The Uttermost

Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Have you ever done something that makes you think “There’s no way I’ll be forgiven for this one.”? I have. I’ve made some horrible choices in my life. Some of them involved my body and my mind; they were choices that affected me on a personal level. Others, however, involved the people in my life. Those choices didn’t only impact me, but those who were associated with me.

The thought “There’s no way I’ll be forgiven...” is one that drives more people from Christ than to Christ. The devil likes to manipulate the mind into thinking that your sin is far worse than someone else’s sin. The truth is this: sin is sin; there is no bell curve when it comes to sin. But, because we are human and think on a grading scale, we allow the sin (murder, rape, child abuse, drug addiction, whatever) to dictate its importance on the judgement meter (which incidentally doesn’t exist).

God knew that we would think this way. Look at our legal system, the way it’s designed. Some laws are infractions, others are misdemeanors, still others are felonies. And even in that system there are different levels of offense. There are class 1, 2, 3 misdemeanors, or class a, b, c felonies. We like to give different weight to different offenses, but God does not. All offenses are the same to Him. There is no sin worse than any other sin.

But God, knowing our minds and our desire to “reason” through sin, decided to meet us on our level with His Word. If you were concerned about the level of offense you’ve committed, God says, “...He is able to save to the UTTERMOST...” That “uttermost” is what levels the playing field for you. That “uttermost” is what assures you that no matter what, God is able to forgive you through Jesus Christ. There is nothing you can do, did do, or will do, that Jesus Christ didn’t bear in His body at the cross. That’s some freeing news.

But wait, there’s more...

Realizing that Jesus died for your sins is just the beginning; the best part is that He rose from the dead! He defeated the curse of death and He lives. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Even greater than that is this: He lives, always, to make intercession for you. It’s the desire of Jesus, it’s His life, to continually give you a good name in Heaven. Whether you did something in the past or are going to do something in the future, Jesus Christ will stand before God in your place and say, “It is finished!”

The grace of God is more than any of us can fathom. Just rest and receive the forgiveness and blessings offered through Jesus Christ and His finished work at the cross.