For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another–– He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.(vs24-26)
SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF (vs23-26)
Jesus gave Himself to put away the sins of sinners (vs23-26). We read, “but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sins by the sacrifice of Himself”. He gave no puny offering, but He gave everything that He had, and this sacrifice is sufficient, says God by His Son's resurrection.
Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life justice was honored by the life laid down of the Lord in the sinner's stead. Now, justice is honored and mercy may have free course. God may JUSTLY forgive, because He has justly punished all sinners who come to God by the Son. Heb 9:15 says, “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”. The sacrifice of Christ, His life laid down, is the LEAST God will accept for sins, and it is also the maximum. He demands nothing more and receives nothing less.
WRITTEN OF ME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD (Heb 10:1-10)
Christ is the One who did the Father's will, putting away sins, so that God can justly bless. We read, “Then I said, Behold, I have come- in the volume of the book it is written of Me – to do Your will, O God”. It isn't that you and I have done anything to help. We simply receive, by faith, the benefits of His matchless obedience.
He honored the law, magnified justice, and earned the forgiveness of sins. Many think God forgives, “just because He's supposed to”, but this isn't true. He forgives BECAUSE the debt is paid, releasing us from obligation because His Son suffered for us (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14).
The will of God, the new covenant, is ours because the Lord Jesus did God's will on earth, living and dying perfectly under the curse. He who had no sin gave God atonement and put away sins forever. He who is God SUFFERED eternally at Calvary for us.
Now, we stand in the new covenant of free grace earned by the Son, rather than in mere shadows and illustrations, as the law was. He took away the shadows when He fulfilled the substance of redemption. He did God's will, and we stand in what Christ DID, rather than what we do daily!
NO LONGER AN OFFERING FOR SIN (vs11-18)
If we've entered the new covenant, then we've STOPPED offering God atonement for sins, and we've RESTED upon the finished work of Christ, whom God accepts, having exalted Him. He says, “Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin”. If you're still doing stuff for forgiveness and DOING stuff to get the blessings, then you're not living in, “It is finished”, and the work that God DID in Christ.
Flee from every other way that won't work, and receive, by grace, the fulness of salvation, even pardon, power, and heaven to come. Receive everything as freely given and paid for already. Do not confess Christ with the mouth, and then hide from blessings because of your sin. Don't say, “Christ saves me”, and then expect blessings ONLY if you get your act together. No, from where you and I are, right now, we're either worthy of grace through Christ, or we can't have it. Either He did enough, or what can we do to add?
New covenant saints walk in forgiveness, rather than needing to improve to impress or get goodness from God. We walk as sons, accepted, if we've entered the new covenant by faith. Nothing is to be earned.
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