LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A TRUE HEART
HEBREWS 10:19-39
At this juncture, we are leaving the Theological and going on to the teachings that involve the practical. Mostly what has been considered up to this point has been for the purpose of defining the Theology of the priesthood as it pertains to the Levitical system and also to the better system that is found in Christ Jesus. A very smooth transition is being made from one discipline of study to this one as indicated by the use of the words, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”. This is a tremendous summary statement that tells both what we should do in this new economy and how it is made possible. The payment that permits this boldness for the believer is the blood of Jesus. The emphasis for this section of study will be on the boldness that the believer should have in approaching the Lord for both salvation and for service.
I. THE WAY THAT ONE’S BOLDNESS IS REVEALED (Vv. 19-31)
You can determine either ones timidity or boldness in worship by the way that person approaches God. The Hebrew was confused as they attempted to reconcile the old economy to the new. It was with that fear and trepidation that they approached the Lord thinking that they still had to go through and earthly priest. It was this reverting back and to that insisted upon the writing of the Book of Hebrews. Just as there was a warning not to revert back into the old economy based upon the Levitical system, there is also a warning for the believer not to mix law and grace which will bring intimidation to his worship. God wants no such fear and intimidation; He wants us to come with a holy boldness because of what was accomplished by His Son.
A. Boldness Should Be Revealed By Ones Approach (Vv. 19-21)
There is a commanded obedience as to how one should approach and enter the holiest. It is by the blood of Jesus that we are granted the right of approach. The vail was unlike the Old Testament vail that concealed worship. This vail was His flesh that revealed or granted access to worship. Until the vail was rent, no man but the high priest could have the right of approach. Even he had to meet 146 external requirements to have that right. It was a very fearful thing on the Day of Atonement for both the priest and the people as he entered into the holy place. There was great concern as to whether the priest would be accepted or refused. There was relief only after God’s wrath had been put off for one more year after the offering had been accepted. This holy dread continued until the Lord Jesus Christ came and made the one offering that ended all other offerings and with that being so, we are now permitted to come with boldness…
Verse number twenty tells us that this is a new and living way: “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the fail, that is to say, his flesh”. In the old economy, after the offerings had been made there were only the dead ashes of life that once was. But with Christ, there was an offering that was totally consumed by God’s wrath, but once the body was placed in the garden tomb something wonderful happened on that resurrection morning! The Lord came forth as our forever living High Priest who had absolutely satisfied the Holy requirements of God. He ever lives and makes intercession on our behalf. Praise be unto the Lord who reigns on high.
B. A Boldness Should Be Revealed By Ones Assurance (Vv. 22-23)
The Levitical system was incapable of offering lasting assurance. The system had no lasting security that it could offer because of its weakness. There is no such plea for one to come boldly and with assurance, as it applied to the Levitical system that’s found anywhere in the Scriptures. Such is not the case with the offering of Christ. We who are under the blood can come with much assurance. While we are in our sinful bodies, we are capable of sinning. With this being so, we absolutely must have someone interceding on our behalf. The fact that Christ continues to intercede for us grants us the assurance that we need. The Lord intercedes on our behalf to help us pray: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.” (Romans 8:26, 27).
Christ intercedes for us while seated upon the throne next to the Father. “Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34). This certainly should give us boldness in knowing that Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand. The right hand speaks both of authority and also speaks of strength. He is the Strong One who endured the cross and is seated at the Father’s right hand. (Hebrews 12:2).
Another reason for having assurance is that the Lord saves us to the uttermost: “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25). Though He saves us to the uttermost, there is the personal requirement of Spiritual cleanliness. We are to have “our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water”. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience is to have the forgiveness of God upon us as we approach Him. We should be always mindful that it is He who forgives and grants us access into His presence. We should reverently approach Him and have our conduct with an awareness that we are in His presence by way of His omniscience. Spiritually, even while we walk upon this dusty earth, we are at the same time seated in the heavenlies.
C. A Boldness Should Be Revealed By Ones Attitude. (Vv. 24-31)
Our attitude towards others and our attitude toward ourselves should be different because of our new relationship made possible by the putting away of the old and the bringing in of the new economy. We should be willing to share our blessings with others even as they were shared with us. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” (V. 24). What is more Christian than that? How can we be Christian and at the same time selfishly have our own existence. Everything that we do should be done as ambassadors to others. We should as we walk in the faith encourage others to do the same.
Everything that we accomplish spiritually should be on the basis of “love and to good works”. Love is not a wimpy word as some would have you to believe. It is as though some would have you to think that love challenges ones toughness. Is there not a thing as “tough love”? God demonstrated just how strong and how enduring true love is when He went to the cross. He bled and died shedding His own precious blood. This is the spirit in which we should serve the Lord while at the same time provoking others to good service. The word provoke (paroxysmos) means to incite in a passionate way. The root meaning carries the idea of doing it in close proximity. If I am to provoke one to good service, I must develop a spiritual intimacy with that person, even as Christ shares and intimacy with us. As we assemble together as a church, we should strive to have a kindred spirit with those who surround us and those who make up us. This spirit should be marked by unity. Christ should be seen in our ever activity as we worship and serve Him. This should be the spirit which causes us to provoke or encourage others to do well.
