Faith Through The Journey Series

Hebrews 10:19-25. [19]Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20]by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21]and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22]let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)

Have you ever been locked out of your house, car or office? You may have forgotten your keys or locked them inside. If a window was left ajar, you may have tried to jimmy it open or have a small person reach or climb inside.

As the people of God were in exile, the tabernacle housed the earthy presence of God. God’s localized presence in the Holy of Holies had a separation patrician, keeping everyone out except the High Priest. Before the death of Christ, for one to enter the holy of holies on their own initiative would have meant instant death. In the death of Christ, the curtain separating the people of God from the presence of God was torn by God to allow access into His presence. Together, the people of God are invited to come to Him in faith, and confess that trust. Their collective hope is in Him and His word. They show that faith, and hope in love.

One of the most dangerous ways we can travel in the journey of faith is to go it alone. Exposed to false teaching, we may, as scripture calls it, shipwreck our faith. We are more likely to become discouraged and lose hope. We also cannot fulfill the mission to love, encourage and strengthen one another alone. Hebrews 10:19-25 calls us to draw near to God together.

In Hebrews 10: 19-25, together, we are encouraged to 1) Draw Near in Faith (Hebrews 10:19-22), 2) Hold Fast in Hope (Hebrews 10:23) and 3) Encourage in Love (Hebrews 10:24–25).

Together, we are encouraged to:

1) Draw Near in Faith (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Hebrews 10:19-22. [19]Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20]by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21]and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22]let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (ESV)

The brothers/brethren refers here, as elsewhere in Hebrews and also in Romans (9:3), to fellow Jews, not Gentile Christians. These physical brothers are being urged, on the basis of the careful doctrinal groundwork that has already been given, to take hold of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ—to come confidently through Him into God’s very presence and to dwell there for all eternity. The word here translated confidence (parresia) is the word for ‘boldness’ which in the New Testament generally relates to believers freedom because of his new relationship to God (W. C. van Unnik, ‘The Christian’s freedom of speech in the New Testament’, BJRL 44 (1961–2), pp. 466f.).

The boldness (parresian) indicates a freedom of speech, permission to approach an authority without fear, with plainness and openness, therefore boldness without anxiety or cowering (Evans, L. H., Jr, & Ogilvie, L. J. (1985). Hebrews (Vol. 33, p. 180). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.). To a first-century Jew, the idea that anyone other than the high priest might seek to enter the holiest-of-all—even in thought or imagination—would be profoundly shocking. To a Jew who took the Old Covenant the least bit seriously, this prospect was as awesome as it was wonderful. Realizing this, the writer uses every persuasive argument to bring them to a positive decision (Andrews, E. (2003). A Glorious High Throne: Hebrews Simply Explained (p. 305). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press).

The word for “enter” used here in Greek (parresia) means admission, authorization for access. Believers have access to the heavenly sanctuary; that is, they have free access to God (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Comfort, P. W. (1997). Hebrews (p. 158). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)

The primary basis on which we can draw near to God in faith is the blood of Jesus. The holy place of the Tabernacle, or the Temple, represented God’s special presence, and only the high priest could enter there once a year. But in Christ’s shed blood, His perfect sacrifice, we have confidence to enter the holy place, into God’s very presence. Confidence is based on the finished sacrificial work of Christ (cf. Eph. 2:8–9), not human performance! Confidence is maintained by godly living (cf. Eph. 2:10) (Utley, R. J. (1999). The Superiority of the New Covenant: Hebrews (Vol. Volume 10, p. 104). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).