Hebrews 10:19 ¶ 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. 23 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. 26 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. 28 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? 30 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. 32 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. 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. 35 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. 38 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.
Paul says that the blood of Jesus allows
them, and us, to enter into the most Holy place. Remember the Tabernacle and
the Temple.
Exodus 26:33
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring
in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide
unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
And remember what happened when Jesus was
crucified.
Matthew 27:51
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The division between profane and holy was
eliminated by God as the veil was torn from top to bottom symbolically showing
that we could enter that most holy place by God’s will.
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name: 13
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.
The veil represents the torn flesh of Christ,
God in the flesh, walking on earth, crucified by us.
The phrase house of God brings to my
mind that a house can be a family, a household.
Ephesians 3:14 ¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Now that we have a high priest over the house
of God let us draw near with a sincere heart and faith. Paul uses the symbology
of cleansing the heart and the body in washing but does not reference baptism.
Note these verses;
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word,
27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
His point in this symbolism is that they were
to pursue faith diligently and encourage each other in that pursuit and of love
and good works, uniting in worship regularly, the day approaching meaning
either death, the destruction of Jerusalem for them, or the end of human
history when the church is taken away.
Now that Paul’s hearers and readers know the
truth they have no excuse if they draw back. They must either move forward in
faith in Christ or perish in eternity. How could they learn about Christ, who
He is and was, and what He did for them, for the church and all mankind, and
still reject Him, trodding Him under foot?
This passage shows how people could and can
participate in the community of faith without having saving faith themselves.
Habbakuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just
shall live by his faith.
We must examine ourselves and our true hearts
and intentions. He is pleading with them to move forward to a receive Christ
and not to draw back. This is an appeal to the fence sitters who are hedging
their bets, so that they will believe or not. It appears that Paul really has
the number of many so-called Christians in churches over the last two hundred
years. In the 1800s in America I have read repeatedly that many people attended
church but not near as many were church members.
Matthew 13:31
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is
like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but
when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that
the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
The fowls of the air are likened to Satan
in Mark, chapter 4. Also note the parable in Matthew 13 of the wheat and the
tares.
This is Paul’s call for a 100% commitment and
destroys the argument for “easy-believism”, as it is called in modern times.
No comments:
Post a Comment