No More Sacrifices For Sin!
Overview
In Hebrews 10:1-14, the Bible makes two main points to those of the Jewish faith: the futility of the former sacrificial system in regard to man's sin, and the finality of Jesus' sacrifice for sins. The former pointed to the latter. The latter is the fulfillment of the former. Now that Jesus has offered His life for our sins, once for all, there is no longer any need for the animal and grain sacrifices under the Old Covenant.
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and 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. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.Let us take these verses one-by-one to understand the power and significance of Jesus' once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the whole world..
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
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."'
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and 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. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:1-14, NKJV)
Hebrews 10:1
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and 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 (Hebrews 10:1, NKJV)
Verse Notes
Referencing "the law", the writer of Hebrews refers to the Law of Moses, the commandments of God given to the Israelites in their desert journey to the Promised Land. The "law" refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, which the Jews refer to as Torah. It consists of over 600 commandments including moral laws, ceremonial laws, and judicial laws. According to Romans 9:4, the law was given to the nation of Israel. The purpose of the law was not to make one holy but to point out the seriousness of sin, driving the believer to God's mercy to be found in Christ (Gal. 3:24). Today, the believer in Christ is not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14-15).
"Sacrifices" refer to the numerous tithes and offerings made by the people of Israel as detailed in the Law. A fire was to be kept continually burning in the altar at the Temple (Lev. 6:12-13). The sacrifices included burnt offerings (Lev. 1:3), grain offering (Lev. 2:1, referred to as "meat" in the KJV), peace offering (Lev. 3:1), sin offering (Lev. 4:3), trespass offering (Lev. 5:6), heave offering (Lev. 7:14), wave offering (Lev. 7:30), and freewill offering (Lev. 22:21). These sacrifices were offered by the priest unto the LORD.
"Perfect " is from a Greek word "teleioo" which means to complete or accomplish. In the context of this verse, it refers to the spiritual condition of the person offering the sacrifice. Animal and grain sacrifices offered continually can never complete the spiritual cleansing of the offerer.
Commentary
The Law is good (1 Tim. 1:8) and holy (Rom. 7:12). Yet the law given to Israel was never intended by God to be the goal of the Israelite's faith. It was not the "very image of the things" but a "shadow " as it graphically portrayed the horror of sin through the bloody sacrifices, the holiness of God who could not be approached without the blood of the sacrifices, and the requirement for the individual to approach God only on God's terms.
Yet the Law foreshadowed "good things to come" in that it illustrated the reality that God is merciful in offering a way to deal with sin and its accompanying guilt. It also symbolically portrayed the once-for-all sacrifice for sin that would be made by Christ one day. The good thing to come was the forgiveness of sins and victory over the devil's work won by Christ on the cross (Gen. 3:15; Col. 2:13-15). The Law was a shadow of the work to be accomplished by Christ, who is the substance of what the Law represented (Col. 2:17).
So the sacrifices offered for sin did not take away the sin of the individuals. God's command from the beginning that if man sinned, then man must die (Gen. 2:16-17). These sacrifices merely provided an acknowledgment of sin by the individual, an agreement with God that it was wrong, and, if the heart of the individual was turned toward God, a repentant appeal for God's mercy. The sacrifices became a problem for those individuals who offered them for ritual cleansing without requisite faith (Rom. 3:20-22, 9:31-32). The LORD condemned such individuals saying, "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men" (Isaiah 29:13, NKJV). This very statement was quoted by Jesus about the Jews in His day (Matthew 15:8-9).
Application
One must guard against the false notion that you can do things to make God accept you. This is a very common but misguided notion. God is holy. Those who approach Him must be holy. No amount of tithes and offerings, church work, or good deeds to undeserving souls will ever take away one's sin. Nor will such activities change the heart of a person of which the Bible says is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9, NKJV). The attempt to do good things for God will never make you good. This is the point in Hebrews 10:1.
