Verses 1-2 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
The Apostle Paul goes on to explain that the Law was a shadow of what was to come through Jesus Christ and was not the real thing. No one was saved by the Law. Jesus Christ whose very name means “salvation”, was and is the only way to salvation from sin, death, and Hell. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 If the Law had worked by changing the ones offering the sacrifices, the animal sacrifices would have decreased and/or stopped as people would have the conscience necessary to resist and cease from sinning.
Application: When people convert and become children of the LORD Jesus Christ, they become new in that their old way of thinking and living passes away and they cease from sinning. They have a conscience or a mind that communicates with the Holy Ghost/Spirit who comes to live in them at the time of conversion so they do not want to sin any more. This is not referring to the occasional slip-up that all Christians experience. This is referring to continual sinning: drinking, drugging, gambling, stealing, lying, sexual sin, and so forth. Every Christian fails from time to time, but they repent and ask the LORD for forgiveness and move on. Why? Because they love the LORD and want to please Him and because sin no longer controls them. They want their lives to be a sacrifice of righteousness.
Verses 3-4 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
So every year when the high priest made a sacrifice on the day of Atonement, it was a reminder to the people that they were sinners.
Application: Since Jesus Christ atoned for all of our sins once and for all, our sins are not only forgiven, but they are forgotten, never to be brought up again as an accusation against each believer. Satan will bring up past sins, but his efforts to derail us can be rejected. We have the assurance of sins forgiven and forgotten by God. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
Verses 5-6 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Application: God never had pleasure in animal sacrifices and burnt offerings. All the critters slaughtered were created by Him and without sin. They were helpless before their handlers and executioners and did not deserve to die. Again, this was a foreshadowing of the LORD Jesus Christ who, like a sheep before the slaughterer, did not deserve to suffer and die. Unlike the sheep and goats and bulls, Jesus was not helpless, but chose to submit to the humiliation and torture which would result in His death just so we could be free of sin and the control of Satan and his fallen angels. Jesus chose to be that body prepared as the final blood sacrifice for the purpose of taking away the sins of mankind.
Verses 7-8 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Throughout the Old Testament books the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was prophesied and the purpose of His coming was also prophesied. Starting with Genesis 3:15 which states, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” which refers to the hatred between Satan and mankind and the LORD whom believers serve, the various texts bring forth information about the coming of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Moses stated, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” Deuteronomy 18:15 The book of the Psalms is full of prophetic scripture regarding the coming of Jesus Christ. Why did He come? To do the will of God who was not pleased with the sacrificial system established under Moses and the Law when the Hebrew people were sojourneying in the wilderness.
Verses 9-14 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
What was “the first” that was taken away? And what was” the second” that was established? The first was the Old Covenant which was taken away and the second was the New Covenant which was established through the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the death, burial, and resurrection of the Testator of the will. Jesus came to do the will of the Father which was to put in place an agreement or covenant that could be kept by those people who believe in Jesus. Because He kept the Law perfectly in our stead, we are righteous before the LORD through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. By Jesus’ sacrificial act, those people who are called to follow him are sanctified and made holy, not because of anything they do, but because of what Jesus did.
Verses 15-17 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
It is impossible for anyone to keep the Law so Jesus kept it for us. However, He gave His Ghost/Spirit to believers who guides them and who lets them know what is acceptable to the LORD and what is not. The Holy Ghost/Spirit works in the mind and the heart. He is our conscience. So though the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit believers know what is right and what is wrong and they know not to sin. Under the New Covenant God chooses to not remember the sins of His people. They are gone forever, never to be bought up again. Praise the LORD, for His mercy endureth forever.
Application: Believers walk with Jesus’ Ghost/Spirit every minute of every day as long as they choose to acknowledge His presence and to listen to His voice. This is what is referred to in the Church as “walking in the Spirit.” Unfortunately, often times believers get lazy and do not nurture the things of the Spirit and then they walk with the world or with their own fleshly desires and attitudes. In time, they can become what Scripture calls “fallen away” in that they no longer hear the voice of the LORD. This is a dangerous place to be as devils take full advantage of believers who are not walking closely with the LORD, enticing them to go back to the things of the world that they were familiar with before conversion. In time their hearts can become hard and they are spiritually lost. Converted Christian believers need to regularly examine their walk and relationship with the LORD to be sure that it is a spiritually healthy relationship and that they are indeed walking in the Spirit and in the will of God.
Verse 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
The Apostle Paul explains that since the sins and iniquities are not remembered by God anymore because they are paid for or remitted by Jesus Christ’s blood, there is now no longer a need for offering more animal blood sacrifices. Again, remember that this epistle was written originally to Hebrew Christians who were raised under a system of animal sacrifice. They now needed to fully understand that Jesus Christ, as both man and God, willingly put Himself in the place of the animal sacrifices and made the payment for sin once and for all.
Verses 19-22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 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.
