Five “Let us”s
Hebrews 10:19-25 (Pastor Heo)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Here we come to the shift in the book:
- Creed -> Conduct
- Doctrine -> Duty
- Precept -> Practice
- Getting Blessing -> Giving Blessing
If we are Christians, we must be sincere in our agenda: HOW to live as Christians.
v. 19 “Therefore…”
Therefore, because of what we saw last Sunday (and in the previous reading in Hebrews), “once for all…”
This is a continuation: “once for all… therefore…”
Brief review “once of all”:
- the sacrifice was made ONCE
- effective for ALL people, for ALL time, for ALL places
- Animal sacrifices had previously been repeatedly offered, with no REAL effect
- Jesus’ ONCE sacrifice is “more than enough” forevermore for all time and places and people
- Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross shows God’s perfect righteousness and justice, and Jesus’ perfect obedience and humility
- When we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, all our sin is forgiven and forgotten and the matter is settled forever and ever
“Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ… what shall we say then: If God is for us [in this matter], who shall be against us?”
If God is for me, who can be against me? This is very simple and easy in English, but it has such GREAT power. “He who did not spare his own Son, … how will he not also graciously give us all things? … It is God who justifies.”
The Bible proclaims and shouts (Romans 8) “Who / what shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, hardship, nakedness, famine? Nothing / nobody can separate us from the love of Christ.”
v. 19-21
“19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, “
Here we can see at least 3 things about Christ:
1. He’s the New and Living Way to the presence of God
“I am THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This way is “new” because it had never existed before.
Also this way is a living way – not dead – because Jesus is alive all the time. Still he is alive.
In human history, since the Creation of the world, many philosophers and teachers and prophets have tried to find a way to heaven – but nobody has ever said, nor has the right to say, “I AM the way.”
The presence and the closeness to God is available to us simply because of Christ. All life shows God, but the love of God was truly revealed on the cross – when Jesus’ body was torn on the cross and his life sacrificed, God tore the curtain in the temple. This symbolized the new and living way – open and available for all who believe in Jesus Christ.
2. He is High Priest
This is the topic of this book – he is the same yesterday, today, and forever in being our High Priest.
We know the function of a priest is to build a bridge between God and man. This means, Jesus not only shows the way to heaven, but also introduces us to his very presence.
Christmas is coming – Jesus became man to become qualified to act as High Priest for us – to share our hardships, our experience, apart from sin, so that he might be qualified as our High Priest. Think about his earthly life, 2000 years ago. He felt hunger, want of sympathy from others, he had all temptations, many sleepless nights, was tired, exhausted, misunderstood, forsaken, persecuted, delivered to death on the cross. All this way preparation for his present priestly ministry in heaven, interceding for us.
Jesus is the only one person who can cleanse us.
In the OT, the human high priests washed their hands and feet and sprinkled the blood of animals to remove sins – but these things were not enough, only external. But Jesus, through his sacrifice, cleanses our innermost thoughts and desires until we are REALLY clean. God never gives up on us in this matter.
So, this is the great turning point of Hebrews. From GETTING blessing to GIVING blessing.
“Let us!” x5
Hebrews is a book of exhortation, encouragement, that encourages us to persevere.
- If you are blessed…
- you need to bless others!
We are the channel / the pipe of God’s heavenly blessing in this world.
If you are blessed, BLESS others!
v. 22
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
1. “Let us draw near to God”
(Let us never forget the duty of worship)
God is spirit, so we can draw near to God at any time, in any place – driving, in bed, at school, at work, while brushing your teeth, he’s always available through prayer, praise, crying, whispering, meditation on his word, thanksgiving, worship.
“through worship”
It is given to everybody to live in 2 worlds: whether you recognize it or not – this world of time & space + the world of eternity.
Our danger = to become SO involved in this material world, we forget the other world – the eternal world.
As the day begins, in the middle of our activities, at the end of the day, we must turn aside – if only for a moment – and draw near to the presence of God.
v. 22
“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
What about our attitude? Here are 3:
- with a sincere heart – God looks at our heart because he is spirit (not hard heartedly, not with pretenses – sincere worship)
- in full assurance of faith (not half faith, but FULL assurance of faith – “assuraance” = doubtlessness – he WILL hear us because of the work of Christ)
- with clear conscience (cleansed from guilty consciences) – with BOLDNESS – why? how? Based on the work of Christ on the cross – not based on what we have done for God.