Hebrews 10:2
For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins (Hebrews 10:2, NKJV).
Verse Notes:
This verse continues the thought from the previous verse regarding the animal sacrifices which were offered continuously for the sins of the people. "Purified"("purged" in the KJV) is a word that means to cleanse and to take away associated guilt. The sacrifices provided a way for the worshipper to be cleansed of the specific or general sin and to have the associated guilt taken away. "Consciousness" comes from the Greek word "suneidesis" that has derivation from another word meaning "to come to understanding or awareness." It is used here in a moral sense of becoming aware of sin in one's life.
Commentary:
If the sacrifices offered for sin were capable of making one good or holy, then they would cease to be offered after the first one, or the second, or at some point. If the sacrifices were capable of improving the individual who offered them, then the worshipper would not have a guilty conscience for sin at all. Since sin continued in the life of the individual, and the sacrifices were of animals and grain, the sacrifices had to continue.
Application:
There are many religions in the world that focus on self-improvement. The methods range all the way from abasement and self-denial to flattery and self-indulgence. No method, since the dawn of man, has been found to improve the human heart or cleanse the guilty conscience. In the end, man has no hope of righteousness on his own.
Hebrews 10:3
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year (Hebrews 10:3, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The word "reminder" is from a Greek word "anamnesis" meaning to continue to recollect, to bring to mind. It is one bringing to the forefront of one's thought process the thing to be remembered.
Commentary
The very point of the sacrificial system for the worshipper is to bring to mind the reality of sin. It was a bloody, sober reality of sin. As animals were brought to the altar, their throats were slit and the blood ran freely. This was a graphic reminder to the worshipper that the penalty for sin was death. Sin was a grave offense to God. The penalty for it had to be paid to a just and holy God.
Application
The first step in becoming holy must be the acknowledgment of one's sin. This is the opposite of human nature. Somehow, one's feeble mind reasons that one can work hard at being good in order to become holy. This is the approach of a Mormon who desires, one day, to become a "god" through striving to be perfect. This is also the approach of the Hindu who uses self-denial, ritual, and conscious attempts not to offend anyone but please everyone. Yet the Bible says in 1 John 1:8: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (NKJV).
The one who will not admit that he or she is a sinner does not have the truth of God within. You have several choices:
- Ignore the reality of sin
- Work yourself to the breaking point striving to be good
- Prop yourself up with idle words of how good and pure you are
Regardless of your approach, deep inside you know the truth. And God surely knows the truth about you. You must first acknowledge to God that you are indeed a sinner.
Hebrews 10:4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins (Hebrews 10:4, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The reference to "bulls" speaks of the animal given by the worshipper to the priest to be sacrificed for sins. Bulls are first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 32:15 when Jacob offered gifts to appease his estranged brother Esau. God first commanded the use of bulls as a sacrifice in Exodus 29:1 to sanctify Aaron and the other priests in the Tabernacle. The priest was to lay his hands on the head of the bull as the throat was slit, a very sober reminder that the priest must approach God without bearing any sin or he would die (Exodus 28:43). Every day the priest had to offer a bull as a sin offering to God (Exodus 29:36).
The word "goats" are first mentioned in Genesis 15:9 where Abram prepares a sacrifice for God. This sacrifice was to seal the promise God made to Abram concerning his future inheritance of the land of Israel. The ritual in that day was for the animal to be split in two parts and both parties to the covenant would walk together between them to seal the pact. Interestingly, God alone walked between the two parts of the goat as a sign of His unilateral commitment to fulfill this covenant. Later the goat was used also as a sin offering (Lev. 4:24, 5:6).
The key word "blood" is the word for the literal blood of the animal that, when sacrificed, was used to sprinkle the altar and the priest for sanctification before God.
