make a covenant, or contract, with you for as long as I live. But I cannot make a covenant with you that will last beyond my life. Death releases me from any covenant that I would make.  The covenant that God has made with us through Jesus is a forever covenant. It will never be null and void. God will hold himself to the terms of his covenant, and Jesus is the guarantee that this is so.

         That’s what allows me to be bold with God in my prayers. “Forgive me sin, Father, for Jesus’ sake, because you promised!”  It’s what makes the journey to the Lord’s Table so special. In the words of institution, you hear this:  “This is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” God has sworn and will not change his mind! 

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, in the sacrament you instituted on the night you were betrayed, you made a covenant with us through your blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you for giving me this reminder and assurance that my sins are forgiven. I pray that I will live each day in the thankfulness of this forgiveness.  Amen.