CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD—Hebrews 10:1-18
Attention:
Jimmy was sent to prison for his crimes but he told the warden he wasn't worried at all about serving his full term. The warden asked him why, since most prisoners immediately start planning how they can get out early.
Jimmy replied, "Well, my wife has never let me finish a sentence the whole time I've been married!"
Jimmy had the utmost CONFIDENCE in his short jail sentence.
Need:
The author of Hebrews drives home the reality that you & I can approach God with absolute confidence.
God can be approached with absolute confidence.
Who can approach God with confidence?
3 measures God grants to ensure your absolute confidence before God.
1—A measure ensuring your confidence before God is...
An ENDURINGLY PURE CONSCIENCE(:1-4)
Explanation: (:1-4)
:1—“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, & not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.”
The sacrifices of the Jewish law cannot make its worshipers “perfect.” This is because the law, & thereby its system of “continual” “yearly” “sacrifices” “has” or presents only a “shadow” of the reality they represent. And thus not being the “very image” of the reality, such sacrifices(themselves being mere shadows), obviously cannot perfect “those who approach” by means of them. Thereby they are offered on a yearly basis.
“The contrast here between skia (shadow, shade caused by interruption of light as by trees, Mr 4:32) & eikwn(image or picture) is striking.”—RWP
What or Who do such ‘sacrificers’ “approach?” The Almighty, Holy God(:19-22)! They are approaching God thru animal sacrifice vastly dissimilar from themselves & thus inept to meet their own needs for sin’s remission.
“Shadow”—skia—1) Shadow—1a) Shade caused by the interception of light, 1b) An image cast by an object & representing the form of that object, 1c) A sketch, outline, adumbration. Strong—apparently a primary word; "Shade" or a shadow (literally or figuratively [darkness of error or an adumbration]).
“Good”—agayov—1) of good constitution or nature; 2) Useful, salutary; 3) Good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; 4) Excellent, distinguished; 5) Upright, honorable. Strong—a primary word; "Good" (in any sense, often as noun).
“Image”—eikwn—1) An image, figure, likeness—1a) An image of the things (the heavenly things)—1a1) Used of The moral likeness of renewed men to God, 1a2) The image of the Son of God, into which true Christians are transformed, is likeness not only to the heavenly body, but also to the most holy & blessed state of mind, which Christ possesses, 1b) The image of one—1b1) One in whom the likeness of any one is seen, 1b2) Applied to man on account of his power of command, 1b3) To Christ on account of his divine nature & absolute moral excellence. Strong—A likeness, i.e. (literally) Statue, profile, or (figuratively) Representation, resemblance.
“Sacrifices”—yusia—1)A sacrifice, victim. Strong—Sacrifice (the act or the victim, literally or figuratively).
“Offer”—prosferw—V.—1) To bring to, lead to; 2) To be borne towards one, to attack, assail. Strong—To bear towards, i.e. Lead to, tender (especially to God), treat.
“Continually”(See :12—“Forever”)— eiv to dihnekhv—1)Continuously, continuous. Strong—neuter of a compound of dia & a derivative of an alternate of ferw; carried through, i.e. (adverbially with eiv & o prefixed) Perpetually. Used 4X.
“Year”—eniautov—1) A year, in a wider sense, for some fixed definite period of time. Denotes a year as viewed as a cycle or period of time.
“Approach”—prosercomai—1) To come to, approach; 2) Draw near to; 3) To assent to. Strong—To approach, i.e. (literally) Come near, visit, or (figuratively) Worship, assent to.
“make...Perfect”(See :14)—teleiow—V.—1) To make perfect, complete; 2) To complete (perfect); 3) To bring to the end (goal) proposed; 4) To accomplish. Strong—To complete, i.e. (literally) Accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character).
:2—“For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.”
If the “very image” were being served, then the sacrifices would have “ceased” from being offered outright having brought about their Divine goal. These sacrificial shadows would have accomplished God’s eternal intent.
The result being that the “worshipers” would have been forever “purified/cleansed” having no “consciousness of sins.” The perfect sacrifice would have removed any awareness of sin because it would have been taken care of to the extent necessary for living an empowered life & for entering God’s presence in heaven.
Not an imbecilic disregard for sins but a ‘God-consciousness’ of sins.
This is not to say that the earthly consequences/ramifications/results of personal sins go away. They do not.
