Hebrews 11:1-3

A Description of Faith

(Hebrews 11:1-3)

1.   In the book The Intrusive Word William Willimon tells of an interesting conversation he had with a college student...in the conversation Willimon asked the student if he had any religious convictions...the student responded by saying, "I used to."... Willimon asked "Could you explain what you mean by 'I used to?'"...here's what the student said:  "When I was a kid, I was taken to church.  But now ... I don't feel the need for religion anymore.  The way I see it, religion is like training wheels on a kid's bike.  It's fine, until you get your bearings, can think for yourself, stand on your own two feet.  Then, you don't need religion anymore."

2.   That student expressed very well a widely held belief among people in our culture...and that belief is that faith, religious faith, is for those who are too weak, too insecure to make it on their own...if a person claims to be a person of faith that is, on its own,  prima facia evidence of some kind of intellectual or emotional deficiency in that person's life...

3.   And the reason many people think that way is because of a complete lack of understanding of what genuine, biblical faith is...  most people outside the church think of faith in terms of--

--believing something you are not sure about...

--accepting what you cannot explain...

--clinging to what you hope against hope is true...

      and I suspect that many inside the church harbor those same misconceptions...

4.   Today, in our journey through the book of Hebrews, we have come to the greatest chapter about faith in the Scripture...Hebrews 11 has been variously called "The Faith Chapter" and "God's Roll Call of Faith" and "The Hall of Fame of Faith"...the chapter begins with a wonderful description of faith in vv.1-3 and then there is example after example of people who lived by faith in vv.4-40... today we're going to focus on the description of faith and in the weeks ahead we'll look in detail at some of the examples of faith found in this great chapter....look at Hebrews 11:1-3...(text)

T.S.-Faith may well be the most used and least understood word in the Christian vocabulary...I have two graduate degrees from a theological seminary and have been teaching and preaching the Bible for more than 30 years, but I'm not sure I can articulate a concise definition of faith which does justice the word...my favorite definition comes from Dr. Milton Fergueson, my teacher of religious philosophy...he was fond of saying that "faith is commitment based on available evidence"...but even that definition fails to capture the essence of the word...

In first part of Hebrews 11, the writer of Hebrews does not attempt to define faith...instead he uses two beautiful phrases to describe what faith is...want focus on those phrases this morning....

I. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for..."

      1.   To understand that phrase we must begin at the end of it...what does the writer mean by "things hoped for"?...does that phrase mean anything we desire?...are people like former TV preacher Robert Tilton right when they say that if you have faith you can have anything you want?...is faith the key to gaining material prosperity or physical health or beauty or power?...the answer to those questions is a resounding NO!...and people who teach that faith is some mystical power that we can conjure up to manipulate God into giving us whatever we desire are teaching heresy...

      2.   In book of Hebrews the word "hope" used in very specific sense..it's almost a synonym for salvation...so the statement "faith is the assurance of things hoped for..." can be paraphrased "faith is the assurance of our salvation..."

      3.   That is, the thing which makes us confident, assured of the reality of our salvation is our faith in God...one writer points out that faith on its most basic level operates quite simply...God speaks, we hear His Word, we believe His Word and act on it with the confidence God will do what He says He will do...

      4.   Message of the Bible is that God has spoken...He has said--

                  --all have sinned and fallen short of His ideal...I don't need to convince you of that...if take honest look at your life will have no trouble seeing your sin problem...

                  --wages/result of sin is death and separation from God... reason so many of us are unhappy, unfulfilled, empty is because we are separated from our Creator...

                  --Jesus came to our world for purpose of providing solution to our sin problem...He died on cross for our sins...paid the price we deserved to pay...cancelled our indebtedness...

                  --by accepting His sacrifice on our behalf we find forgiveness, salvation, and restored relationship with God...

            That's what God tells us in His Word...and we believe/have faith that God is trustworthy...that He will do what He has said He will do...as a result of that faith we are assured of our salvation...

      1.   The day began working on this study went to bank to make deposit...thought struck me that the principle being taught in phrase "faith is assurance of things hoped for" is at work in my relationship with the bank...gave the teller a check and deposit slip...was given receipt in return...left with the assurance the check had been deposited into my account and funds were available for me to use...

      2.   Why did I have that assurance?...had it because of my confidence in the bank and those who run the bank to do what they said they would do...I trusted them...

      3.   And just as I have the assurance of my checking account being credited with the deposit because of my faith in the trustworthiness of the bank, I have the assurance of my heavenly account being credited with salvation because of my faith in the trustworthiness of God...

      4.   Faith is the assurance of things hoped for...of salvation...

II. "Faith is the conviction of things not seen..."

      1.   There is a sense in which every person lives by faith...you've already made many faith decisions today...for example--

--when you flipped on the light switch, did so on faith that the light would come on...

--when took drink water from faucet, did so on faith that it is safe to drink...

--when took bite of food, did so on faith that it wasn't contaminated and wouldn't make you sick...

--when placed key in ignition of car and turned it over, did so on faith that the car would start...

            None of those things can we know for sure merely by looking with our eyes...they are among the hundreds of things we make faith assumptions about...everyday we operate by faith...the capacity to do so is built into us...

2.   What is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm...faith is the conviction that there are great realities of life that are unseen...that there is more to our existence than our brief time in this world...that there is a spiritual side to life that is just as real as the physical side...

