Hebrews 10:1-10 Victory begins with the heart

Hebrews 10:1-10

Background

The yearly sacrifices made on the Day of Atonement, cannot remove the oppression of sin and guilt that plagued the people. Christ came and yielded His life fully to do God’s will by becoming a sacrifice on the cross. God saw Christ’s sacrifice and removed the oppression of sin and guilt from those who loved Him. Today’s passage teaches us to depend on Christ to battle against sin’s oppression and overcome guilt. Victory begins in the heart which is free from the consciousness of sin and guilt.

Observation

1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

Moses’ Law consisted of commandments which defined the standard of conduct that governed how people should relate to God and with one another. The Law also contained ceremonial instructions pertaining to worship in the tabernacle. The Law which contained instructions concerning the Day of Atonement could not cleanse (make perfect) the conscience of those who draw near. Therefore, the Law which framed the tabernacle and temple sacrifices was only a shadow of the good things to come, which is the new covenant. The tabernacle and the sacrifices were pointers to the true tabernacle in heaven and the perfect sacrifice which is Christ. The tabernacle and sacrifices were not an end, but a means to prepare the people to receive Christ when He came. In other words, the first covenant is the shadow of the second covenant which truly is able to lift their consciousness of sin.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The yearly offerings (on the Day of Atonement) testified to the ongoing necessity for forgiveness of sins; it showed the inefficacy of the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins once for all. Sin refers to the bondage of evil that lies within the conscience of men (consciousness of sins). Consciousness of sins promotes self-centered living without the fear of God or love towards others. One who has a consciousness of sins loves the world, succumbing to various kinds of greed and pleasures of the flesh; he is also given to anxieties and fear. On the other hand, one who has no consciousness of sins lives to accomplish God’s will for his life; he is freed from anxieties of life to love God and others. People under the first covenant, were constantly reminded of their consciousness of sins on the Day of Atonement. Although the sin sacrifices did spare them of imminent punishment, but such sacrifices could never remove their inclinations towards sin and rebellion against God.

5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’”

This quote is lifted from Psalm 40:6-8,

Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God.

As you can see, the author of Hebrews quoted from the psalms with some variant: “But a body You have prepared for Me” as opposed to the original, “My ears You have opened”. He deployed the imagery of “body” to couple with the overall theme of offerings and sacrifices. God did not desire religious offerings and sacrifices, but a body fully yielded to hear and to obey the will of God.

8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The sacrifice that God desires will sanctify men’s conscience of sin’s bondages freeing them to live abundantly. What is the sacrifice that God desires? It is the sacrifice of a man whose heart is fully obedient to the will of God. It is through this perfect sacrifice that forever destroyed the bondage of sin within the conscience of men. Therefore, with the successful ratification of the second covenant, the first covenant that required the offerings of animal sacrifices was made redundant. The perfect sacrifice of Christ was what men needed to break the bondage of curses and sin freeing them once for all to obtain the promises of Abraham.

Truth

Believers ought to pursue the cleansing of the consciousness of sin rather than the guilt of sin. The guilt is the by-product of the consciousness of sin, just as cobweb is the by-product of the spider. Many churchgoers are plagued with guilt and needed constant reminder of the efficacy of Christ’s blood which takes away their sins. Hence, some churches play into the members’ needs week after week by focusing on reducing their emotions of guilt. Some even resort to abandoning the inner voice of guilt calling them to repentance. They purport the confession of sin which raises the awareness of sin as the work of the devil. For such have never truly been freed from guilt, because they refuse to repent and put on Christ’s virtues. Hence, they go on using the gospel as an anesthetic to numb the emotions of guilt. The bible has consistently taught the eradication of sin’s bondage as the key towards abundant living. In the same vein, the removal of the consciousness of sin will lead to freedom from guilt. People under the first covenant were reminded of sins on the Day of Atonement because the bondage of sins were yet broken.

To get rid of cobwebs, we need to seek out the spider. The presence of guilt is evidence that one is not yet free from sin’s bondage. Therefore, in order to be rid of guilt, we need to focus on dealing with the consciousness of sin by making Jesus the Lord of our lives.

When a believer worships Christ as Lord, Christ’s blood breaks the bondage of sin and frees him from guilt. When one honors Christ as the Lord of his life, the bondage of sin becomes broken freeing him from guilt. Merely knowing the perfect love of God does not eradicate bondage and guilt. Many churchgoers wanted to experience abundant living and breakthroughs but to no avail. Although they understood that Christ has already taken away the curse of sin, but they have yet to put Christ as Lord of their lives. They have no hunger for the word and continue to depend on their own wisdom. Jesus broke the bondage of sin over humanity by placing God as Lord of His life. Jesus said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” With that declaration, He broke consciousness of sin and ushered in the second covenant. The consciousness of sin is an oppression of the soul; it feels like being imprisoned by hopelessness, emptiness and guilt. But every time the worshiper gives his life in total obedience and dependence on God, the oppression is lifted and the curse is broken. The evidence of one entering into a new covenant with God is the feature of Christ-centered obedience and dependence.

Even though Christ has won the war against the devil, but the battle within believers wages on. There is a popular belief, that those who believe in Christ have no more battles to fight; there are no more spiritual warfare nor demonic possessions. Churchgoers who subscribe to such teachings, though they harbor hopes of breakthroughs, but can never obtain them. Believers must continue to cleanse themselves of the consciousness of sin by the blood of Christ until they are free from it. As the battle is first fought in the mind, believers must recognize the devil’s deception by reading the Word daily. We must do all to avoid the traps and temptations that the devil has set. Even as believers grow in wisdom and maturity, the devil is devising new ways to attack them. As the believer’s spirit life evolves, so does the strategy of the devil. Nevertheless, every time the devil tempts, we resist his advances by filling our minds with the virtues of Christ. By the blood of Christ, oppression of sicknesses, depression and hopelessness are lifted, filling us with strength, joy and hope.

Application

1. Do you have a tendency to condemn yourself and feel guilty? As Christ has blotted out all sins from your record, there are no more sins but only bad attitudes. Hence, believers need not regret over past mistakes but be focused on acquiring the virtues of Christ. In so doing, we progress from guilt to enduring victory.
2. Are you struggling with a certain weakness? Realize this weakness is due to the consciousness of sin that is resident in you. The incessant depression, emptiness, fear and anxiety may not arise from you, but from the consciousness of sin. You can overcome this weakness by the power of Christ by declaring, “I command ___________________ (name the weakness) to leave me immediately. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Dear Lord, I thank you for destroying the power of sin within me. Today, I am able to overcome all temptations and take full control of my life. As I yield myself to the Spirit, fill me with the vision of your kingdom and use me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.