However, if the sacrifice is perfect & is & perfect-ing it brings about a permanent atonement/payment for those same sins! Thus freeing the “conscience” from the burden of guilt associated with them. The guilt is due to my awareness that the sins I have entered into/committed still hold weight against me in a condemning manner. This is why the author uses the plural “sins.”
“Ceased”—pauw—1) To make to cease or desist; 2) To restrain a thing or person from something; 3) To cease, to leave off; 4) Have got release from sin. Strong—a primary verb ("pause"); To stop (transitively or intransitively), i.e. Restrain, quit, desist, come to an end.
“Worshipers”—latreuw—1) To serve for hire; 2) To serve, minister to, either to the gods or men & used alike of slaves & freemen. Strong—from latriv(a hired menial); To minister (to God), i.e. Render, religious homage.
“Purified/Purged/Cleansed”—kayairw—1) To cleanse, of filth impurity, etc. Strong—To cleanse, i.e. (specially) To prune; figuratively, To expiate(atone for).
“Consciousness”—suneidhsiv—1) The consciousness of anything; 2) The soul as distinguishing between what is morally good & bad, prompting to do the former & shun the latter, commending one, condemning the other. Strong—Co-perception, i.e. Moral consciousness.
“Sins”—amartia—N. f.—1) equivalent to amartanw(V.), 1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) Collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Strong—A sin (properly abstract).
Is your conscience unduly burdened by the “consciousness of sins?”
:3—“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”
However, the opposite of a free conscience is actually brought about thru serving the sacrificial shadows, in that there is instead a continual “reminder” of sins.
“Reminder”—anamnhsiv—N. f.—1) A remembering, recollection. Denotes an unassisted recalling. Used 4X.
:4—“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls & goats could take away sins.”
Vital to your confidence before God is that s clear conscience(9:9, 14, ) is impossible thru the blood of animal sacrifice. & the reminder of sins remains because the blood of animals cannot remove those sins or rather cannot remove the implication/penalty/incrimination. They simply cover them up until they can be permanently removed.
“not Possible”—adunatov—Adj.—1) Without strength, impotent, powerless, weakly, disabled; 2) Unable to be done, impossible. Strong—Unable, i.e. Weak (literally or figuratively); passively, impossible. Used 10X.
“Take away”(See :11— periairew)—afairew—1) To take from, take away, remove, carry off; 2) To cut off.
Argumentation:
Heb. 9:13-14—“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Ps 103:12—“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Mic 7:18-19—“Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.”
But true life-changing mercy—of God—is available for all, but not granted indiscriminately, because for certain people/individuals it may neither be appreciated nor life-changing.
Acts 24:16—““This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
2Tim. 1:3—“I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,”
*1Jn. 4:15-19—“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
Jn. 13:1-17—“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.” So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Illustration:
There is a place on the road which runs in front of our neighbor’s house at 115 Carriage Lane/Years ago some kids vandalized the road by painting or burning a curse word in the asphalt/my neighbors tried to paint over it but you could still read the word/However recently, the road was repaved, covering the word completely/It is as if it never existed/It is still there but carries no weight!/An ENDURINGLY PURE CONSCIENCE... But we still have to clean the street!
Set of scales/Most people weigh their sins in the scales of their self-determined Good & Bad/However, if God says that He has removed the Bad —that they cannot condemn us—then nothing can possibly outweigh the Good!/In fact God has changed the scales to an all-or-none response/An ENDURINGLY PURE CONSCIENCE
Application:
?Your Confidence based on An Enduringly PURE CONSCIENCE?
?You have an Enduringly PURE CONSCIENCE?
?You haunted & burdened by past Sin(s)?
?You have Confidence before God?
2—A measure ensuring your confidence before God is...
JESUS’ WILL(:5-10)
Explanation: (:5-10)
:5—“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice & offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.”
That is why the Scripture speaks to this subject of sacrifice. The following testimony occurs when Christ Lit.—‘comes’(“came”) into the world. The following words from Ps. 40:6-8 are placed in Christ Jesus’ mouth where He Lit.—‘says’(“said”). These are written in a ‘historical present’ sense.
Christ/Messiah has indeed come into the world...
Jn. 1:10-11—“He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him.”
God does not desire either sacrifice(animal) or offerings. Jesus of course knew this & acted upon it.