3.   Want you to hear how one writer described this idea:  "[Faith] is the evidence, proof, or conviction which enables us to perceive unseen things just as if they were seen, to sense spiritual realities just as truly as we sense things by seeing and smelling, hearing and touching.  Faith claims the future in the present.  It gives things that are yet to come all the certainty of things that already are.  Through faith, unseen things take on substance, and future things take on present reality.  Faith transcends the time-space framework in which this present life has to be lived.  It transports its holders to the high places where eternity can be seen beyond all present boundaries and barriers." [Valentine, LBC, p.52]

4.   It's important to understand that faith does not create or make real the unseen spiritual realities of our universe...just the opposite is true...it's the existence of the unseen spiritual realities which gives justification to our faith...faith is the evidence of our belief in the reality of the spiritual dimension of life or in the words of Hebrews 11:1 "...faith is the conviction of things not seen..."

1.   Imagine a treasure chest filled with valuable gems...the chest is locked with a padlock which can be opened by a key...where is the value?...is it in the key or in the treasure?...obviously, it is not the key which gives value to the contents of the chest...it is the contents of the chest which gives value to the key...

2.   Using that analogy, faith is like the key and the spiritual dimension of life is like the treasure...it is the spiritual dimension of life which gives value to our faith and we cling to faith because of our conviction of the reality of the unseen spiritual world...

CONCLUSION

1.   When son small used play give with him which is good illustration of faith...know this sounds little weird, but he was always such a daredevil...would place him on top of refrigerator back up a step and he would jump off into my arms...his jumping was act of faith in me...wasn't blind faith...could see me standing there...could see my outstretched arms...knew I had never hurt him...so with good reason to believe I would catch him, he would jump into my arms...

2.   In effect what God asking us to do...standing toward us with outstretched arms and He's saying, "Come to Me."...and there's good reason to do so...He has left his fingerprints on the physical universe in which we live...He has implanted His image in our lives...and in moments of solitude and quietness, if you will be still and listen with our spiritual ears will hear Him saying, "I made you, I love you, I know what is best for you, trust your life to me."

3.   May we learn to live by faith...the kind of faith which is "the assurance of things hoped for" and "the conviction of things not seen"...

Hebrews 10:26-39

Hebrews 10:26-39

(10:26-31)

There is much debate among Bible scholars concerning to whom these words in Hebrews 10:26-31 are addressed.  Are they addressed to Christians who are in danger of turning their backs on God?  Or, are they addressed to people who have been exposed in some way to the gospel but never made a faith commitment to Christ?  Strong arguments can be made for both points of view.  However, whether you view the paragraph as having been written to Christians or non-Christians, in the paragraph are some basic principles about God's judgment which we all need to understand.

God's judgment is a certain reality

1.   There are two extremes of thought concerning the concept of God's judgment...

      --on one hand there are those in the church who simply don't want to hear or think about the judgment of God... they prefer to think of the God of wrath and judgment as being confined to the OT and that the God of the NT is the God of love, compassion, and forgiveness and that judgment is not part of His nature...

      --on the other hand there are those who want to hear nothing but the judgment of God...they think they've not heard a sermon unless the preacher pounds the pulpit and threatens them with a mean, angry God whose primary desire is to do them harm...

2.   As is true in the case of most extremes, both of those views miss the mark...the thrust of the entire Scripture is that God would prefer to relate to us with redemption and grace...it's God's heart desire for us to turn to Him and trust our lives to Him...but if we refused to do that, the inevitable result is that we will stand under God's judgment...

1.   This passage makes it clear that God's judgment is a certain reality...v.27 speaks of a "...certain terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries."...and in v.31 is that famous statement that Jonathan Edwards, the colonial American preacher, used to spark one of the great spiritual awakenings on American soil... "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

2.   Point is we must not forget the reality and seriousness of the judgment of God...

1.      In reading came statement which is at the same time both challenging and disturbing...written by Foy Valentine about this passage...think it's worth sharing with you... referring to this paragraph Valentine writes:

      "This is strong medicine.  It must be remembered, however, that God is not an indulgent granddaddy and that the gospel of God in Christ is not a soft and shallow thing.  It is a solemn matter which has to do with birth and death, blood and fire, heaven and hell, time and eternity.  Here is a corrective for the bumper sticker piety and T-shirt theology which has beset us in this time of doctrinal flabbiness.  A morally frivolous age, bent on pasting up posters that insist we are all OK and that confound  the faith, confuse the faithful, and comfort the faithless, would do well to hear this prophetic warning, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (v. 31).  There is in life and in the very nature of reality an element of unremitting judgment.  God's promises of judgment are as certain as his promises of grace, and we had better not forget it." [LBC, p.51]

2.      If we see nothing else in this paragraph, should see the certainty and reality of God's judgment...

If we experience God's judgment, it is because we brought it on ourselves

1.   That's the basic thrust of v.26 which says, "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins."...there are several things about that statement which are particularly significant--

      --the phrase "go one sinning" is not referring to one particular act of sin...it's referring to an attitude which results in continuous, repeated disobedience...this is not the picture of someone who occasionally slips and falls...it's the picture of someone living a life of habitual rebellion against God without regard for the consequences...

      --the word "willfully" which is placed first in the Greek for emphasis, underscores that the lifestyle being described is a deliberate decision of one's will...the person knows he/she is out of God's will, but just doesn't care...

2.   Verse 27 says the certain result of such an attitude is God's judgment and  verses 28&29 contain an illustration of this principle...in OT times anyone who turned his/her back on the law of Moses was subject to death...writer asks in v.29 how can we expect to escape judgment if we disregard the sacrifice God made for us in Christ?...

