Once for All!
Hebrews 10:1-18 (Pastor Heo)
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll–
I have come to do your will, O God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Jesus sacrifice on the cross is shadowed by many other sacrifices throughout the Old Testament.
… Samuel’s, David’s, Hezekiah’s – all sacrifices point to the one and greatest sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross.
1 John 2:2? “Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world.”
Today’s topic: ONCE FOR ALL
At least 3x we can see this. What does it mean?
“Once for all.”
Through the study of this passage, we can know and understand this.
v. 1-3
“1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed *once for all*, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,”
v. 1 = “The Law is only a shadow…”
This chapter emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of Christ in contrast with the imperfect sacrifices of animals. Yes, we know that we have problems, but SIN is the greatest root of all problems – this is the root of all problems in this world.
- We are not sinners because we sin;
- we sin because we are born as sinners.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – but we can be justified freely by his grace.
God presented Jesus as an atoning sacrifice, and by faith through his blood.
I believe most of us here (all of us) are Christians. But we must be careful not to go to TWO wrong extremes.
- “I’m saved by grace, free from the penalty of sin, so I’m FREEEEEE to do anything I want!” (Extreme of License)
- “Even though I’m saved by grace, I MUST keep the Law. I can satisfy God more fully by living under the law.” (Extreme of Legalism)
Legalism = measuring our spirituality by a list of DOs and DO NOTs. The weakness is to see only the fruit of sin, but not the root. Another weakness, if we try to only keep the Law – we will be judging, unforgiving to others.
To set a high level for spirituality and morality is GOOD! But if we try to reach our final role by only keeping the Law, then we with either 1) fail, or 2) be losers.
“I’m not under the Law, but under Grace.”
Know this all the time if you are Christian.
Important question: What does this mean? “Not under the Law, but under Grace.”
This sentence does not mean: Lawless – nor that the Law is useless, nor that I have nothing to do with the Law, nor that I’m free to do anything I want.
But the fact means, I’m saved by the grace of God, under the blood of Christ, and not by only keeping the Law. We are redeemed from the penalty / curse of the Law – so our hearts are ruled, controlled, directed by the grace of God, not the Law.
The motive behind whatever we are doing is because of the LOVE and Grace of God – not because of the demands of the Law.
Because God is spirit, he is looking at our hidden, unseen motivation.
So, why did God give us the Law? After all, this is only a shadow of the greater good that is coming.
v. 3 “an annual reminder of sins…”
This is why we have the Law. It’s a reminder of sin. It’s to teach us “I’m a sinner, so I need forgiveness, a Savior – so I / you / we must go to the Savior.”
Romans 3:20? “… we become conscious of sin through the Law”
Galatians 3:20 “The Law is given (put in charge) to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith in Jesus Christ.”
The LAW = a mirror
You have a mirror in your bag, right? God gave us the Law as a mirror by which we can know and see how we really are – how dirty we really are.
Why Jesus came into this world? Yes, now is the Christmas season – Jesus’ coming season.
v. 4-10
“4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll–
I have come to do your will, O God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ *once for all.*”
The blood of animals could not remove sins.
v. 7 and v. 9 “I have come to do your will” (God’s will) – this is the priority of Jesus’ coming – to do the will of Him who sent him.
Remember Gethsemane? His FINAL prayer was, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me (death), YET not my will, but YOUR WILL be done.”
John 3:34 “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.”
Again, “I have come from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent me.”
“My father’s will is that everyone who looks to the son on the cross and believes in him will have eternal life – so I will raise him up at the last day.”
Jesus came to do the will of the father who sent him – this will is complete obedience on the cross. God does not want sacrifice from us. What he wants is OBEDIENCE.
If we are ever to have fellowship with God, Obedience is the ONLY sacrifice God desires from us.
Obedience.
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may be able to test and approve the will of God.”
1 John 2:17 “This world and all its desires will pass away. Only the person who does the will of the Father lasts for forever.”