He desires instead to have a “body” “prepared” for the Divine 2nd person of the Trinity. This body would meet the sacrificial needs of mankind. He literally took on flesh, became a man, & thru that body redeemed mankind forever.
Php. 2:5-11—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, & of those on earth, & of those under the earth, & that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The Hebrew(BHS) Ps. 40:6-8 has “My ears You have opened” rather than “But a body You have prepared for Me”(per LXX).
“Came into”—eisercomai—1) To go out or come in: To enter; 2) metaph.—2a) Of entrance into any condition, state of things, society, employment, 2b) Of thoughts that come into the mind. Strong—To enter (literally or figuratively).
“Offering”—prosfora—N. f.—1) The act of offering, a bringing to; 2) That which is offered, a gift, a present. In the NT a sacrifice, whether bloody or not: offering for sin, expiatory offering. Strong—Presentation; concretely, An oblation (bloodless) or sacrifice.
From—ferw—to bear or carry—&—prov—forward to or toward.
“Desire”—yelw—1) To will, have in mind, intend. Meaning conscious willing, purpose. Denotes the active resolution, the will urging on to action. Strong—apparently strengthened from the alternate form of aireomai(to take for oneself); To determine (as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas boulomai properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. Choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, To wish, i.e. Be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly).
“Body”—swma—1) The body both of men or animals; 2) The bodies of planets & of stars (heavenly bodies); 3) is used Of a (large or small) number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body; 4) That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself. Strong—The body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.
“Prepared”—katartizw—1) To render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete. Strong—To complete thoroughly, i.e. Repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust. Used 13X.
:6—“In burnt offerings & sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.”
God had never “taken pleasure” in “whole burnt” sacrifices & offerings for sins. These are offered according to the Law.
The words “sacrifices for” are not in the Greek but are understood. It literally reads “whole burnt offerings & for sin...”
“Burnt offerings/Whole burnt offerings”—olokautwma—1) a whole burnt offering. Strong—A wholly-consumed sacrifice ("holocaust").
“Pleasure”—eudokew—1) It seems good to one, is one's good pleasure; 2) To be well pleased with, take pleasure in, to be favorably inclined towards one.
:7—“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God.’””
Jesus answered the source of God’s displeasure by declaring that He had come to “do” God’s “will.”
“Volume” is the diminutive of ‘head’(see below) & may refer here "to the O.T. as a prediction of Christ's higher sacrifice" (Moffatt per RWP). Thus the Davidic or pre-Davidic(as David wrote Ps. 40) OT is in mind for consideration, & Christ is spoken of in that “volume.”
Lk. 24:27—“And beginning at Moses & all the Prophets, He[the resurrected Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
“Volume/Roll/Scroll”—kefaliv—Diminutive of ‘head.’—1) A little head; 2) The highest part, extremity of anything—2a) As the capital of a column, 2b) The tips or knobs of the wooden rod around which parchments were rolled were called by this word, because they resembled little heads; 3) The Alexandrian writers transferred the name to the roll or volume itself. Strong—properly, A knob, i.e. (by implication) A roll (by extension from the end of a stick on which the MS. was rolled). Used 1X.
“Book”—biblion—1) A small book, a scroll, a written document; 2) A sheet on which something has been written. Strong—a diminutive of biblov; a roll.
“Written”—grafw—Strong—a primary verb; To "grave"(engrave), especially To write; figuratively, To describe.
“Will”—yelhma—N. n.—1) What one wishes or has determined shall be done; 2) Will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure. Strong—A determination (properly, the thing), i.e. (actively) Choice (specially, Purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) Inclination.
:8—“Previously saying, “Sacrifice & offering, burnt offerings, & offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),”
:9—“then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.”
In saying the above in the order in which He did, God is taking away the first(“sacrifice & burnt offering”) so that the 2nd(Messiah’s sacrifice) may be established.
The author reiterates & conflates/integrates the OT truth, shrouded in mystery, that is written there, so his reader’s attentions can be focused on the fact that the first covenant/system had to be removed in order to “establish” the New Covenant.
Heb. 8:13—“In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete & growing old is ready to vanish away.”
Jesus indeed had come to fulfill God’s will thru the absence of the first covenant.
“PreviouslyAbove”—anwterov—1)Higher. Strong—Upper, i.e. (neuter as adverb) To a more conspicuous place, In a former part of the book.