3.   If we choose to reject Christ or if we choose to rebel against God, the sure result is God's judgment...and when that judgment comes, we bring it on ourselves...

1.   That's the principle which permeates this paragraph and it applies both to non-Christians and Christians...

      --in the case of non-Christians, when people fail to respond to God's offer of salvation through Jesus, the result is eternal separation from God in hell...some people have asked, "How can a loving God send someone to hell?"...I think a better question is "How can a just God allow anyone into heaven?"...and the answer to "How can God send anyone to hell?" is that He doesn't!...those who go there choose that for themselves by refusing to accept Christ as their Savior...the Scripture makes it clear that our destiny is either eternal salvation or eternal damnation... which it will be is up to us...and we make that decision in this world...

      --there is also an application of this principle to those who are Christians...far too many Christians have somehow gotten the mistaken notion, "Now that I'm saved and my eternal destiny is secure, doesn't really matter what I do in this world."...if you think that way, better read this paragraph again...when we willfully, habitually, continuously disobey God...chose our way over God's way ...we bring upon ourselves the judgment of God...it's not that God takes our salvation away...if you're a genuine Christian you can't lose that...but you can lose the joy of your salvation...you can lose your intimate fellowship with God ...you can lose your purpose for living, your meaning in life...think reason so many unhappy, unfulfilled Christians in this world is because they are under God's judgment for being disobedient to Him...

                                                        

The OT book of Ecclesiastes ends with a wonderful piece of advice...after exploring a number of different things in an effort to find meaning to life, the preacher of Ecclesiastes reaches this conclusion:

            "The conclusion, when all has been heard is:  fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.  For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." [Eccl.12:13-14]

And because the judgment of God is a certain reality and because our actions will determine how we are judged, we should do what the preacher says..."...fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person..."

(10:32-39)

The key phrase in that paragraph is first part of v.36 which says, "For you have need of endurance..."...the word translated "endurance" means the ability to stand fast, to remain in time of trial...the picture is that of a soldier under enemy fire who doesn't break and run, but stands his ground...and in this paragraph we are told how to develop that quality in our lives...

To endure in times of difficulty we must remember God's faithfulness in the past

1.   Verse 32 begins with the phrase "but remember..." need to focus on that for just a moment..."remember" means much more than just to recall...it means to think back carefully, to reconstruct in your mind, to re-live in great detail...what were they to remember?..."the former days"...and the remainder of the sentence tells what happened in that period of time described as "the former days"...

2.   Interesting author instructs them to think back to the time in lives when their persecution most intense...

      --the intensity of the persecution is highlighted by the phrases "great conflict of sufferings" in v.32 and "being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations"  in v.33...those phrases allude to the Roman arenas where Christians were mocked by large crowds as they faced lions or gladiators...

      --v.34 points out those not killed faced "the seizure of your property"...

3    .When  first read vv.32‑34 couldn't help but think, "Why in world want them remember that?  Those were terribly painful memories.  Why not encourage them erase entire episode from minds?"...and reason is because as painful as those times were, they were also the times when God was with them in a special way...

4.   The people who initially read this letter were the ones who made it through the persecutions being described here...they were the survivors...and they could look back on those  times and see God's hand of blessing and protection on them...and remembering God's faithfulness in the past would help them endure in the present...

1.   This is a lesson King David learned very well...over and over again in the Psalms see David looking back on the works of God to gain strength for the present and future...for example, says in Psalm 143:5 - "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings; I must on the work of Thy hands."

2.   And that's a lesson we all need to learn...don't forget the times in the past, especially the difficult times, when God has been faithful to you...maybe it in the time the shock and grief of losing a loved one...maybe it was in time of financial crisis or personal illness...maybe it was when some special relationship was lost...remembering God's faithfulness in times like that helps us to endure in difficulty today...

To endure in times of difficulty we must anticipate God's faithfulness in the future

1.   The main thrust of this paragraph is not backward but forward ...time and again the writer encourages us to look to future with optimism...

--v.34 speaks of "a better possession" awaiting us...

--v.35 mentions our "great reward"...

--v.37 reminds us of the certain return of the Lord...

2.   Point of all that is that Christianity is future oriented...while the Christian event is rooted and grounded in an historical event --the death and resurrection of Jesus-- our focus should not be on the past but on the future...

3.   And because of our confidence in the faithfulness of God in the future, we can live lives of endurance in the world today...  

1.   How do you view life?...are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?...some people are always waiting for worst...others always expecting the best...Christians should have optimistic view of the future...

2.   Throughout Scripture, and especially in NT, God's people encouraged view future through optimistic eyes...most decisive event in all history already occurred…was cross/resurrection event...because of the victory  God won for us through cross, we can be sure that despite whatever temporary setbacks we may experience, God will ultimately win victory in our lives as well...

1.   Famous sculpture once was asked, "What is your greatest statue?"..immediate reply was, "The next one!"...and so it should be with our lives...as we place lives in hands of God, knowing that God is faithful, we can have assurance that our best experiences still are ahead...

4.   And remembering that can help us endure in times of trials today...Apostle Paul said it so well in Romans 8:18 - "For I am convinced that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

To endure in times of difficulty we must live in God's faithfulness in the present

1.   Role of faith in living full, complete life given prominent attention in last part of Hebrews 10...are told "the righteous shall live by faith" in v.38 and v.39 tells us that "those who have faith" persevere to the end...then, of course, Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter at which we will look in detail in the weeks ahead, begins by defining faith as "the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen"...

