Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 1 February 2019

But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, Hebrews 10:15

The author has already cited that the Holy Spirit has spoken out utterances concerning Christ, such as in verse 3:11 and in verse 9:8. In stating that the Holy Spirit has spoken, and then in citing verses from the Old Testament, the author is showing his complete conviction that he believes that Scripture is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus also stated, and it is repeated by Paul and by Peter.

In the case of this verse, the author again brings in this truth by saying, “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us.” He is making the adamant statement that what he will say is from God as revealed through the third Person of the Godhead. He then says, “for after He had said before.” It is a rather perplexing phrase, which scholars have struggled to explain, but it simply needs to be kept in the context of the passage.

In verse 10:8, he said, “Previously.” This was quoting the psalm which was being applied to Christ Jesus. In verse 10:9, he said, “then He said.” This was again applying words of the psalm to Christ Jesus. Now, we have this verse, once again given by the Holy Spirit, which will cite Jeremiah 31 (which has already been cited in Chapter 8), and which is once again being applied to Christ Jesus.

What is happening is exactly what Jesus said in John 5:39 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

It is a thought again expressed by Jesus in John 15:26, 27 –

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

The author is showing that the things written before by the prophets, and the things which will be written after by the apostles, are inspired of God through the Holy Spirit in order to testify to the Person of Jesus Christ. With this understanding, the author will next again cite the words of Jeremiah 31 to now more fully explain what he had previously introduced. In his citation, he will follow the train of thought in Jeremiah 31 demonstrating an “after,” meaning a conclusion, from what he said “before,” meaning within the citation itself. In other words, the author is saying –

1) I cited Jeremiah 31 already (before).
2) In that citation I said, “X.”
3) And then in that citation (after X), I said “Y.”

The contents of this thought will be revealed in the coming two verses.

Life application: In this verse, the author uses the truth that all Scripture was given by the Holy Spirit to point to Christ. He pens with the certain conviction that what was said in the past via the prophets, and under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, verifies his claims about the supremacy of Christ’s work. It also verifies to the recipients (the Hebrew people) that the Old Testament itself claims that the Old Covenant would be superseded. This is a wonderful point to start with when witnessing to Jewish people.

To make claims about Christ, or the superiority of the New Testament, from the New Testament, is called “circular reasoning.” It is the same as making claims for the validity of the Bible from the Bible. Using a source to justify itself may rightly lead to rejection, unless something external confirms what is being said. In the case of the New Testament, an argument for it can be made from the Old. This is what the author has been doing and will continue to do. When you witness to others about Jesus, unless you have external information to validate what you say, they have every right to reject you. What externals are acceptable? What issues should we bring up? Some are 1) the nature of man, including sin, responsibility, etc; and 2) the composition of nature which demonstrates an intelligent Being. Further, we should also pray for 3) the participation of the Holy Spirit. (Do you pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your witness?)

These and other external verifications of the content of the Bible keep you from using circular reasoning and looking impotent. Paul used all of these when He spoke to those in the Aeropagus in Acts 17 – and so should we. His speech led to conversions and he only brought in a biblical point (the resurrection) at the very end of his speech.

Lord, you’ve given us abundant evidence for the truth of the Bible. Help us to use these evidences to support what the Bible claims. How wonderful it is to read Your word and then to see how it is supported by what we see around us! Give us wisdom to use these tools effectively in bringing many to a saving knowledge of You! Amen.

Thursday, 31 January 2019

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14

This verse is similar to verse 10:10. Placed side by side, the similarity and the contrast can be seen –

10 – By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

14 – For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Verse 10 referred to Christ’s coming to do God’s will. In that, He offered Himself, and it is through that will of God that we individually have been sanctified. Now verse 14 refers to the offering of Christ which has perfected each person, forever, of all of those people who are being sanctified, forever. In other words, it is not speaking of the individual who is sanctified, but all who are being sanctified through the one, final, and complete sacrifice of Christ. Of them, each is “perfected forever.”

This same word was used in verse 2:11 –

“For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”

In verses 2:11 and 10:14, the use of the word in this way is speaking of those who are in the way of sanctification, but there is no regard to time. Whereas in verse 10, it was speaking of a time in which the individual was sanctified.

The author is using very precise words to reveal what has occurred in the one-time and for all-time sacrifice of Christ. It is His offering (a one-time event) which has perfected forever (at the moment a believer comes to Him) those who are being sanctified (meaning anyone at any time from the sacrifice forward).

