Americans are racking up credit card debt at a record pace. Now, don’t worry, this isn’t a message about being a good steward and owing no man or anything like that. But while our financial debt soars, no one talks much about the spiritual debt we owe to God. I know for myself - every time I review my credit card statement I cringe. But how often does the average person realize that with each day they mount up debt for the way they live their lives in rebellion and opposition to God? Do we feel guilty about that? Not most people.
Some people do, though - but they assuage their guilty conscience by trying to go back and cancel out each individual debit by a corresponding credit. They go to church - bing!. They tithe - bing! They don’t go to movies - bing! Then they smash their finger with a hammer and say a curse word and bong! - they get another debit.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to feel guilt? To feel really pure on the inside? That’s what Jesus offers - and it is a much better way than offered by the Jewish system, which gave you a covering - but not a permanent wiping away of sin - and not only that but like getting a rebate - we get huge bonuses!
So in the last half of chapter 9 we see three things in verses 11-28 -
1- A purified conscience (vs 11-14)
2- A promised inheritance (vs 15-22) and
3- A sure salvation (vs 23-28).
1. A Purified Conscience (11-14)
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God
In verse 9 of this chapter, the author of Hebrews tells us that the sacrifices made by the priests could not "perfect the conscience of the worshiper." The conscience is that thing inside of us that helps us tell right from wrong. It is, some scholars say, a leftover from creation - an innate sense of the character of God.
Paul in Romans 2 (vs 14) talks about how even without the Law we humans can "by nature" obey or disobey the Law - which is simply a codification of God’s character.
Now the fall has definitely affected the conscience - it can become too sensitive - focusing on micro-ethical issues that are not important to salvation. In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul talks about the "weak" consciences of some believers. It means they are incomplete - they hadn’t yet been able to unhook from their pagan, idol-worshipping past. It can also become insensitive. 1 Timothy 2 talks about the conscience being "seared as with a hot iron" so that you can no longer feel its urgings.
In the Old Covenant, God did not wipe away sin - He simply covered it over through animal sacrifices - with the blood sprinkled on the articles in an earthly representation of a heavenly place - God’s presence.
These sacrifices can only make us feel good for so long. As soon as someone messed up after a sacrifice had been made - they would feel guilty until the next sacrifice. It’s a yoyo relationship with God - near then far, close then separated, sinful, then covered.
Jesus, it says in verse 12, provides us with "eternal redemption" by placing His own blood on the articles in the heavenly Tabernacle one time. The sacrifices in the Old Covenant were for the "sanctification of the flesh" or for the covering of ritual defilement. For instance - if someone became "unclean" they could not participate in the Jewish religious life until they were made "clean" by the ashes of a red heifer (described in Numbers 19). Ceremonial cleansing is not the same thing as the literal washing away of sin - which gets back to our conscience.
The animal sacrifices only made people acceptable to God ceremonially - they did not actually cleanse their hearts - or give them a new nature. In a way, and this is just a rough metaphor - it’s like the difference between putting on a new coat of paint, as opposed to building a new house. The Old Covenant put a new coat of ceremonial clean paint on the old house. The New Covenant in Jesus tears down our old house - and builds us a new one that will never need repainting.
The Apostle John put it this way:
1 John 3:19-21 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ESV
So with that "confidence" we look forward to something - being able to really serve God - not with "dead works" as it says in verse 14 - because outside of Christ our righteous acts are like filthy rags to the Lord. (Isaiah 64:6). We are looking towards our promised inheritance:
2. A Promised Inheritance
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you." 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
This paragraph is actually a lot more intense than I ever realized. Back in Genesis God made an agreement, a covenant, with Abraham that was later ratified through Moses in the giving of the Law.
In a way, God left for us the New Covenant in a will - He promised to redeem us through the Messiah. But that will could not take effect until the person who made it died. So God died so that His will could be brought about and in that will our sins are permanently forgiven. God died - to give you an inheritance. His gift to you is far greater than anything you will get from Aunt Tilly - it is the gift of life that will never end.
