By
virtue of its anticipatory character, the Law could never… make
perfect those who draw near to worship. By
“make perfect” the writer did not mean sinless perfection. As the
following discussion shows, he was concerned with that definitive
removal of guilt which makes free access to God possible for
worshipers who trust in the sufficiency of the Cross.
Hebrews
10:2 “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because
that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience
of sins.”
For
then would...
Question 13. Next, Heb. 10:29.
conscience
of sins... This is the same word translated “conscience” (in
verse 22, 9:9; 13:18). If sin had really been over-powered by that
system of sacrifices, the Old Testament believers’ consciences
would have been cleansed from condemning guilt (verse 22). There was
not freedom of conscience under the Old Covenant.
We
see clearly that this sacrifice of animal blood on the Day of
Atonement did not clear the conscience of the person offering the
sacrifice. The sin was still there, it was just covered.
It
seems that every year, when they sacrificed, they still had the sins
of previous years on their conscience. The blood of Jesus washes the
sin of the people away, and clears their conscience. Look at the
following prophesies of what Jesus’ sacrifice did for all of us.
Psm.
103:12 ” As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he
removed our transgressions from us.”
Isa.
43:25 “I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions
for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
Isa.
44:22 “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions,
and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Mic.
7:19 “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will
subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea.”
You
can easily see from this that there is no comparison, between what
the sacrifice of these animals’ blood could do, and what the
sacrifice of Jesus’ blood could do.
Far
from enabling them to achieve a standing before God in which they
would
no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
Hebrews
10:3 “But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made]
of sins every year.”
a
remembrance again... The Old Testament sacrifices not only could not
remove sin, but their constant repetition was a constant reminder of
that deficiency. The promise of the New Covenant was that the sin
would be removed and even God would “remember” their sins “no
more” (8:12, quoting Jer. 31:34).
Exo.
30:10 “And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once
in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in
the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations:
it [is] most holy unto the LORD.”
The
big problem with this type of sacrifice is that there was no new
birth in the person sacrificing, and they went right back into sin
after they sacrificed. Notice in the following Scripture the fear
that goes along with the remembrance of their past sins.
1Kgs.
17:18 “And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O
thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance,
and to slay my son?”
What
a tremendous difference in their atonement and ours through the blood
of Jesus Christ.
Mat.
26:28 “For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
This prophecy in Scripture of the great sacrifice Jesus made for us
explains it so well.
Jer.
31:34 “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know
me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:
for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more.”
The
yearly rituals (of the Day of Atonement) served as a kind of annual
reminder of sins.
Hebrews
10:4 “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins.”
not
possible that... It
was not possible that the law could take away sins, make perfect, or
purify the heart. Why some Christian groups insist on going back
under the law in some points is only explainable by 2Cor. 4:4;
11:14-15; 2Tim. 4:1-4; 2Thes. 2:8-12.
The
Levitical system was not designed by God to remove or forgive sins.
It was preparatory for the coming of the Messiah (Gal. 3:24), in that
it made the people expectant (1Pet. 1:10). It revealed the
seriousness of their sinful condition, in that even temporary
covering required the death of an animal.
It
revealed the reality of God’s holiness and righteousness by
indicating that sin had to be covered. Finally, it revealed the
necessity of full and complete forgiveness so that God could have
desired fellowship with His people.
Remember
here that neither can the blood of a mere man. If Jesus was no more
than a mere man, then you and I are headed for hell. The blood of
Jesus was pure, undefiled blood. So many people are saying that Jesus
was just a man when He walked on the earth; if He was, we who have
trusted in His blood saving us would be lost.
Jesus
was born of a virgin. The Holy thing within her was the Spirit of the
Living God. GOD THE WORD took on the form of flesh and dwelt among
us.
Mat.
1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted
is, God with us.”
The
blood of animals and man is defiled. This blood shed at Calvary was
the blood of the sinless Son of God. Look at the next few Scriptures
and see just how angry God had gotten at the people for their
sacrifices without true repentance.