“Establish”—isthmi—1) To cause or make to stand, to place, put, set; 2) To stand. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary staw(of the same meaning, & used for it in certain tenses); To stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively). Properly denotes an upright & active position.
Compare “Made”—tiyhmi—:13.
:10—“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.””
We(believers) have been sanctified by the very “will” of our Lord Christ, spoken of in :7. Jesus’ “doing” God’s “will” secured the sanctification of all believers for all time. This is because God’s specific will was that Jesus voluntarily offer His body once for all mankind.
“The divine will, unfulfilled in animal sacrifices, is realized in Christ's offering of himself. "He came to be a great High Priest, & the body was prepared for him, that by the offering of it he might put sinful men for ever into the perfect religious relation to God" (Denney, The Death of Christ, p. 234).”—RWP
Heb 2:10-15—“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things & by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies & those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I & the children whom God has given Me.” Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
1Cor. 1:30—“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption--”
“Sanctified”(See :14)—agiazw—1) To render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; 2) To separate from profane things & dedicate to God; 3) To purify. Strong—To make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) Purify or consecrate.
“Once for all”—efapax—Adv.—1) Once, at once. Strong—Upon one occasion (only).
Argumentation:
Mk. 14:32-36—“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; & He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, & John with Him, & He began to be troubled & deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here & watch.” He went a little farther, & fell on the ground, & prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.””
Eph 1:3-6—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Gal. 1:3-5—“Grace to you & peace from God the Father & our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God & Father, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
*Jn. 5:30-33, 36—““I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; & My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, & I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. .....“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
*Jn. 6:37-40—““All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, & the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son & believes in Him may have everlasting life; & I will raise him up at the last day.””
Illustration:
A child who grows up being told to obey his parents & do household chores/The child eventually learns(or becomes arrogant), thru the obedience, that the godly desire of others is worth their voluntary participation/Previously bull-headed obedience blossoms into acts of love/Helping Mom cook, sew, sweep, vacuum, make the bed, & Dad to mow, empty garbage, wash dishes—Appreciative of Parental will/JESUS’ WILL
Application:
?Your Confidence based on JESUS’ WILL?
?You Set apart(Sanctified) thru JESUS’ WILL?
?You haunted & burdened by past Sin(s)?
?You have Confidence before God?
3—A measure ensuring your confidence before God is...
SIN’s DISMISSAL(:11-18)
Explanation: (:11-18)Discount/Disregard/Exclusion/Removal
:11—“And every priest stands ministering daily & offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”
Every single priest “stands” daily to “minister.” He cannot sit or rest because his sin & the sins of the people need propitiation albeit temporary. He accepts it as his labor, toil & work to disseminate sin’s power thru fruitless animal sacrifice. Therefore he offers the same sacrifices day after day & time after time.
However all such labor is ultimately frustrated as it “can never” completely expunge “sins,” & particularly so as that which can(Christ’s blood) is directly applicable.
This of course sets us up for the next verse(:12), which contrasts the “daily” “ministerings” with Christ’s sacrifice.
“Ministering”—leitourgew—(Eng.— ‘liturgy’)—1) To serve the state at one's own cost; 2) To do a service, perform a work. Strong—To be a public servant, i.e. (by analogy) To perform religious or charitable functions (worship, obey, relieve). Used 3X.
“Repeatedly/Oftentimes/Time after time/Day after day”—pollakiv—1)Often, frequently. Strong—multiplicative adverb from poluv; Many times, i.e. Frequently. Used 18X.
“Never”—oudepote—Adv.—Never. Strong—Not even at any time, i.e. Never at all. Used 16X.
“Take away”(See :4— afairew)—periairew—V.—1) To take away that which surrounds or envelopes a thing; 2) metaph. To take away altogether or entirely—2a) the guilt of sin, To expiate perfectly. Strong—To remove all around, i.e. Unveil, cast off (anchor); figuratively, To expiate. RWP—To take from around, to remove utterly. Used 4X.
:12—“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,”
Jesus, however, offered one sacrifice for sins. His sacrifice was sufficient to cover sins continually(“forever”)(dihnekhv) for all time. Christ’s one time event secured the continual standing of that sacrifice, which was totally unlike the priest’s continual(daily :11) offerings.
