CHRIST, OUR SUPPORT

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.” Leviticus 25:35

This commandment, as all commands of the LORD, was ultimately fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ. He continues to fulfill this command today (one of the reasons why the commandments have NOT been ‘abolished’ or eradicated as being useless or worthless). Jesus has fulfilled this in His perfection as a Man through His atoning Sacrifice; yet, He also fulfills this as holy and ascended God interceding on behalf of sinners as He rules and reigns at the Father’s right hand (Heb 7:25). How so? Because we are sinners who are poor and cannot maintain ourselves. Our supply and every strength must come from the Lord and the power of His might (Eph 6:10; Phil 4:19). As we are strangers and sojourners on earth, because we are citizens of heaven in Christ (Phil 3:20), Jesus does support us (v35) and lends to us (Lev 25:36) through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus does not lend to us or feed us with any interest or profit to Himself (Lev 25:36-37) because, (1) He doesn’t need the profit as He owns all; and (2) what is most valuable, vis-à-vis the Holy Spirit, we cannot repay anyway since we are but humble sinners saved by God’s grace. How is this commandment invaluable to us? It is twofold. First, meditations upon the truth of Christ in Scripture humble us by His grace, encourages us by His supply, and empowers us by His majesty (among many other things). Second, when the first is in operation for the blessing of our souls, it works in us to conform us to Christ’s image. We begin seeing unbelievers as poor and cannot maintain themselves. They do not have the blessing of eternal life or the benefit of supply and power from the King of kings. Thus we intercede for them. We feed them with Christ’s gospel of everlasting life. And we do so with no interest or without profit because every praise to God in Christ is what is owed our Lord and what He eternally deserves.

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Today's M'Cheyne Reading Schedule: 4/21 - Lev 25; Psa 32; Ecc 8; 2 Tim 4

If you don’t have one, get a free PDF copy of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s “Daily Bread” Bible Reading Calendar by Clicking Here.

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