Isa.
1:11-15 “To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto
me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the
fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of
lambs, or of he goats.” “When ye come to appear before me, who
hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?” “Bring no
more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons
and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is]
iniquity, even the solemn meeting.” “Your new moons and your
appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am
weary to bear [them].” “And when ye spread forth your hands, I
will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will
not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
You
can easily see from this that God was fed up with their form of
religion without their heart being in it. We should take a warning
from this. In the 3rd chapter of 2 Timothy we read of a similar
happening in the last days. Men having a form of religion; we are
warned to turn away.
Since
animal blood has no power to take away sins.
“Verses
5-6 “Thou hast had no pleasure”: God was not pleased with
sacrifices given by a person who did not give them out of a sincere
heart (Psm. 51:17; Isa. 1:11; Jer. 6:20; Hos. 6:6: Amos 5:21-25). To
sacrifice only as a ritual, without obedience, was a mockery and
worse than no sacrifice at all (Isa. 1:11-18).
Hebrews
10:5 “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice
and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:”
Sacrifice
and offering...
The 20th Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:5-9; Psm.
40:6-8). Next, Heb. 10:16.
thou
prepared me...
Be perfect (2Cor. 13:11). Greek: katartizo,
to adjust; put in order again; restore; repair; settly by mediation.
Translated "mend" (Mat. 4:21; Mark 1:19); "restore"
(Gal. 6:1); fit (Rom. 9:22); "prepare" (Heb. 10:1-39:44);
"frame" (Heb. 9:3); "perfectly joined together"
(1Cor. 1:10); "be and make perfect" (Mat. 21:16; Luke 6:40;
1Thes. 3:10; 2Cor. 13:11; Heb. 13:21; 1Pet. 5:10).
It
was precisely for this reason that an Old Testament prophecy (Psm.
40:6-8) recorded the words of the One who would do what God really
wanted. This psalm prophetically anticipated some of Christ’s words
at his First Advent. The phrase a body You prepared for Me is one
Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew expression “You have dug ears
for Me.”
(Verses
5-7 is quoted from Psalm 40:6-8).
“A
body hast thou prepared me”: (Psalm 40:6 reads), “My ears you
have opened.”
This
does not represent a significant alteration in the meaning of the
psalm, as indicated by the fact that the writer quoted the LXX
version of the Hebrew idiom, which was an accurate representation for
Greek readers.
The
Greek translators regarded the Hebrew words as a figure of speech, in
which a part of something signified the whole, i.e., the hollowing
out of ears was part of the total work of fashioning a human body.
And
ears were selected as the part to emphasize because they were symbols
of obedience as the organ of the reception of God’s Word and will
(1Sam. 15:22). Christ needed a body in order to offer Himself as the
final sacrifice (2:14).
The
He, spoken of here, is Jesus. He took on the form of a body, that He
might take our sin on that body. The body of Jesus Christ which took
our sin on His body died on the cross. In a figure, sin died on that
cross for all who look to Him for salvation. Jesus defeated sin for
the Christian on the cross, just as He defeated death, for the
Christian, when He rose again.
Sacrifice
and offering would have been sufficient, if it had changed the heart
of the one doing the sacrifice. It did not bring new birth and could
not do away with sin, so the person sacrificing went right back into
the sinful way of life, until the next Day of Atonement.
We
see that the law could not, and would not, free man from his sinful
nature, so God sent us a better plan in His Son Jesus.
1Tim.
3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory.”
This
psalm prophetically anticipated some of Christ’s words at his First
Advent. The phrase a body You prepared for Me
is one Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew expression “You have dug
ears for Me.” The Greek translator whose version the author of
Hebrews used (obviously translating with the help of the Holy
Spirit), construed the Hebrew text as a kind of figure of speech
(technically called synecdoche) in which a part is put for the whole.
