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WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS. Hebrews 10:11-18. 01/07/24. #31.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “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,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
1. Jesus sat down
a. A contrast is made between the ministry of the priests & that of the Lord
b. The priests ministered daily, making sacrifices
a1. The priests stood all day long ministering before the altars
a2. Since their ministry was never done, they never sat down while in the temple
a3. The fact that they never sat down meant that the work was never completed, for sin never was atoned for
c. “Stands ministering” (leitourgôn; Eng. word liturgy) is in contrast to Jesus’s ministry
a1. Jesus finished His work of atonement & then sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3; 12:2)
a2. Jesus now makes intercession for the saints (Hebrews 4:16; Romans 8:34)
a3. Since Jesus sat down in contrast with the priests who never sat while ministering,
He indicated that His work of atonement was done
d. 1 Cr. 15 Jesus will minister on behalf of the saints
a1. After all of Jesus’s enemies are destroyed, He will turn everything back to the Father, who will be over all things
a2. Even though the work of salvation is done, the work of sanctification still continues
2. Forever perfected
a. Believers are sanctified (set apart) upon receiving Christ, but are still being sanctified (Rm. 8:30)
b. Perfection (telos) = to be completed
c. 3 levels of sanctification:
a1. POSTITIONAL SANCTIFICATION = upon receiving Christ all believers are placed into the body of Christ forever (Romans 8:1)
a2. PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION = believers are to grow in Christ, becoming more mature as saints (II Peter 3:18)
a3. PRESENTATIVE SANCTICATION = when we stand before God, we will be complete without sin, enticement, or flaws (I Thessalonians 4:1)
d. “Are being sanctified” refers both to the progression of believers toward maturity & glorification and the fact that there are many more believers to be brought into the kingdom (harvesting is not finished)
e. Once perfected, we are perfected for all eternity
3. Testimony of the Holy Spirit
a. The Holy Spirit witnesses “to” or “with” us that the Gospel is true
a1. We are not left with a blind faith
a2. The Spirit witnesses through the Word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17) & within each believer (Ephesians 1:13-14)
b. Hebrews now turns to the Jewish believer
a1. It is through Jesus Christ that the covenant promise of Jeremiah 31:33-34 is fulfilled
a2. God will write his law upon the hearts of the Jewish believer & remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:17-18)
c. We have ample witnesses to testify to truth of Word
a1. He awaits our full response
a2. Full sanctification is promised (confidence!)
Key passage: Jeremiah 31:33-34
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [a]by Himself [b]purged [c]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the [b]guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Hebrews 8:17-18 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah