Hebrews 10
10
1The law is only an unclear picture of the good things coming in the future. It is not a perfect picture of the real things. The people under the law offered the same sacrifices every year. These sacrifices can never make perfect those who come near to worship God. 2If the law could make them perfect, the sacrifices would have already stopped. The worshipers would be made clean, and they would no longer feel guilty for their sins. 3These sacrifices remind them of their sins every year, 4because it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5So when Christ came into the world, he said:
“You do not want sacrifices and offerings.
But you have prepared a body for me.
6You do not ask for burnt offerings
and offerings to take away sins.
7Then I said, ‘Look, I have come.
It is written about me in the book.
My God, I have come to do what you want.’” Psalm 40:6-8
8In this Scripture he first said, “You do not want sacrifices and offerings. You do not ask for burnt offerings and offerings to take away sins.” (These are all sacrifices that the law commands.) 9Then he said, “Here I am. I have come to do what you want.” So God ends the first system of sacrifices so that he can set up the new system. 10Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do. And because of this, we are made holy through the sacrifice of his body. Christ made this sacrifice only once, and for all time.
11Every day the priests stand and do their religious service. Again and again they offer the same sacrifices. But those sacrifices can never take away sins. 12But Christ offered one sacrifice for sins, and it is good forever. Then he sat down at the right side of God. 13And now Christ waits there for his enemies to be put under his power. 14With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15The Holy Spirit also tells us about this. First he says:
16“In the future I will make this agreement# God gives a contract or agreement to his people. For the Jews, this agreement was the law of Moses. But now God has given a better agreement to his people through Christ.
with the people of Israel, says the Lord.
I will put my teachings in their hearts.
And I will write them on their minds.” Jeremiah 31:33
17Then he says:
“Their sins and the evil things they do—
I will not remember anymore.” Jeremiah 31:34
18And when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a sacrifice for sins.
Continue to Trust God
19So, brothers, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. We can do this without fear because of the blood of Jesus’ death. 20We can enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s body. 21And we have a great priest over God’s house. 22So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith. We have been cleansed and made free from feelings of guilt. And our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed. We can trust God to do what he promised.
24Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. 25You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing. But you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day# The day Christ will come to judge all people and take his people to live with him. coming.
26If we decide to go on sinning after we have learned the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins. 27There is nothing but fear in waiting for the judgment and the angry fire that will destroy all those who live against God. 28Any person who refused to obey the law of Moses was found guilty from the proof given by two or three witnesses. He was put to death without mercy. 29So what do you think should be done to a person who does not respect the Son of God? He looks at the blood of the agreement, the blood that made him holy, as no different from other men’s blood. He insults the Spirit of God’s grace. Surely he should have a much worse punishment. 30We know that God said, “I will punish those who do wrong. I will repay them.”# Quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35. And he also said, “The Lord will judge his people.”# Quotation from Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14. 31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Remember those days in the past when you first learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with many sufferings, but you continued strong. 33Sometimes you were hurt and persecuted before crowds of people. And sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. 34You helped the prisoners. And you even had joy when all that you owned was taken from you. You were joyful because you knew that you had something better and more lasting.
35So do not lose the courage that you had in the past. It has a great reward. 36You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what he has promised. 37For in a very short time,
“The One who is coming will come.
He will not be late.
38The person who is right with me
will have life because of his faith.
But if he turns back with fear,
I will not be pleased with him.” Habakkuk 2:3-4
39But we are not those who turn back and are lost. We are people who have faith and are saved.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Hebrews 10
10
Christʼs Sacrifice Once for All
1The 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. 2Otherwise, 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. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, ‘Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll —
I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”#10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
8First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” — though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15The 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.”#10:16 Jer. 31:33
17Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”#10:17 Jer. 31:34
18And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
A Call to Persevere in Faith
19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”#10:30 Deut. 32:35 and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”#10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For,
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”#10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
38And,
“But my righteous#10:38 Some manuscripts But the righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”#10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
39But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
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