A Confident Life - Hebrews 10:19-29, 32-36 - August 24, 2008

Sunday School Lesson – A Confident Life – August 24, 2008

This is lesson four (4) in our series of study.

Our scripture is Hebrews 10: 19-29, 32-36.

Confidence is both good and bad. Over confidence can often lead to problems. We want our physician, attorney, mechanic, etc. to be confident. Being confident and risk-taking can be an interesting combination in a person’s life. Wisdom can play a very important role in managing confidence and risk-taking. This dynamic trio (confidence/risk-taking/wisdom) often comes from experience.

I know during my spiritual journey there was a time I thought I could walk through the pits of Hell and come out without even the smell of smoke. I learned the hard way that over confidence can lead to trouble. Notice the words, “I thought I could ----.” Bad combination – self can get a person into trouble before he or she knows it. Satan is always lurking to spring a snare at just the right moment. Be careful that it is the LORD leading and guiding you and not self. Your confidence must be built upon the LORD and HIS strength and not yours. This is where growth and maturity are vital in a Christian’s life. Build upon the foundation of CHRIST using good, sound, tested materials – HIS WORD, prayer, confession, questioning, seeking, testing (using the Bible as the standard), building a healthy relationship with HIM, serving in obedience to name a few.

Let’s read Hebrews 10:1-18 to set some background for our lesson:

The Perfect Sacrifice, the once forever sacrifice, is CHRIST! Not animals!

1 Since the law has [only]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, once purified, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in the sacrifices[1] Lit in them there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, as He was coming into the world, He said: You did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me. 6 You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. 7 Then I said, “See, I have come— it is written about Me in the volume of the scroll— to do Your will, O God!”[2] Ps 40:6–8 8 After He says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings, (which are offered according to the law), 9 He then says, See, I have come to do Your will.[3] Other mss add O God He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. 11 Now every priest stands day after day ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man (CHRIST), after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified (Set aside for the service of GOD). 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after He had said: 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds, 17 [He adds]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. : I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.[4] Jr 31:33–34 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

CHRIST our High Priest makes it possible, through HIS shed blood, for all believers to approach GOD with boldness. Through the miracle of the rebirth we are children of GOD and as such, CHRIST is our Brother. CHRIST removed once and for all the barrier of sin. The barrier has been removed by CHRIST but every person must choose to accept what CHRIST has done for him or her. That requires a decision.

Let’s read Hebrews 10:19-23:

Exhortations to Godliness

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that He has inaugurated for us, through the curtain (that is, His flesh); 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled [clean]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

The author’s use of the word “therefore” refers back to all he or she has written up to this point and acknowledges that the intended audience is fellow Christians by referring to them as “brothers”. All believers have direct access to GOD and can enter the sanctuary with boldness because of the shed blood of JESUS.

In the Old Testament, the priest could only enter the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies was the innermost part of the sanctuary where the priest encountered the presence of GOD. The priest had to first offer a sacrifice for his own sins and then a sacrifice for the sins of the people. This was done once a year on the Day of Atonement. There were a number of priests serving in the temple but only one (1) priest went into the Holy of Holies. At a point-in-time a rope was tied around the waist of the serving priest in case the priest died when he was in the Holy of Holies. The other priests could drag his body out without having to enter the Holy of Holies.

A curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the other sections of the temple. When CHRIST gave HIS life upon the cross, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the others areas of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Why top to bottom? Because GOD TORE IT!!!

Matthew 27:50-51:

50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary[25] A heavy curtain separated the inner room of the temple from the outer. was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split.

CHRIST was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind and there was no longer a need for believers to be separated from GOD, THE FATHER. The resurrection of CHRIST is proof that CHRIST was and is the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. It is by the shed blood of CHRIST, through the death of HIS flesh, the perfect sacrifice that opened access to the FATHER in a new way that could not exist any other way. CHRIST replaced the need for an earthly priest because HE is the perfect Priest WHO is over the house of GOD. CHRIST is in charge.

The author reinforced the need for believers to keep on keeping on in their faith. They do not need to revert back to rituals and traditions to feel clean. They are perpetually clean because of the shed blood of CHRIST and can go before GOD, their FATHER, anytime they choose 24/7. Believers have the living, pure water of the HOLY SPIRIT gushing from within. Because it is what flows from us that impacts those around us.

Consecration of the priests – Exodus 29:4, 21. These were the instructions GOD gave to Moses to prepare the priests for service:

Verse 4 - 4 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

Verse 21 - 21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle [them]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.

This is awesome to me! Notice the order of the Exodus 29:4 and 21for a priest to approach GOD compared to Hebrews 10:22 for a believer, who is made a priest through faith in CHRIST, to approach GOD.

