A Study on the Book of Hebrews

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.” Hebrews 10:11-18

Several things had to happen for the Lord to be satisfied with the offering of Christ Jesus on the cross. There had to be an offering that was capable of taking away sins in a satisfactory manner. He was both the Man and the Sacrifice that was acceptable and able to do such. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Vv. 12-14). When He sat down, He indicated by doing so that His priesthood had met all the requirements that was expected of Him. This is a very strong verse indicating one’s security as a believer. There is nothing further that is required of Christ. We have shown from our text, the completion of the work and the covenant pertaining to that work. The law will no longer be just words on a stone, but will be engraved instead on the heart. Within the covenant of Grace, when we enjoy a sensitive (and contrite) heart to the things of God, we find that the law becomes a part of us and we find ourselves performing the law out of a heart of gratitude to the one who offered Himself as a ransom for all. The offering should be an offering of delight rather than an offering of duty.” (Hebrews: Looking Unto Jesus, by W. Max Alderman)

It is because of Grace, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we believe that our sins are forgiven once, and for all time. There is no ladder that we are trying to climb on our way to achieving grace. There is no list of “good deeds” that, once we have achieved a certain number, we will receive grace and forgiveness. All that is necessary, as I have said before, is a contrite heart, a forgiving heart, a loving heart, and a believing heart. All else is achieved by Jesus. We look to the old law (the Ten Commandments and the oral traditions) as a sure guide for our lives – but trying to fulfill the law is beyond our ability. Jesus fulfills the law – believing in Jesus and seeking a relationship with him will write the law on our hearts as we seek to live into the Grace of Jesus.

Pastor Dave

A Study on the Book of Hebrews

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:1-10

“From time to time, I will pull out a certain old video which was made over twenty years ago. When I do, it brings me joy to watch and hear my parents, who are deceased, once again speak. The image is of them and the voice is theirs, but it is only a shadow of what was. The “law having a shadow of good things to come” is only a shadow of Him who is. In regards to my parent’s shadow, if I could I would trade the shadow for them. The shadow follows them. In regards to Him, I will not trade Him for the shadow. In His case the shadow came first. The law is that shadow. With Him being the substance which the shadow represented, we now have a better offering.” (Hebrews: Looking Unto Jesus, by W. Max Alderman)

The sacrifices of bulls and goats were a reminder of sin – but they could not take away sin. The sacrifices of animals were just shadows of the sacrifice that Christ would make for all people. But these sacrifices required the sinner to select the animal – to bring them to the Temple priest – to watch as the animal was killed – and to pray while the blood was sprinkled upon the altar and the meat and innards reduced to smoke upon the fire. Faith in Christ requires none of that – faith in Christ requires the sinner to have faith that Christ fulfills the offering – offering himself for the sake of all people.

Pastor Dave