Commentary
The flagrant use of the blood in the sacrificial system calls to mind that "… For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:11, KJV). This was the method God gave to Israel until the time of Christ. When Leviticus 17:11 says that it would make atonement for one's soul, it means that this was the process God used in the heart of a believer to cleanse one's guilty conscience, freeing the individual to worship God once again. The sacrificial system was a process designed to make the worshipper acknowledge the sin to himself and to God, repent of it, and enjoy a clean conscience before God once again. The penalty for sin had not yet been paid but the "atonement" was to bring the worshipper close to God through the animal sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:4 rightly notes that it is impossible for animal sacrifices to take away sins. God said the penalty for man's sin would be the death of a man (Gen. 2:16-17). While the animal sacrifice provided a covering for sin, the penalty for sin remained in effect. Again, it foreshadowed the coming of Christ who would be the once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53:5-7).
Application
Sin bears a heavy weight upon one's soul. All the sacrifices in the world cannot possibly lift the weight of one's sin. Even a single sin is infinitely offensive to God who is infinitely and eternally righteous. There is only one solution to the stain of sin upon one's soul. As the old hymn goes, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
Hebrews 10:5
Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me (Hebrews 10:5, NKJV).
Verse Notes
This verse begins a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8 which continues through Hebrews 10:7. We do not know if Jesus actually uttered these words during His earthly ministry but the text seems to indicate that He did. If this is only symbolic language, then "He said" these words through His life on this earth as the perfect Man who offered His sinless life on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. In His incarnation, Jesus fulfilled some 300 prophetic passages from the Old Testament about His birth, life, betrayal, death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and future reign as the King of Israel.
The word "offering" is from a Greek word which means to present something to another. It is used in the New Testament of voluntary gifts.
A most interesting phrase in this verse is: "a body You have prepared for Me." In Psalm 40:6, the phrase is, "My ears You have opened." The Psalms were written originally in Hebrew but are quoted in the book of Hebrews in Greek (This is from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, written circa 200 B.C. It was commonly used during the first century. The New Testament writers frequently employed quotations from the Septuagint. While this does not affirm the inspiration of the entire Septuagint, it certainly indicates that the passages quoted in the New Testament are correctly translated). The opening of one's ears is a reference to the process of a slave becoming a bondservant to his master. The Law prescribed a year of Jubilee every 50th year (Lev. 25:10) whereby slaves were to be set free. If, however, the slave loved his master and desired to stay with his family, the master would use an awl to punch a hole through the slave's ear to signify he was now a lifetime bondservant. Literally, the slave offered his body to the master forever. So the translation "a body You have prepared for Me" is a beautiful wording for this phrase from Psalm 40:6.
Commentary
Psalm 40 is from a time in David's life when he was facing a desperate situation. David recalls the times that God delivered him even from a horrible pit. David then praised the LORD and delighted in doing God's will. His point was that the sacrifices, though required by the Law, were not really what God wanted. God wanted whole-hearted obedience to His good and perfect will. So this is what David offered. Even in his desperate situation, David knew to trust God, do His will, and seek deliverance from the LORD.
In the book of Hebrews, a portion of Psalm 40 (verses 6-8) is noted as Messianic in nature. They were penned by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about himself. Yet they also find fulfillment in the coming of Christ into the world as THE Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Jesus is God (John 1:1) who took on human form (John 1:14), a "a "body You have prepared for Me" (Hebrews 10:5, NKJV). He is the perfect Man who would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins. God did not desire that Jesus come to minister the sacrifices and burnt offerings required by the Law. He provided a body so that Jesus could offer Himself.
Application
It is much easier to give God "things" in a futile attempt to appease Him than to give of ourselves in wholehearted obedience. The pagan religions require many sacrifices to be offered to idols of wood and stone. In third world countries, people will often be starving yet offer all their food to an idol in hopes of somehow garnering the "god's" favor. God is not impressed with our sacrifices and burnt offerings. He looks at your heart and wants you!
Hebrews 10:6
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure (Hebrews 10:6, NKJV).