Hebrews
10:6 “In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no
pleasure.”
for
sin thou... God was not disappointed with the sacrifice, as much as
He was with the attitude of the people, when they sacrificed. To obey
is better than sacrifice.
1Sam.
15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the
fat of rams.”
The
body to complete the work of salvation. If
God is to “dig out ears” He must “prepare a body.” This
interpretation is both valid and correct as its quotation in Hebrews
proves.
Hebrews
10:7 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is
written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
volume
of the...
Greek: kephalis,
roll of the book. Books were written on skins and rolled up on two
wooden rollers. In Jewish synagogues the Pentateuch is still written
on scrolls.
We
know that the desire of Jesus was to do the will of the Father. He
was obedient even to the death on the cross.
Mat.
26:39 “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].”
To
be the Christian that we should be, we too, must say, not my will O
Lord, but thy will be done in me.
This
interpretation is both valid and correct as its quotation in Hebrews
proves. In the “body” which He assumed in Incarnation, Christ
could say that He had come to achieve what the Old-Covenant
sacrifices never achieved, the perfecting of New-Covenant worshipers.
In this sense He did God’s will.
Verses
8-9: The writer quotes from (Psalm 40:6-8) again, but in a condensed
form.
Hebrews
10:8 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt
offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law;”
Sacrifice
and offering... We discussed in the previous lesson that this was
just a formality that the people felt obligated to perform. This type
of worship, then and now, is unacceptable unto God. They were going
through the motions of worship, but they did not have their heart in
it.
thou
wouldest not... God
did not will to redeem man by animal sacrifices, but by a human
sacrifice of infinite merit. To this end He prepared a body for the
eternal logos who came to do the will of God and die for the sins of
the world (Heb.
10:7-9; Gal. 1:4; 1Pet. 2:24).
neither
hadst pleasure... Notice neither hadst pleasure therein. The law
seemed to be a set of rules to follow, rather than following God.
The
writer then expounded the text he had just quoted. In the words He
sets aside the first to establish the second (Heb. 10:9), the author
referred to the setting aside of the Old-Covenant sacrifices which
did not ultimately satisfy God.
Hebrews
10:9 “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he may establish the second.”
He
taketh away... This
could be understood two ways:
1.
He takes away the first sacrifices to establish the sacrifice of
Christ (Heb.
10:12).
2. He takes away the
old covenant to establish the new covenant.
the
first, that... The old, repetitious sacrificial system was removed to
make way for the new, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, who had
obediently done God’s will (5:8; Phil. 2:8).
The
law, which was first, was impossible for these people to keep,
because to them it was just rules of conduct. These sacrifices did
not open the way to God. They needed a personal relationship with
God. The second, that Jesus provided (the grace of God), opened the
access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now
this was not just rules to keep, but a relationship with God. The
will of God, from the beginning, was to fellowship with man. That is
why He made man. In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam in the
cool of the evening. We find that several men of God pleased Him by
walking with Him.
Gen.
6:9 ” These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man
[and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.”
The
very best example of man walking with God is when Enoch was walking
with God and God took Enoch home with Him.
Gen.
5:24 “And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took
him.”
Enoch
never died, he was walking with God one day and God just took him
with Him as we said above. I have said this before, but it is true.
If you do not enjoy going to church, and being with God, you possibly
should take another look at your relationship with God.
By
the sanctification which is accomplished through the death of Christ,
New-Covenant worshipers are perfected for guilt-free service to God
(cf. Heb.
2:11).
What
was established was God’s will, and it was by that will that we
have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all (ephapax;
cf. Heb. 7:27; 9:12).
Hebrews
10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].”
By
the which... By
the will of God in preparing Christ as a sacrifice we are sanctified
and perfected (Heb. 10:10-14; cp. 1Thes. 4:3-7; 2Thes. 2:13).
we
are sanctified... “Sanctify” means to “make holy,” to be set
apart from sin for God (1Thes. 4:3). When Christ fulfilled the will
of God, He provided for the believer a continuing, permanent
condition of holiness (Eph. 4:24; 1Thes. 3:13).
