The blood of Jesus

How Much more

(9:11-14) Worship— Sanctuary— Tabernacle, Heavenly— Jesus Christ, High Priest: the heavenly sanctuary or tabernacle. The heavenly sanctuary is for the worship of God just as the earthly sanctuary is, but it is different from the earthly sanctuary and worship of men. How does it differ? There are at least four differences. 1. The heavenly sanctuary and worship has a perfect priest. The High Priest of heaven is not a man; He does not come from among mere men—men who are imperfect, frail, sinful, and ever so short just like all other men. The High Priest of heaven is the Son of God Himself, and as the Son of God, He is perfect and eternal. Therefore, He is able to bring better things to us. He is able to make intercession for us forever—He is able to save us to the uttermost when we come to God by Him. (See note—•Hebrews 7:25; note—•Hebrews 8:4-5 for more discussion.) 2. The heavenly sanctuary and worship is spiritual and perfect. It is not made with human hands; it is not a part of this earthly, physical, and material world. It is not a part of this corruptible, decaying, aging, and dying world. It is not a part of this world that is only a shadow, picture, and faint copy of the real world. The spiritual and perfect sanctuary is the spiritual and perfect world—heaven itself—where the very presence of God is glorified and manifested for all to see and worship. "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24). "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3). "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1). "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). "After this I behold, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" ( Rev. 7:9). 3. The heavenly sanctuary and worship has a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). Man is imperfect and sinful; he is guilty of disobeying, rejecting, and rebelling against God. Therefore, he must pay the penalty and judgment of his sins or else a substitute has to bear the judgment for him. This was the idea behind animal sacrifices. The animal's life was sacrificed for the sins of man. Note that three significant things are said in this verse. a. Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, did not sacrifice the blood of animals for the sins of man; He sacrificed His own blood. He offered up His life as a sacrifice to God—as the sacrifice for the life of the people. Jesus Christ bore the guilt and judgment for the sins of man. Why would He do this? Because He is the Son of God and He loves man. He is the Son of God who came to earth as the God-Man; He is the Ideal and Perfect Man. As the Ideal Man, whatever He does stands for and covers all men. Therefore, His blood covers the sins of all men who believe and trust Him. His sacrifice is the perfect and ideal sacrifice—the sacrifice that stands for and covers all men. b. Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, entered into the Holy of Holies of heaven itself. But note: He had to enter only once. The earthly High Priest had to make continued sacrifices, but Jesus Christ had to make only one sacrifice. Why? Because His sacrifice was the perfect and ideal sacrifice. Being perfect and ideal, it could stand forever for every man of every generation. c. Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, obtained eternal redemption for us. Sin, death, and condemnation have captured and kidnapped man. No man can escape from either one, no matter what he does. But Jesus Christ made it possible for man to be freed and delivered from all enemies. How? He paid the ransom price. He substituted Himself for man. He gave His life—sacrificed His life for man. He could do this because He is the perfect and ideal Man. Since He chose to sacrifice His life for man, He has become the perfect and ideal sacrifice. This is exactly what He has done. He has redeemed and ransomed man from sin, death, and condemnation. "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13). "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12). "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19). "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the firstbegotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5). "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9). 4. The heavenly sanctuary and worship saves a person perfectly (Hebrews 9:13-14). Note three points. a. The earthly sanctuary and worship purifies and cleanses only the flesh. It takes an honest person to admit this. But as shown in previous points, the rituals and ceremonies of earthly and physical worship are external. They cannot cleanse man inwardly nor can they make him perfect and eternal. b. The heavenly sanctuary and worship purifies and cleanses a person even down to his conscience—no matter how hardened and non-existent the conscience may be. When a person comes to God through Christ, God gives him a perfect assurance that he is accepted by God, that he has eternal life. How is this possible? When Jesus Christ was on earth, He lived a sinless life, obeying God perfectly in every act and thought. He therefore became the Ideal (and perfect) Righteousness, the Ideal Man who pleased God perfectly. This is especially true in the sacrifice of Christ. God loves man and wants to save man. Therefore, God willed and wanted His Son to show His perfect love to man, to show His love by sacrificing His life for the sins of man. No greater love could ever have been expressed, and it was God's love for us that led Him to sacrifice His Son for us. When Christ sacrificed Himself for our sins, the ultimate in obedience was reached. Jesus Christ obeyed God supremely; He died for our sins. Therefore God will forgive any man's sins, and nothing will ever stop Him from forgiving them. Very simply stated, God will forgive and cleanse any man's sins because of His Son. Forgiveness and cleansing are guaranteed once-for-all to everyone who believes—all because of God's supreme love for His Son. "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgivness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephes. 1:7). "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephes. 5:25-26). "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:4-5). "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). "And having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:21-22). "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19). "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5). c.The heavenly sanctuary and worship leads a person away from the dead works of this earth to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). Earthly religion in all its ritual and ceremony is dead to God. No matter how religious and good a person tries to be—no matter how many good works he does—it is not such earthly behavior that makes him acceptable to God. Jesus Christ alone makes a man acceptable to God. He and He alone gives man access to God and puts man into fellowship and communion with God. Jesus Christ has to live in the heart and life of a person—actually live in the body of a person through the Holy Spirit of God—for a person to be given the glorious privilege of walking in fellowship and communion with God.

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:17).

"Therefore being justifed by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9).

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:1-2).

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (1 John 2:27).