Verse Notes
Here, "burnt offerings" is from a Greek word "holokautoma" indicating a sacrifice that is wholly consumed. The word, in fact, is where we derive the English word "holocaust." The word for "sin" is from the Greek word "hamartia" which indicates that one has missed the mark. It is the most general and comprehensive term for sin. It encompasses all the acts for which burnt offerings and sacrifices were required under the Law. The word "pleasure" means to approve of or think well of something. Thus, God has no pleasure in the sacrifice and burnt offerings in that He does not think well of them. They were necessary in His divine plan but not something that He approved as a method for taking away sin.
Commentary
God never desired sin since He is holy, righteous, and blameless always. His eyes are too pure to look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). So God established the burnt offerings and sacrifices as a covering for sin until the time of Christ. The burnt offerings and sacrifices were necessary because of man's sin yet God took no pleasure in them.
Application
Sin is missing the mark, God's standard for righteousness. When we try to make it up to God, we compound the problem we created with the first sin. If we were to make sacrifices to God because of how sorry we were for a sin, it would be a fruitless task. God is not pleased with our sacrifices for sin. Our sacrifices can never undo the offense of sin to God.
What does give God pleasure is to see His children draw near to Him in love, faith, and obedience. Pleasing God requires that you relate to Him by faith (Heb. 11:6). You can please God by accepting His gift of salvation by faith (Eph. 2:8-9), living your life by faith in Jesus Christ rather than according to your own desires (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:7), and looking forward to the glory of Heaven, being in God's presence forever, by faith (2 Cor. 4:16-5:1; Heb. 11:13-16).
Hebrews 10:7
Then I said, "Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God (Hebrews 10:7, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The phrase "the volume of the book" refers to the Scriptures. For the Psalmist it was the Old Testament Scripture completed to that point in time. In that portion of Scripture, the plan of God to send a Savior was indicated though not completely spelled out. The Holy Spirit inspired the Psalmist to make reference to the coming of Christ as indicated in Scripture. The writer of Hebrews uses this reference from Psalm 40 after the actual coming of Christ into the world. So in Hebrews 10:7, the reference to "the volume of the book" refers to even more of Scripture that tells the more complete story of Christ and His incarnation.
Commentary
These are the words of Jesus spoken through the Holy Spirit-inspired Psalmist. His sole focus in life was to do the Father's will (John 4:34). Jesus never let anything get in the way of this pursuit. When His emotions threatened His mission, He took time at Gethsemane to pray and enforce by His will what His emotions opposed (Mark 14:32-42).
Application
The life of the believer is to be under the same banner declared by Jesus in this verse: "I have come ... To do Your will, O God." Romans 12:2 says that our lives are to be transformed as we daily study God's word to understand and do His will. You cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Your priority in life is to do God's will, period. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt. 6:33, NKJV).
Hebrews 10:8-9
Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:8-9, NKJV)
Verse Notes
Verse 8 is simply a restatement of Hebrews 10:5-6. The "will" of God is His divine determination or choice. It is something that God decides of His own choosing without the need of or pressure from anyone or anything. Because of His nature, God's will is always holy, righteous, good, wise, and just.
The word "establish" means to cause to stand. The second, referring to the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, is caused to stand. It will never be undone or superseded because it has been caused to stand by God.
Commentary
Jesus looked at the cross as the will of His Father so He obeyed even in death. It is not possible for most of us to fully appreciate how hard this was since crucifixion is so foreign to our culture. There are some misguided people who take Luke 9:23 literally and have themselves nailed to a cross to prove their faith in Jesus. Those who did this lasted only a few seconds before they begged to be taken down. You cannot do for God what only God could do for you.
Jesus, in doing the will of the Father, established a New Covenant and took away the Old. Since God is the One who gave the Law to Israel (through the mediation of angels it was given to Moses as the leader of Israel as seen in Acts 7:38,53 and Gal. 3:19), only God could take it away. This is further evidence from Scripture that Jesus is God.