· Exodus – First clean the body with water to prepare them to made Holy. Then sprinkle them with the blood of the sacrificed animal to make them Holy. Then they could approach GOD.

· Hebrews – Believers hearts are sprinkled clean by the shed blood of JESUS and then they are washed in the pure water. Believers can stand in the very throne room of GOD.

In the Old Testament the priests had to remove the dirt resulting from daily living by washing with water. This prepared them to focus on the impurities in their lives and to prepare them for internal cleansing. The blood from the sacrifice helped them internalize the need to be cleansed from their sins. They were sprinkled with the blood of the animal sacrifice in an act of obedience and to make them Holy to be able to approach GOD.

The author of Hebrews changed the order for approaching GOD. First, every believer can approach GOD with boldness because his or her heart is sprinkled with the blood of JESUS followed by the washing in pure water. First, the inward cleansing of the heart by the shed blood of JESUS, then the HOLY SPIRIT manifest Himself by indwelling every believer as the pure, living water that only CHRIST can provide. Why the change in order? No person can clean himself or herself enough to approach GOD. GOD bids every person to come to HIM as he or she is – dirt and all. CHRIST’S blood cleanses all believers from all sin – Past – Present – Future. Once a believer asks CHRIST to forgive him or her of his or her sins, the HOLY SPIRIT indwells his or her body. Another aspect of washing in the pure water, I think could involve baptism. In obedience, a believer follows the decision to ask CHRIST to forgive him or her sins with baptism. Baptism is an outward symbol for what has happened internally in the life of a believer.

The author of Hebrews ties the Old Testament consecration of the priests to verse 22 in our scripture. All believers are made priests through the shed blood of CHRIST and have the living, pure water of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT gushing from within their lives. [Some scholars believe that the reference to the pure water refers to believer’s baptism.]

Let’s read Hebrew 10:24-25:

24 And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, 25 not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

The author emphasizes the need for helping one another and gathering together to encourage each other, particularly as you see things getting worse which indicates the return of CHRIST.

One of the purposes of church is for believers to gather to support each other and to encourage each other during hard times. Life is for the perfecting of the Saints and circumstances come in various shapes and forms.

During these days, the Romans left the Jews alone but were persecuting the Christians. It was very tempting to return to Judaism and abandon Christianity for safety. These were critical days and the Christians needed to support and encourage each other. Once a believer knows the truth he or she needs to keep on keeping on. JESUS said while HE was alive upon earth, that there would be hard times and persecution.

Let’s read Hebrews 10: 26-29:

Warning against Willful Sin

26 For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. 28 If anyone disregards Moses’ law, he dies without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.[5] Dt 17:16 29 How much worse punishment, do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane[6] Or ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

The author deals with intentional sin. The Jews had two (2) categories of sin – Unintentional and intentional. Intentional sin carried severe punishment, even death. If breaking the law carried such severe punishment, how much more accountable is a believer if he or she denies CHRIST or turns his or her back on CHRIST. Once a believer knows the truth it is terrifying to think about a believer returning to the Jewish religion.

Let’s read Hebrews 10:32-36:

32 Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners[10] Other mss read sympathized with my imprisonment and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.[11] Other mss add in heaven 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

The author reminds the believers of their conversion experience and the days following their experience. Many of us will never forget the moment we saw the light, so-to-speak, and gave out hearts to CHRIST. It is a moment we will never forget. Many of us were on fire and zealous for the LORD and nothing would deter us from witnessing and serving HIM.

During my early teenage years, I remember those who became Christians being teased.

The author reminds these believers of these days when their earthly goods were taken because of their walk with CHRIST. They countered this abuse with joy because they knew their home was not earth but heaven. During these early days, they had their priorities correct but something happened over a period of time to cause them to wane. We discovered in previous verses that they had not grown and matured spiritually. They had lost their first love and joy of salvation. They were wavering and needed to rethink their relationship with CHRIST.

Believers are reminded that their ultimate destination is heaven and they need to keep on keeping on.

This is a message to all of us. It is easy to let circumstances or fellow Christians cause us to grow cold. Do not let anything cause you to lose your joy or your first love. Each believer is accountable to GOD. GOD will deal with those within the body of believers. Often HE allows such things to happen to give us the opportunity to look to HIM for a solution and to trust HIM for a solution. When we sulk and pout, it shows that we are immature and do not have confidence in GOD to take care of a situation and to continue to help us to grow and mature spiritually. Believers are accountable to GOD for their actions. Is GOD big enough and powerful enough to manage all things in earth and in heaven? If not, confess it to HIM and ask HIM to help your unbelief.
If we lose confidence in GOD, we cannot grow and mature spiritually.

I know there was a time I lost confidence in HIM. Along with confidence is trust. When we lose confidence and trust in HIM we must confess it and ask HIM to help us. Only HE can restore confidence and trust.