Hebrews 10:22-25

We’re Passed the Theologically Rich Teaching of Jesus’ High Priesthood

Now the Author Focuses More on the Application Portion of His Sermon

Hebrews 10:19–25 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

We Stopped in Verse 22 Last Time

Since We Have Such Great Confidence to Approach God in His Most Holy Place

And Since We Have this Great Priest Who Rules Over Us:

Hebrews 10:22 (NASB95)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

“Let Us Draw Near”

This is One Word in Greek, and it is One of the Hebrew Author’s Favorite Words

He Uses it 7 Times Throughout the Book

Every Single Time with Reference to Drawing Near to/Approaching God

Since We Have Confidence to Enter the Presence of God Because of Our High Priest…

Let’s Draw Near to/Approach Him

These Hebrew Christians Were Tempted to Shrink Back From and Forsake God

That is the Reason the Author Uses this Word So Often

Because of Jesus, We are Able to and Should Draw Near to God

But We Must Do it in the Right Way

What Must We Draw Near to God With?

Hebrews 10:22 (NASB95)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

In Order to Draw Near to God, it Must Be Done with a Sincere/“True”/Genuine Heart

What is a Sincere Heart?

A Heart that is Drawing Near to God with the Proper/Righteous Motives

A Heart that is Truly Seeking a Relationship with Him

A Heart Whose Motive it is to Worship and Please Him

Besides a Sincere Heart…

But the Best Indicator of a Sincere/True Heart is One that has:

Hebrews 10:22 (NASB95)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

In Order to Draw Near to God, it Must Be Done with the Complete Certainty of Faith

No One can Approach God Without a Good Heart and a Confident Faith

The Very Next Chapter Goes into Deep Detail on the Faith the Author is Talking About

I Really Like the Way the NIV & NET Translate that Verse:

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NET)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Faith is a Confident Trust in God and His Faithfulness to Keep His Word

You Can’t Draw Near to God if You Don’t Have Confident Trust in Him

Hebrews 10:22 (NASB95)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

In Order to Draw Near to God, We Must Have Our Consciences Sprinkled and Bodies Washed

Every Time the Hebrew Author has Used the Word “Sprinkle”…

He’s Been Talking About the Sprinkling of Blood to Purify Things

And “Washing with Pure Water” Likely Refers to How the Priests Were to Wash Themselves Before Performing Their Duties

But, Both “Sprinkled” and “Washed” are in the Perfect Tense

They are Things that Happened in the Past But Which Have Results Lasting into the Present

At Some Point in the Past, the Hebrew Audience Had Their Hearts Sprinkled From an Evil Conscience…

And Their Bodies Were Washed with Pure Water

And They Remain Clean to this Day

What Event Took Place Where These Hebrew Christians Were…

Sprinkled with Blood and Washed with Pure Water?

I Believe the Author is Referring to When His Audience was Baptized By Faith into Jesus

Through Baptism Their Bodies Were Washed and Their Hearts Were Sprinkled Clean By Jesus’ Sacrificial Blood

That Would Explain the Perfect Tense of the Verbs

This Baptism Took Place in the Past, But its Results Last into the Present

One Can Only Draw Near to God if They Have Been Baptized into Christ…

Receiving the Gracious Gift of Jesus Christ as Their Sacrificial Offering

Hebrews 10:23 (NASB95)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

He Tells His Audience to Hold on Tight

To What?

The Confession of Our Hope

Confession = an Expression or Statement of Belief or Allegiance

The Author is Encouraging His Audience to Not Stop…

Expressing and Stating Their Hope in Jesus

They Were Being Tempted to Disavow Jesus and Forsake the Christian Life

But the Author was Encouraging Them to Continue Expressing Their Faith and Hope in Jesus

How Does One Express Their Faith and Hope in Jesus?

By Talking About Him (What He’s Done, is Doing, and Will Do)

Through Loving Others the Way He’s Commanded

Through Holy/Sanctified Living

Using Self-Control When Tempted with Sinful Behavior

Boldly Doing What is Right Regardless of the Ramifications

And Doing Both to the Honor, Glory, and Recognition of Jesus

We Should Do These Things Without Wavering

With Determination

Why Should We Continue to Express Our Hope in Christ?