The Law and grace cannot be mixed. Either you are under one or the other (Romans 11:6; John 1:17; Rom. 6:14; Gal. 2:21, 3:18). If you are under grace then you are under the New Covenant. If you are under the Law then had better be perfect in keeping it (James 2:10). Of course, no one has kept the Law perfectly and that is why it is futile to pursue righteousness through the Law (Rom. 3:10,20-25). Those under the Law had to approach God by faith that one day He would send Messiah (Christ) to offer the ultimate sacrifice for sin. As the LORD declared through the prophet Habakkuk, "But the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4, NKJV).
Application
Jesus said that in order to be His disciple, you must take up your cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). This is the pattern for our lives. It is not a literal cross but the cross of your will submitted to God. Bending your will daily to God is not easy but necessary to be a true disciple. Look to the example of Christ in Gethsemane to do the will of God. He prayed for the Father's help in carrying out the will of God. Ask God today for His grace and power to do His will. God will answer that prayer (1 John 5:14-15).
Hebrews 10:10
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10, NKJV).
Verse Notes
To be "sanctified" is to be made holy, set apart for God and His holy purposes. As it relates to sin, the believer is made holy by appropriating through faith the death of Jesus Christ for sin.
Commentary
The previous verse refers to the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. So "By that" or through the offering of Jesus Christ, the believer is made holy. Jesus' will was to do the Father's will, not only to live a perfect life under the Law but also to offer His perfect life on the cross as a propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2). The believer is then sanctified or made holy by the offering of Jesus: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21, NKJV).
Application
Though the believer may not feel "holy," this verse shows us that it is true. Our position before God is "holy" and our practice usually reflects that we belong to God. But occasional sin in the life of the believer is disturbing because the child of God wants to please his Heavenly Father. Occasional sin does not negate one's position in Christ; once you repent and turn to the LORD Christ you have "passed from death into life" (John 5:24, NKJV). There is no going back and forth. Salvation is a one-time event that completely and forever justified before God.
When the "holy" believer sins, the Bible instructs that he should confess his sins to God (1 John 1:9). Because God is faithful and just, He forgives not only the confessed sin but even those sins that have been forgotten, cleansing from "all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, NKJV). The believer's position as holy is not invalidated by sin but the guilt experienced by the believer must be purged. Confession allows for a purging of the guilt even though the penalty for sin was paid 2,000 years ago on the cross at Calvary. The believer can and should be forever grateful that, through Christ, God has declared him or her forever "holy."
Hebrews 10:11
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins (Hebrews 10:11, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The "priest" was of the tribe of Levi and a descendent of Aaron. He was required to stand daily since the offerings for sin were offered on a daily basis. As long as the priest was on duty, his job was to be an intercessor to God for all the people. The word "ministering" refers to the ritual ceremonies of the priests as required under the Law.
Commentary
The job of the priest is to represent the people to God. Daily the priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the people. Why? Because sin was a daily reality for all people. The priest offered the same sacrifices quite often which never took away the penalty of sin. Because people have a fallen nature or sin nature, this repetitive ritual was required daily. The human priest could never sit down on the job of offering sacrifices for sin.
Application
How frustrating it must have been for the priest to have to make those same offerings day after day. Sometimes we question God because the things we do in ministering to others seem to have no effect. But God is good and has a plan. He had a plan for the sacrificial system -- it pointed to Christ. He had a plan for the repetitive nature of the sacrifices -- it humbled the offerer, pointing out the seriousness of sin and one's need for God's mercy. Keep up your ministry to others. God has a plan and will use your work of faith to work out His good plan (Rom. 8:28).
Hebrews 10:12
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The phrase the "right hand of God" refers to the position of power or authority. Often the king would have a regent to administer the day-to-day affairs of his kingdom. The regent would literally sit at the right hand of the king, signifying his special position over the kingdom. The phrase "this Man" refers to the Messiah (Christ) Jesus.
