10 1-18 Questions

Hebrews Series- Fellowship Baptist Church

Passage:     Hebrews 10:1-18

Theme:       Some questions regarding forgiveness

Proposition:       

Question of Perfection in 10:2, 14:

Does this mean that the believer is perfect or has attained some form of sinless perfection?

View promoted by John Wesley, later by Hannah Whitehall Smith and currently by those of the Holiness movement.

Word in the language – refers to completion, finishing of a task or agenda, accomplishment.  It is not referring to perfection in the sense that the person will never sin.

          1 Cor 13:10

          2 Cor 12:9

Gal 3:3

A form of the word was used by Christ on the cross – John 19:30

          The redemptive plan of God was accomplished

Also the phrase was used by the High Priest when the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement were completed.

Linking the theme of redemptive atonement and forgiveness in Hebrews 8-10 with Christ’s usage as our High Priest and the usage of the priest in the OT, I believe it refers to the completed redemptive work of Christ on our behalf, specifically in its application in the areas of atonement, and forgiveness.

Question:  Isn’t the God of the Old Testament the God of the New Testament?  Are you suggesting that He has somehow changed?

This question creates a scenario that is unthinkable and raises an issue that has nothing to do with the truth we are studying.  It is an old debate tactic that creates doubt in an individuals mind by questioning the other person’s adherence to truth and thus attacking their credibility.

The real question that must be asked is this:  what is the significance of the cross?  Was the sacrifice of Christ on the cross merely an event in history or was it a watershed moment in the history of God’s dealings with man?

The Significance of the New Covenant – A review of the changes

Question:  What about the “Lord’s Prayer?”  Didn’t Christ Himself teach us that we should ask for forgiveness and that our personal forgiveness is contingent upon our willingness to forgive others?

          Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4

This is pre-cross, Old Covenant teaching.  This is not to say it is of no value to the believer, the question is whether things changed after the cross and with the New Covenant.

     Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13

              We are to forgive as we have been forgiven

     Colossians 2:13-14

Having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands

This cannot refer only to our past sins, as it was accomplished at the cross when Christ died.  All of my sin remained as yet in the future, since I did not yet exist.

          1 John 2:12

                   your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake

                             perfect tense – accomplished in the past, not needing to be repeated

In the New Covenant, sins are forgiven, they are covered, they are not brought up, forgiveness stands past, present, and future.  Forgiveness based on the blood of Christ brings me into acceptance, fellowship with God.  If I lose fellowship, what has changed?

Legal vs. family – there is no distinction made in the New Testament.  Only can be argued if you come to the passage with the idea already in mind.

          Example of the judge

                   Father pardons the son in court, then punishes at home as a father

If the son was guilty, then the judge is unjust to pardon him without penalty

If the son is innocent (or someone else paid penalty), then the father is unjust to punish him at home for that which he is not/no longer guilty.

According to Romans 8, nothing can separate the child of God from his relationship with the Father.  There is no accusation or charge that can be brought that will stand.