Good morning to everyone. You can turn in your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, as we now engage in that act of worship, the preaching of the word of God. We're going to read Hebrews 10, beginning at verse 1 and finishing at verse 25.
Again, that's Hebrews 10, 1 to 25, and this is the word of the triune God. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire. but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure.
Then I said, Behold, I have come. In the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will, O God. Previously saying, sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and offerings for sin you did not desire nor had pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Then he said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.
He takes away the first that he may establish the second. By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the blood of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool, for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them. Then he adds, their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now, where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil that is His flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, 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. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Amen.
Well, let us pray.
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the fact that we can gather here this morning for the worship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that we can gather together in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We do pray for the Spirit's aid now, Lord God, for both preacher and hearer. We do pray that saints would be edified in this place this morning. We pray, Lord God, that sinners would be saved.
We would ask, Lord God, for that glorious act of amazing and condescending grace this morning, Any and all who entered inside these two doors, outside of Jesus Christ in unbelief, would leave singing the praises of their victor, Jesus Christ the Lord. Do be with us now, might you be glorified, and might we receive as your saints, good from on high. We pray in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Well, we're going to look at Hebrews 10, 19 to 25 this morning, the perfection of Christ as the prompting of his people.
Introduction
In the book of Hebrews, we have something here that Pink notes, the principal design of the spirit herein, that is, the book of Hebrews, is to exhibit the excellency and efficacy of Christ's satisfaction, and this not so much Godwards as saintwards, showing the inestimable blessings which it has procured for the favored members of the household of faith. Here in Hebrews 19 to 25, that is chapter 10, 19 to 25, we've come to a pivotal point in the epistle to the Hebrews. Largely prior to this point, we have had theology set forth, we have had doctrine set forth. Now we have a transition in verse 19 with this, therefore, a transition to exhortation.
And exhortation, kids, means a strong urging to do something. And so the apostles in the New Testament, and of course, those in the Old Testament, the prophets and such, would set forth the glory of God, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then would exhort the hearers unto certain action in light of amazing and victorious grace. And here we have such a transition. If the theological substance of the book of Hebrews is, and it is, if the theological substance of the book of Hebrews is the superabounding excellency of Jesus Christ over all that had come before him, then the exhortative substance that we will look at this morning, that exhortative substance is to lay hold of that glorious Jesus Christ with an unswerving constancy.
That is the letter to the Hebrews, the glory of Christ and exhortations to lay hold of that blessed Savior with an unswerving constancy. Remember that the theological content of the book of Hebrews is the glory of Christ. Simply, kids, that Christ is better. Better than all things.
He's better than the angels, the author sets forth. He's a better hope, the author sets forth. He's the better priest, the better prophet, the better and enduring promise. He is the mediator of a better covenant and that surety that is built upon better things.
The glory of Jesus Christ is set forth and then by virtue of that, there are exhortations given by the Apostle Paul for Christians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of so glorious a Christ. Very briefly, before we dive into two things in this particular passage, we want to note the context. Verses 1 to 4, we can find what we might say a mosaical insufficiency. That simply means that the Old Covenant had a divinely designed insufficiency insofar as the sacrifices that were rendered.
There was a divinely designed obsolescence to the offering up of bulls and goats, which could never take away sins, because they pointed forward to that greater sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of His people. So, there's a statement of a mosaical insufficiency with regards to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. Notice verse 4, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. But there is then, in verses 5 to 10, a statement and elaboration upon the absolute sufficiency of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
Notice at verse 10, by that will, that is by Christ Jesus, by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So old covenant insufficiency at the point of the sacrifice is rendered, but new covenant absolute sufficiency in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Then in verses 11 to 18, we have the insufficiency of the earthly priesthood, followed by the absolute sufficiency and perfection of the priesthood of Christ. Notice at verse 11, and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
But see, in the scriptures, we have these wonderful these wonderful buts, B-U-T, in the Holy Scripture that set forth something of a greater contrast. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool, for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. You see, the labor of the Apostle Paul in this epistle is to set forth the glory of Jesus Christ before the eyes of faith of those who are being tempted to depart away from Christianity. The temple was still standing, Judaism was still going on, the sacrifices were being offered, the washings, the ceremonies, all of these things were taking place, and the family members and the friends and the countrymen of Hebrew Christians were tempting those Hebrew Christians to depart from this glorious Christ and to go back to the shiny things of the old covenant, because they were still before their eyes.
