Hebrews Chapter 10
1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. Those sacrifices were only a shadow of the real thing. The real thing was the payment Jesus made. God wanted man to sacrifice animals to remind man that He would be sacrificing His Son for our sins.
They payment for sins is one thing only – eternal separation from God. This payment was made by Jesus while on the cross.
But how could Jesus suffer eternal separation in the finite time on the cross?
Interestingly, John the Baptist, who introduces Jesus as the Lamb of God in Jn 1 also says in Jn 3:34 that God gives Jesus the Spirit without measure – that is, in infinite amounts.
Why do you think Jesus needed the Spirit in infinite amounts? It was so that He could suffer an infinite amount of payment in a finite amount of time.
5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. 7 "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.' " 8 After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law ), 9 then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
God didn’t want the animal sacrifices for His sake. Rather, they were for our sake, to remind us of what God would do.
What did God do? He send His son in as the man Jesus who could be tempted, (‘a body you have prepared for me’) and Jesus lived a sinless life (‘behold, I have come to do your will’), and then on the cross was separated from God for an infinite amount of time within a finite time through the infiniteness of the Holy Spirit.
Because Jesus was sinless, His sacrifice could be used for others i.e. all of mankind.
If you take all the sins of all of mankind who ever lived, it is a big number, but less than infinity. The payment of a single sin (infinite separation from God, and so the payment for a single sin is an infinite amount). The total payment of sin is the product of the payment of one sin and the total number of sins, and the result is an infinite number of the first order.
Jesus was able to make this payment because He suffered separation from God with infinite intensity in a finite amount of time. He was able to do it because of the infinite help from the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist, who introduced Jesus as the payment for sins must have wondered how Jesus would make that infinite payment and in Jn 3:34 he was given revelation that it would be through the Holy Spirit who gives Jesus help without measure.
In this way, one sacrifice was able to pay for all the sins of all men.
14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, 17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO * MORE." 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
With the payment in place it became possible for man to be born again and for the Holy Spirit to dwell in man, and write His laws on our heart and mind. It actually became possible for sins to be truly forgiven and for man to enter the holy place – the place where only men with no sin to their account can go.
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Having being born again and cleansed of the penalty for sin we can now hope for a body without the flesh – that is, an untemptable body – which will be given to us at the resurrection.
With the penalty of our sin taken care of we can now meet with others, do good to them, and encourage them to continue in hope, and to fight against sin, and to love others. It is like having your home mortgage paid off and finally having the freedom to decorate the house that you now own.
26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
If you don’t desire to stop sinning, Jesus’ payment cannot be applied to you. The only thing you will get is eternal torment in the lake of fire.
28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
If you have availed of the grace of God and experienced its value and then you reject it you are insulting the Holy Spirit who began to dwell in you to help you fight sin. You are also wasting the payment Jesus made for your sins. Further, you are incurring the wrath of the Father, with whom you made a covenant, saying that you desire to stop sinning.
People were killed for getting on the bad side of the Law. Surely then, there will be no escape for those who get on the bad side of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."
God’s wrath will fall upon those who are not saved.
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
If there is one thing you really don’t want, it is the wrath of God upon you.
32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
In the past, these Hebrews suffered a lot for the faith. The writer reminds them of that and asks them to not abandon the reward they will get for doing that.
How can anyone (such as those who teach eternal security) say that such people were never saved?
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. 38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
If you want to receive the promise of salvation you cannot give up. You have to keep your part of the covenant until the end. If you give up, God is not going to be pleased with you.
39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
If you give up you will not be saved, even if you were saved at some point before. But if you remain in faith you will be saved.
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