Hebrews 9:15-28 - Once for All - Part 2 - Eternity in Mind
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
We live in a world that all about the now. People today seem to live moment by moment. Perhaps it is because of all of the screen time and media that we have, our short attention spans, or all of the distractions. But for some reason, our culture today is very centered on what is happening right now.
Few people actually consider the future. According to the Federal Reserve, only around 50-60% of American adults over 35 have anything in a retirement account. This means that almost half of our adult population hasn’t considered retirement at all.
All of these things are symptoms of a society that struggles with balancing the past, the present, and the future. We should absolutely be present in the present, but this does not have to lead to us completely neglecting the future.
However, there is one symptom of our distracted culture that is the most glaring in light of our message today.
Although 70-80% of Americans believe there is some sort of afterlife, a very small percentage of these people actually take the time to study Biblical Christianity. Even among many who claim Christianity, few actually understand anything about eternal life from a Biblical perspective.
We see that the lack of planning and future considerations on earth are leading to an even greater danger - not considering our future eternal destination.
As we take a step back, is there anything more pressing that we could consider, friends?
The eternal dwelling place for our souls and the souls of others should be the number one priority for each of us as we live this life (albeit in light of loving, obeying, and glorifying Jesus in the process!). And the author today is going to tell us how we can know our eternity is secure and sure.
Listen to our Scripture as we learn about our eternal inheritance in Christ.
Read Full Scripture:
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Prayer
Last week we saw how Christ fulfilled all of the regulations of the Tabernacle through His once for all sacrifice on the cross.
This week we are going to continue studying this once for all sacrifice as we learn about the eternal significance of such a wonderful free gift.
First we see that…
I. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Saving Mediation (15-17)
I. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Saving Mediation (15-17)
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Again, the author reminds us that Jesus is our mediator. He is our bridge between God and us.
He mediates this New Covenant through His sacrifice for us on the cross.
Because of His finished work on the cross, we can now receive our promised inheritance.
Friends, take a step back and consider the gravity of what we have just read.
Those who might receive an inheritance on earth are extremely happy. Perhaps they inherit a few thousand dollars, or a car, or maybe even a home. This leads them to be excited. But as good as any earthly inheritance is, consider our eternal inheritance in Christ!
This isn’t an inheritance that will ever waste away or disappear. It is eternal!
1 Peter 1:3-5 tells us that our inheritance can never perish. It is guarded by God’s power as it is kept in heaven for us.
Consider at length the certainty of your inheritance here.
God, Himself, keeps and guards it! It is a sure thing - it is reliable.
Listen to Paul speak about our inheritance as he refers to us as heirs in Romans 8:16-17:
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
As heirs of this promised inheritance, we are children of God.
We just spoke about how infrequently people seem to consider eternity.
Brothers and sisters, be sure that this inheritance is yours!
There is only one way to ensure your inheritance - it only through the glorious and saving mediator - Jesus Christ.
Be sure that you have repented, or turned away from your sins, and placed your faith and trust in Christ alone.
He is so good.
The author continues discussing this inheritance in the following two verses…
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
The author now brings up this concept of a will.
What is a will? A will is a contract or covenant that becomes active after a person dies.
In fact, the word translated will here is diathēkē (the-a-thay-kay) which is used some 17 times in the book of Hebrews and is usually translated covenant. However, in context, this particular covenant is accurately translated will.
If anyone here has a will (and I would encourage you to be sure that you do have one as a side note!), it is not effective as long as you live. People can’t look at your will and start giving away all of your things while you are still alive! They can’t take your house and your car and your money and distribute it to family members while you are still living and breathing. Why? Because the covenant is not active. It only becomes active at your death.
In the same way, the New Covenant became active and fully established with Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. The benefits and promises of this covenantal will mentioned throughout the Old Testament came to pass because of what we see in our next point…
Scripture References: 1 Peter 1:3-5, Romans 8:16-17
II. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Sealing Confirmation (18-22)
II. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Sealing Confirmation (18-22)
We are about to see the author speak of the need for blood when it comes to the forgiveness of sins. We know that Christ provided His sacrificial death on the cross to confirm - or seal - our eternal inheritance. The New Covenant - or will as we just saw - is now effective because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Listen to the author speak of the importance of blood in the forgiveness of sins in the following verses…
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Obviously we know that the second covenant was inaugurated by blood - the blood of Christ. However, the Old Covenant sacrifices all pointed to Christ.
