Better Promises : WK 4 - THU
Hebrews 10:1-18
The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
The passage you just read should fill you with hope and encouragement. The author of Hebrews is revealing a truth about God that everyone who has struggled with sin wants to hear: God forgives and forgets.
This is so different from the way we tend to treat each other. We know that, as children of God, we should forgive, but that is easier said than done. I will admit that there are people who have hurt me or members of my family that I have not completely forgiven. It will probably take some major transformation of my heart to get to that point. I covet your prayers.
But even if I forgive them, I’m not sure I can ever forget what they did to the people that I love. I don’t know if I can let it go. That will take a miracle if I am honest. But truthfully, what those people did to me is nothing compared to what I have done to God. And let’s not talk about the struggles I continue to have and the mistakes that I will inevitably make. The grace that God continues to show me is indescribable.
And on top of that, when I surrender to Him the Holy Spirit declares:
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:16-17
And there is our hope. Forgiving and forgetting like God won’t happen naturally. When God, through the Holy Spirit, puts his law in our hearts, that is when we will be able to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us and truly reflect the heart of Jesus.
The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
The passage you just read should fill you with hope and encouragement. The author of Hebrews is revealing a truth about God that everyone who has struggled with sin wants to hear: God forgives and forgets.
This is so different from the way we tend to treat each other. We know that, as children of God, we should forgive, but that is easier said than done. I will admit that there are people who have hurt me or members of my family that I have not completely forgiven. It will probably take some major transformation of my heart to get to that point. I covet your prayers.
But even if I forgive them, I’m not sure I can ever forget what they did to the people that I love. I don’t know if I can let it go. That will take a miracle if I am honest. But truthfully, what those people did to me is nothing compared to what I have done to God. And let’s not talk about the struggles I continue to have and the mistakes that I will inevitably make. The grace that God continues to show me is indescribable.
And on top of that, when I surrender to Him the Holy Spirit declares:
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:16-17
And there is our hope. Forgiving and forgetting like God won’t happen naturally. When God, through the Holy Spirit, puts his law in our hearts, that is when we will be able to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us and truly reflect the heart of Jesus.
- How easy is it for you to forgive someone who has wronged you?
- Are you holding a grudge against someone? What do you think you should do about it?
- How can you be more open to allowing God to transform your heart?
by Pastor Milton Marquez
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