2.   Have heard said many times Christian life is life of faith...but in Christian community wide diversity of opinion about what means live by faith...some people, especially those in the neo‑Pentecostal movement, tend view faith as some sort of mystical power God bestows on Christians...in their thinking, if something bad happens to you or loved ones it's because faith wasn't strong enough..conversely, if something happens it's because your faith was strong...

3.   However, believe more biblical approach is to view faith as a conviction or attitude..to live by faith doesn't mean get whatever will for ourselves...it means live by conviction that everything God has told us is true..."Faith is the assurance (the foundation) of what we hope for (and in Hebrews hope is almost always equated with salvation)"....other words, faith is the stuff upon which our salvation is built...

1.   One person expressed it this way: "By faith we hold clear title to the property of salvation.  With faith in our possession, history becomes filled with meaning, life's present puzzle is no longer an insolvable mystery, and the unseen future comes into plain view in clear focus.  Faith is not the gift of seeing something that is not there, but the gift of seeing through all the haze of doubt and the pollution of sin to the distant city of God set on the mountain of eternity.  Faith is not believing in something in spite of the evidence.  It is living life for the Lord God in scorn of all earthly consequences."[Foy Valentine]

2.   And only as we are characterized by that kind of faith are we able to endure in face of difficulty...

                                                        

Hebrews 10:1-25

Hebrews 10:1-25

The following passage is taken from Warren Wiesbe’s Bible Exposition Commentary:

The tenth chapter of Hebrews emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in contrast with the imperfect sacrifices that were offered under the Old Covenant. Our Lord’s superior priesthood belongs to a better order—Melchizedek’s and not Aaron’s. It functions on the basis of a better covenant—the New Covenant—and in a better sanctuary, in heaven. But all of this depends on the better sacrifice, which is the theme of this chapter.

The writer presented three benefits that explain why the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is superior to the Old Covenant sacrifices.

Christ’s Sacrifice Takes Away Sin (Heb. 10:1–10)

Sin, of course, is man’s greatest problem. No matter what kind of religion a man has, if it cannot deal with sin, it is of no value. By nature, man is a sinner; and by choice, he proves that his nature is sinful. It has well been said, “We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.”

The need for a better sacrifice (vv. 1–4). Why were the Old Covenant sacrifices inferior? After all, they were ordained by the Lord; and they were in force for hundreds of years. While it is true that at times the Jewish people permitted these sacrifices to become empty rituals (Isa. 1:11–15), it is also true that many sincere people brought their offerings to God and were blessed.

The very nature of the Old Covenant sacrifices made them inferior. The Law was only “a shadow of good things to come” and not the reality itself. The sacrificial system was a type or picture of the work our Lord would accomplish on the cross. This meant that the system was temporary, and therefore could accomplish nothing permanent. The very repetition of the sacrifices day after day, and the Day of Atonement year after year, pointed out the entire system’s weakness.

Animal sacrifices could never completely deal with human guilt. God did promise forgiveness to believing worshipers (Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35), but this was a judicial forgiveness and not the removal of guilt from people’s hearts. People lacked that inward witness of full and final forgiveness. They could not claim, “I have no more consciousness of sins.” If those worshipers had been “once purged [from guilt of sin]” they would never again have had to offer another sacrifice.

So the annual Day of Atonement did not accomplish “remission of sin” but only “reminder of sin.” The annual repetition of the ceremony was evidence that the previous year’s sacrifices had not done the job. True, the nation’s sins were covered; but they were not cleansed. Nor did the people have God’s inward witness of forgiveness and acceptance.

Yes, there was a desperate need for a better sacrifice because the blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sins. It could cover sin and postpone judgment; but it could never effect a once-and-for-all redemption. Only the better sacrifice of the Son of God could do that.

The provision of the better sacrifice (vv. 5–9). It was God who provided the sacrifice and not man. The quotation is from Psalm 40:6–8, and it is applied to Jesus Christ in His incarnation (“when He cometh into the world”). The quotation makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices.

The word sacrifice refers to any of the animal sacrifices. Offering covers the meal offerings and the drink offerings. The burnt offering and sin offering are mentioned (Heb. 10:5, 8). The trespass offering would be covered in the word sacrifice (Heb. 10:5). Each of these offerings typified the sacrifice of Christ and revealed some aspect of His work on the cross (see Lev. 1–7).

The phrase, “a body hast Thou prepared Me” (Heb. 10:5), is not found in the original quotation. Psalm 40:6 reads, “Mine ears hast Thou opened.” The writer of Hebrews was quoting from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. How do we explain this variation? Some connect “Mine ears hast Thou opened” with Exodus 21:1–6, a passage that describes the actions of a master whose servant did not want to be set free. The master bored a hole through the ear lobe of the servant, which was a sign that the servant preferred to remain with his master. The idea is that our Lord was like a willing servant who had His ears bored.

The problem with that explanation is that only one ear was bored, while the verse (Ps. 40:6) speaks of both ears. Furthermore, the verb used in Exodus 21 means “to pierce,” while the verb in Psalm 40:6 means “to dig.” Our Lord was a servant, but it is not likely that the writer had this in mind. Probably “opened ears” signified a readiness to hear and obey the will of God (see Isa. 50:4–6). God gave His Son a prepared body that the Son might serve God and fulfill His will on earth. Our Lord often referred to this truth (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 17:4).