To illustrate the importance of a blood sacrifice the author quotes Exodus 24:6-8. In this exchange, Moses took the blood of the sacrifices made that day and threw half of it against the altar. The remainder he sprinkled upon the people present after they renewed their covenant with God.
This blood was seen as a seal of the covenant between Israel and God.
And in the same way, Christ’s blood provides us with a seal by His blood. Peter actually uses similar language regarding the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus in 1 Peter 1:2.
Yet, the seal that Christ provides is a guarantee. Unfortunately, the Israelites would continue to break their covenantal promises to God by not continuing to obey and follow Him. Yet, Jesus never breaks His promises. And the most important promise He has made to us is seen in 1 John 2:25:
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
Moving to verse 22 we see that…
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
This is the theme of these 5 verses covered in this second point of the sermon. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
This is because all sin leads to death. Sin demands death.
R. Kent Hughes stated the Old Covenant sailed on a sea of blood. This was there to emphasize the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
Jewish historians are unable to calculate how many millions of animals were sacrificed during the some 1500 years that the Israelites practiced at the Tabernacle and Temples.
We know that in one day, as Solomon dedicated the first Temple to God, there were 142,000 animal sacrifices alone (1 Kings 8:63).
And all of this pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Praise be to God that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. Because of His gracious and merciful sacrifice, we can have eternal life! Which brings us to our third point…
Scripture References: Exodus 24:6-8, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 John 2:25, 1 Kings 8:63
III. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Sacrificial Propitiation (23-26)
III. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Sacrificial Propitiation (23-26)
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
We see here that the copies of the heavenly things needed purified - thus blood sacrifices and purification rituals took place to maintain the holiness of the Tabernacle.
However, we see that the heavenly things themselves were purified with better sacrifices than these - pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus.
It is very important to note that the author is not stating that there is any sin in heaven. The presence of God is holy.
So why would the heavenly things need purified? There are two reasons that explain this:
1 - The way into heaven must be covered with blood in order for man to approach God.
Jesus prepared the way for us to enter into the presence of God. We can now literally approach the presence of God with our prayers because of the work that Jesus has done on the cross (Hebrews 4:16)! Spiritually-speaking, Jesus takes us to the right hand of the Father each time we pray as He intercedes for us.
And secondly…
2 - We are now the Temple of God and thus are one of the heavenly things ourselves.
In a sense, we are the heavenly things discussed here as well. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that we are the Temple of God in which the Holy Spirit dwells. We also needed to be washed clean by the blood of Christ in order to be able to be in the presence of God.
I love that wonderful prepositional phrase at the end of verse 24. He did all of this work on our behalf.
He has provided propitiation for us - meaning two things - He has appeased the wrath of God and has atoned or paid for the sins of mankind.
He has done all of this on our behalf.
His righteousness has been credited to our accounts.
Going further we are reminded yet again of the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ…
Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Unlike the Old Covenant, there is no repeated work done. As we discussed last week, His death on the cross was once for all!
These two verses clearly teach against the Catholic view of Communion or the Eucharist.
The Catholic Church teaches a doctrine called Transubstantiation - which is the erroneous belief that the Eucharist or Communion actually becomes the true body and blood of Jesus.
We see here that clearly Jesus died once for all. To believe this incorrect view of Communion means that Christ would be sacrificed repeatedly - which is blatantly denied here.
We teach and believe that the bread and cup are symbolic of Christ’s once for all sacrifice. He has no need for further sacrifices as He accomplished all that was needed for our salvation on the cross.
His work is eternally effective.
I came across a beautiful story this week that illustrates this perfect once for all forgiveness offered by Jesus…
There was a doctor who lived in a rural village who was a follower of Jesus and was known for his excellent care and kind and generous heart.
After his death, his books were examined and there were many entries in his records that had written across them in red ink: “Forgiven - too poor to pay.”
His widow, however, insisted that these debts be settled and took the case to court.
The judge asked her if the red-inked writing in the books was in fact the handwriting of her husband. She replied that it was.
“Then,” said the judge, “not a court in the land can touch those whom he has forgiven.”
My friends, if you have repented of your sins and placed your faith and trust in our merciful and wonderful Savior, Jesus has written across your soul ‘Forgiven, paid in full.’
Despite the fact that you were too poor to pay, he has paid it all.
No matter what accusations the enemy of your soul brings, none will stick.
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Our Savior is at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. He has provided eternal life for those who love Him and follow Him.