Remember that under the old system, only the high priest could enter the holy of holies with the blood of a lamb. Now the Apostle Paul is teaching that all converted believers can enter the holy of holies because when the flesh of Jesus Christ was torn with a Roman soldier’s sword, the curtain or veil in the temple was torn also, opening the way for believers to access the very throne room of the LORD. Jesus is the Holy of Holies and He is the one and only High Priest over the house of God which includes all believers from every nations and tongue. Therefore, the Christian believer through faith and the power of prayer has the boldness to enter spiritually into a place with Jesus Christ and to be in His presence. Therefore there is no longer a need for a physical temple or for a man holding the office of priest.
Application: The entire religious system of Catholicism is based on error. No Catholic priest or pope can forgive sins or give absolution. The only One who can forgive mankind’s sins is the LORD Jesus Christ. No Catholic priest or pope died for mankind. The only authority these men have is that which the masses confused by this false system give to them. Catholicism places people in bondage to a religious system that will not get anyone into Heaven. Only Jesus Christ frees mankind from the bondage of religion and only Jesus Christ can get anyone into Heaven. Mankind needs to be obedient and repent of sins with a true heart and to believe by faith that those sins are forgiven, then be baptized in Jesus’ name having their bodies washed with water, and then be filled with the Holy Ghost/Spirit. Then and only then have they obeyed the Gospel.
Verses 23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Application: God’s Word is true. God does not and cannot lie. Therefore every Christian believer can stand firm on the promises written in Scripture. There is no room in the Church for those who waffle in their faith and who are not consistent in their doctrine. There is no room for discord among the brethren. Every Christian believer needs to be like Jesus Christ and that entails loving the brethren and encouraging others in their walk with the LORD. The day is approaching when the LORD Jesus Christ will return to this Earth to judge the living and the dead. Christian believers need to be looking for that day and working while there is still time, building up each other and bringing others into the saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ.
Verses 26-27 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Since God has given mankind freewill and the ability to think and act independently of Him, those people who obey the Gospel and give their hearts to Jesus Christ and therefore know the truth but who decide to return to their life of sin and choose to live for Satan have no other sacrifice coming to their aide. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was the final one, never to be repeated. To reject that free gift after receiving salvation will result in judgment and eternity in Hell. The man or woman who was once a believer becomes an adversary to the LORD and a servant of the Devil.
Application: The current doctrine of “once saved, always saved” does not hold up under Scripture as presented above. When churches teach this false doctrine, they leave people with a false sense of security. The LORD commands and demands obedience. People cannot convert and experience the LORD’s forgiveness and mercy and then return to their old way of life without consequences. Furthermore, if they have been taught in their church that because they were once saved they cannot lose their salvation then there is no motivation to try and live a righteous life pleasing to the LORD. Can fallen Christians repent and avoid judgement and Hell? Since the LORD is merciful, then it would seem that the answer is “yes”. The problem is that people who return to sin want to sin because sin does have its rewards and is pleasurable – for a time. This is a spiritually dangerous condition to be in because the farther people wonder away from the LORD the more it becomes very possible that the fallen Christian will never want to return to the LORD or that the fallen Christian might die and not have the opportunity to repent and get right with the LORD. What is very clear is that Christians cannot resume a life of sin and expect God to look the other way and still guarantee their eternity in Heaven just because they at one time repented and accepted the LORD into their hearts. And for other Christians, in order to support the “once saved always saved doctrine”, to determine that a fallen Christian was never saved by the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit in the first place is not within their power to make such a judgement. Only God knows who is truly saved and who is not. The example of Judas Iscariot in the Gospel books shows that people can convert and follow Jesus and be filled with the power of His Spirit and yet fall away. Judas was one of the called and chosen twelve disciples and Judas went forth along with those disciples and healed the sick and cast out devils. He had power given to him from Jesus Christ. However, he allowed Satan to influence and enter into him and he betrayed the One who had saved him from sin, death, and Hell. Apparently, he died in his sin and never renewed his relationship with Jesus.
Verses 28-29 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
The Apostle Paul continually goes back into the Old Testament and the Law as he shows the Hebrew Christians the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Under Mosaic law there was a physical death penalty for rebelling against the Law as long as there were at least two witnesses as to what the transgression was and depending on the severity of the transgression. So the Apostle Paul asks the Hebrew Christians to consider what the severity of the punishment should be for the believer who after receiving salvation rejects the sacrificial gift of the LORD Jesus Christ who shed His blood in order to bring in a New Covenant that could be kept because He kept it for all. It was through the blood of Jesus that the fallen Christian was sanctified or set apart and declared holy, and by falling away and rejecting what Jesus did on the cross the fallen Christian is treading “under foot the Son of God” and is counting the blood of the covenant “an unholy thing”.