This
is the believer’s positional sanctification as opposed to the
progressive sanctification that results from daily walking by the
will of God (Rom. 6:19; 12:1-2; 2Cor. 7:1).
of
the body... Refers to His atoning death, as the term “blood” has
been used to do (9:7, 12, 14, 18, 22). Mention of the body of Christ
in such a statement is unusual in the New Testament, but it is
logically derived from the (quotation from Psm. 40:6).
God
will not overrule the will of man and save him against his will. The
will of man can decide to follow the spirit and live for God, or it
can decide to follow the flesh of man and be lost.
1Jhn.
5:6 “This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ;
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that
beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
We
will see in the next Scripture that the flesh of Jesus is the Bread
of life.
John
6:51 “I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world.”
Notice
in the Scripture that there are actually 3 that bear witness in the
verse above and in the following verse.
1Jhn.
5:8 “And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit,
and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” Not
just blood came forth from Jesus’ side, but water and blood.
John
19:34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and
forthwith came there out blood and water.”
The
words rendered “made holy” involve a single Greek word
(hēgiasmenoi)
often rendered “sanctify” (cf. Heb.
10:14, 10:29). Here it occurs in a tense that makes it plain, along
with the rest of the statement, that the sanctification is an
accomplished fact. Nowhere in Hebrews does the writer refer to the
“progressive sanctification” of a believer’s life. Instead
sanctification is for him a functional equivalent of the Pauline
concept of justification. By the sanctification which is accomplished
through the death of Christ, New-Covenant worshipers are perfected
for guilt-free service to God (cf. Heb. 2:11).
Verses
11-12 The old and new are contrasted: thousands of priests versus one
Priest; the old priests continually standing versus the sitting down
of the new; repeated offerings versus a once-for-all offering; and
the ineffective sacrifices that only covered sin versus the effective
sacrifice that completely removes sin.
Hebrews
10:11 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:”
And
every priest... In
summing up his arguments for the abolishment of the law and the
establishment of the new covenant, Paul emphasizes two things:
1. The utter
helplessness and emptiness of the earthly priests standing daily to
minister sacrifices that can never take away sins.
2.
The infinite power of the one sacrifice of Christ that cleanses from
all sin, defeats the enemies of God, and perfects all believers
forever (Heb.
10:12-14).
priest
standeth daily... In (2Chr. 6:10, 12), Solomon sat on his throne as
king, but stood at the altar when acting in a priestly role (Deut.
17:12; 18:7).
I
will put just one of the Scriptures pertaining to daily sacrifices
here. There are far too many to list them all. This just shows the
futility of sacrificing animals’ blood that can only cover sin, not
do away with sin.
Exo.
29:38 “Now this [is that] which thou shalt offer upon the altar;
two lambs of the first year day by day continually.”
The
truth just stated is reinforced by a contrast with the Levitical
priesthood. Levite priests could never sit down on the job since
their sacrificial services were never completed.
Hebrews
10:12 “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins
for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
sat
down on... Finished
Sacrifice:
After
Christ made His supreme sacrifice His work for sins was finished. He
could then sit down and wait to see His work completed in the lives
of believers who would be freed from sin and delivered from their
enemies (Heb. 10:12-14; 1:3; 12:2; Psm. 110:4). The continual daily
sacrifices proved the imperfection of such sacrifices. Christ’s one
sacrifice proved its completeness, hence He could sit down, instead
of continuing to offer Himself as the priests of the law who offered
sacrifices daily (Heb. 10:12-14).
Jesus
sat down at the right hand of the Father, because His work was
finished. It was finished when He said It is finished, while He was
hanging on the cross. I mentioned in an earlier lesson that the very
reason God allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed, is
because they would not stop sacrificing animals.