I pray that each of you have placed your lives in the hands of the redeeming Savior. If not, come to Him and ask for Him to forgive your sin debt. It is a great debt - higher than you could ever even imagine. But He is a great God - more forgiving than you could ever imagine.
If only you will repent and follow Him and trust Him - then you can be saved. You can live your life with the knowledge that He has written forgiven across your soul.
And for us who are in Christ - remember this beautiful truth. No charges against the children of God stand. The enemy attempts to accuse us time and time again. However, Jesus continues interceding on our behalf. We are presented to the Father as holy and blameless because of the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Praise be to God for our glorious and merciful Savior.
The author ends with two powerful verses in this section which reminds us that…
Scripture References: Hebrews 4:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Romans 8:33-34
IV. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Second Coming Bringing Consummation (27-28)
IV. Eternal Life is Available to You Because of Christ’s Second Coming Bringing Consummation (27-28)
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Friends, this is an incredibly important verse in the Bible.
It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
The first warning here is that we all have an appointed day to die.
There will come a day where God does not sustain your life any longer. The days of your life are numbered. None of us know the number of our days, before these bodies wear out or fail.
Listen to Job reflect on this truth:
Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
The Psalmist, likewise understood the limits on this life:
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
None of us know if we will be alive and breathing tomorrow or not.
What we do know is that one day we will cease to live and breathe on this planet. We do know that our bodies will die.
From our secular world’s perspective, they understand that each person will die. But how they live in response to this fact is far different than how we should live as a believer. They seek to live for themselves. They seek to make much of themselves and enjoy life as much as possible in order to - in their opinion - get the most out of this life. There is no thought of eternity or judgment in their minds.
Yet, interestingly, this pursuit of happiness seems to fall flat for those who hold to this secularist worldview. The things of this earth don’t bring true joy - nor can they. Joy is a gift from God - a fruit given by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). True satisfaction in one’s life is a gift from Him alone.
Looking back at verse 27 we see another serious warning here…
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
The second warning is extremely important as well. There is a judgment coming.
We have discussed the three judgments of God in the past. The Bema Seat Judgment (the judgment of faithful believers which is where believers are rewarded), the Sheep and Goats Judgment (the judgment after the Tribulation), and the Great White Throne Judgment (the judgment of unbelievers in the end after the Millennial Kingdom).
The Great White Throne Judgment will be for all unbelievers. It will be a terrifying end times judgment for those who do not have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life - namely those who have not been saved.
Take this warning from the author to be sure that you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
The emphasis of verse 27 is again on the word once. This word, along with the Greek variant of it, has been used regarding the once for all sacrifice of Jesus. In the same way, you only have one life to live. There are no second chances. Once you die, your opportunity to be saved is over. Your eternity is guaranteed one way or another at that point. If you are in Christ, your eternal inheritance is heaven is guaranteed.
However, if you are not, your eternal destruction in hell is guaranteed.
Be sure that you are in Christ. Accept His free gift of salvation. Repent and follow Him.
Because as verse 28 tells us - Jesus is coming back…
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Finishing up this section we see again that Christ has died once. But it doesn’t stop there. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.
This is the third time we have seen Christ appear in verses 24-28.
We are told in verses 24-28 that Christ appears two times on earth and once in heaven:
Verse 26 tells us Christ appeared on earth - namely to put away sin and sacrifice Himself.
Verse 24 tells us that Christ appeared in the presence of God to intercede on our behalf.
And Verse 28 tells us that Christ will appear on earth a second time to save those who wait for Him.
The Greek word translated appear means to reveal or to make known. Christ has made Himself known on earth some 2,000 years ago and revealed Himself to us in the Scriptures as having appeared at the right hand of the Father where He continually intercedes for us. But know brothers and sisters that He will make Himself known a third time. Jesus is coming back!
For those of us who are in Christ, we eagerly await His return.
Scripture References: Job 14:5, Psalm 139:16, Galatians 5:22-23
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, we have seen four wonderful truths regarding eternal life through Jesus Christ.
We have eternal life available to us because of Christ’s saving mediation, his blood-sealing confirmation, his sacrificial propitiation, and His promised second coming bringing consummation.
Friends, our eternal inheritance is sure if we are in Christ.
As we go throughout the next week, may we take some time and reflect on eternity. May we consider our own eternity first. Be sure that you are in Christ. And secondly, if you are in Christ, spend some time considering the eternity of others. They need to hear the good news of Gospel.
May we tell others how to have the words ‘forgiven, paid in full’ written across their souls.