Verses 30-31 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The Apostle Paul points out that instead of there being a need of two or three witnesses to the sin of backsliding or falling way as under the Old Covenant law, the LORD now judges His people as He knows what is in their hearts and minds and He will repay them for their sin and iniquity. The Apostle Paul then states that the Hebrew Christians need to recognize that falling into the hands of God is a fearful thing and something to be avoided.
Application: Notice that the Apostle Paul states that the “Lord shall judge his people“. The people He will judge are specific and belong to Him. These are not people in the world serving Satan, although they will be judged by Him at the end of time. Those people do not belong to God but to their father, Satan. His people are referred to in a possessive manner as belonging to Him. Therefore they are people in the Church and are converted Christians. Why would the LORD seek vengeance against them if they were never saved in the first place. This fact again refutes the false doctrine of “once saved always saved”. If the LORD is going to judge His people who are saved for vengeance and for recompensing them because they have rebelled against Him, then they can be punished and receive spiritual death which would be separation from the presence of the LORD and eternity in Hell. Therefore people can lose their salvation by simply giving the gift of salvation back to the LORD and returning to a life of sin.
Verses 32-33 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
The former days were those the Hebrew Christians lived under the bondage of the Talmud and under the Law as given by Moses. The Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes) were harsh towards the people in their administration of their religious expectations. Then, after the Hebrews heard the Gospel message and decided to follow Jesus Christ, they were persecuted by these same religious leaders which were the same ones who persecuted Jesus and plotted His death. So they naturally began to socialize with other believers and churches were born. Although the Hebrew Christians were being persecuted by other Jews, the persecution was really from Satan and his fallen angels using unbelieving Jews as instruments of afflictions and terror. The Apostle Paul understood this situation all too well as he had, at one time, been part of that persecution, going from village to village and arresting the Christians he found in an effort to stamp out the New Covenant and the Gospel message.
Verse 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Even though the Hebrew Christians suffered at the hands of their countrymen, they had compassion for the Apostle Paul when he was imprisoned for preaching and teaching the Gospel and they supported him financially when they could, even though they often suffered losses of their own resources. They knew that anything they might lose in this life would be given to them two fold in the next life by the LORD they were serving. Material things no longer held these Christians in their bondage as they were looking towards life in Heaven.
Verses 35-37 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
The Apostle Paul reminded the Hebrew Christians that their reward would be in Heaven and that by doing the will of God, the promise of spiritual life in Heaven was theirs. They needed to keep their eyes on Jesus and look for His returning which is promised and which will come to pass. They needed to remain confident in their Faith and to be patient because this physical life is but a short thing compared to life eternal.
Application: It seems that most people calling themselves “Christian” rarely talk about the imminent return of Jesus Christ to the Earth to claim His people and to judge those who are Satan’s people. They have the same attitude that the scoffers had which the Apostle Peter wrote about in 2 Peter 3:4. “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” They live in this world and see the death, destruction, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, weather warfare and political intrigue with the resultant wars and yet they still think that things are “as they were from the beginning of the creation”, the sun comes in the morning and the moon comes at night, and they really do not seriously look for Jesus’ return. And because of the false Scofield doctrine, they believe that a series of events have to happen as outlined by C. I. Scofield before Jesus can return to this Earth, and so they turn blind eyes to the signs of the times that are everywhere around them. Yet we are commanded to keep looking up because our redemption is drawing nearer. Will these inattentive “Christians” be ready with a pure heart and soul for His return? Think about it.
Application: This writer has researched and heard first hand testimonies by Christians who have had what is referred to as “out of body experiences” in which they have basically physically died but been brought back by medical professionals using modern technology and because it was the will of God that they live on for a time. Without one exception, these Christians reported leaving their physical body and being met by one who they believe is Jesus Christ. Often when they have recovered, they express a certain sadness about waking up from their medical emergency in their physical body. So even though Jesus Christ has not yet returned to this Earth to end time and to gather His people unto Him, it seems that His people are being gathered unto Him when they breathe their last breath. Therefore, Jesus Christ is come for His people as they exit this world of sorrow. “Praise the LORD. . . for His mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 106:1
Verses 38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10)
The Greek word translated as “just” is “dikaios” and it means righteous, virtuous, and keeping the commands of God. So the righteous live in this fallen world and keep the LORD’s commandments by their faith in Jesus Christ. The Greek word translated as “perdition” is “apoleia” and it means utter destruction which consists of eternal misery in Hell. The Apostle Paul states clearly that he will be dis-pleasured or no longer favorably inclined towards any Hebrew Christians who draws back from the Faith as these Christians are destined for perdition. Salvation is not complete until believers enter Heaven.
Application: Again, these verses destroy the “once saved always saved” false doctine as the Apostle Paul clearing is teahing that believers must be faithful to the Gospel or they will face perdition. NOTHING CAN BE CLEARER! So the warning to all converted Christians is that their soul may be saved when they first encounter Jesus Christ and follow Him, but they have to maintain their faith in Him until physical death or they will end up in perdition.