Because He Who Promised is Faithful

This is One of the Most Common Descriptions of God in the Bible

He is Faithful/Trustworthy/a Promise-Keeper

Don’t Give Up on Your Hope of Receiving His Promises…

Because He is a Promise-Keeper

Psalm 110 Showed Us that God Swore that Jesus Would Be a High Priest Forever

God Does Not Break His Promises

Everything that the Author has Told Us About Jesus’ Priestly Ministry Were Promises From God

And They are Promises He is Going to Keep

So We Have No Reason to Forsake Our Hope in Jesus

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NASB95)

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

The Author Now Calls Us to Consider/Contemplate Something

How to Stimulate One Another

“Stimulate” is Only Found in One Other Place in the NT

Acts 15:39 (NASB95)

And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

It Means to Stir Up or Provoke

In Paul and Barnabas’ Situation, it was a Negative Stirring Up and Provoking

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NASB95)

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

But Here it’s Used in a Positive Sense

We’re to Contemplate on How We Can Provoke Each Other to Love and Serve Each Other

Some Were Beginning to Forsake the Christian Gatherings

This is Not Talking About Missing the Sunday Gathering Every Now and Then…

Due to Circumstances of Life

This is Talking About the Person Who is Making it Their Habit/Custom…

To Abandon the Assembling of the Church

I Think We All Understand There’s a Big Difference in…

Missing Something and Forsaking/Abandoning Something

There’s a Difference in Desiring to Assemble and Not Desiring to

This Passage has Been Misused as Much as Any Other

We’re Sometimes Guilty of Using this Passage to Teach a Checklist Christianity

Assembling Together is Just Another Thing to Check Off the List

“As Long as I Assemble, I’m Faithful”

In Fact, We Often Judge a Person’s Faithfulness to Jesus Solely Upon a Their Attendance

Not the Fruit of the Spirit in Their Lives or Their Christ-Likeness

I’ve Known Lots of People Who Assemble Every Week, But Don’t Have an Ounce of Jesus in Them

I’ve Known Lots of People Who Check Assembling Off Their List of Righteous Duties…

But They Have No Real Desire to Assemble

It’s Simply Something They Believe They Must Do to Earn Their Righteousness

There’s Another Way I’ve Miss-Used this Passage in the Recent Past

I’ve Taught that this Passage Teaches How We Need to Assemble with Our Siblings in Christ…

Because We are in Need of Encouragement to Stay Faithful

I Believe that is True, But it’s Not What this Passage is Directly Teaching

This Passage Doesn’t Teach a Checklist Christianity (Way of Earning Righteousness)

It Doesn’t Teach Assembling Together for the Purpose of Being Encouraged

It Teaches Assembling Together for the Purpose of Being the Encourager to Others

It’s Not About What the Assembly Offers You

It’s About What You Offer to the Assembly

You Shouldn’t Forsake the Assembly:

Not Because You Will Eventually Succumb to the Pressures of the World

But You Absolutely Will!

You Shouldn’t Forsake the Assembly:

Because You Have a Responsibility to Your Siblings in Christ

It is Your Job to Encourage Them to:

Draw Near to God

Not Stop Expressing Their Hope in Jesus

Love/Serve Each Other

When the Church Assembly is Done Right, You Will Leave With:

A New Resolve to Be Closer to God

A Firm Grip On Your Allegiance to Jesus and Confidence in Your Hope

An Excitement to Love and Serve Your Neighbor

The Joy of Knowing You Helped Others Toward These Goals as Well

Are We Doing the Assembly Right?

Ask that as an Individual Question of Yourself:

Am I Encouraging My Siblings to Draw Near to God?

Am I Encouraging My Siblings to Hold Tight to Their Hope?

Am I Encouraging My Siblings to Love and Serve Each Other?

Ask that as a Collective Question of the Entire Church:

Does Assembling Here Encourage Me to Draw Near to God?

Does Assembling Here Encourage Me to Hold Tight to My Hope?

Does Assembling Here Encourage Me to Love and Serve Others?

If We Answer No to Any of These Questions, Then We Have a Problem…

And We Need to Work Toward a Solution

The Solution Lies With Being Able to Answer Yes to the First 3 Questions

If We Want Our Assemblies to Be the Slice of Heaven They are Meant to Be…

Then Then We Have to Take Some Advice From Michael Jackson

Start with the Person in the Mirror

If Each Individual Here Made it Their Mission Every Assembly to…

Encourage Their Siblings in All These Ways…

Then Church Gatherings Would Be the Most Anticipated Times of Our Week

You Wouldn’t Be Able to Keep Us From Coming

The Day that is Drawing Near is Not Consequential to the Point of this Passage