Of course, the same Holy Spirit who inspired Psalm 40 has the right to amplify and interpret His Word in Hebrews 10. “Opened ears” indicates a body ready for service.

Twice in this paragraph, the writer stated that God “had no pleasure” in the Old Covenant sacrifices (see Heb. 10:6, 8). This does not suggest that the old sacrifices were wrong, or that sincere worshipers received no benefit from obeying God’s Law. It only means that God had no delight in sacrifices as such, apart from the obedient hearts of the worshipers. No amount of sacrifices could substitute for obedience (1 Sam. 15:22, Ps. 51:16–17; Isa. 1:11, 19; Jer. 6:19–20; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:20–21).

Jesus came to do the Father’s will. This will is the New Covenant that has replaced the Old Covenant. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has taken away the first covenant and established the second. The readers of this epistle called Hebrews would get the message: why go back to a covenant that has been taken away? Why go back to sacrifices that are inferior?

The effectiveness of the better sacrifice (v. 10). Believers have been set apart (“sanctified”) by the offering of Christ’s body once for all. No Old Covenant sacrifice could do that. An Old Covenant worshiper had to be purified from ceremonial defilement repeatedly. But a New Covenant saint is set apart finally and completely.

Christ’s Sacrifice Need Not Be Repeated (Heb. 10:11–18)

Again the writer contrasted the Old Covenant high priest with Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest. The fact that Jesus sat down after He ascended to the Father is proof that His work was completed (Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1). The ministry of the priests in the tabernacle and temple was never done and never different: they offered the same sacrifices day after day. This constant repetition was proof that their sacrifices did not take away sins. What tens of thousands of animal sacrifices could not accomplish, Jesus accomplished with one sacrifice forever!

The phrase “sat down” refers us again to Psalm 110:1: “Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.” Christ is in the place of exaltation and victory. When He returns, He shall overcome every enemy and establish His righteous kingdom. Those who have trusted Him need not fear, for they have been “perfected forever” (Heb. 10:14). Believers are “complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). We have a perfect standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

How do we know personally that we have this perfect standing before God? Because of the witness of the Holy Spirit through the Word (Heb. 10:15–18). The witness of the Spirit is based on the work of the Son and is given through the words of Scripture. The writer (Heb. 10:16–17) quoted Jeremiah 31:33–34, part of a passage he’d also quoted in Hebrews 8:7–12. The Old Covenant worshiper could not say that he had “no more consciousness of sins” (Heb. 10:2). But the New Covenant believer can say that his sins and iniquities are remembered no more. There is “no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:18) and no more remembrance of sin!

I once shared a conference with a fine Christian psychiatrist whose lectures were very true to the Word. “The trouble with psychiatry,” he told me, “is that it can only deal with symptoms. A psychiatrist can remove a patient’s feelings of guilt, but he cannot remove the guilt. It’s like a trucker loosening a fender on his truck so he won’t hear the motor knock. A patient can end up feeling better, but have two problems instead of one!”

When a sinner trusts Christ, his sins are all forgiven, the guilt is gone, and the matter is completely settled forever.

Christ’s Sacrifice Opens the Way to God (Heb. 10:19–39)

No Old Covenant worshiper would have been bold enough to try to enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle. Even the high priest entered the holy of holies only once a year. The thick veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was a barrier between people and God. Only the death of Christ could tear that veil (Mark 15:38) and open the way into the heavenly sanctuary where God dwells.

A gracious invitation (vv. 19–25). “Let us draw near … Let us hold fast … Let us consider one another.” This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. And this boldness (“freedom of speech”) rests on the finished work of the Saviour. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest could not enter the holy of holies unless he had the blood of the sacrifice (Heb. 9:7). But our entrance into God’s presence is not because of an animal’s blood, but because of Christ’s shed blood.

This open way into God’s presence is “new” (recent, fresh) and not a part of the Old Covenant that “waxeth [grows] old [and] is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13). It is “living” because Christ “ever liveth to make intercession” for us (Heb. 7:25). Christ is the new and living way! We come to God through Him, our High Priest over the house of God (the church, see Heb. 3:6). When His flesh was torn on the cross, and His life sacrificed, God tore the veil in the temple. This symbolized the new and living way now opened for all who believe.

On the basis of these assurances—that we have boldness to enter because we have a living High Priest—we have an “open invitation” to enter the presence of God. The Old Covenant high priest visited the holy of holies once a year, but we are invited to dwell in the presence of God every moment of each day. What a tremendous privilege! Consider what is involved in this threefold invitation.

Let us draw near (v. 22). Of course, we must prepare ourselves spiritually to fellowship with God. The Old Testament priest had to go through various washings and the applying of blood on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). Also, during the regular daily ministry, the priests had to wash at the laver before they entered the holy place (Ex. 30:18–21). The New Testament Christian must come to God with a pure heart and a clean conscience. Fellowship with God demands purity (1 John 1:5–2:2).

Let us hold fast (v. 23). The readers of this epistle were being tempted to forsake their confession of Jesus Christ by going back to the Old Covenant worship. The writer did not exhort them to hold on to their salvation, because their security was in Christ and not in themselves (Heb. 7:25). Rather, he invited them to hold fast “the profession [confession] of … hope.” (There is no manuscript evidence for the word “faith.” The Greek word is “hope.”)

