9 23-28
Hebrews Series- Fellowship Baptist Church
Passage: Hebrews 9:23-28
Theme: Christ – His Work of Purification
Proposition:
Introduction:
Hebrews 9 has been focusing on the blood of Christ and what that blood has done for those under the New Covenant. We have also been made aware of the changes which have taken place because the Old Covenant – the Law – no longer holds any authority over the believer.
Our passage for today is largely a transitional summary statement of what has been taught in Chapter 9. There are three realities which are stated to us in these verses.
The Reality of Our Security With God - His blood atonement makes us acceptable to God – vv. 23-24
So often in life we worry about what people think of us. Many times, we feel as if our lives and futures are in the hands of authority figures that we somehow keep happy. We are constantly concerned that if we fail, they will come down on us and possibly even ruin us.
We have a tendency to transfer these perspectives to God as well. We convince ourselves that if we make a mistake, He no longer welcomes us or wants us. Worse, we conclude that He is out to get us, to pay us back for some recent mistake or even far off mistake.
These verses teach us a wonderful truth that refutes these thoughts and gives us security in our relationship with God.
The purification of the earthly tabernacle
Everything associated with the tabernacle had to be made acceptable to God. This included the structure, it’s furnishings, and even the people who served there. All was flawed by sin and required a blood sacrifice to be made acceptable to God.
The purification of the Heavenly tabernacle
Everything in heaven is already sinless, or else it could not be in God’s presence. What is the correlation between the two? What still needs to be made pure in order to be in God’s presence?
Verse 24 – to appear in the presence of God on our behalf
Jesus Christ, through His blood, makes us acceptable to come before God in the true tabernacle. His blood makes our worship acceptable, our prayers acceptable, our gifts acceptable, our songs acceptable.
When would this acceptance cease? When His blood is no longer acceptable. Can this happen?
The Reality of Our Stability Because of Christ - His sacrificial offering is complete – vv. 25-26
To answer the question, there is no need for another sacrifice because His first was the last. There is no need for another because it atones once for all.
One of the things that many Christians struggle with is discouragement because of their sin. For some it becomes a point of despair to think about their past. It is difficult to get them excited about serving God and enjoying the Christian life because they are convinced that God is angry with them or has given up on them. They just can’t get past their past.
Life in general becomes a roller coaster because of this discouragement. There is no stability in their relationship with God.
My friend, there is great stability with God through the blood of Christ. His was the last sacrifice for sin for all time. Past sin is covered and the future sin is taken care of.
The Reality of Our Hope for the Future - His coming return is certain – v. 27-28
It has been said that two things in life are certain—death and taxes. The writer of Hebrews uses this same idea to make a point to us. Just as it is certain that men die, so too is the certainty that Christ is coming again.
For what reason is He coming back?
It is not to deal with sin
Not to offer another sacrifice for sin
It is to gather His own
Both the dead in Christ and believers who are alive
What does this mean?
That no matter the circumstances I have no reason to fear or worry, as the song says: I have a future in heaven for sure!
In the mean time, I have the most powerful Person in the universe on my side – they don’t know who they are up against. If He wants it to happen, it will.
This is what it all comes down to:
My sins are forgiven, I am accepted, and Jesus Christ is coming for me, all because of the shed blood of Christ for my sin.