Sanctification and Works
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
So we have gone through
Giving Everything Up
The Holy Spirit
Baptism
Today might be a little repetitive this is because what we are talking about is so important.
Actually the passage that we are reading today repeats itself some and the writer repeats themselves a lot as they wrote this part of this book.
But just because it might be a little repetitive I don’t want you to tune out. I am repeating concepts because this is so important.
But what does sanctification mean?
Sanctification is the ongoing supernatural work of God to rescue justified sinners from the disease of sin and to conform them to the image of his Son: holy, Christlike, and empowered to do good works
Sanctification is the ongoing supernatural work of God to rescue justified sinners from the disease of sin and to conform them to the image of his Son: holy, Christlike, and empowered to do good works
One thing I want to mention also is
Salvation is not only about getting from earth to heaven
Salvation is not only about getting from earth to heaven
This is something that we are going to unpack more today.
God doesn’t want us to receive salvation just so we can be in heaven it is something that is transforms us
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Body
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
we see here that the writer is stressing how we can never be made new by sacrifices
They would have stopped these sacrifices because they would have reached a point when they were perfect but this never happened
I think in the america we can believe this idea that this idea of how sacrifices will save us.
I think we just believe it with the concept of good works. That we have to continue to do these good works in order to achieve salvation.
That we have to do it in order that we balance the scales of our good and bad works or outweigh what we have done wrong
But this does not save us it only leads us to an endless cycle of having to do work after work.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.
We see that the writer of Hebrews goes on to quote the old testament where David speaks.
Something to note is that God did desire these sacrifices in some way. But not for salvation. He is the one that setup the system. He wouldn’t have set it up is he didn’t desire it.
9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
We see here how the writer of Hebrews is talking about how the sacrifice of Christ has made us holy once and for all.
In verse we 11 we see how day after day they offered sacrifices. we do the same thing thinking that we need to please God. That we need to be able to come to God.
But the writer here is showing us that Christ offered himself for all time and sat down at the right hand of God. This shows us that our sins have been paid.
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
This is the big verse
The means by which these things are happening is by this one sacrifice.
Again emphasizing how it is by Christ alone.
“Has made perfect” is in the perfect tense
This means that it is an action that happened in the past but still has ongoing results.
“are being made holy” is in the present tense.
This doesn’t say that that they are already holy.
This applies to two people
Those who beat themselves up that they have to be perfect
Those who are living in continual unrepentant sin
Sanctification is a process
The example of the shorts preacher saying people think they are sanctified by something different than what brought them to Christ.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
So we see the writer repeat himself again. He is showing them that God will not even remember the sins but only through Christ.
Conclusion
Why is it important that we know the sacrifices did not pay for sins/bring salvation?
Have you ever thought/felt like you had to do some specific work to be saved?
If works do not save us why are they important?
What is one area in your life that God might be wanting to sanctify? (ex. anger, lust, greed, anxiety)
How can you take practical steps this week to sanctify these areas?
