Heb 10:19-22 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous verses and chapters the writer taught about the personal glories of the Lord Jesus and the perfection of His work. He made clear that through Christ and His work the foundation was laid for a new covenant. The old didn’t bring anything to perfection, but through Christ and what He has done, God will fulfill all of His promises. . After these extensive and profound teachings the writer starts the practical part. This order you always find in the letters. The teachings in this letter make clear that on the ground of the perfection of the work of Christ you are without sin in God’s eye. It has also become clear that Christ entered the true sanctuary to sit there at God’s right hand because His work is finished. That means that because of that, you also are allowed to enter “the holy place” or the sanctuary with full “confidence”. The questions about your sins are answered and they exist no more. The sins were imputed to Christ. The fact that He is now in heaven, is the proof that your sins have been blotted out forever. Therefore you are able to appear with confidence in the presence of God because your conscience is entirely free from sins forever. You honor the Lord Jesus by confidently entering the sanctuary. That is a pleasure to God. The only hindrance to enter now is unbelief and to continue looking at yourself. You will surely still observe many imperfections on yourself. The question, however, is not how you see yourself, but how God sees you. He sees you, from the moment you confessed your sins, perfect in Christ. And what happens if you still do sin at times? Then it is not a matter between you and God, but between you and the Father. The Lord Jesus knew that you, also as a believer, would be committing that sin. For what sins did He bear God’s judgment? Only for the sins from before your conversion or also for all those sins you would, unfortunately, still commit? When He died, He saw your whole life. For everything in it that was not according to God, He bore the judgment. In this letter it is about the holy God and the sinful man and what the Lord Jesus has done to enable that man to be in God’s presence. You should therefore look upon Christ and also upon God and how He values His work. The knowledge that all your sins were born by the Lord Jesus will not make you a superficial Christian. Exactly the awareness that He had to suffer for all your sins, will make you desire not to sin. In case it happens, it concerns, as said, your relationship with the Father. If you sin you will not be able to enjoy fellowship with the Father. Therefore it is necessary to confess each sin as soon as you become aware of it. Then fellowship with the Father will be restored. This distinction between your relation to God and your relation to the Father is important. Regarding the relation to the Father we will go into details when we get to the letters of John. For this moment it is enough that you know of this distinction. Now the point is that you fully consent to God’s appreciation of the perfect work of His Son, which also made you perfect before God. For that reason the power of the word “therefore” ( ) is, that what follows is the conclusion of what is previously said. It is also the transition to the practical walk of life of the Christian that then follows and takes place from the fellowship with God in the sanctuary. In the Old Testament a free entrance into the sanctuary was impossible. Such an entrance was not even presumed. But to the believers, who are connected to the new covenant, that free entrance in God’s presence is reality. You are allowed to enter freely the open heavenly sanctuary to worship. Isn’t a peak of this letter reached by this? The sanctuary is open for “brethren” (and of course the sisters are included), those are all who are connected to the Lord Jesus and whom He calls ‘My brethren’. You are in the sanctuary if you know to be in God’s presence in the Spirit and enjoy in Christ the full love and confidence of His fellowship. Then you tell God what wonderful things you’ve discovered in the Lord Jesus. It is not about the words you then use, but whether your heart is really full of Him. The way to God has been opened and paved for you by the blood of Jesus. By that blood you are washed and also the way to God’s heart is cleansed. I wholeheartedly hope that you extensively make use of that confidence by drawing near to God in the sanctuary and to speak with Him about the Lord Jesus. It is your personal privilege to do that. In great parts of professing Christianity individual believers are kept at a distance because others are drawing near to God on their behalf. That is the case when a reverend or bishop speaks to God on behalf of the believers. Such believers think that they can only draw near to God through the means of a representative. In such a situation the Christian goes back to the Old Testament system and he behaves like a Jewish worshiper. But even where believers do know this privilege, people still can ascribe too much value to certain persons who (according to them) ‘are able to say everything much better’ or who (according to them) know the Bible better. If you would ask a group of believers the question: ‘Who among you wants to go to heaven?’ then, I believe, everyone would raise his hand. But if you ask the same group: ‘Who among you wants to go to heaven now ?’ then there is high chance that a silence descends and that the hands of just a few would go up, possibly of those who have enough of life on earth. God is inviting you and each of His own to come NOW into the sanctuary and to come as often as you want. . You are allowed to enter “by a new and living way”. The word ‘new’ has the meaning of ‘just opened’ and implies that the character of that way always keeps its meaning. It is a way that remains fresh and new because the work through which that way has been opened never gets out of date. It is also a ‘living way’ because it is connected to the Lord Jesus Who is the Life. It is a living way, not in the sense that that way leads to life, for the way is walked by those who have life already. The characteristic of this way is life. As a believer you are allowed to walk this way in the footsteps of Him Who lives. This illustration of that ‘way’ to the sanctuary makes your entering the sanctuary a continuous fresh and new experience. It makes you forget the time that has passed between the fulfillment of the work, already so many ages ago, and now. It will be like that forever as if it just happened that He bore your sins in His body on the cross; as if He just said: “It is finished” ( ). God’s eye is forever focused on His Son as a Lamb that was just slain. That is the exceptional way John describes the Lamb that he sees “standing as if slain” ( ). This way has been “inaugurated” by the Lord Jesus. ‘To inaugurate’ is to take into use something new. Christ has entered the sanctuary as the First One, as Forerunner on the basis of His blood. On the basis of His blood you are now able to enter also and that is “through the veil, that is, His flesh”. In the Old Testament God dwelled behind the veil. It was impossible that an Israelite could ever enter there. Only Aaron was allowed to do that and then still only once a year. But God Himself has shown that the way to Him is free by tearing the veil in two from top (thus from Him) to bottom ( ). Through the flesh of Christ, that is His body, your sins have been paid for in full and therefore the way to the sanctuary has been opened for you. . And when you enter the sanctuary by that opened way, you encounter there “a great priest”. That is no one else than the Lord Jesus. He is available to you. He commits Himself to you. He is the High Priest, but here He is not presented like that. As High Priest He is the foremost among many priests. However, by presenting Him as ‘great Priest’ it is emphasized that to God there is only one Priest. He is ‘great’ in the glory of His Person and in the glory of His service in the sanctuary. If you are also allowed to draw near to God, it is only in Him. He is the great Priest over “the house of God” ( ). By that both the sanctuary and the family of priests is meant. His service in the sanctuary is perfectly to the honor of God and because of His Person pleasant to God. The service of the priestly family is also pleasing to God only because of His Person. How great He is! Now read again Hebrews 10:19-21. Reflection: Are you often to be found in the sanctuary?