But to think of the fact that God planned to die Himself for that to happen just blows my mind.
Verses 18 - 22 talk about the fact that blood is required for the covering of sins - they saw this in the inauguration of the first Covenant (Exodus 24) - as it is in the second Covenant with the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross.
He’s trying to get them to raise their spiritual eyes higher than what they’ve known in the old Jewish ways - to see that this inheritance is far better than anything they had with the old system - and that it culminates in a glorious salvation when the One who died comes back:
3. Sure Salvation
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 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. ESV
It was "necessary" for the priests to paint the picture of salvation through the animal sacrifices in order to point the way to Jesus - but that was only practice - the real purification was in heaven - not purifying God, but pouring out the blood of Christ on the altar in heaven so that when we come into God’s presence we come as Jesus.
Galatians 3:26-27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ESV
The word "put on" or "clothed" in the NIV - is a Greek word that means to "sink into a garment." Through Christ’s blood we have sunk into His garment - when God sees us, He sees Jesus.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him , because we shall see him as he is. ESV
When does this happen? Either when we die - or when Jesus returns - as it says in verse 28 of Hebrews 9.
Colossians 3:3-4 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ESV
Jesus came, verse 26 says, to "put away" sin - it means to cancel it. It’s like we all have this big bill which we have been adding up every time we do anything that disobeys the Law of God. Chi-ching - chi-ching! But Jesus came along and paid off that bill of sin - so God can write "canceled" on top of it and we start out fresh and new - with new life that will never be destroyed.
Verse 28 includes an important little point - it is appointed for man once to die and then comes judgment. Not only is this a proof against reincarnation - but it also points out that if we do not deal with the sin issue here, we will face God’s judgment when we die. Don’t fool around thinking you can always get a "do-over." There aren’t any.
But also he is saying that as death comes once then comes judgment - so with Jesus - He died once so that we can have salvation instead of judgment forever - isn’t that cool?
Conclusions
1. Do you know how free you really are?
Imagine your life is like a credit card. You know that it’s better to not have any debt on that card because you are paying interest that keeps mounting up. Something happens that you didn’t foresee and you have to charge it. Then you work and work to pay it off and the next day you have to charge something again.
In Jesus the debt, and the card, have all been cut up. That means if you have given your life to Jesus, He has given His life for you and all your sins - past, present, and future - are forgiven. Jesus stands before God as our advocate: "I’ve paid their debt."
Does that mean we get to go out and sin all we want - of course not. There will be a constant war between flesh and spirit until Jesus comes back for us - but it does mean we don’t have to feel the guilt when we mess up - we can come before our advocate and really feel God cleanse our conscience. And don’t keep bringing up that old debt - Jesus died once and that’s all it took.
Satan is "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10). He wants you to focus on your weakness and the bad things you do. God is the cleanser and creator or the brothers who wants you to focus on His Son Jesus and the good things that the Holy Spirit is doing in you through Him. Be free and let your conscience be purified!
2. Your Salvation is Coming
Jesus came the first time to deal with sin. He’s coming the second time to judge the world (Revelation 19 & 20) - and to "save those who are eagerly waiting for Him." (Heb 9:28)
So let me ask you something - are you eager for His return or dreading His return? If He showed up right now would He say "Lucy - you’ve got some ’splaining to do!" or would He say "well done good and faithful servant."?
I’m not trying to put a guilt trip on anyone - but Satan is an accuser, he is also a deceiver. He will deceive you into thinking that not paying attention to your relationship with God put paying close attention to your relationship with the world is where it’s at.
As you recognize how many items Jesus wiped off your list of debts - review what He is doing in your now. Is your life showing signs of transformation? Are you more and more like Jesus every year? If not - are you saved? If you are - are you letting the flesh get the upper hand in the battle? You don’t have to.
Read Romans 6 - but also:
Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. ESV
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ESV
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ESV
Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh , but through love serve one another. ESV
Make no provision for the flesh, but put it to death, live by faith, and serve one another instead of serving your flesh.
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