To further emphasize the one-time sacrificial sufficiency of Christ Jesus we are told that He “sat down” after the one sacrifice. This contrasts nicely with the “daily” “standing” which must be endured by the priests(:11) serving the copies(8:5; 9:23-24) of that which is true.
Much more so, then Jesus is not only seated but He is seated “at the right hand” of God. This He accomplished after having freely offered Himself.
The “right hand” speaks to Jesus’ power invested of God, as well as the recognition by God the Father of His Sonship. Sons of earthly rulers would be given co-rulership(co-regency) whereas none other would be given that opportunity.
“One”—mia—Adj.—1) Only one, someone. Strong—One or first.
Forever”(See :14)(See :1—“Continually”)—eiv to dihnekev—1)Continuously, continuous. Strong—neuter of a compound of dia & a derivative of an alternate of ferw; carried through, i.e. (adverbially with eiv & o prefixed) Perpetually. Used 4X.
:13—“from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.”
Jesus has been waiting since the moment of His seating(:12) for “His enemies” to be made His footstool. All Christ’s enemies will be vanquished but not until the culmination of all things—After the rapture & tribulation. It speaks of His final victory.
Mat. 28:18—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth.”
Php. 2:9-10—“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, & of those on earth, & of those under the earth,”
1Cor. 15:24-28—“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule & all authority & power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”
Yet it also speaks to His present victory over the devil(Heb. 2:14) because the future history of all time & creation itself has been enacted thru Jesus’ sacrifice.
The “footstool” phrase is a quote from Ps. 110:1. Both the Hebrew & Greek emphasize that the footstool is specifically “for His feet.”— “Kylgrl Mdh” & “upopodion twn podwn autou” (unstated in the KJV, NKJV & NIV though in the original text).
A portion of this Psalm was previously quoted by the author in 7:17, 21.
Ps. 110:4—“The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.””
“Waiting/Expecting”—ekdecomai—1) To receive, accept; 2) To look for, expect, wait for, await. Strong—To accept from some source, i.e. (by implication) To await. Used 8X.
“Enemies”—ecyrov—Adj.—1) Hated, odious, hateful; 2) Hostile, hating, & opposing another. Strong—from a primary ecyw(to hate); Hateful (passively, Odious, or actively, Hostile); usually as a noun, An adversary (especially Satan).
“Made”—tiyhmi—1) To set, put, place; 2) To make; 3) To set, fix establish. Strong—To place (in the widest application, literally & figuratively; properly, In a passive or horizontal posture, & thus different from isthmi, which properly denotes an upright & active position, while keimai is properly reflexive & utterly prostrate).
Compare “Establish”—isthmi—:9.
“Footstool”—upopodion—1) a footstool—1a) To make one a footstool of one's feet, i.e. To subject, to reduce under one's power, 1b) metaph. taken from the practice of conquerors who placed their feet on the necks of their conquered enemies. Strong—Something under the feet, i.e. A foot-rest (figuratively).
:14—“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
By His one “offering”(sacrifice) of Himself, He Himself “perfected” the ones who are now(& in the future) in the process of “being sanctified “by His sacrifice. The “perfection” Christ bestows upon those being sanctified is “forever,” & thus cannot possibly be lost!
The human heart is prone to sin & a person may claim to have saving faith...which faith may not saving faith at all but is assumed in fleshly strength. Because, “The heart is deceitful above all else, & desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
Jer 17:9-10 ““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”
“Forever”—The continuation(eiv to dihnekev) of the effect of Jesus’ sacrifice is never ending. Jesus’ offering forever stands as our offering if we accept it by faith.
“Being sanctified”—Highlights the continuous(:11) nature of Jesus’ sanctification for man as available for all men upon the expression of their faith in Christ.
Heb. 2:11—“For both He who sanctifies & those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,”
This is a signature tenet of orthodox Christianity...That Jesus died for all mankind for all time. However, such a perfecting sacrifice is implemented only by individual & personal faith.
“Perfected”(See :1)—teleiow—V.—1) To make perfect, complete; 2) To complete (perfect); 3) To bring to the end (goal) proposed; 4) To accomplish. Strong—To complete, i.e. (literally) Accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character).
“Forever”(See :12)(See :1—“Continually”)—eiv to dihnekev—1)Continuously, continuous. Strong—neuter of a compound of dia & a derivative of an alternate of ferw; carried through, i.e. (adverbially with eiv & o prefixed) Perpetually. Used 4X.
