Heb. 10: 19-39
“Therefore since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place…” [1] The high priest under the Mosaic Covenant entered the Most Holy Place with fear of God’s presence, and the worshiper feared the presence and glory of God as the sacrificial offering was brought to the priest. Under the New Covenant, such fear has been removed because the blood of Jesus cleanses the conscience, the way to the Heavenly Sanctuary has been opened through the “broken” body of Christ, and we as worshipers now have a great eternal High Priest over the House of God and we are invited to worship in His presence without fear of retribution; [2] the “opened way” gives us the confidence to enter.
“let us draw near to God… “[3] 1– With a sincere heart: There must be undivided allegiance to our Lord and Saviour, we must let go and forsake all that would cause us to “neglect our salvation” 2- In full assurance of faith: There must be no doubting our salvation, there must be full confidence that God is able to keep and sustain us in our faith. [4] 3- Hearts sprinkled (cleansed) from a guilty conscience: There must be a freedom of conscience from the past life of sin since Christ our eternal sacrifice has been offered our conscience is free from sin, and because a Holy God has chosen “not to remember” our past sins. [5] 4- Bodies washed with pure water: Not an external ceremonial washing as under the Mosaic covenant but an inner cleansing of the heart and conscience. [6]
“…. hold unswervingly to the hope…” [7] Hold solidly, steadfastly, and unshakably, to the hope that God has given to us without the doubt or hesitation that some of the people to whom he was writing were having, because He who promised is faithful! [8] “.. .let us consider how we may spur one another on…” Let us urge, encourage, each other to follow on in His love and to do His will [9] “Let us not give up meeting together let us encourage one another” Do not “give up”, desert, or abandon, meeting together, we must encourage each other in the faith by meeting together. By meeting together we develop and mould each other in our faith. [10] “…as you see the Day approaching.” The day in which Christ will appear a second time to reward His servants and to judge the world in righteousness, which is the hope of every believer, and we must encourage this hope in each other. [11]
The writer again warns of committing the sin of apostasy, no doubt hinting to the Mosaic Law; “If we deliberately keep on sinning…” [12] reminding his readers that if such is the case then “……no sacrifice for sins is left” since the rejection of Christ’s sacrifice for sin is to reject the only sacrifice that God accepts, the result being that the “guilt” of sin remains on the conscience, and one cannot worship. In such a state one can only look forward to certain judgment for sin, in the same way that those who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy, so it is a fearful and fateful thing to “trample the Son of God” and to treat “the blood of the covenant” as an unholy thing. [13] “It is mine to avenge…The Lord will judge…It is a dreadful thing…..” [14] Just as it was fearful to disobey the Law of Moses it is a dreadful thing to reject God’s New Covenant.
He then encourages his readers to “Remember those earlier days” – the early days of conversion when there was much zeal to please and serve our Lord, the days when we valued the fellowship of God’s people, days when we stood shoulder to shoulder with those who suffered for their witness for Christ, all because we recognized the great value of God’s precious promises of an everlasting inheritance. [15] “So do not throw away your confidence” for “He who is coming will come and will not delay” [16]
We are called to persevere and not to give up or turn back because we are “not of those that shrink back”, we are of those that believe and are saved. We are those that look forward to the fulfilment of Christ’s promise because we know that He who said He would return, will return and will not delay beyond that which is His will, and we know that God is not pleased with those who give up or turn back.
THOSE WHO PERSEVERE WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD!
Scripture References: [1] Heb. 10:19-21; [2] Mk. 15:37-38; [3] Heb.10:22; [4] 2 Tim.1:12; 1 Pet. 1:5; Eph. 3:12; [5] Heb10:17; [6] Ex. 30:19-21; Lev.8:6; Ezek. 36:25-27; 1Pet. 3:20-21; [7] Heb.10:23-25; [8] Heb. 6:18-19; 2 Tim. 2:13; [9] 2 Tim. 2:14-16; Jn. 13:34-35; Phil. 1:9; 1 Thess. 3:12; Heb. 13:1; 1 Jn. 3:18; [10] Heb.3:13; Acts 2:42;; 20:7; 1 Thess. 5:11; Prov. 27:17; [11] Heb. 9:28; Rom.13:11; 2 Pet. 3:9,14; [12] Heb. 10:26-29; Num. 15:27-31; [13] Heb. 12:25, Ex. 24:8; Matt.26:27-28; [14] Heb. 10:30-31; Deut. 32:35-36;; 4:23-24; Heb. 12:28-29; [15] Heb. 10:32-34;; 1 Pet. 1:3-6; 2 Cor. 4:17; Heb. 11:16; [16] Heb. 10:35-39; Eph. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:1; James 1:4, 12; 5:11; 2 Pet.1:5-6; Heb. 6:15; 9:15; Hab. 2:3-4.