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We Need a Divine Reset

This week, October 12th, is the Jew’s Day of Atonement or “Yom Kippur.”  This celebration is significant to Christians because Jesus became our atonement, fulfilling the human need for purgation from sin.

1 John 2:2 says,

He [Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Bless the Lord for becoming our atonement in Christ!

Moreover, the Day of Atonement in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) was a robustly significant celebration. Atoning for the people’s sins was only part of it’s significance. Historically, the Jews have seen Yom Kippur as a time for a sort of reset.

  • They reset their attention on God’s will, recognizing how far they had swayed from God over a single year’s time.
  • They reset their submission to God’s kingship, acknowledging their need for obedience to their supreme deliverer.
  • They reset their commitment to obedience to God. It is so easy to become haughty and self-centered, falling into a life of disobedience to God.

I want to invite you to reflect with me on the Celebration of Yom Kippur (Atonement) in the Hebrew Bible in light of the current state of affairs in the United States and around the world. Our world is hurting.

We need a reset!

God presents to us a way forward in resetting:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Lord, may this nation and our world experience a reset in Jesus’ name. We cannot depend on human efforts and big promises. We need You, Lord, Amen!

Grace and peace,

Dr. Antipas

 

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Category: Fall 2016, Living the Faith

About the Author: Antipas L. Harris, D.Min. (Boston University), S.T.M. (Yale University Divinity School), M.Div. (Emory University), is the president-dean of Jakes Divinity School and associate pastor at The Potter’s House of Dallas, TX, and the founding dean of the Urban Renewal Center in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the Criminal Justice System Director for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) and president of the Global Institute for Empowerment & Leadership Development, known as GIELD. He has additional experience as an educator, academic lecturer, itinerant preacher, pastor, youth director, motivational speaker, and Christian musician. He is the author of Is Christianity the White Man's Religion?: How the Bible Is Good News for People of Color (IVP, 2020), The Holy Spirit and Social Justice: Scripture and Theology (2019), Holy Spirit, Holy Living: A Practical Theology of Holiness for Twenty-first Century Churches (Wipf & Stock, 2013) and Unstoppable Success: 7 Ways to Flourish in Your Boundless Potential (High Bridge Books, 2014). AntipasHarris.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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