“Sanctified”(See :10)—agiazw—1) To render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; 2) To separate from profane things & dedicate to God; 3) To purify. Strong—To make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) Purify or consecrate.
:15—“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,”
“The Holy Spirit also witnesses” refers to the author’s affirmation that the Scripture is God-breathed.
Heb 3:7-11—“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says[Ps. 95:7-11]: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’””
Heb. 9:8—“the Holy Spirit indicating this[in the New Covenant], that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.”
2Tim. 3:16-17—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, & is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
“Witnesses”—marturew—1) To be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. To affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration. Strong—To be witness, i.e. Testify (literally or figuratively).
:15—“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,”
:16—““This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, & in their minds I will write them,” ”
The Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth of these concepts, thru the written testimony of the New Covenant from the prophet Jeremiah in 31:33-34.
When it states that God’s ‘laws” will be “put” in the “hearts” & written on the “minds” of His people, God is saying that He draws people to Himself & thus His ideals(“laws”) thru the covenant” of faith in Christ’s sacrifice. They have become permanently part of the believer!
The order of “hearts” & “minds” is reversed from that of 8:10. The point is not to ban Scripture to preservation only, but to apply it properly & personally!
“Put”—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone; 3) To give—3a) To cause, profuse, give forth from one's self, 3b) to appoint to an office, 3c) To cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death and Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them; 3c) To give one to someone as his own; 4) To grant or permit one. Strong—To give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
:17—“then He adds, “Their sins & their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” ”
The author then again(:8) condenses this time the New Covenant to his focal point....that God is saying that He will no longer consider/remember or judge the “lawless deeds” of the faithful because they have been taken care of thru faith by the sacrifice of Christ!
:18—“Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” ”
Where there is “remission”/forgiveness(as is accomplished thru Christ) of “sins & lawless deeds,” then reason tells us that there is no (other)offering in existence for sin, as it has been dealt with decisively!
“As Jeremiah had prophesied, there is actually remission (afesiv, removal) of sins. Repetition of the sacrifice is needless.”—RWP—& I might add, blasphemous!
Mk. 26:28—““For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Mk. 3:29—““but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”--”
Lk. 24:46-47—“Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, & thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer & to rise from the dead the third day, “& that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Acts 2:38—“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, & let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 26:12-18—““While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority & commission from the chief priests, “at midday, O king[Agrippa], along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me & saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’”
Argumentation:
Rom. 3:21-26—“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Rom. 4:25—5:2—“who was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Rom. 4:4-8—“Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.””
Acts 13:38-39—[Paul at the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch]—““Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; “& by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Acts 17:30-31—““Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.””
Eph. 1:3-8—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence,”
Col. 1:13-14—“He has delivered us from the power of darkness & conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
1Cor. 6:9-11—“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus & by the Spirit of our God.”
Rom. 6:17-18—“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Eph 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Illustration:
Ted Williams was homeless wandering & begging in the streets of Columbus Ohio/Came to find out that Ted had previous experience in radio, & is the father of 7 girls & 2 boys, but lost it all because of substance abuse—with 7+ felony arrests for charges including theft, drug possession, escape, and robbery/Also misdemeanor charges for drug abuse, criminal trespassing, and pedestrian solicitation/He served 2 short prison terms...
Jan. 2011 a passerby at the intersection discovered Ted had a perfect radio voice & recorded video of Ted with a mobile phone, which was posted on You Tube/It went viral & Ted immediately got job offers/He has appeared on Dr. Phil, The Early Show, The Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Rachel Maddow, The Last Word with Lawrence O' Donnell/Billed as 'the man with the golden pipes.'
Ted’s past was suddenly irrelevant/forgotten by those seeing his talent in the secular world. They did not care about his past—Ted’s present was all important—he was marketable!/SIN’s DISMISSAL
Are you marketable for God’s work?
Application:
?Your Confidence based on SIN’s DISMISSAL?
?Your SIN Debt been DISMISSED?
?You haunted & burdened by past Sin(s)?
?You have Confidence before God?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Jimmy’s short prison sentence.
Action:
3 measures ensuring your confidence before God are...
1. An ENDURINGLY PURE CONSCIENCE(:1-4)
2. JESUS’ WILL(:5-10)
3. SIN’s DISMISSAL(:11-18)
Presented 10/30/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Needmore Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
