JC Blog

“First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” ( Hebrews 10:8-10 )

God was never pleased with nor desired continual sacrifices and offerings. The law required them to be made, however the law’s purpose was to be the catalyst which would point people to Christ ( Galatians 3:24 ). In other words, the sacrifices were more for mankind’s benefit, than God’s. They were a type and shadow of the perfect sacrificial lamb and merely served as a reminder to look forward in faith to the Messiah ( Hebrews 10:1 ).

Jesus, who was the Messiah, came to put God’s will of the New Covenant into effect. By His perfect sacrifice, He fulfilled and completed all the requirements of the first Covenant, including the sacrifices of blood for the forgiveness of sins. “By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” ( Hebrews 8:13 ).

God’s will (as in; Last Will and Testament) was activated with the death of Jesus. Hebrews 9 testifies to this fact, “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood” ( Hebrews 9:16-18 ). Since a death has taken place, the will is currently in effect and the will is that we have been made holy by Jesus’ sacrifice once for all.

This is an amazing truth! Through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, which paid the price for the forgiveness of sins, God considers us holy as result. It is not something we must work at or try to be. Holiness was purchased and given to us by the precious blood of the Lamb. It is a done-deal because unlike the animal sacrifices, which happened over and over, Jesus’ sacrifice only happened once for all time. Therefore we are made holy by the body of Jesus.  

The Greek word used for holy in Hebrews 10:10 is hagiazō, which is also translated sanctified in many translations. The verb tense signifies “expressing the definiteness and completeness of the Divine act” (Vines Dictionary of New Testament Words). The Strong’s Concordance gives these definitions:

1. to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow
2. to separate from profane things and dedicate to God

a. consecrate things to God
b. dedicate people to God

3. to purify

a. to cleanse externally
b. to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
c. to purify internally by renewing of the soul

In the context of Hebrews 10:10, we see its effect on the believer in the death of Christ; we have been made holy and we are sanctified by His blood. By definition this happens both externally and internally. Externally, because Christ’s blood purifies us from the effects of sin. And, Internally, because we are free from the guilt of sin. This purification has a renewing effect on our soul realm as well. So we learn an important truth, Christ put the New Covenant into effect by His blood and this blood has made us holy and accepted by God forever.

Renewing your mind to this amazing truth will keep you from striving to achieve what you already have through Christ. You don’t need to work at holiness; you have been made holy by His blood. You are sanctified through His body and God completely accepts you on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice. Through faith in Christ you are the righteousness of God and have been fashioned after Jesus Christ in true righteousness and holiness ( Ephesians 4:23 ). May this powerful truth change the way you live as a believer.

Jesus accomplished so many things upon the cross. Through him, we have total victory over sin and death. Paul stresses in this verse, that there are three very important ideas and truths to take away with us and understand. First, Jesus was betrayed and deliver over to death as the payment for our sins. Secondly, as he was raised to life, he conquered death once for all. Lastly, he ascended to heaven to acquit us before God and declare us justified before him.

Although it is true that Jesus was betrayed and delivered over to death, it is equally important for us to recognize that he had authority in the matter. He life was taken, only because he had already laid it down for us. We were without hope before God because sin had corrupted us, but Romans 5 says, "... when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:6-8 ) We were without hope and enemies of God but Jesus still laid his life down for us, to take away our sin once for all. ( Hebrews 9:28 ). Through his death, sin had been completely paid for.

The resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of history as we know it. Jesus is the first person to rise from the dead and conquer death permanently. Romans 6:8-9 says, "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. " He conquered sin in his sacrifice upon the cross and then he conquered death in his resurrection from the dead.

Lastly, after his ascension, he now intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:14 says, "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." So the end result for us if we believe in Jesus by faith, is justification. Justification is the act whereby Jesus makes us completely holy before God. To do this he not only forgives our sin, but he imparts righteousness to us, so that it is as if we have never sinned.

Both Abraham and David saw glimpses of this incredible feat that Jesus would do for us and they called us blessed. Today, if you believe in Jesus as your savior then have complete victory over sin and death because he purchased it for you. Today, we are completely blessed having been redeemed from the curse of the law and made righteous and holy before God. Praise Jesus for his love and this precious gift to us.

Paul raises an important question in today's passage, did the law, which was good become death to us? In other words, can something that is good produce something that is evil? Paul's answer, an emphatic NO! His reason... the law was simply a means to an end. The Law showed us what sin was in order that we would recognize how sinful we really were.

The law is called the ministration of death because the commandment drew out what was already at work within our sin nature... death. Without a basis for comparison it was easy to rationalize sin. Even among human standards we have degrees of sin, some more severe than others. The law, on the other hands shows us God's standard and leaves no room for comparison after all, God does not grade on a curve. The commandments themselves were holy, pure, righteous and good, but with them came the awareness of how utterly sinful we were. The illusion that we are okay on our own is annulled in light of the law and God's standards.

It is through the law that the awareness that we need a Savior comes. When we see ourselves in our sin soaked state powerless to break free, then we look outside of ourselves for salvation. So the purpose of the law has always been to bring us to Christ as our savior. Therefore the law is good, holy and just and the outcome when used properly brings us life instead of death.

Today, I praise God for using the law as an instrument to bring us to him. I am so thankful that Jesus came and fulfilled the letter of the law in order that we can be completely whole in him. May you be blessed by this revelation of grace.

Inside of the hearts of the people of Israel is a God-centered, God planted tender root. Once this nation comes to the realization that Jesus is their promised Messiah then we will see amazing things come as a result. Right now they are blinded to the truth of Jesus because of hardness of heart ( Romans 11:8 ), but a time is coming when they will look upon his fullness and accept him for who he is. In today's passage, Paul gives us hope for this very thing.

Paul said, "If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches" ( Romans 11:6 ).  Do you wonder what firstfruits he is referring to is? The first fruits that he mentions are Abraham and the patriarchs. With Abraham began the nation of Israel and he was also the father of many nations because of his faith. He believed God when circumstances seemed impossible and that faith was credited to him as righteousness ( Romans 4:3 ). This faith and this righteousness that was credited to him is the root that is holy and all of Israel's natural line descended from these things.

Israel has an incredible heritage of patriarchs who trusted God and as a result God moved on their behalf. This legacy is part of what makes them so special. So "if the root is holy, so are the branches". God has planted himself in their hearts and although they do not yet understand that Jesus was their Messiah, this heritage of faith has sustained them throughout the centuries.

Just like a child when they are of age will sometimes go their own way, they experience the world and forget the teachings in which they were brought up. However, those things have been planted in their hearts and have taken root. After a while when the lure of this world fades away and that child see it for what it is, they will return to the Lord and start walking once again in His ways. This is similar to what Paul is saying here, Israel will remember the Lord and what He has done. They will recognize that their Savior has come and he is Jesus. They will leave the way of the Law so that they may partake in God's divine glory through Christ Jesus.

Today, I am thankful that God's word is a root in my life that cannot be removed. I am rejoicing in the fact that we will witness Israel returning to the Lord in the days to come. May you understand this message and be blessed and encouraged by it, amen.