“Let us draw near to God.”
3. He is Faithful
v. 23
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Let us never lose our grip on what we believe and hope.
Our visible situation may try to take our faith and hope away – our situation may take our hope, our money, our reputation, – it may try to make us forget God. The happenings of life may conspire to shape our faith and hope – so we MUST keep a STRONG grip on our faith and hope that NEVER fails (Jesus).
“Faith, hope, love”
These go together as one – just like each side in an equilateral triangle.
- Faith = “our trust in Jesus Christ based on what he has done for us”
- Hope = “trust in Jesus based on what he IS doing and will do”
- Love = “trust in Jesus based on who he is”
chp 11 = “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Romans “We rejoice in the glory of God – we rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, patience, Christian mature character, and hope and this hope DOES NOT disappoint us – because he has poured out his hope in our spirits.”
1 Cor 13 – the Love chapter
“Love is patient, love is kind…”
1 Cor 13:7 “Love ALWAYS believes, love ALWAYS hopes, love ALWAYS perseveres, love ALWAYS protects…”
v. 23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
We must put our hope IN God.
In you put your hope in your money, your material, your hope will be hopeless.
#3 Let Us
v. 24
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
Let us put our minds to the task of taking care of others.
Are you Christian?
Let us remember this not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of others.
- Selfish saved Christians = impossible
- Selfish Christianity = a contradiction of terms because we are saved for service to others
We must spur one another on toward noble living. We can do that by setting fine examples, by reminding others of their traditions, privileges, and duties when they are likely to forget them.
We are “revealers” – showers of Christ. If we are really Christians, we show to others who Christ is and what he is like. Christians are the ones in whom Christ is revealed in this world.
- Christian = revealer of Christ. We are the visible representation of the invisible Christ.
- Christ = visible representation of the invisible God.
God bless you!
#4 Let Us
(more practical)
v. 25a
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,”
Let us worship together.
Together (in community) is very important.
There are some who give up meeting together in the community of God. Some think they are Christians, but do not go to church services. It’s possible that some say “I’m Christian” but give up meeting together with God’s people, in God’s house, on God’s day.
- Very clearly: isolated Christians = impossible
- Hidden disciples, secret Christianity = impossible
To go to church = to demonstrate where our loyalty lies. This shows others what side we are on. Do you need Christ? Yes! If you need Christ, you need church because church (the community of believers) is his body.
We cannot live a Christian life while neglecting the fellowship of believers. This is a valuable time for our spiritual nourishment. God did not design Christians to be completely independent, but rather to be interdependent – to depend on one another to encourage them.
If you skip church, you skip seven days.
Church cannot be substituted with our personal study, nor with only watching it on TV or the Internet.
The church is the body of Christ, the community of believers, and it is imperative that we continue meeting together.
#5 Let Us
v. 25b
“but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Let us encourage one another.
One of the highest human privileges and duties and responsibilities = encouragement.
This world is FULL of discouragement and discouragers.
Many times, a word of thanks, praise, or cheer, has kept a man on his feet.
Remember Jesus’ 8 blessings in Matthew chp 8 “Blessed are the…”
Let me add another blessing:
“Blessed is the one who encourages others, for theirs is encouragement.”
We need encouragement together.
Finally, our duty as Christians together = “all the more” pressing because the time is short and the Day is approaching.
If we are saved, we live (how long?) do you know? You must know. We live eternal life.
“I live eternally”
Jesus “I give you eternal life, you shall never perish, no one shall snatch you out of my hand.”
Eternal life started the moment we accepted Christ as Savior.
But also we must remember that our physical life in this world is very short.
“Your physical life is like a mist that appears quickly and soon disappears; like a flower that blooms and soon withers.”
If we live eternally,
we must live in light of eternity.
We must walk WITH God, before God, and one day we will stand before God to do an audit of our lives on earth. So the closer we live to Christ, the smaller everything else in this world appears.
Conclusion: 5 “Let us”
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
God bless us all with 5 let us.
God bless you.
Let us pray.