And so Paul wants to set forth, no, the glory of Jesus Christ, not these things that were typical, not these things that foreshadow Jesus, not these things that were copies of the true, but the true has come, Lord Jesus Christ has come, our blessed savior has come, do not depart, but maintain that allegiance by grace in the crucified one. And so we get to our particular passage and we want to note that
Foundation for the Exhortation
this passage breaks down into two parts. First, the foundation for the exhortation in verses 19 to 21, and then the giving of the exhortation in the following verses, that is, 22 to 25. So two simple things, the foundation for the exhortation and the giving of it. First of all, the foundation for the exhortation in some, to borrow from John Owen, the dignity of the person of Christ and the virtue of his office.
That is what the apostle Paul is setting forth, the dignity of Jesus. He is the perfect one. He is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man, and all of those old covenant things only pointed forward to Him. All of those blessed streams of old covenant revelation merged and found their confluence in, and find their confluence in, Jesus Christ the Lord.
The dignity of His person, that He is very God and very man, Hebrews 1, 1-4, And the virtue of his work, that means the perfection of his work. He didn't fail. He came into this world, sinners to save, and he saved sinners and that perfectly. Notice the language of verses 19 to 21.
So there's this transitional word, therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, etc. So, there are two things that we see here. First, confidence in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, and then second, the glorious fact of Christ's high priestly office. These two things correspond with verses 1 to 4, verses 5 to 10, and then verses 11 to 18. because there are two things that the Apostle Paul is doing by way of comparison.
He's comparing the old covenant sacrifices, ineffectual in and of themselves, and then he's comparing that with the glory of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one to whom those things pointed. And then secondly, he's comparing the insufficiency of the priesthood of the old covenant, and that's compared to the excellency, the super abounding excellence of the priesthood of Christ. The old covenant priests ministered daily with sacrifices that could never take away sins. They would go once a year on the Day of Atonement into the Most Holy Place with a sacrifice that itself could never take away sins.
These things were only signals that signified the glory of Jesus Christ, His perfect sacrifice, and His perfect priesthood. So, first of all, confidence in the once for all sacrifice of Christ. It is sacrifice and priesthood being compared and set forth here. Confidence in the once for all sacrifice of Christ.
Notice the language of the text, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. We are not so many Christians that come into this place with sheepishness and trepidation. We come into the house of the Lord on the day of the Lord, gathering together with the people of the Lord. were not to be marked by a sheepishness and a trepidation. The text says that by virtue of the perfect work of Jesus Christ, we're to be marked by a boldness.
We're to have courage. It assumes both liberty from religious restriction and the absence of trepidation. He has hushed the law's loud thunder. He has quenched Mount Sinai's flame.
It's the language of the hymn that we sing. You see, we don't come in, if we are marked, and we are to be marked by a boldness, if we come in and we somehow think that that boldness is by virtue of us, if we somehow think that we're mighty Christians, we puff out our chests, we lift up our noses and our chins, and we think ourselves bold, we're placing boldness in the wrong location. The boldness that we have is by virtue of what is in chapters 1 through to 10, 18, and what we see in verses 1 through to 18 in chapter 10, that is the perfect work of Jesus Christ. That's where our boldness lies.
That's where Christian courage lies. We are not so many lion-hearted Christians, bold in our own strength and vigor. But we are so many Christians bold because Christ lived for us, Christ died for us, Christ rose again for us, and He has ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high where He ever lives to make intercession for us. That's where in our boldness lies.
And so the author can write here, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Well, he says note that we're able to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. So By the holiest is meant the most holy place and it has reference first off to that Typical place the tabernacle in the temple where there was a veil that separated and the most holy place was behind it only the high priest was able to go in there once a year on the day of atonement and to offer up the sacrifices and quickly depart. And remember, to offer up sacrifices first for himself and his own household, and then for the people.
But this Jesus entered the holiest, that is, the true of the copy. He entered into heaven itself by the blood of himself. He needed no sacrifice for himself because he is holy, harmless, and undefiled. But he offered up the sacrifice for his people, for all those whom had been given to him by the glorious predestinating grace of Almighty God.
Jesus Christ by his blood secures this boldness. And notice as well, we have this glorious language, by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us. What does that mean? We have this boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us.
Again, this has a comparison to the old covenant. The old covenant, remember that at the time of Jesus, up until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, It was propitious and it was right for these to enter into the temple to offer up sacrifices in their service unto God. But with the coming of Christ, His crucifixion, subsequent resurrection and ascension, this activity was to cease. It was no longer a lawful thing.