Life application: This verse is another evidence for eternal salvation. As it says, “…by one offering,” meaning Jesus’ cross, “He has perfected forever,” indicating the permanence of what occurred in the believer’s life. In other words, the act of what Jesus did for the believer is completely sufficient in itself to forever perfect (and thus save) those who believe. Be confident in your salvation that it was a one-time and forever act. Yes, you will lose rewards when you slip up, but from the moment you were saved, you were saved forever.

Lord God, we can see that You have left it up to us to bear fruit or to squander the salvation which came at such a high price. And so, give our hearts the burning desire to live for You today and always. Without Your nudging, we will surely let You down. So nudge away, O great Lord! Amen.

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

…from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. Hebrews 10:13

Here we have a term, footstool, which is drawn from Psalm 110 –

The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Psalm 110:1

This was then used by the author in Chapter 1 –

But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Hebrews 1:13

However, the thought is also essentially repeated in 1 Corinthians 15, a passage which is necessary to understand what is on the author’s mind –

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For ‘He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸ Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

The idea presented now in Hebrews is that the words, “from that time,” are speaking of the words of the previous verse which spoke of Christ’s one-time sacrifice for sins which was then followed by His sitting down at the right hand of God. He is at the position of all power and authority, and yet He has not yet subdued all of His enemies. Thus, from the time He sat down, He is “waiting.” Christ is not repeating His sacrifice. Instead, that is complete, and its effects are ongoing for any and all who will but receive Him. Further, they are on-going for Israel collectively to also receive Him. After those numbers are filled, there is still one more aspect of His waiting, which is that He will continue to wait until “His enemies are made His footstool.”

The enemies referred to are found first in Revelation 19, and include the beast and the false prophet. They will be cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Those joined with them will be “killed with the sword.” This will then usher in the millennial reign of Christ. But this is not the completion of subduing His enemies. In Revelation 20, it then notes that the enemies of God will be destroyed by fire and then the devil will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. After a final judgment on all humanity is completed, Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire.

There is a long process ahead which will be played out in redemptive history. Until that is complete, the plan will continue. Only when “His enemies are made His footstool,” meaning being brought into complete subjugation, will the process be fully complete.

Life application: Jesus is, even now, seated at the right hand of God, meaning all authority, all power, all honor are His, and all allegiance is due Him. However, the concept of a footstool is included here to indicate the ongoing nature of bringing the world back to the original state in which it was created – with complete obedience to God and fellowship with Him. When we sit, our work is done, but when we use a footstool, total peace has been achieved. The world we see now isn’t in total peace. It continues to strive against the risen Christ. However, one day He will return and destroy all wickedness. As Matthew Henry said, “Christ’s enemies shall be made his footstool; some by conversion, others by confusion; and, which way soever it be, Christ will be honoured.”

Heavenly Father, because of Christ we look forward with anticipation to that glorious day when there will be no more strife, no more anxiety, no more loss or pain or death. Instead, we will live in Your presence forevermore – perfectly content in all Your glory! May that day be soon! Thank You for the sure promises we have because of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, Hebrews 10:12

This verse repeats thoughts seen already in several verses, including 1:3, 7:27, 8:1, and 9:26 (and others possibly as well) –

“…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 by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (1:3)

“…who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” (7:27)

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,” (8:1)

“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (9:26)

The repetition is a valuable tool to call to remembrance, and thus to solidify in the mind of the reader, these important doctrinal truths. Further, the repetition supports each step of the logical case the author makes concerning the supremacy of the work of Christ, under the New Covenant, over that of the Law of Moses. With this understanding, it now says in this verse, “But this Man.” It is speaking of Christ Jesus. That thought is given in contrast to what was just stated in the previous verse which spoke of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. From there, in this contrasting thought, he says, “after He had offered one sacrifice for sins.” This is contrasted to the word “repeatedly.”

There were many sacrifices for sins under the Old Covenant; there is one Sacrifice of Christ under the New. Those in the Old were a different category than man, being animals; that under the New is in the same, being a Man. Those under the Old were offered by another, but which included sins even for himself; those under the New were offered by Himself – and in His sinless perfection – on behalf of others.