In the new economy of Grace, we should exercise our Godly provocation within the discipline of the local church. By interpretation, within the immediate Text, the Hebrew was being addressed; by application the church is now being addressed. For this reason, we are exhorted to be in faithful attendance to our church. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). There seems to be a trend to slack off from the church rather than intensify the opportunity of assembling together. This goes contrary to Truth.
Verses 26 through verse 29 show the severity of doing “despite unto the Spirit of grace”. “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
Just because we can come boldly into the presence of God, that does not mean we can come casually. It is a serious thing even in the economy of grace to commit willful sin. When one sins the sin of presumption, or the willful sin spoken of in our Text, while thinking that he will not be required to face the consequences of that sin is being greatly deceived. There will always be the consequences of sinning. So many today are lacking the reverential fear and the respect that they should have as they commit there willful sins thinking that there is no penalty to be paid. There will be a “fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation”. We also are told that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
II. THE WAY THAT ONE’S BOLDNESS IS REWARDED (Vv. 32-39).
God wants us to approach Him with confidence. He does not want us to cast away our confidence any more than He did the converted Jews who were made a gazingstock (Theatrizo) (V. 33). The Greek word theatrizo is the Greek word from which we get our word theater. The word gazingstock means to put on a stage or to set forth as a spectacle. It also means to expose to contempt. The Jews had to suffer much when they began to embrace Christ and His teachings. Even the Apostles, who were there for their example, had to suffer much persecution. Peter and John were arrested for healing a lame man in Jesus’ name. Stephen was stoned to death; James was beheaded; Peter was imprisoned and tradition tells us that he was hanged upside down. Paul was executed by Nero. In church history at the beginning of the church age many precious souls were martyred. Even though there was so much persecution going on, that was being directed against the Christian, there were still those who were faithful to follow Christ as this verse indicates. “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.” (V. 34).
A. One’s Boldness Rewarded by the Promises Given by Him. (Vv. 32-36).
The Word of God is a promise Book that is so rich in those promises which serves to encourage us while we are on our earthly pilgrimage. God’s Word tells us that these promises are exceeding great and precious promises. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4). I am so grateful to the Lord that I personally can cling by faith to the many wonderful promises that is outlined and given in God’s Word, the Bible. The promises of God were what were used to sustain the early pilgrims as they went into the arena of faith. Many of these Christian martyrs would hold their hands upward as they were looking towards heaven in faithful anticipation of soon being with the Father. In chapter number eleven we will be looking at those who were faithful to the Lord even if it meant being “sawn asunder” or if it meant being “slain with the sword” (V. 37). They were those who did not cast away their confidence. They were those who endured “seeing him who is invisible”.
In this section the reader is told that he has need of patience. The patience that is spoken of means the temper that does not easily succumb under suffering and also means a patient enduring, sustaining and perseverance. Satan has so many tricks to introduce great tribulation and suffering in the course of one’s Christian existence to cause that one to succumb. The weight of such can cause discouragement and also bring about that person’s defeat if the Christian casts away his confidence. Psalm 27:1 tells us that, “The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Verses like this should be a promise that the Lord will strengthen us for all that befalls us.
B. One’s Boldness Rewarded by the Payment Given by Him. (V. 37).
The coming of the Lord will be reward enough. When a believer exercises faithfulness towards the Lord, he can additionally expect the rewards or the crowns for his faithfulness to the Lord. Paul knew this to be so when he wrote young Timothy. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Not falling out of the race has great rewards. In chapter number 12 a warning and an encouragement is to be given that we should stay in the race, “looking unto Jesus”. When one attempts to live for Christ there will be obstacles and hurdles that are before us to discourage us. We need to focus on the fact that God is not forgetful to remember our labour of love… Once we cross the finish line there will be a crown waiting!
C. One’s Boldness Rewarded by the Pleasure Received by Him. (Vv. 38, 39).
The Lord finds pleasure with those who operate by faith. An entire chapter is devoted to this truth in the Book of Hebrews (Chapter 11). This chapter introduces those who were rewarded and listed in what has been commonly referred to as “Faith’s Hall of Fame”. They are those who did not cast away their confidence and they brought much pleasure to the Lord. The Scriptures are given to us as the complete and as the comforting Word of God. When we read about those who faithfully endured, we will notice that many did not even have a name listed; yet God knows who they are. You may think that you are serving the Lord as an unknown because you never receive any recognition. Be assured that God knows you and that he is keeping record and that should inspire us never to cast away our confidence. Even as I present this study, I am gleaning from these truths and being encouraged as I do.
It encourages me to know that I can bring pleasure to the Lord by faithfully serving Him. May God cause us that stay in the race to “stay in the race”…