Why? Because the true had come, the copy was to be cast off. The substance had come, the shadow is to be cast off. the true temple, the true tabernacle, the true priest, the true sacrifice had come and so the old was to be cast off. So a new and living way in contrast to the old and the repetitious and the dying and fading away way that was the typical ordinances of the mosaical institutions.
These were old, these were repetitious, these are fading away, but Christ, by a new and living way. It's living, it's eternal, it brings life, it gives life, it sustains life, and it brings us into eternal life. And new, we can think of other texts, other doctrines in the New Testament, the New Covenant. The fact that by the rending of the shed blood of Christ, we have that blessed new covenant inaugurated wherein all are the people of God.
And so Christ, by a new and living way, consecrates this worship for us. That means He sanctifies our worship. He sets apart our worship, our confident approach to God, by virtue of His shed blood. Remember, we don't come sheepishly, we don't come with trepidation.
We just sang the hymn, Arise my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears. We don't need to come guilty into these doors of worship, into the house of God. Why? Because Christ has taken away the guilt of sin.
He has dealt the death blow to the power of sin, to the condemnation for sin, and to the guilt of sin. He has taken it away by the perfection of his sacrifice. That's why the hymn writer can write, arise my soul, arise. Don't be sheepish, don't be trepidatious, if that's a word, don't be marked by trepidation, but come with confidence because the high priest has shed his blood for the salvation of a multitude which no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people.
And notice the language is used here, through the veil that is his flesh. Remember that on the day of the crucifixion, the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was torn in two. That wasn't just the gospel writers making a historical note. Oh, isn't it interesting that the sun was darkened and the and the veil was torn in two.
That's curious. I'll just make a note of that in my gospel account. No, there was great typology, there was great significance, there is great theology to the rending of the veil. Leo notes this, that is, Leo Maximus.
If you ever want to name a son, there's another name on the all-time name list, Leo Maximus. So anybody planning on having children, and you want to think of the name for a boy, Leo Maximus. But Leo writes this, and it's notable. The New Testament also was being ratified, that is, in the rending of the veil, that is, his flesh.
And in the blood of Christ, the heirs of the eternal kingdom were being enrolled. The great high priest was entering the Holy of Holies, and to intercede with God, the spotless priest was passing in through the veil of his flesh. In fine, so evident a transition was being erected from the law to the gospel, from the synagogue to the church, from many sacrifices to the one victim, that when the Lord gave up the ghost, that mystic veil which hung before and shut out the inner part of the temple and its holy recess, was by sudden force torn from top to bottom. For that reason the truth was displacing figures, and forerunners were needless in the presence of Him they announced." Listen to this last statement.
For that reason, the truth, that is capital T Christ, for the reason that truth was displacing figures and forerunners were needless in the presence of Him they announced. That's the Apostle Paul's point in the book of Hebrews. Forerunners are needless in the presence of Him they announced. The announced One had come.
The announced One had come gloriously. Life, death, resurrection rendered for the salvation of a multitude. So those forerunners are needless because the One to whom they pointed had come in glory. Going back then to the passage, secondly under the foundation for the exhortation, we just want to
Christ's High Priestly Office
notice here the glorious fact Christ's high priestly office notice the language of verse 21 and having a high priest over the house of God This is to give us much confidence This is to give us the boldness that the Apostle Paul is here writing about we have a high priest over the house of God it is not according to our machinations in our movements and our operations and our actions that the house of God is perfected and That service unto God is rendered, but it is by the perfection of the actings and the operations of the high priest who is over that house, even Jesus Christ the Lord. This is to give us great confidence. Jesus is the worship leader. We don't need a worship leader.
Why? Because Hebrews 2.12, the Lord Jesus Christ is the worship leader of the church. He walks amongst the lampstands. He is the greater brother. for his brethren who give service to God in the house of God for the people of God.
So this brings us then to the giving of the exhortation and the rest of our time will be taken up with this. So I think we hopefully get the blessed point, the perfection of Jesus Christ, his person and his work. Therefore, these following things.
The Three Exhortations
So we have now the giving of the exhortation and it is threefold or we have three exhortations. We have them given in verses 23 through to 25. And I want us to note here that the exhortations are structured such that first, the exhortation proper is given. So there's an actual exhortation given, and they're given with these let us clauses.
Secondly, the giving of the exhortation comes and it states the manner in which the exhortation is to be carried out. So we're exhorted unto an action, how are we to carry it out? Paul writes this. And then thirdly, there is a reason or motivational impetus for heeding the exhortation provided.