We have noted in our study of Hebrews that there is an emphasis on the glorious hope of the believer. God is “bringing many sons unto glory” (Heb. 2:10). Believers are “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1) and therefore can rejoice in hope (Heb. 3:6). Hope is one of the main themes of Hebrews 6 (vv. 11–12, 18–20). We are looking for Christ to return (Heb. 9:28) and we are seeking that city that is yet to come (Heb. 13:14).

When a believer has his hope fixed on Christ, and relies on the faithfulness of God, then he will not waver. Instead of looking back (as the Jews so often did), we should look ahead to the coming of the Lord.

Let us consider one another (vv. 24–25). Fellowship with God must never become selfish. We must also fellowship with other Christians in the local assembly. Apparently, some of the wavering believers had been absenting themselves from the church fellowship. It is interesting to note that the emphasis here is not on what a believer gets from the assembly, but rather on what he can contribute to the assembly. Faithfulness in church attendance encourages others and provokes them to love and good works. One of the strong motives for faithfulness is the soon coming of Jesus Christ. In fact, the only other place the word translated “assembling” (Heb. 10:25) is used in the New Testament is in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where it’s translated “gathering” and deals with the coming of Christ.

The three great Christian virtues are evidenced here: faith (Heb. 10:22), hope (Heb. 10:23), and love (Heb. 10:24). They are the fruit of our fellowship with God in His heavenly sanctuary.^[1]

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 313–315). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Hebrews 9:1-28

Hebrews 9:1-28

The following passage is taken from Warren Wiesbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament:

We have seen that Christ’s priesthood is better than Aaron’s because it belongs to a better order, that of Melchizedek (chap. 7) and because it is administered under a better covenant, namely the New Covenant (chap. 8). Here in chapter 9 we will see that Christ’s priesthood is superior because it is administered from a better sanctuary.

I.          The Inferior Sanctuary Under the Old Covenant (9:1–10)

The writer gives five reasons why the Old Covenant sanctuary was inferior:

A.   It was on earth (v. 1).

The word “worldly” means “of this world, on the earth.” God gave Moses the pattern from heaven, but Moses built the tabernacle (and Solomon the temple) on earth and of earthly materials. The sanctuary was divinely appointed, and the services were carried on under God’s direction. Still, everything was on the earth. As we shall see in the latter part of this chapter, the new sanctuary is heavenly.

B.   It was but a shadow of things to come (vv. 2–5).

Here the writer describes the arrangement and furnishings of the OT tabernacle. Note that “the first” in vv. 2 and 6 means “the first section of the tabernacle,” the holy place. “The second tabernacle” of v. 7 does not refer to a second tabernacle built after the first one that Moses made; it means the second division of the tabernacle—the holy of holies. The brazen altar and the laver stood in the outer court. The first veil (note v. 3) hung between this outer court and the holy place. In the holy place stood the candlestick, the table of bread, and the incense altar. Behind the second veil was the holy of holies, into which only the high priest could go, and then only on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). In the holy of holies stood the ark of the covenant. All these things pointed to Christ and were shadows of the great spiritual realities that God would give in the New Covenant.

C.  It was inaccessible to the people (vv. 6–7).

Only the priests could minister in the court and the holy place, and only the high priest could enter the holy of holies. As we shall see, the heavenly sanctuary is open to all of God’s people.

D.  It was temporary (v. 8).

The veil between men and God reminded the people that the way into God’s presence had not yet been opened. Verse 9 says that while the veil remained, there would still be two parts to the tabernacle—a symbol (figure, parable) of the relationship between Israel and God. When Christ died, the veil was torn and the need for an earthly sanctuary was abolished.

E.   It was ineffective for changing hearts (vv. 9–10).

Day after day, the priests offered the same sacrifices. The blood covered sin but never washed it away. Nor could the blood of animals change the hearts and consciences of the worshipers. These were “carnal ordinances,” that is, ceremonies that dealt with the externals, not the inner person. They were temporary acts, awaiting the full revelation of the grace of God in Jesus Christ at the cross.

II.        The Superior Sanctuary Under the New Covenant (9:11–28)

At v. 11 the picture changes, and the writer explains why the New Covenant sanctuary is superior to the Old and why Christ’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s.

A.   It is a heavenly sanctuary (v. 11).

Christ is a high priest of good things “that have come to pass.” His heavenly sanctuary is greater and more perfect because it was not made with human hands. The word “building” ought to read “creation”; it is not of this creation because it is of the new creation. The earthly tabernacle belonged to the Old Covenant, the old creation, but Christ’s sanctuary is of the New Covenant, the new creation. See also v. 24.

B.   It is effective for changing lives (vv. 12–23).

What a contrast! The high priest took another creature’s blood into the holy of holies many times during his life; but Jesus took His own blood into God’s presence once for all. The OT sacrifices brought about ceremonial cleansing for the body (v. 13) but could never reach into the heart and conscience. But the blood of Christ, shed once and for all, purges the conscience and gives the believer an unchanging and perfect standing before God. All Jewish ceremonies were but “dead works” in comparison to the living relationship with God under the New Covenant.

Verses 15–23 use the illustration of a testament or will. A person makes a will and determines how to distribute the estate. But the inheritance goes to no one until the person dies. Christ had an eternal inheritance to give to His church, and this inheritance is spelled out in the New Covenant, Christ’s “last will and testament.” For the will to take effect, He had to die. But the amazing thing is this: Christ died to make the will effective, and then came back from the dead to administer His estate personally! Even the first covenant, under Moses, was sealed with blood (Ex. 24:6–8). When the earthly sanctuary was erected, it was also dedicated with blood. But this blood of animals could only bring about ceremonial purity, not inward cleansing.