Jesus
paid the penalty for sin, for all time, for everyone who will believe
and receive Him as their Savior. To sacrifice, after His perfect
sacrifice, would be to say that we did not believe His sacrifice was
sufficient to do away with sin.
But
Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God (cf. Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 12:2)
is both a signal that His sacrifice was offered for all time.
Hebrews
10:13 “From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool.”
From
henceforth expecting... Victorious
Sacrifice:
By
His sacrifice Christ defeated all satanic powers (Col. 2:14-17). Now
He needs only to await the time of their complete submission and
punishment (1Cor. 15:24-28; Heb. 2:5-15; Eph. 1:10). In the meantime
He is calling out a heavenly people whom He will make kings and
priests to reign over all coming generations in the Millennium and
the new and eternal earth (Acts 15:13-18; Rev. 1:5-6; 5:8-10; 20:4-6;
22:4-5).
made
his footstool... (see 1:13). This is yet another reference to (Psm.
110:1). This prediction will be fulfilled when Christ returns and all
creation acknowledges His lordship by bowing at His feet (Phil.
2:10).
Mat.
22:44 “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till
I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
Both
Scriptures show that at some time Christianity shall reign supreme
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ shall then be Lord of
lords and King of kings and the Christians shall reign with Him as
His subordinates. Jesus has reconciled God to all who will believe,
through His shed blood.
But
Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God (cf. Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 12:2)
is both a signal that His sacrifice was offered for all time and also
that He can now confidently await final victory over His enemies. The
words “for all time” (eis to
diēnekes) are translated “forever”
in Heb. 10:14 (see Heb. 7:3).
Hebrews
10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified.”
he
hath perfected... (see verse 1). This involves a perfect standing
before God in the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:22; Phil. 3:8-9).
that
are sanctified... Means that we have been made holy in God’s sight
through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus washed us in His blood and made
us righteous in God’s sight.
Another
meaning for sanctified is, set apart for God’s purpose. We are far
from perfect, until we accept Jesus as the perfect Lamb sacrifice for
our sins. It is His shed blood that makes us perfect.
Acts
20:32 “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of
his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an
inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
Notice
one more time that this is not the world; this is the family of God.
Thus
by a single sacrifice (one sacrifice, Heb. 10:12, 10:14) — in
contrast with the many sacrifices offered by the priests day after
day and again and again… He has made perfect forever those who are
being made holy. The translation “are being made holy” sounds
like a continuing process. But this ignores the force of the
expression “made holy” in Heb. 10:10. A better rendering is,
“them who are sanctified” (tous
hagiazomenous;
cf. Heb. 10:29). “The sanctified” have a status in God’s
presence that is “perfect” (cf. Heb. 11:40; 12:23) in the sense
that they approach Him with the full acceptance gained through the
death of Christ (cf. Heb. 10:19-22).
Verses
10:15-17: The writer confirms his interpretation of (Psm. 40:6-8), by
repeating from (Jer. 31:31-34), what he had already quoted (in
8:8-12).
Whereof
the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said
before, Heb 10:15
This
is speaking of the 2 entities 1. the church and 2. Israel. The
natural Hebrew and the believers in Christ who were Gentiles. They
are adopted into the family of God, because they believed in Jesus.
The
author re quoted a portion of it (in Heb. 10:16) he quoted Jer.
31:33.
“But
this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”
The
text is a testimony given by God’s Holy Spirit, and shows that
final forgiveness, such as the New Covenant promised, meant that
there was no further need for any sacrifice for sin.
This
is
the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the
Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
write them; Heb 10:16
This
is the... The
21st Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:16-17; Jer.
31:33-34). Next, Heb. 10:30.
I
will put... The
nature of the gospel system:
1.
I will put My laws in their mind (Heb. 8:10). They will be fully
enlightened and have perfect knowledge of truth.
2.
I will write them in their hearts (Heb. 8:10). All their affections,
passions, and appetites shall be purified so that they shall
willingly obey My Word.
3.
I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Heb_8:10). I will
make them new creatures and unite them to Me forever (2Cor. 5:17).