So exhortation given, manner by which it is to be carried out, and then a reason for doing it. Notice here that these three exhortations are given to us with the introductory language of let us. Let's not avoid, let us not avoid that language or just skip past that language when we're reading this passage. It is congregational language.
The language is let us, that is, it's congregational. It's given to the assembly of the saints. It's given to the gathered church. And so this congregational exhortation is to be understood in that exact sense that it's given to the church.
He doesn't write, let all of you individually exercise such and such, but rather he says, let us, as the gathered church, as the people of God in worship, Peculiarly and specifically, how are we to act and what are we to do when we are assembled together? You see, we are not a smattering. We are not a gathering of maverick Christians. We are not to be so many maverick Christians that just come into these doors gather together, sing a few hymns, do a few elements of worship, and then scatter out about our way.
We are together, gathered together, in union with our Lord Jesus Christ, and in union with each other. We are to fellowship, we are to be assembled saints, we are to be exhorting saints, and as we'll notice in a moment, we are to be others minded saints. So
Draw Near in Full Assurance
the first exhortation that's given is the call to engage in confident and true new covenant worship. Notice the language in verse 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. It's a call to engage in confident and true New Covenant worship.
The exhortation that is given is, let us draw near with a true heart. So that's the exhortation proper. Let us draw near with a true heart. This drawing near is to the triune God through Christ.
It envisions worship and spiritual sacrifices that we render to God. Prayer, the reading of the word, the hearing of the word, the singing of the word, and the preaching of the word. So it also entails confidence and not presumption. So we are to draw near with a true heart.
We're not to draw near like those of the old covenant. Many in the old covenant remember the rebuke of God, they draw near to me, or you draw near to me with your mouse and with your lips, but your hearts are far from me. That was the condition of those many in the old covenant that would offer blind and lame sacrifices. Yeah, they might render lip service to Yahweh, but by their actions and in their heart and absence of religious hearts, they would not render a true sacrifice, or rather a true religious service with true hearts.
And so this is, we are to draw near with true hearts, not in outward worship only, the motions of the physical man, but with hearts purified by faith. That's something that we ought to pray for every Lord's Day, shouldn't it? I mean we have we have you know, we're in this we're in August right now the heats here It's heavy in the building that you know, the air feels heavy. Maybe it's humidity the hots here We're fighting the flesh to try and stay awake You know, these are difficult things.
We ought to pray every Lord's Day morning that we would have true hearts in worship, that we would not just come through these doors and with the motions of the physical man, engage in outward worship only, absent of a true Christian heart. We should pray every Lord's Day morning, and even when we're in the pews, before the one opening worship comes up, we should pray, Lord, give me a true heart of worship that I might honor you today. So we also see that there is a horizontal responsibility that we'll see in a moment, a horizontal responsibility for the people of the church. Not only are we to honor God, but we are to exhort one another.
And so praying for true hearts, that our souls would be lifted, that it would be true of us, arise my soul arise, that we might even have the crazy wherewithal to crescent our lips and smile. that we might be joyful and cheerful Christians on the Lord's Day, honoring our God and exhorting one another and encouraging one another to lay hold of their God with an unswerving constancy. So let us draw near with a true heart. And notice the manner in which this exhortation is to be carried out. It is in full assurance of faith.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. It speaks again to the confidence and to the boldness that Christians are to have when they enter into the worship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one and only living and true God. We are to have full assurance of faith. Again, not because we're so splendid, not because we're so glorious, but because the triune God is glorious in His amazing and victorious grace. and because of the finished and perfect work of Jesus Christ.
We are promised that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will not perish, but have everlasting life. And so we can, in full assurance of faith, come into the worship of our God, come into the honoring of our Christ, with confidence and with boldness. Isn't it a blessed thing, brethren, that our sins are forgiven? You know, this is another reason why, because Christ is perfect in the rendering of Him as a sacrifice, the forgiveness of sins are a promise given and a means by which we can have boldness and confidence in worship.
Because we've had the power, the condemnation, and in this case specifically, the guilt of sin taken away. You know, there was, I think in the history of me preaching, I probably used this illustration or this, not this illustration, but this quote from the Pilgrim's Progress about every third time that I preach, but it's because it's so glorious at the point of this very thing that we're studying right now, being confident and bold in worship, and having this full assurance of faith. We don't come to Christian worship with guilt. The guilt of sin has been taken away.