Verse 23 suggests that Christ’s death even purified the heavenly things. These things may be the heavenly people of God (see 12:22ff; Eph. 2:22) who have been purified by Christ’s blood; or, it may suggest that the presence of Satan in heaven (Rev. 12:3ff) demanded a special cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.

C.  It is the fulfillment and not the shadow (v. 24).

The Aaronic priests ministered in a tabernacle that was temporary; it pointed to a Christ yet to come. Christ is not ministering in a man-made tabernacle full of earthly imitations; He is ministering in a heavenly sanctuary that is the fulfillment of these OT practices. The high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for the people, but Christ represents us in the very presence of God. What a tragedy it is when people cling to religious ceremonies that please the senses and fail to lay hold, by faith, of the great heavenly ministry of Christ.

D.  It is based on a completed sacrifice (vv. 25–28).

The superiority of Christ’s sacrifice is the theme of chapter 10, but it is also mentioned here. The priest’s work was never done because the sacrifices were never final. Christ’s death was final. He appeared “at the climax of the ages” to put away sin, not merely cover it. The veil has been rent and the way opened into the presence of God. Christ appears in heaven for us; we can come into the presence of God. The OT Jew did not have access to God’s immediate presence; he would not have dared to enter the holy of holies. But because of Christ’s completed work on the cross (“It is finished!”), we have an open path to God through Him.

Note that the word “appear” is used three times in vv. 24–28. We see Christ’s past appearance, which put away sin (v. 26), His present appearance in heaven for us (v. 24), and His future appearance to take us to glory (v. 28). When the high priest disappeared into the tabernacle on the Day of Atonement, the people waited outside expectantly for him to reappear. Perhaps God would refuse the blood and kill the high priest. What joy there was when he came out again! And what joy we will have when our High Priest appears to take us to our eternal holy of holies, to live with Him forever!^[1]

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (699–703). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Hebrews 7:1-28

Hebrews 7:1-28

I have listened several times to the beautiful soundtrack of Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera ...one of the things about that musical I find so interesting is how the Weber uses repetition of the song "Music of the Night" to tie the musical together...just when your mind begins to wander, the melody of "Music of the Night" can be heard softly in the background calling you back to the main theme of the musical...

That is something of what the writer of the book of Hebrews does to keep the major theme of the book before the reader...we have seen that the main theme of Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus Christ as our high priest...so for in our study of Hebrews we have seen that Jesus is superior to the angels (ch.1-2), to Moses (ch.3), to the priests of Judaism (ch.5), and to Abraham (ch.6)... It is the writer’s purpose in this section to show that the priesthood of Christ is better than that of Aaron’s (whose successors were at that time ministering on earth, 8:4) because His priesthood is of a superior order (chap. 7). It is ministered under a superior covenant (chap. 8), in a superior sanctuary (chap. 9), because of a superior sacrifice (chap. 10).^[1]

And to drive that point home, the writer again and again repeats a favorite statement...that statement is that Jesus is a high priest "according to the order of Melchizedek"...that statement is repeated at least six times in Hebrews...we've come to passage in Hebrews which deals in some detail with this mysterious OT character named Melchizedek...look at Hebrews 7

There is much speculation about the identity of Melchizedek... some people take the statements in v.3 about him being "without father, without mother, without genealogy..." to mean he was not a person like we are...they say he was either an angel who took on a human form or he was a preincarnation of Jesus, Himself...however, he couldn't have been an angel because the Bible says he was a priest and the Scripture makes it clear that the priesthood is a human not an angelic function...and he couldn't have been Jesus because v.3 describes him as being "made like the Son of God" not being the Son of God...

So who was Melchizedek?  I agree with Warren Wiersbe who writes, "He was a real man, a real king, and a real priest in a real city."... but since there is no record of his birth or death there it's as if he is still living and serving as a high priest...he is a picture, a foreshadowing of Jesus, the great eternal high priest...

Notice that verse1 describes this OT character as "Melchizedek, king of Salem..."...then verse 2 tells us the meaning of those words..."Melchizedek" means righteousness..."Salem" which is a shortened form of Jerusalem from the Hebrew word shalom means peace...so his name is "righteousness, king of peace"...and in that is a very important biblical principle...that principle is true peace always follows righteousness...until a person experiences righteousness (which just means rightness with God) that person will not have peace in his/her life...that principle surfaces time and again in the Scripture...for example--

--Isaiah 32:17 - "And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."

--Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being justified [made righteousness] by faith, we have made peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Jesus’ priesthood (Melchizedek) is superior to Aaron’s because the Levitical priests (through Abraham) paid tithes to Melchizedek (vv.4-10)

This is rabbinical exegesis. Since Levi the tribe of Aaron is descendant from Abraham, then the Jewish priesthood (i.e. even the High Priest) paid tithes to Melchizedek. Therefore, Melchizedek is superior and Jesus is superior to Jewish priests.^[2]

Jesus’ perfect priesthood (Melchizedek) replaced Aaron’s imperfect priesthood (vv.11-19)

The Levitic line of priesthood was imperfect (7:11–12). It was necessary for God to draw the new priesthood from a new line, Judah from whom Jesus came (vv. 13–15). Because of his endless life, Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek (vv. 16–17).^[3]

