Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20110413.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Hebrews: The Superiority Of Christ To Errant Religions
Part V: The Superiority Of Christ's Priesthood To Other Priesthoods, Hebrews 5:1-10:39
G. The Superiority Of Christ's Service, Hebrews 8:1-10:18
3. Christ's Superior Sacrifice
c. The Superior Results Of Christ's Superior Sacrifice
(Hebrews 10:1-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. The Roman Catholic Church requires its followers not only to believe in Christ, but to participate in the ongoing "sacrament" of the mass as indispensable for their salvation, Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, 1978, p. 189. Some Protestants hold one must trust in Christ and continue to hold a strong faith in Christ or they will lose their original salvation status and go to hell in the end!
    2. Thus, many feel they are never fully safe in being acceptable to God so as to be fully saved in the end.
    3. Hebrews 10:1-18 deals with the results of Christ's sacrifice on the worshipper, and answers these claims:
  2. The Superior Results Of Christ's Superior Sacrifice, Hebrews 10:1-18.
    1. The author of Hebrews stated that the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law could never with its sacrifices make the worshiper "perfect." This does not mean "sinless perfection" in one's walk, but the "definitive removal of guilt which makes free access to God possible," Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 803.
    2. Evidence of this insufficiency of the old system is the fact that its sacrifices had to be repeated, Heb. 10:2.
    3. Indeed, the repetition of the animal sacrifices under the Law only repeatedly reminded the Hebrew of his sins, for the blood of bulls and of goats could never take away man's sins, Hebrews 10:3-4.
    4. Thus, as Jesus was coming into the world, taking upon Himself humanity, He did so in full testimony of the failure of animal sacrifices to atone for man's sin, and the fact that the human body had been prepared for Him indicated Jesus Christ would be the sufficient sacrifice to atone for man's sins, Hebrews 10:5-7.
    5. In then clarifying the ineffectiveness of the old Aaronic system to atone, and in Christ's announcing His arrival to minister as a consequence of that fact, it is clear that God was supplanting the old Mosaic Law's Aaronic sacrificial system with Christ and His sacrifice, Hebrews 10:8-9.
    6. Accordingly, by the will of God, we believers in Christ are completely sanctified through the offering of Christ on the cross "once for all," the Greek word being ephapax, Hebrews 10:10; U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 766; Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 1967, p. 330.
    7. Further proof that Christ's single sacrifice on the cross fully and forever atones versus the Old Testament system is the functional contrast between Christ at the Old Testament Aaronic priests, Heb. 10:11-14:
      1. The Old Testament Aaronic priests had to (a) stand (b) day after day (c) offering the same sacrifices (d) repeatedly, (e) sacrifices that could never take away sins, Hebrews 10:11.
      2. However, after Christ had offered ONE sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down at the right hand of God, His sacrificial work being COMPLETED , Hebrews 10:12 NIV.
      3. Ever since then, Christ has not needed to REPEAT His sacrifice, but has sat there waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool (by the Father in the end time), Hebrews 10:13 NIV!
      4. Therefore, the author of Hebrews concluded that Christ has by a single offering "made perfect forever" those who are being made [postionally] holy in Christ [by faith in Him], Hebrews 10:14.
    8. Further proof that Christ's sacrifice is eternally complete is explained in Hebrews 10:15-17, 18 NIV:
      1. The author of Hebrews quoted Jeremiah 31:33-34 (cited back in Hebrews 8:10-12) to note God will put His law in the believer's heart and mind, thus not remembering his sins any more, Hebrews 10:15-17.
      2. If God will not remember our sins under the new covenant in Christ, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin, for there is no need for such a sacrifice for people God has fully, forever forgiven! (Heb. 10:18)
Lesson: There is NO need for FURTHER works for our salvation in God's sight: Christ's work on the cross is sufficient for all time for our full salvation as certified by Christ's seated position beside the Father and God's promise that He no longer recalls our sins due to Christ's death for us on the cross!

Application: May we trust we are forever fully saved due to Christ's one, sufficient atonement, and, armed with this truth, RELAX and REJOICE in our salvation that is eternally complete in Christ!