If you've come here this morning and you're feeling guilty, you're wallowing in sin right now, you're presently enduring a season where the storms have come in and God's countenance seems far from you, the love of God seems far from you. Repent and find forgiveness with Christ. You see we don't need to wallow in our sin We don't need to engage in seasons where we're where we're you know, it's metaphorically flagellating ourselves until God somehow accepts our personal atonement Christ has died for you. The perfect sacrifice has been given so cast off your wallowing It does no one good.
There's no nobility and wallowing in sin and Okay, if you're if you're I'm gonna endure a season of guilt because I'm so holy and pious I'm just gonna wait for a period of time and Metaphorically flagellate myself if you want to ask what that means later on the Roman Catholics would put you know beads and sharp things on ropes and whip themselves in order to atone for their sin Christ has died for us Christ was raised again for us. Christ has ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high, where he ever lives to intercede for us, so don't wallow in guilt. That Pilgrim's Progress quote goes something like this, how far have I come laden with my sin? How far have you come laden with your sin this morning?
How far have we come laden with my sin? Nothing could ease the grief that I was in. Till I came here, what a place is this! Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here this burden fall from off my back, the burden of sin? Must here the cords that tied it to me crack? Blessed cross, blessed sepulcher that is tomb, blessed rather be the man who there was put to shame for me. You see, we don't come before the triune God riddled with guilt.
We come before the triune God with the confidence of a crucified Christ, with the confidence of a resurrected Christ, with the confidence of an ascended Christ. And there we find our glory. There we find our confidence in worship. We draw near in full assurance of faith.
And the reason for heeding this exhortation is also given here. having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The imagery comes right out of the Old Testament. Again, remember, Paul's writing to those who are being stolen away or who are people are attempting to steal them away back to Old Covenant worship. And so he uses Old Covenant worship here to speak to the greater reality of New Covenant truth.
And he says, having our having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The imagery is drawn from those Exodus and Leviticus admonitions and narratives where Aaron, after the offering of the sacrifice, would sprinkle the blood upon the altar. And it speaks to that blessed new covenant reality, or that's what it points to, the blessed new covenant reality that our hearts have been sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. You see, that sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice, it never washed, it never purified, it never took away sins.
But it pointed forward to as a signal to the thing signified, which is our hearts sprinkled, our hearts washed, our hearts regenerated by the saving power of the Holy Spirit. That's the promise of Ezekiel 36, where our hearts will be washed, that the Spirit will be that one who washes us in pure water, purifying us by amazing and victorious grace.
Hold Fast the Confession
The second exhortation that we find here is the call to be steadfast in the confession of Christ. Notice the language here, verse 23, The call to be steadfast in the confession of Christ. The exhortation that is given is, properly, let us hold fast the confession of our hope. So that's the exhortation that's given.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope. Or we could render that the profession of faith, our faith. But this exhortation, first off, assumes that there is an exertion of strength that's rendered, a diligence. We are exhorted, believers are exhorted to hold fast.
That means we are to grip strongly. We are to have a strong grip upon something that something follows, but hold fast, be steadfast, grip the truth, hold on to something. It comprehends an exertion of strength. Christians, we are to exert a measure of strength.
As we rail against the devil, as we rail against the world, as we rail against the flesh, we are to maintain not an inviolable grip because only Christ has that, Not a perfect grip because only Christ has that, but we are to maintain as much as we are able by supplies of the Spirit. We are to grip something in the exertion of a diligence and of a strength. And that thing is given or the object gripped is given here. The holding fast assumes that there is something of value to hold on to.
And in this case, it is of inestimable value. So we're to hold fast, and we're to hold fast something, and that something is the confession of our hope or the profession of our faith. What is that? If we were to define that, we could define that with one word, and that one word is Christ.
Again, the dignity of His person and the virtue of His work or His office. That He is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man, our Savior, our Redeemer, our King. That is the confession of our hope, that the Son of God, the second of the blessed triune, of one substance with Him who begat Him, came into this lower world, took upon Himself man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, and yet without sin, and effected a perfect salvation. That's what we are to lay hold of.
Why? Because the danger in the context was that those countrymen, those family members, those friends were trying to steal these Christians back to Old Covenant worship. Why would you engage in a worship when there are no shiny things, when there is no temple, when there are no brushed accoutrements, however you pronounce that, when there aren't all these physical things that you can cast your eyes upon in the temple? You can see the high priest decked out.