Do you have desire? Ambition? This world and its desires pass away – only the one who does the will of God lasts forever.
Jesus saves “once for all”. What’s the meaning? We can see this in the next passage.
v. 11-18
“11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had *offered for all time one sacrifice* for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds:
“*Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.*” [Jeremiah 31:34] 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”
In this passage:
- Achievement of Christ
- Exaltation of Christ
- Triumph of Christ
1. The Achievement of Christ:
On the cross: “It is finished.”
The sacrifice of Christ was made once and is effective forever. But the animal sacrifices had to be made again and again – day after day, year after year. But they are not effective in any real way.
Jesus’ sacrifice, once for all, cannot be repeated – needs not.
For one thing, his sacrifice perfectly shows the love of God. In that life of service and death of love, there stands fully displayed the heart of God.
We can observe and say, “That is what God is like.”
Another thing, this act was an act of perfect obedience. Remember, the ONLY sacrifice God desires is obedience.
v. 11-12 “day after day, … the same sacrifices … this priest [Jesus] … offered for ALL time, one sacrifice for sins …”
Jesus’ sacrifice cannot, needs not, to be ever made again – this is MORE than enough for ALL people including you and me, for ALL time, for ALL places, forever!
This is a big encouragement and challenge given to us:
2. The Exaltation of Christ
- v. 11 “…stands…” (opposite word = “sits”)
- v. 12 “…he sat down…”
The human priest ALWAYS stood to offer sacrifice, but Jesus sat down at the right hand of God.
- Priests = position of servants
- Jesus = position of a monarch (king) – his task is accomplished, his victory won
Jesus life is incomplete without his death. His death is incomplete without resurrection. Resurrection is incomplete without ascension. Ascension is incomplete without sitting down in glory.
This is the same Jesus who lived, died, rose, went to heaven, and sat at the right hand of God. He is the Lord of glory.
“Lord of Lords, King of Kings”
We are small lords, small kings. He is THE Lord of Lords, King of Kings.
Revelation “We will reign with him over all Creation.” We are small kings. “I’m a king, a lord, but HE is the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords.”
3. The Triumph of Christ
v. 13 “…he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool…”
He awaits final subjugation of his enemies. One day, ALL will kneel before him. There will be a universe where he is supreme in position. A day is coming when EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the father.
Millions of millions of billions of billions of human-made animal sacrifices cannot accomplish Jesus’ ONE sacrifice of himself for ALL people, for ALL places, for ALL times, FOREVER.
This is the conclusion. Wow.
This is “ONCE FOR ALL.”
In our application:
When we trust Christ (do you trust him? Do you believe in him?), when we accept him, our sins are all “forgiven and forgotten.” This is an amazing, secret mystery.
v. 17
“Their [our] sins and lawless acts I [God] will [this is the will of God, the resolution, determination of God = 의지] remember no more.”
When God forgives, he forgets.
Can you accept this truth? It’s not easy to accept – but God can do it. This is his WILL, his determination.
We know in our experience: to forgive is not easy. But to forget is MORE difficult.
We have no power, no right to control our memory.
- Sometimes we forget what we want to remember.
- Sometimes we remember what we want to forget.
But God, as Almighty, has power to control his memory. When he forgives, he forgets. HOW? Is he not all-knowing?
This is the way: There is no longer any separation between offender and offendee over the offence. The matter is completely settled forever.
When you pray in real faith for forgiveness, you can also forget your sins.
Do not hurt yourself by holding onto guilt of your sins that God himself has forgiven and forgotten.
God says, “I WILL remember their sins NO MORE.”
The sins we repent of and renounce are forgiven and forgotten. There’s no more need to confess our past sins if we confess truly and deeply from our real hearts ONCE. So we can enjoy clear consciences in God.
So let us go on worshiping, praising, and serving God simply because of what he’s been doing.
God bless us with real forgiveness and freedom from guilt in Christ.
“Once for all!~”
The game is over.
Christ is King.
Let’s pray.
