A Priest to Run to

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: A Priest to Run to ------------------- Date: 7/6/2002
Keywords: "priest"
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Passage: Hebrews 3:1*

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

Question

Quick — what thoughts, images, and recent newspaper headlines come to your mind when you read, above, that Jesus is your "priest"?

 

Practical help

Understandable cynicism runs rampant among church-going folks these days — and not just among Catholics. Writing as a Protestant, I can hardly shake my finger at Roman Catholics for moral failure without fingers wagging accusations pointing back at my own camp. The scandal shaking the Catholic church is mirrored in the Protestant church. World magazine reported some months ago the shocking statistic that between 30% and 35% of Protestant clergy have admitted to having had inappropriate sexual contact with a parishioner to whom they were not married. (March 30, 2002, reported by Lynn Vincent, quoting a book by Joe E. Trull, MINISTERIAL ETHICS, 1993)

Is it any wonder that there is sometimes a hesitancy on the part of some sinning people (it’s a big club — I’m a card-carrying member, and so are you) to approach other people generally and religious leaders specifically with confessions for fear of being targeted for exploitation.

We all long to know that there is a strong leader who is good and is for us, who will take our concerns seriously and will move to benefit us. I hope and pray that there is a flesh-and-blood religious leader in your world who fits that mold. His or her presence makes it so much easier to come clean with a confession of sin — say, the sins associated with use of Internet porn.

However, even if you don’t have such an advocate here on earth, the Bible says you have One in Heaven. Whether you have a human spiritual mentor with integrity and wisdom and love or not, run to Jesus in prayer and you will find a High Priest who offers full forgiveness, cleansing, restoration, and the strength to resist temptation.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."