From there, the author adds in the word “forever.” It is a word, diénekés, found only in verses 7:3, 10:1, 10:12, and 10:14. It signifies to “bear all the way across, in an unbroken (non-stop) fashion; to persist all the way, to the (intended) end, i.e. ‘unbroken, continuous . . . perpetually, forever’ (Abbott-Smith).” (HELPS Word Studies). The meaning of the word is not in dispute, but the placement of it is. The Greek can read one of two ways –

1) But this man offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right hand of God, Douay-Rheims Bible

2) But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, NKJV

Despite the possibility of being tied to either “sacrifice,” or “sat down,” in the Greek, the context clearly provides the correct meaning. It is connected to “sacrifice.” The repeated sacrifices which could never take away sin (10:4) are contrasted to the one Sacrifice that is sufficient “forever.” Further, if “forever” was tied to “sat down,” then there would be a contradiction in the Bible. The intended meaning of “sat down” is to convey the thought of accomplished work which is not to be repeated, but there are results of that work for which Christ rises from His position of sitting. One is found in Acts 7 –

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Acts 7:55, 56

The work of Christ on behalf of His people means that they shall be welcomed into God’s presence because of it. As what can only be considered as the greatest of honor, Christ stood to receive His first recorded martyr, Stephen. Though His work is completed, He uses His position at the right hand of God to rise in acknowledgment of the results of that work at His will. It is a demonstration of the absolute greatness of the King of kings that He would do such for those He first died for.

Only after His one-time and for all-time Sacrifice, does the author say that Christ “sat down at the right hand of God.” It is there that He rules with all power and authority in heaven and on earth at His command.

Life application: If you struggle with the doctrine of eternal salvation, consider this verse and be at peace. Jesus went to the cross, paid the price for your sin debt, and then He sat down. What He did is:

1) Complete
2) Never to be repeated, and
3) Eternal in significance

And Jesus didn’t just sit down on a lounge chair at the beach. Instead, He sat down “at the right hand of God.” All power, all authority, and all control belongs to Jesus. How could the Lord of all creation save you and then allow you to be lost again? It is impossible! If you have called on Jesus, you are free from all condemnation. Now go forth and live in His grace, grateful for His forever finished work.

Lord Jesus, never allow us to falter in the confident knowledge that you have eternally saved us from our sins. Help us to never fall back into sin, but if we do, strengthen us and return us to the right path. Keep our hearts, our minds, and our lives on that path which is directed to You. Glory, honor, and majesty belong to You alone! Amen.

Monday, 28 January 2019

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Hebrews 10:11

We now have a thought repeated from verse 4 of this chapter, and yet it is given as a contrast to verse 10. In verse 4, it said that it is “not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” In verse 10 (the previous verse), it says that by God’s will “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

The contrast is seen in the first clause of this verse. In Christ, there was a one-time offering of His body for the sins of His people. However, in the Levitical priesthood, “every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices.”

1) The words, “every priest,” are a sharp contrast to the one true High Priest, Jesus Christ.”

2) The word, “stands,” is given as a contrast to what Christ did after He completed His work. He “sat down” (Hebrews 1:3) after purging the sins of the people.

3) The many sacrifices were offered (daily and repeatedly) to cover sin, but as soon as another sin occurred, another offering was necessary. The sacrifice could never purify the believer because those sacrifices could “never take away sins” (repeated from verse 10:4). This is contrasted to the one-time offering of Christ.

The reason for the contrast and the repetition is because the author is slowly and meticulously building his case for the supremacy of the work of Jesus. He will again make a contrast in the coming verse which will solidify this intent. The supremacy of what Christ did will be on full display. Before getting there though, the huge multitude of sacrifices that were made over the years from Moses to Jesus should be considered.

There were thousands upon thousands of them. Each fulfilled a particular purpose, and each was a reminder to the people that they were imperfect. The sacrifice, though intending to atone for sin, actually highlighted their need for continued atonement. How much greater then is Jesus, who truly died for the sins of the world – one Sacrifice for all time.

Life application: You might possibly be struggling with the idea of asking Jesus to save you more than once. In fact, you may have asked Him to save you many times because you fear that you didn’t do it right or that He somehow didn’t hear you. These thoughts are based on fear. But as John says –

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

Have no fear – if Christ died once for our atonement, then you need only ask Him to save you once. Be perfected in His love which was demonstrated on the cross and you are then assured of eternal salvation. Surely His sacrifice is sufficient. Let’s pray about this.

Heavenly Father, give me a spirit of peace and assurance that my salvation is secure in the work of Jesus. Let me not be fearful that I could ever lose what You have so graciously provided for me through His cross. Today and forevermore, I will stand on the promises of Your word – I am saved, saved, saved! I am saved through the blood of Christ! Amen.