Sermon Cloud

Hebrews 10v1-18

PERFECT FOREVER

Where do you stand with God? How's your relationship with God? At the start of the weekend? At the end of this year? As you go to where ever you go next? You and God - how do things stand?

In seven days it will be my fifth wedding anniversary. Five years ago I entered into a covenant with Em for life. She walked into a church in Bristol to the sound of Delirious' Jesus Blood Never Fails Me. We made promises, exchanged rings. And celebrated with friends and family.

A friend assured me beforehand that marriage is what happens when you get two sinners living under the same roof. And he warned me that would be hard. Because we are sinful people. I've found myself needing to be forgiving and to be forgiven. But how is that possible?

Is forgiveness a commitment to forgetfulness? And what if you can't forget?

Today I think we're in danger of losing what it means to forgive. It seems to mean something like amnesia.

God takes sin and forgiveness more robustly. Forgiveness is not easily acquired. It's a rare jewel. It should be highly sought after.

I wont win my wife's forgiveness of me by romance and charm or the flowers that I don't by often enough. Those things are good and vital but if they were to be the basis of forgiveness we'd have a problem.

Likewise I wont win my wife's forgiveness of me by distraction, by occupying her mind with other things so that the memory of my stubbornness and selfishness is crowded out.

No, her forgiveness of me is secured in the rings on our fingers. Or rather what those rings represent. The promises we made on June 29th 2002. Above all, promises secured in the blood of Jesus - as all forgiveness is.

Before we turn to this evening's passage let me tell you where we're going. Four sesions in Hebrews 10-12. It's about running the race. How do you keep going? What will it take for you to still be going in September? In Five years? In 10 years? In sixty years? In eternity?

Hebrews 10-12. It's like a steak. On a BBQ. From it the fat oozes out onto the coals. And the flame flares up. Hebrews 10-12 is such a juicy steak that it wont just cause bursts of life. It oozes so much grace that it will heat your heart all night long. One of my heroes, John Piper, says that it : "oozes grace and is shot through with wrath"

These are wonderful and serious words from the mouth of God.

Through the weekend I'll be delighted to take your questions about what we're studying together, and to clarify anything I can. I encourage you to make use of the space in between sessions to talk and pray through what God is saying.

1. The Old Covenant only reminded of sin

First some history. Here's how it goes. God makes promises to his people. Covenants. A marriage between God and his people. A marriage demanding faithfulness and in which God's people regularly committed spiritual adultery with other gods.

The Bible as God's word is a book of promises made and promises kept. But, we've seen in recent weeks that there was a glitch in the promises of God. Not on God's part. But with the people.

He made perfect promises to sinful people. How will his promises to Jesus not suffer the same problem?

We know that in Jesus - our sins are not remembered - twice we've seen Jeremiah 31 quote in 8v12 and 10v17. But how?

How can sin be forgiven? Is this "salvation by divine-amnesia"?

Has God learned to overlook sin rather than punish it? No! 9v22 told us that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.

The old had bloodshed because of sin - 10v4, we're reminded of the Day of Atonement - in Leviticus 16. The High Priest would enter the tent of meeting once a year to meet God which required atonement for sin.

A bull was sacrificed for his own sin. A multisensory experience with the stench of blood and burnt flesh and incense.

A scene that tells of how serious it is for God's people to approach God. Of how Holy God is and of the devastating need for atonement.

He atones for his sin and then for the people. With two goats.

One to bear the punishment for sin - a propitiation - turning aside wrath. The blood is spread around. Both these animals die to represent the death that the sin of the Priest and the people should suffer. Sin is punished - not in the people dying but in animals dying.

The other goat is to take away sin - an expiation - cleansing from sin. The sins of the people are confessed over the goat and then it is led away into the wilderness before being released - sin taken away from them.

Both goats needed. And yet, v4, this vast shedding of blood could not take away sin.

Why? Because it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. They simply couldn't do it.

It was, v1, just a shadow of a real sacrifice. A picture of the real thing. And the shadow is never as good as the real thing.

Look at v2-3. Instead of cleansing from sin the shadow only provided an annual reminder of the people's sin. It was impossible for it take away sin so it just showed that they were sinful. The law was like a doctor who could diagnose the disease of sin but offer no remedy.

That's the history.

2. The New Covenant came through Jesus

Then, Jesus. v5. He speaks and cites Psalm 40v6-7. Why? Look at v8-10 and we're told the meaning. He announces a new covenant - a new marriage between God and his people.

And so, v10 - sets aside the old system. No more do we look at the shadow, instead our eyes are on what was casting that shadow.

The shadow was tangible but only diagnosed. The new - v10 - actually makes God's people holy!

In the old the priests annually, and v11 - daily offered sacrifices. But the new priest - Jesus - offers ONE sacrifice and sits down. One sacrifice that is his body. This blood does take the punishment of sin. This blood does cleanse from sin.