“better hope” (v.19) – This is a recurrent theme in Hebrews:

1.   much better than the angels (cf. 1:4)

2.   better things concerning you (cf. 6:9)

3.   lesser is blessed by the greater (cf. 7:7)

4.   a better hope (cf. 7:19)

5.   a better covenant (cf. 7:22)

6.   with better sacrifice (cf. 9:23)

7.   a better possession (cf.10:34)

8.   a better resurrection (cf. 11:35)

9.   God has provided something better (cf.11:40)

10. the sprinkled blood speaks better (cf. 12:24)^[4]

Jesus’ priesthood is superior to Aaron’s because it is sealed by an oath (vv. 20-22)

While God acknowledged Aaron and his successors in the elaborate ceremonies described in Ex. 28–30, we have no record of a divine oath that sealed their priesthood.^[5]

God’s promises can be trusted because His character and power stand behind them (cf. Isa. 46:10). This oath is a reference to Ps. 110:4, which is discussed in Heb. 6:13–17.^[6]

“guarantee” (surety) (v.22) - The Hebrew background is “a pledge put in the hand,” which implies surety. It came to be used in Greek for collateral on a loan or a jail bond. Also, in Roman law it stood for that which was legally secured. Jesus is the Father’s surety of the effectiveness of the new covenant.^[7]

Jesus’ priesthood is superior to Aaron’s because is eternal as opposed to temporary (vv. 23-25)

The Law was holy and good, but it was limited by the frailties of the flesh. Aaron died; his sons after him also died. The priesthood was as good as the man, and the man did not last forever. But Christ lives to die no more! He has an unchanging priesthood because He lives by the power of an endless life.^[8]

Hebrews 7:25 is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible...John MacArthur, in his commentary on Hebrews says, "Like John 3:16, [Hebrews 7:25] contains the whole essence of the gospel.".

      Notice the verse begins with the phrase, "Hence, also, He is able to save..."...important understand this verse is concluding statement of all that has been said before in this chapter… Jesus the perfect High Priest is compared with the lesser priests of Israel...while the priests of Israel could offer sacrifices which partially and temporarily covered sin, Jesus became the sacrifice who removes sin permanently...Because Jesus was perfect - without sin...because He offered Himself on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins...He and only He is able to save...

I know that making such a claim runs directly contrary to the prevailing spirit of our culture...our culture says there are many paths to God...and that one path is just as good as another as long as a person is faithful, sincere, and consistent...and I realize that evangelical Christians are often criticized and labelled as narrow and bigoted and close-minded for claiming that Jesus is the only way to God....But the reason we make that claim is because that is exactly what the Bible teaches...the Scripture states it so clearly in Acts 4:12 - "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."...and Jesus said in John 14:6 -"I am the way and the truth and the life, and no-one comes to the Father but through me."

Notice this verse describes those people who experience salvation as "those who draw near to God through Him"...it's not the drawing near which saves us...Jesus saves us...but the result of our salvation is that the enmity between us and God is ended...the chasm has been spanned...the separation has been closed...And one of the main themes of the book of Hebrews is that Jesus makes it possible for us to draw near to God...five times in Hebrews the writer uses the phrase "draw near" to describe the result of salvation...

--Hebrews 4:16 tells us to "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace..."

--Hebrews 7:19 tells us we can "draw near to God" because of the hope/assurance we have in Jesus...

--This verse (Hebrews 7:25) tells us we can "draw near to God through Him [Jesus]..."

--Hebrews 10:1 points out that it's not the law but Christ which makes it possible for us to "draw near" to God...

--Hebrews 10:22 instructs us to "draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" because we have been cleansed by Jesus...

A.T. Robertson, the great Greek scholar, points out the verb translated "draw near" comes from a word which means "to approach reverently and with respect for the purpose of worship"...however, the writer of Hebrews softens the word immensely...because of what Jesus has done for us, we can approach God not as some distant, uncaring deity but as a compassionate, loving Father...Like a child cuddles in the lap of a loving parent, so we have the privilege of cuddling in the lap of God...

The first part of v.25 tells us that Jesus "is able to save forever..."...the last part of the verse tells us why that is true..."...since He always lives to make intercession for [us]" Do you see the beautiful picture in that?  Do you see what this verse is saying about the security, the permanence of our salvation?...one writer put it this way:

"The security of our salvation is Jesus' perpetual intercession for us.  We can no more keep ourselves saved that we can save ourselves in the first place.  But just as Jesus has power to save us, He has power to keep us.  Constantly, eternally, perpetually Jesus Christ intercedes for us before His Father.  Whenever we sin He says to the Father, 'Put that on My account.  My sacrifice has already paid for it.'" [MacArthur, p.201]

Once we have entered a faith relationship with God through Jesus Christ, it is the power of Christ which keeps us in that relationship...salvation is permanent...

Verses 26-28 basically restate the main themes of this chapter.

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (694). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[2] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 10: The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews. Study Guide Commentary Series (71). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

^[3] Fields, W. C. (1972). Hebrews. In H. F. Paschall & H. H. Hobbs (Eds.), The teacher's Bible commentary (H. F. Paschall & H. H. Hobbs, Ed.) (777–778). Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers.

^[4] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 10: The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews. Study Guide Commentary Series (71). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

^[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (695). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[6] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 10: The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews. Study Guide Commentary Series (73). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

^[7] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 10: The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews. Study Guide Commentary Series (74). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

^[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (695–696). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.