Hebrews Chapter 10

• Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
• 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
• 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
• 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
• 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
• 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
• 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Old Testament reference:

• Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
• 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

The New Testament can be confirmed by the Old Testament. Christ fulfilled this promise of a new covenant which replaced and fulfilled the Old covenant. The animal sacrifices were continual but did not make anyone free from sin. The sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus makes the sinner free from sin and he or she becomes a new creature in Christ. What is promised to men is available also for women and children. The gospel is not confined to only one group of people but is available to all who will only simply believe.

Remember to believe means to believe in Christ enough to be willing not only to be sorry for sin but to turn away from sin and live for Christ.

In a volume of a book it is written of Christ. The Old Testament does not say the name, "Jesus" but we can find Christ in the Old Testament in Psalms, Isaiah, Deuteronomy, Daniel, Zechariah and other prophecies. The way to see Him is to look with the eyes of the spirit rather than the flesh. We must seek Him in order to find Him in the Old Testament but He is there.

• 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;

God had no pleasure in animal sacrifices, ordinances and observances of the law because they did not change the heart of the person observing them. It only pointed to the perfect one that was to come. Even today we can easily slip into religion and outward observances while the heart is full of hate and deceit.

True religion changes the heart. The power of the gospel can make a Muslim love a Jew. It can make a Jew love a Muslim. It can make a Catholic love a Protestant, a Democrat love a conservative, Republican. This is the answer to all the problems in the whole world. If one is "born again" by the spirit of God, he or she becomes a new creature capable of love that they never knew before. I'm not talking about a weak worldly love that compromises the word of God. I'm talking about a love that stays true to the word, preaches the word but still is able to love those that oppose the word. This isn't easy but is possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus says:

• Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

This love is the only thing powerful enough to convince the sinner that the gospel is true. How can we bring people to Christ if we are racist? How can we preach Jesus Christ if we hate Muslims? How can we win Jews to Christ if we are anti-Semitic? What profit did the Roman church in the middle ages do to the gospel when they burned dissenters at the stake for the great sin of translating the bible into English? What kind of love is that?

What kind of love was it that sent the Jews to the gas chambers? Lets admit it. The so-called Christians of the past and maybe some of us in this present day, have made a big mess of the gospel.

Those who did those things did not know Jesus Christ and did not know His word. Jesus came to save the lost, not kill them.

Look what Jesus said to His disciples when they were upset with those who opposed the gospel:

• Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?
• 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
• 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

True love comes from God's Holy Spirit given to those that believe and obey Him. 

• 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.

A better way was made that we now can serve God through the spirit rather than outward religious observances. We can now worship in spirit and in truth. We can worship God anytime, anywhere whether or not any preacher, prophet or priest is present.

We still need fellowship with other believers for strength and comfort but if there are no others available, we have access to God through prayer and study of the word independent of anyone else. Our salvation is now through Christ alone, not through any other mediator.

• Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Sanctified means to make holy or set apart for sacred services. We are made holy through the death of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He offered on our behalf. We can't be holy by outward religious observances, doing good deeds or anything done in the flesh. We are made holy when we accept Jesus as savior and yield to His word substituting our own pitiful righteousness for His perfect righteousness. His spirit perfects us, we cannot perfect ourselves apart from Him. Our part is only to yield to Him and obey His word. While I'm on this topic, this is a good thing that brings peace and joy, not misery.

• Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

This is why no other religion can save from sins. The reason Jesus is the only way of salvation is because He is the one that made the perfect sacrifice for all sins. No other religion can rid mankind of sins. If we die still in our sins, we are lost forever for sin separates us from God. No amount of religion or good deeds can save us from sin. Only the power of the shed blood of Jesus can do the job. We need Jesus to be saved.

