Hebrews 10: Part 1 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins… But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.

Hebrews 10

Transcript

Good morning. Welcome to a new week, and we want to start it the best way possible with some time spent with God reading the Bible.

That’s exactly what reading the Bible is time spent with God, so long as you come to it with your heart open to God, saying, What do you have to say to me today? Because God loves to speak to you through the Bible, through His word that He’s given us, to reveal Himself to us.

God is alive. He’s actively involved in this world and in your life, and He uses the Bible to help you understand what He’s saying to you, how He wants you to react to the things going on in your life right now. So let’s start by reading a few verses as we continue reading through the book of Hebrews. We’re in Hebrews chapter 10 today, and you’ll remember that the writer of Hebrews is talking about the Old Testament way of doing things and explaining how Jesus fits into that, and he talks about the sacrifices that those priests in the Old Testament used to offer every year to provide forgiveness for the sins of the people.

The writer of Hebrews says,

Those things could never actually deal with sin. How could the sacrifice of a goat or a cow really deal with the sins of people? They were just pointing forward to what would come when Jesus died on the cross in our place, so that those people could understand God was making a provision.

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A sacrifice that would take the place of them, and God would judge that sacrifice, and they would go free.

In Hebrews chapter 10 verse 3, the writer says, But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year, for it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And then he talks a bit about how those are pointing really to the death of Jesus Christ.

And in verse 11 he says, and every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins. He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet, for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us. For after saying, This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds. Then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Now this is such a beautiful truth given to us in the Bible.

Jesus died on the cross. He took our place. His offering has removed God’s anger towards us. It’s dealt with our guilt. We’re forgiven.

And that is once for all by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

So being sanctified, our ongoing daily life becoming more like Jesus, yes, that’s an ongoing thing. Every day we grow a little more in our ability to live the way God wants us to live, but in terms of our forgiveness, in terms of our being made right with God, there’s nothing to add to what Jesus has done for us. For all time He has perfected those who are being sanctified for all time by one offering. And that was his death on the cross.

As you head into this week, just head into it with this confidence that if you are a child of God, if you have put your trust in what Jesus did for you at the cross and invited God to come into your life and make it what He wants, He will over time continue to make it what He wants, but rest in this – the penalty has been paid.

You have been forgiven. You have a relationship with God as His child that can never be taken away.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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