You can see all of these elements of worship. Why would you go to this one invisible? Why would you go to this one that you cannot see? Why would you go to this simple worship?
So they were fighting against that the answer is why because all of those things pointed forward to this blessed one All of those streams of Old Covenant reality pointed forward to this Christ whom you crucified That's why we worship the triune God and engage in the honoring in the worship of Jesus Christ the Savior but back to the point here This gripping, this laying hold of something is the laying hold of Jesus Christ, and it recognizes the danger of opposition. There is contemporaneous Jewish opposition. So you might say, maybe some of you are asking, but hopefully not, but maybe some of you are asking, okay, well, what does this have to do with me? We're 2,000 years removed from the giving of this revelation.
We're 2,000 years removed from this pre-temple Judaism, or this pre-temple destruction Judaism, that is. This doesn't occur anymore. Well, there still is an assailing devil. There still is a contrary world, and there still is a lusting flesh, and we rail against these enemies each and every day, and those three things are trying to steal us away, are trying to allure us away from us laying hold of Christ Jesus the Lord.
And so we fight against these things, and the exhortation, yes, comes to the Hebrews 2,000 years ago, But by the fact that this is the living word, it comes to us here in 2022 in Chilliwack on a hot day. And so we are to lay hold of this hope, the confession of our hope. The manner in which this exhortation is to be carried out is given. Notice the manner is without wavering.
We're to have a doubtless faith. We are to be resolute in believing. So we are to lay hold of the hope confession of our hope, and we are to do so without wavering. We're not to be like so many boats, so many ships that are rudderless, sailless, mastless, oarless.
We're not to be such as those boats tossed about on a waving ocean. We are to have the rudders and the oars and the sails captained and piloted by Jesus Christ the Lord, realizing that we are on that boat, not on so many boats, cast and tossed afro and asunder by the waves of the storms, but rather we have our captain, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to lay hold of him and we are not to waver. This brings us to an important point with the context here, and that is that given the weight of the Apostle's arguments throughout the book of Hebrews, given the fact that the Apostle has spent 10 chapters trying to set forth, not trying, setting forth by divine inspiration the glory of Jesus Christ, and doing so time and again, emphasizing that all of those old...
I know I keep saying this, but Paul has to keep saying it in the epistle to the Hebrews, because of the weakness and the corruption of the hearts of men. Why would you go back to Judaism? Why would you go back to old covenant religion? Why would you go back to those things when Christ has come and perfected salvation?
We can almost hear the Apostle Paul say these things repeatedly. Why would you go back to the fading away and becoming obsolete things of the old covenant religion when Christ has come and perfected salvation? Why would you go back to the foretellings of the prophets when the one to whom they foretold has come, their scope, their end, and their terminus. He has come.
Don't seek out those foretellings as if to look for another Christ, as if to look for a future Messiah, which they do. the Messiah has come, the Christ has come. Why would you seek out the ministrations of angels like we have in the beginning chapters of Hebrews? Why would you seek out the ministrations of angels when in Christ we have the ministry of the maker of angels? Why would you go back to the temple when we have Immanuel?
Why go back to the copy when we have the true? Why go back to the shadow when we have the substance? Why go back to the type when we have the blessed anti-type, Jesus Christ the Lord? It's madness.
Why the copy when we have the true? In the context here, why go back to repeated sacrifices when we have the once and for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? Why would you go back to the ministrations of an earthly priesthood when in the high priest Jesus Christ we have that obedience unto cross-death vocation of the Son of God incarnate? Why would you go back?
And so us so far removed from this particular time with the assailing devil, with the contrary world, and its allurements, with the lusting flesh, and that battle, we are to look to this Christ, to hold on with an unswerving constancy. And the reason for heeding that exhortation is given, for he who promised is faithful. Notice again, verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. This is the motivational impetus.
As if to this point, perhaps there's still doubting, You know, the weight of their countrymen, the weight of their family, the weight of the shiny things of Judaism that were before them, even though they should have been cast off and they should have only owned one alone, Christ Jesus the Lord, but these things are before them. If they were still doubting and if there still was hesitation in their hearts, the language of, for he who promised is faithful, would come as that blessed balm. that blessed cure to that doubt. Why? Because it stresses the immutable promises of our living and true God.
He who promised is faithful. This comprehends and asserts the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable character of God and calls upon the reader to consider the promissory declarations of that God. What does that mean? God has promised and he is immutable in his promises.
He is unchangeable in his promises. He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in all of his glorious perfections. And he has promised that all those who believe in his son will have everlasting life. So lay hold of this Christ and lay hold of him. with that unswerving constancy.