4.
They shall all know Me from the least to the greatest of them (Heb.
8:11).
5.
I will be merciful when they commit injustices against God or man
(Heb. 8:12).
6.
I will forgive their sins and lawlessness, remembering them no more
(Heb. 8:12). All this implies genuine repentance and forsaking of
sin (Zec. 12:10-13:1; Rom. 11:25-29).
The
benefits of the New Covenant (cf. Heb. 8:8-12), the author re quoted
a portion of it (in Heb. 10:16 he quoted Jer. 31:33.
Jer.
31:33 “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law
in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be
their God, and they shall be my people.”
And
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 10:17
Those
who have faith in Jesus Christ are the spiritual descendants of
Abraham. Just as Abraham found favor in the sight of God because he
had faith, these believed and it was counted unto them as
righteousness.
Gal.
3:29 “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise.”
He
does not remember the sins anymore because they have been wiped out
and they no longer exist. They were washed away in the blood of
Jesus.
The
author re-quoted a portion of it in Heb. 10:17, Jer. 31:34) to drive
home his point. The text is a testimony given by God’s Holy Spirit,
and shows that final forgiveness, such as the New Covenant promised,
meant that there was no further need for any sacrifice for sin.
Jer.
31:34 “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know
me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:
for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more.”
Now
where remission of these is, there is
no more offering for sin. Heb 10:18
Now
where remission... Where
sins are remitted, there is no need of an offering for sins any
longer. Thus Paul concludes his argument of the priesthood of Christ,
begun in Heb. 5:1. Christ’s offering is efficacious for all past,
present, and future sins, but on condition of proper confession of
sin and meeting the terms of continued grace (1Jhn. 1:9; Rom.
10:9-10).
no
more offering... Christ
Better than Old Testament Sacrifices:
1.
Christ’s sacrifice ratifies the new covenant based upon better
promises (Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15-22; 10:16).
2.
Christ makes a way of personal approach to God (Heb. 9:8; 10:19-23).
3.
Christ makes perfect (Heb. 9:9; 10:1-14).
4.
Christ ministers realities (Heb. 9:11; 8:5; 10:1).
5.
Christ makes entrance to heaven (Heb. 9:12).
6.
Christ obtains eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12-15).
7.
Christ purifies the soul (Heb. 9:12-14).
8.
Christ gives eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15).
9.
Christ opens an heavenly ministry (Heb. 9:24).
10.
Christ ends the many sacrifices (Heb. 9:25-28).
11.
Christ assures justice (Heb. 9:27; 10:26-31).
12.
Christ abolishes the law of Moses (Heb. 10:9; Col. 2:14).
13.
Christ sanctifies all believers (Heb. 10:14).
14.
Christ takes away sins (Heb. 10:10-18).
15.
Christ makes atonement complete (Heb. 10:12-14).
16.
Christ defeats enemies (Heb. 10:13; Col. 2:14-17).
17.
Christ forgets forgiven sins (Heb. 10:17).
18.
Christ remits confessed sins (Heb. 10:18).
19.
Christ gives boldness of approach to God (Heb. 10:19-23; 4:14-16).
20.
Christ gives man an eternal High Priest (Heb. 10:25-39; 6:20;
7:11-21).
In
the last session, we were speaking of the sacrifice of Jesus Himself,
being sufficient to wash away all sin. The blood of animals only
covered the sin, but the precious blood of Jesus Christ, abolished
sin for those who look to Him for their salvation.
Mat.
26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins.”
This
covers what this blood is and this next Scripture, which we had in
the last session, tells us for how long.
Heb.
10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified.”
As
we said, in the last session, it also tells us who this was done for,
the sanctified. Sanctified means, set apart for God’s purpose, or
made holy in God’s sight.
As
the writer will shortly show, a person who turns from the one
sufficient sacrifice of Christ has no real sacrifice to which he can
turn (cf. Heb.
10:26).
