Forgiveness For Salvation Is Expensive

FROM: FEBRUARY 13 @ 19, 2018

TOPIC: "Forgiveness For Salvation Is Expensive" Hebrews 9:19-22

God, here represented by the altar, and the people of Israel were the contracting parties of the old covenant. The sprinkled blood forced the parties to keep the covenant stipulations (Hebrews 9:18 "This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood."). The people of the Lord promised to obey and the Lord promised to bless them if they did so. Moses spoke to Israel saying, ("This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." Hebrews 9:20). This action of commitment to obey set as a "pledge" the life of the people if they failed to maintain the Law. In that ritual the blood (of animals) was sprinkled in the tabernacle as well as in all the vessels used in the service (Hebrews 9:19-21). Let us understand that everything that has any contact with the sinful man is contaminated and needs to be cleansed. Almost everything is purified according to the law with blood ("In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22). In regard to the remission of sins there is no exception, the "blood" of calves and goats is to be shed. All this was a symbolic purification. It was a symbolic sanctification of a symbolic sanctuary (Hebrews 9:23 "It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices..."). The heavenly sanctuary was the reality of which the tent or earthly tabernacle was a copy and had to be purified with better sacrifices than these, that is, WITH THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST (Hebrews 9:23, 24 "...but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. "). It may seem surprising that the heavenly places need purification. Perhaps the key is found in Job 15:15 "...if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes..." Undoubtedly this is because Satan committed the first act of sin in Heaven (Isaiah 14:1214), and because he continues to have access to the presence of God as the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Christ did not enter the sanctuary made of hands that was a type or figure of the real one, but rather in Heaven itself. There He presents Himself NOW for us in the presence of God. The Lord Jesus did not make repeated offerings like the high priest of that time did, (Hebrews 9:25, 26 "...nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared ONCE FOR ALL at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."). The high priest, descendant of Aaron, entered the sanctuary once a year (this is on the Day of Atonement), and did not offer his own blood but the blood of sacrificial animals. If Christ would have made repeated offerings this would have meant repeated sufferings, for His offering was His own life. It is unthinkable to have Him go through the suffering of the agony at the Calvary again and again for the purification of the world. It would be unnecessary, HE IS THE WHOLE! (Hebrews 9:27, 28 "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people..."). It has been manifested once for all! The work of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ does not have to be repeated ever again. It was at a propitious time, it was manifested in the consummation of the centuries, that is, after the Old Covenant

conclusively demonstrated the failure and impotence of man. It is a perfect work; Jesus, the Savior, appeared to get rid of sin! The emphasis falls on the words "to get rid of." It was no longer a matter of annual expiation, now it was and is the eternal forgiveness! A personal sacrifice took sin out of the way, through self-sacrifice. Christ, the Lord, carried in His own body the punishment that our sins deserved. THE NEW COVENANT INTRODUCES THE INFINITE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST; THE ONE THAT WAS OFFERED ONLY ONCE TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF MANY. It presents us the fortunate hope of His imminent return, and He will appear a second time for those who wait for Him eagerly for salvation (Hebrews 9:28 "...and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."). When He returns it will not be to deal with the matter of "sin", HE FINISHED THAT WORK ON THE CROSS! He will return to take His people with Him to Heaven! This will be the culmination of His salvation; they will then receive the glorified bodies and will be forever out of the reach of sin. It is for the true believers; whether they are dead or alive (I Thessalonians 4:16 and 17)! Jesus suffered the great agony at the Calvary to give us the forgiveness of our sins, that forgiveness was very costly. Now we have hope, before we didn't. Let us guard and take care of this great salvation. Amen.