I think it's okay for us to make some assumptions as to what perhaps the promises are in view here. That promise that Genesis 3.15 promised that the hero born of woman will crush the serpent with his heel. that covenant of grace given in the garden, given at the garden. Remember that that is language concerning Christ and all of revelation that follows the giving of that promise that the hero born of woman Christ will crush the serpent with his heel. All of subsequent divine revelation builds off of that particular promise.
The promise to Abraham that from you, the nations will be blessed. From your seed, that is capital S seed Christ, according to Galatians, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. The promises to David, the promises to the patriarchs, the promises given to the prophets, that the prophets announced to the nation of Israel that there is one coming who will give himself for guilty sinners, who will rise again the third day and ascend to glory. That promising God is the ground and the motivational impetus for all of us, brethren, to lay hold of Jesus Christ with an unswerving constancy.
And then lastly,
Consider One Another
the call to be others-minded in our walk with Christ. This is the final exhortation given, the call to be others-minded in our walk with Christ. Notice the language in verse 24. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.
The exhortation proper that is given is let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. See, there's a posture and a connected activity given here. We're to have this posture of considering one another, and there is a purpose given to stir up love and good works. So this posture that we're to have is an others-mindedness.
And this is very difficult for humanity. It's very difficult for us to be others-minded, isn't it? Because we're so often about ourselves. You know, even right now, and I promise that I'll end soon so you don't have to worry about me going on for another 30 minutes, but even right now, when's this preacher going to end?
When can I leave? When can I get my lunch? Maybe I'm imputing evil to you that I shouldn't. Please forgive me if I am, but sometimes the flesh avails as we're sitting in the pews and our thoughts can wander.
Our thoughts can go astray from the worship of God and from honoring Christ and from a horizontal responsibility to other people in the church that we might exhort them and be examples of conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. We're hot. We're tired. So we are to be others-mindedness.
We're not to be selfish. We're not to look inwardly, we're not to be about our own issues and our own problems, but we are to put the interests of others ahead or before those of our own. That's the language of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1 and 2. We are to, in humility, put others' interests before those of our own.
And so there is an other-mindedness posture that we are to have, the language, let us consider one another, and the purpose is to stir up love and good works. Ought not we to pray about that? That we would, by our activity, based upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, by our conversation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, that's an old word that means our conducting ourselves, By conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, that we would stir up one another to love and good works. That's what we ought to pray for.
That is, we come into church, we would have an others-mindedness, not a me-mindedness, but an others-mindedness, considering one another, in order that we might stir up service unto God and unto the honor of Christ. The manner in which this exhortation is to be carried out is by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. So how do we consider one another in this context? And how do we stir up love and good works?
It's by coming to church. It's by assembling together. It's by the stuff of the let us's that Paul is trying to bring out in the flavor of congregationalism. We are an assembly of saints.
And what does that mean? It means we assemble. We gather together in the name of Christ Jesus the Lord to worship our God and to exhort one another and build each other up in our most holy faith. So we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some.
These were tempted not to gather out of fear of persecution. Out of fear, later on in Hebrews 10, later on we read of their goods being plundered, of them being persecuted by their countrymen. And so out of fear, out of apprehension, some weren't coming to church. But you see, that is where we are blessed.
That is where God blesses us. That is where Christ is. And we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some. And then what is that reason for heeding the exhortation?
Notice the text goes on here. But exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. So what is this day? Very quickly, some have thought, is it the day of our death?
Is it the day of the future and general judgment? Is it the Sabbath day? It is most likely the day of judgment upon Jerusalem in AD 70. As you see that promised day approaching, first century Hebrews, as you see that day approaching, all the more conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of Christ.
All the more exhort one another. All the more gather together. and encourage one another to stir up love and good works. John Owen writes this, he says, whatever desolations and destructions may be approaching, Our best and wisest frame will be to trust unto God in the discharge of our duty. All other contrivances will prove not only vain and foolish, but destructive unto our souls.
The day here intended was coming on the city and nation for their neglect and contempt of the gospel. It was the revenge of their murder on belief and obstinacy against Christ. Wherefore, if any that made profession of the gospel were now negligent and careless in the known duties of it, they could have no evidence and satisfaction in their own minds that they should not fall in the fire of that day. And so, brethren, we may not have the problem or the approaching day that these Hebrews had in the first century.