Imagine I have a stain on my shirt. I could scrub away at it to show you that I needed to clean it, but without the appropriate detergent the stain would only remain - and probably get all the more ingrained into the fabric. I could repeat it as long as I wanted but the stain would stay.

But here comes Jesus and offers one sacrifice. And then he sits down. And he waits. v13.

He waits for the completion of his victory. Sitting down until all things will have come under his rule. Not because what he's done is lacking. It isn't . This treatment is faultless. Now it need only be applied to those from all people groups by the preaching of the gospel.

And that's where we find ourselves tonight. Here. At Hebrews 10v14. Here's the biggest thing to remember this weekend. Everything else will be application. And that application is vast. Get this: 10v14 :

by one sacrifice he has made perfect

for all time those who are being made holy.

Chew on that. Compare with the old. One sacrifice. That makes people perfect. Forever. Gaze into the mirror of scripture and see how the world really is. See what Jesus has done.

Who is made perfect? "those who are being made holy" That is those on a trajectory towards God's ways. Not those who work but those who live by faith in the high priest Jesus - as we'll see in chapter 11 tomorrow evening.

This is total confidence that you are made perfect by Jesus blood. Notice the tense - "made perfect". That means already done and see how long it lasts? "forever"

3. In the New Covenant sins are forgiven

What does it mean to be made perfect?

The Holy Spirit tells us again - v15. The Spirit again speaks Jeremiah 31. And today as you hear the Holy Spirit do not harden your heart.

What has happened? v16 - the law is written on your heart. For some of us the declaration in 10v14 is something you've never grasped before. It's news.

If so let me urge you to believe it. Believe it. God will write it on your heart! Imprinted for eternity.

And what's more, v17, sins and lawless acts remembered no more. Why not? Because of Jesus' one sacrifice. Ask God to invigorate your heart with that.

You see, the new is better than,

• 8v5 - the patterns

• 9v23 - the copies,

• 10v1 - the shadows.

The old reminded. The new is much more excellent. In the new you are made perfect.

• Not by divine-amnesia but by the shedding of Jesus' blood once.

• Jesus blood never fails us.

It turns aside the wrath we deserve.

• Jesus blood never fails us.

It cleanses us from our sin.

• Jesus blood never fails us.

By it you - are - made perfect.

We need to see how to live in the light of this and we will tomorrow. But be assured it has nothing to do with establishing your standing before God yourself.

Jesus has granted you 100% perfection. That is already done. Paul would say we've been counted righteous in Christ. This writer says : made perfect by Jesus' blood. Our prayer is simple : 'upward i look and see him there, who made an end of all my sin'

We are made perfect forever by Jesus' one sacrifice. Martin Luther puts it very well.

"God smiles on you in Christ"

He has no anger towards you. Ever. In Christ. He smiles on you. Not because of you, but because of Jesus.

Objection - I don't feel perfect.

Answer - this is a perfection secured outside of you. It doesn't depend on your feelings but, v12, upon the once for all time sacrifice made by Jesus. Ask God to help you believe. As you hear his voice, his promise - ask for his help to believe it. Don't harden your heart by denying it, by refusing it.

Objection - I still sin.

Answer - Yes. Yes you do. More on that tomorrow but for now you're set free to be honest about your sin. No need to fake holiness. He has made you perfect. See the glory of this promise!

False application - I must be really valuable.

Answer - well, yes you're made in God's image. But if we hear about Jesus' perfect sacrifice and begin to think about ourselves we simply prove how depraved we are. How self-centred! Ours is the age of self-esteem-ism.

See it clearly. Animal blood could not atone for us. It took the blood of the made perfect son of God to cleanse us of sin, to propitiate the Father's rightful wrath against us, 2v17.

We are that sinful. And the magnitude of Jesus' achievement serves to show us how terrible we were. Confess your sin to God. Be humbled. The cross is always the place that shows us our sin. And breaks us. We should weep as we see what lengths God had to go to so we would be made perfect.

So then: Right Application! See Jesus and be humbled and amazed .

Revel in his superiority! Look at the superiority of Jesus in his one sacrifice to make us perfect. Stand in awe of his magnificent new covenant in his blood. To cleanse. To change our hearts.

His one sacrifice puts everything else in the shade. In fact everything else was just the shade, the shadow cast as the blazing sun of Jesus' one sacrifice was cast back through time from Calvary. He has made you perfect. What a Saviour!

This isn't sin-indifference. This isn't divine amnesia. This is the glory of the cross as God sees you soaked in the blood of calvary. Look to the cross to see your forgiveness secured. Look to the cross to see God's promises secured.

In Christ you are made perfect. Ponder that overnight. Talk about it with others. And tomorrow we'll consider the implications.