Commentary
Jesus Christ was the only perfect man who ever lived on this Earth. Because He loves us so, He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sinful people (Rom. 5:8). Jesus, as the perfect man, is the only Mediator who could represent both God and man in dealing with the sin problem (1 Tim. 2:5).
Jesus died for our sins once for all time. All sins -- past, present, and future -- were atoned for on the cross. By this one-time sacrifice, sinful people can be forgiven and reconciled to God forever (1 Pet. 3:18). While the earthly priest had to stand daily at the altar offering sacrifices for sin, Jesus could sit down because He completed the work of redemption. His resurrection from the dead authenticated the acceptance of His once for all sacrifice. His sitting down emphasizes the finality of His act. That Jesus sits down at the right hand of God indicates that the work of redemption is complete. In this position, Jesus is uniquely qualified and able to intercede continually for all believers as our Great High Priest (Heb. 3:1, 7:25).
Application
As a believer in the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ our LORD, you can glory in knowing that all your sins were paid for on the cross. You rest secure in the finished work of Christ. You can glory also in knowing that Jesus lives forever in the place of authority and power: "All authority…in Heaven and on Earth" (Matt. 28:18, NKJV). He sits in the place of absolute authority and power to work on your behalf.
Hebrews 10:13
from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool (Hebrews 10:13, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The "footstool" was a piece of furniture in the royal court of kings. On the footstool was carved the images of all the king's enemies. With the king resting his feet on the head of his enemies, the footstool became a symbol of dominion in the ancient world.
Commentary
The phrase "from that time" indicates that what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection was a once-for-all act that is now completed. It is in fact forever complete so that there is no other action necessary on His part or anyone else for that matter. Redemption is complete through the cross of Jesus Christ "from that time."
Scripture here portrays Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father, the position of authority and power, waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool. This means that there is coming a time when Jesus will have dominion over all His enemies. That is the "expectation" of Jesus that will certainly come to pass. In the book of Revelation we see Christ returning to Earth as the "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16, KJV). Then He reigns over the Earth for one thousand years (Rev. 20:4). After the millennial reign, Christ will subdue all His enemies and execute the final judgment by casting them into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:13-15). This is the ultimate victory of Christ over all His enemies whereby they are literally made His "footstool."
Application
Today we live in a fallen creation with fallen people who resist and rebel against our LORD Jesus. His enemies are not under His dominion in a practical sense. But we should never mistake God's tremendous long-suffering with weakness or lack of involvement. We should instead be ever confident in the victory that Jesus Christ has already won on the cross (Col. 2:15), and in His sovereign power and plan. If Jesus "expectantly" awaits the time when He will have utter dominion over all His enemies, should not we His children live with that same expectation?
Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:13, NKJV).
Verse Notes
The word "perfected" means to be completed or finished. The offering of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world has finished the work of redemption. As used in Hebrews, this word can be equated to justification.
Commentary
Jesus offered Himself once for the sins of the whole world. Through faith in Him and His death on the cross, the believer is redeemed finally and completely. Those who turn from sin and embrace the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior are "sanctified" or made holy before God. No longer is the believer separated from God but he is made holy and accepted by God. The perfecting of the believer is a completed act that is accomplished once-for-all by the offering of Jesus Christ once-for-all.
Application
One of the hardest teachings for the believer to accept is that he or she is holy before God. One's position in Christ before God at all times is holy and accepted. Practically the believer will still sin. It is at these times that Hebrews 10:14 can be the most meaningful. The fact of a sin does not disqualify the believer from Heaven. The Bible tells us that if we sin, we should "confess our sins" and "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, KJV). Our position as "holy" does not change but the practical outworking of sin in the life of the believer is to produce guilt that requires cleansing. This process keeps us humble and ever mindful of our dependence upon the mercy of God. It also serves to remind the believer of the greatness of God's love that He would not give up on sinful human beings. In love, God chose to redeem us for all time through the offering of Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior.
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