But remember, we do have our problems. We do have our oppositions. We do have our enemies, our trials, our storms, our floods. And so the answer to that is not to submit to the flesh and not assemble together.
The answer is to submit unto God and with joyfulness and cheerfulness come to church on the day of the Lord with the people of the Lord, singing, praying, engaging in the ministry of the word and honoring the triune God. So
Application
in closing, brethren, just a few things, and these will go very quickly, but not to the sacrifice of treating the content as it ought to be treated. First off, reflect often upon the person and work of Christ. A very simple one for a preacher, but a very important one for Christians. Reflect often upon the person and work of Christ because this is glorious in and of itself, but also because it is the ground of our service unto God.
That's what the text says. Because of the perfection of his sacrifice, because of the perfection of his priesthood, we have access to God, free access unto the triune God, and we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the amazing grace by which we were brought from darkness to light. Secondly, there are no strange appendages to our Christian duty and worship. You might wonder what that means.
That means that Christianity is simple. Biblical Christianity is simple. And I don't mean that in the sense that there will never be persecution, that there will never be trial, that there will never be hot opposition against us. But I simply mean that the apostolic exhortation unto Christian activity is very simple.
We're not called to seek after the next experiential high. We're not called to capture or recapture the next emotional experience, lifting your hands higher, crying more uncontrollably, shedding more tears. We're not called to seek after prophecy and tongues and knowledge and think of ourselves as failed when we don't have them, because those three things ceased with the completion of the canon in the New Testament. We're not called upon to buy the brooch, to buy the DVD, to buy the little bottle of water that was kissed by angels in the Middle East.
We're not called upon to do all of these things. We're not called upon to pay for the conference, to listen to the incessant ramblings of modern prophets and apostles. We're called to think upon, to dwell upon, to engage in sweet contemplations of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, were called upon to engage in the sweet contemplations of the Son of God, who came down from on high, took upon Himself humanity, sinners to save. And what do we do in light of those blessed contemplations?
We gather in worship, we draw near confidently, we lay hold of the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful, and we gather together in others-mindedness, exhorting one another until that blessed day for us when we enter into Emmanuel's land. Brethren, we're called upon to engage in a simple Christianity, and it's a glorious one. sweet contemplations of our God, is there anything better than laying hold of a triune God, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all of His glorious perfections, dwelling upon the blessings of so glorious a God? Is there anything more sweet than that holding fast grip upon the Son of God who came into this world, sinners to save? Is there anything blessed to grip than an incarnate, than a living, than a bleeding, than a dying, than a rising again, an ascending Savior?
There isn't. Let us do that unto that great day, and let us do that together as a congregation, as a band of brothers. So we stand and we sing during worship, as just one example. You know, the Bible says that we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
We do sing them unto God, yes, but we also sing them to one another, the text says. So as a band of brothers, when we sing, when we rise up and sing, we are to rise up and we're to consider that before us and behind us, that to the left and to the right, there are Christians saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, interceded for by an exalted Lord Jesus Christ, and that we are together as that band of brothers to sing the praises of Jesus Christ unto that great day when we enter into Emmanuel's land. And if you're here this morning and you are a Christian, rejoice in your Christ, dwell upon the glories of the triune God, dwell upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blessedness of our redeeming King. If you're outside of Christ this morning, what is so ugly about this Savior?
That God came down from heaven, sinners to save? What is repugnant about that? What is repugnant about the one who fixed the stars in place, being fixed in place upon a tree to redeem mankind? There are so many sweet things, quote, unquote, that you chase after in this lower world with all of its allurements, and you neglect the one thing that is worthy to be chased after, and that's Jesus Christ, the Savior, the one who came into this world, sinners to save. sinner believe on him.
Saints rest upon him. And might every single one of our tongues, because it's possible only with God, leave these two doors singing the praises of our victor. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your truth. We rejoice in your goodness to us, that we can embrace your word, that we can study your word, that we can preach your word, that we can sing it, that we can see it in your ordinances. And we do just pray, Lord God, that you would apply this word to our hearts, that we might rejoice in your word, that we might sing the praises of the Christ to whom it points. And do go with us, help us to engage in the heating of these exhortations joyfully and cheerfully, Lord.
And might we do all things in the honor of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen. Well, let's stand and sing a doxology, and that is the doxology.
We'll stand and sing 568. If you don't know it, let's stand and sing that together. ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪ ♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Praise Him, our God, ye heavenly host ♪ ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Well, please be seated, and we'll have a brief time of prayer.
When the piano's finished, you're dismissed.