Key Verse:
Hebrews 10:23 ESV
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
At the end of the day, we must hold fast to our profession of faith, without wavering. However, there are times when that hope is not so clearly defined from our pulpits and our educators. My desire this week is to clear away some of the confusion so that we might more clearly focus on that Hope that God has set before us.
Where to begin?
Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For this week’s lesson, some background must be provided. The author (unknown) of Hebrews was writing to a specific community of Christians: those whose national origin was Hebraic and who were living within a community of unconverted Hebrews. While the Book of Hebrews is rich in its communication of our faith, it must be remembered that it is specific to Jewish converts to Christianity.
The reason for the Letter to the Hebrews is that the Hebraic Christians felt extreme pressure coming from within their own community (Jews), resulting in the loss of income, property, and in many cases, the loss of freedom and life. The writer encouraged them in this epistle to hold on to their profession of faith in Christ! They needed to hold on to Christ and not be bullied back into the empty observance of the ceremonial Law of Moses, which the Hebrews had observed for over two millennia.
Subsequently, there are some problematic passages in Hebrews 10 that create confusion in the community of non-Hebraic Christians that persists to this day. While I will cover the intended context of today’s lesson, I will also address those problematic areas, in order to bring clarity and...peace.
In short, the writer reminds the audience of the superiority of Christ over the implements and articles of the entirety of the Hebraic religious understanding up to that point in time, including the word of angels and all unseen entities except God, the Father. Additionally, Jesus is superior to the heroes and the patriarchs, including Abraham, Moses, and all of the rest of the heroes in the pantheon of faith. The writer then demonstrates Jesus’ superiority to the Law of Moses, to the High Priest, and to the Tabernacle in which the House of Aaron served. Through Christ, we are invited to a greater ‘Rest’ than Joshua brought the Hebrews into when they entered the promised land.
Hebrews 9:22 ESV
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Finally, the author demonstrates the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross over the shed blood of bulls and goats. The elements and articles in the Tabernacle, then later, the Temple had to be cleansed annually, even before the people could be cleansed in that yearly Day of Atonement. Conversely, Christ was sacrificed once, for all of time, for all of our sins; past, present, and future.
Hebrews 9:28 ESV
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 10:14 ESV
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
_______________________________
Thus, there is no longer any offering required for sin…
Hebrews 10:15-18 ESV
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16
“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Under the unction of the Holy Spirit, the author reveals that
That Jesus brings forth a new and better Covenant.
That by the Spirit, God would indwell those who are saved.
That He would no longer remember sins.
There was no longer a requirement for offering for sin. Jesus finished the work.
These benefits of the better covenant Christ provides are a source of assurance for every believer, but the last two points are cause for contention within the community of the Hebrews. The Holy Spirit is explicit in making the point that there is no longer a required offering for sin, the non-Christian Jews were adamant that the yearly sacrifices must continue. Thus, they pressured the Christians in their midst to observe these same sacraments to obtain God’s righteousness. The author of Hebrews is encouraging the Hebraic Christians to hold fast to the truth: Christ only needed to be offered once for all time.
The more ethereal issue here was the issue of sin. The writer of Hebrews insists that by this new, better covenant, God has settled the sin issue for the believer. This subject affects the confidence of every Christian, both Jewish and non-Jewish. How we understand what Christ did for us concerning sin really governs our sense of eternal security. The question becomes, “Is Christ keeping us, or are we keeping ourselves?”
Hebrews 10:22 ESV
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water...
The author makes it clear that we can draw near to God, into His very presence with full assurance and clear consciences, having been made clean, pure by the very Word of Faith that we received.
The Lesson
Hebrews 10:23 ESV
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Micah 7:9 ESV
19
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our[a] sins
into the depths of the sea.
The author of Hebrews then exhorts the Hebraic Christians to hold fast to their confession. This same exhortation holds for non-Jewish believers as well. When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we were saved. At that moment, our eternal security was permanently secured. No questions. All of our sins; past, present, and future were thrown into the Sea of Forgetfulness, to be remembered no more. Imagines that! God is so great, He has the power to forget sin! Give me a minute!
Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The author asks readers to consider all that they have inherited in this better, new covenant, and to let that compel them to love one another, to draw near to one another for strength and encouragement. Let the strong encourage the weak, rather than allowing them to drift away, with the knowledge that with each passing day, the return of the Lord draws nearer. Beloved, this is sound advice to us today. Though our challenges are different, the exhortation remains. Hang on. Christ’s return is closer now than when we first believed!
Hebrews 10:26-31 ESV
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Matthew 12:31 ESV
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
OK, so I lumped this section of the lesson together because this section is problematic for so many believers. This is the section alluded to earlier that is specific to the Hebraic Christian community that the author was writing to. The topic here is not sinning, from a generic standpoint. The topic here is the specific sin of turning away from the knowledge that Christ’s sacrifice at the cross was sufficient to secure eternal salvation for the believer. The writer points out that the old sacrificial system was now obsolete. It would be sinful to revert back to it in an effort to achieve righteousness before God. The problem is compounded by the thought that by returning to the old ways, you actually profane the sacrifice that Jesus made, thus profaning His great Name. Christ is the final revelation from God of God. There is no name greater.
Additionally, the author points out that as a result of this ‘turning away’, the once clear conscience is no longer clear. I would argue that the constant fear of judgment is a sign of unbelief. A conscience that turns away is a conscience that was not ever really clear. The writer of Hebrews exhorts the Hebraic Christian audience not to succumb to the pressure of their non-christian peers and doubt the sufficiency of the shed blood of Christ to save.
So, do any of the verses above apply to believers today? Short answer: No! Not from a salvational point of view. Their importance is informational or educational only. What we learn here is how great an insult it would be to the Spirit of Grace to deny Christ. This is in line with Jesus’ statement about blaspheming the Holy Spirit (above).
Isaiah 43:25 ESV
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
Thus, the only deliberate sin referenced here is the deliberate sin of continual sacrifice for sin, thereby denying Christ. What about all other sin? God dealt with those. All of them; past, present, and future. God continually promised just that throughout the Old Testament. His desire for us is that we enter into His eternal rest. From the moment of salvation, we are at rest. We can put away fear and anxiousness. Only Santa Claus is making a list. God is not. Not for the believer. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Hebrews 10:32-34 ESV
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one
The writer now reminds the audience of the torment they have endured for their faith. They are no strangers to hardship and affliction, however, they have responded with the most Christian way. They have endured with joy and compassion. Both their endurance and their love were a product of their faith in God. In like manner, we who endure hardship with hopefulness and faith bear witness to a world without hope that hope is available. Hope is available in the person of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
In closing, the author encourages the readers to hold on to their confidence in Jesus. Those same words encourage us all. Beloved, your salvation is secure. God will not rescind it. He promised. His promises are Yes and Amen.
Selah,
wb
Hebrews 12:22-24 ESV
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly[a] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