This is not politically correct but it is the only way to be saved. I'm not here to win any popularity contest. I pay for this website myself and take no offerings. I want to see people saved and one day enter heaven and receive eternal life. That is my only motive. I don't want to put down anyone's religion or draw followers after myself. I want to see people find God and have eternal life. That is all. If I'm hated for speaking the truth, so be it. Jesus is the only way to be saved and have eternal life in Heaven. Without Jesus, a soul will be lost and enter eternity in hell. If we could be saved any other way, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for sins. God made a perfect way and if we ignore that way, it is to our own peril. He loved us enough to send His own Son. He didn't send an angel, He didn't send anyone but His Son which was the same as sending Himself. He sent His beloved Son to suffer and die for our sins.

• Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
• 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
• 14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
• 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
• 16 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;
• 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Glory to God for a wonderful gift. Now the law is in our hearts. Now is the word in our minds. Our sins and iniquities are not remembered. All this is ours for the asking and for the believing. We turn from sin and turn to Christ and we are born again by the spirit of God.

• Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
• 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
• 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
• 21 And having a high priest over the house of God;
• 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

This does not mean taking a bath or being sprinkled with holy water but being washed in the water of the word and the living water of the Holy Spirit. I believe it refers to the living water mentioned in John chapter four.

Being washed by the word:

• Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
• 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
• 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The living water:

• John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This is the Holy Spirit God gives us after we believe in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. When Jesus was resurrected and went back to heaven to sit on the right hand of His Father, He didn't leave us alone. He gave us a comforter to abide within us. 

• Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

We must hold fast to what we have learned and not cast it away by going back under the outward observances of the law and trusting in those observances for salvation. We must hold fast to what we have learned and not return to the bondage of sin and unbelief that we were saved from.

• Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Love and good words should follow the believer. If we find ourselves warring and fighting, lacking love and abusing our fellow believers, we are not walking in love.

• Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

This is so true. The worst thing we could do is fall out with our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord and stop our fellowship. We need each other as we see evil days coming upon us.

In saying that though I want to emphasize that there is no set rules here. It doesn't say how often, when and where we are to gather together. We must be careful not to become legalistic in this teaching but encourage believers to desire to gather together for worship willingly and with love. I will add that the more we love God, the more we will want to gather with others who love God and worship Him together.

• Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
• 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

If we sin we can repent and be renewed in the faith. Jesus exhorts the churches in Revelations to repent constantly. If we continue willfully in sin without repenting though, that is dangerous. If we reject the way of salvation through faith in Jesus, there is no other way or no other sacrifice for sins. He is it.

This is referring to total apostasy and forsaking Christ, not committing a sin once and then repenting.

• Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
• 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

To have known Christ and willfully turn away from Him is the worst thing we could possibly do. After Christ allowed Himself to suffer so much on our behalf, it is like crucifying Him again to reject this sacrifice especially after knowing Him and experiencing His love and infilling of His spirit.

• Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

God will judge His people. The above verses never were intended to allow the church any power to impose death penalties for those who depart from the faith. Actually the Roman church of earlier centuries imposed death penalties for those who tried to return the church to the original teachings of the scriptures. Man can no longer be trusted to run a theocratic government. They tried that and failed. We must wait until Christ returns visibly to set up any earthly kingdom. We cannot attempt to do this before Christ comes. There are always leaders who get exalted in themselves and fall away from the first love, lose their compassion and begin to punish anyone who disagrees with them. This must not be allowed to happen again. We have hindered the gospel by such things.

• Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This is the thing that so many of us hate to talk about. It is easy to talk of the love of God but we don't want to talk of hell, judgment and warning against sin. Yet Jesus talked of these things and so we must.

Words of Jesus:

• Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

We must be people of truth not just strive to make people feel happy and like us. 

• Hebrews 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
• 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
• 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Here is a hint that this book may have been written by Paul but other disciples also were in bonds many times.

The sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to eternal reward to those that are faithful unto death.

• Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
• 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
• 37 For yet, a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
• 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
• 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

It is possible to know Christ and then fall away or there would not be so many warnings here, in Revelations in Jude and other places. We must hold fast what we have received.

• Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

He gives us so much for eternity, why would we want to go back where we came from.

• 2Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Words of Jesus:

• Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
• 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

DC