Today’s Reading: Hebrews 10:11-39

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10

The old covenant called for the priests to make the same sacrifices day after day, but Jesus offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for our sins — a sacrifice that was good for all time (10:12). Because of this one offering, Jesus forever made perfect those who are being made holy (10:14). This new covenant made possible through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ has been placed in our hearts and written on our minds (10:16). Our sins have been forgiven!

And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. – Hebrews 10:18

By his death, Jesus opened the curtain to the Most Holy Place, creating a new and life-giving way. We no longer have to go to the priest, asking him to offer sacrifices on our behalf to appease the God whom we have sinned against. No, we now have access to go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, confessing our sins and fully trusting in the power of the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins (10:22). We can experience freedom from the regrets of our past and freedom from the power of sin that daily entices us to go back to our old ways.

HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH AND LET GO OF YOUR SIN.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:23-25

God’s plan is for those of us who are working for Him and showing our love for Him to KEEP ON LOVING others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what we hope for will come true. His plan is that we would not become spiritually dull or indifferent but that we would follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their FAITH and ENDURANCE (6:10-12). He is calling us to persevere through the difficulties of this world so that we can enjoy all that God has prepared for us in heaven.

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. – Hebrews 10:26-29

Those are some of the strongest verses you will read in the New Testament, and we need to take them seriously. Through the blood of Jesus, this new covenant allows us to live in relationship with God. It does not promise that we will not be subject to ridicule or suffering, but it does require that we remain faithful no matter what life in this imperfect world brings us. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God if we have disregarded the blood of the covenant and have ignored the promptings of the Holy Spirit (10:31), but it is a wonderful thing to fall into the arms of a loving God who has far better things waiting for those of us who remain faithful to the covenant relationship we have begun with God — things that will last forever (10:34).

LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH AND LET HIM MAKE YOU HOLY.

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. – Hebrews 10:35-36

The message of Hebrews 10 puts a new perspective on our decision of whether or not to live life for ourselves or to live life for God. How can we live out the kind of faith that God requires? We do not have to reach perfection by human strength; we do not have to produce an earthly attempt at holiness. If we try to do that, we have missed out on the role of our perfect High Priest, who wants to daily strengthen our faith and increase our hope.

TRUST IN THE LORD AND HOLD TIGHTLY TO HOPE.

How do we do this? How do we continue trusting in the Lord, holding tightly to the hope we have. It requires faith. Just like holiness, faith is not something we can muster up on our own, it is a gift God gives us when we ask Him for it. He will give us the faith we need to persevere, to endure patiently, to step into His presence with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. And when faith is a gift from God, it is PERFECT FAITH!

The writer of Hebrews is calling us to hold on to our faith and endure through the difficult times, just as those who came before us have done. They set an incredible example for us of what it means to have faith in any circumstance and how to hold on tight to the God who loves us and never leaves us! Let’s spend the next few days soaking in the testimonies of Hebrews 11, and asking God to increase our faith in Him.