‏ Hebrews 10:19-22

Confidence to Enter the Holy Place

In the previous verses and chapters the writer taught about the personal glories of the Lord Jesus and the perfection of His work. He made clear that through Christ and His work the foundation was laid for a new covenant. The old didn’t bring anything to perfection, but through Christ and what He has done, God will fulfill all of His promises.

Heb 10:19. After these extensive and profound teachings the writer starts the practical part. This order you always find in the letters. The teachings in this letter make clear that on the ground of the perfection of the work of Christ you are without sin in God’s eye. It has also become clear that Christ entered the true sanctuary to sit there at God’s right hand because His work is finished. That means that because of that, you also are allowed to enter “the holy place” or the sanctuary with full “confidence”.

The questions about your sins are answered and they exist no more. The sins were imputed to Christ. The fact that He is now in heaven, is the proof that your sins have been blotted out forever. Therefore you are able to appear with confidence in the presence of God because your conscience is entirely free from sins forever. You honor the Lord Jesus by confidently entering the sanctuary. That is a pleasure to God.

The only hindrance to enter now is unbelief and to continue looking at yourself. You will surely still observe many imperfections on yourself. The question, however, is not how you see yourself, but how God sees you. He sees you, from the moment you confessed your sins, perfect in Christ. And what happens if you still do sin at times? Then it is not a matter between you and God, but between you and the Father.

The Lord Jesus knew that you, also as a believer, would be committing that sin. For what sins did He bear God’s judgment? Only for the sins from before your conversion or also for all those sins you would, unfortunately, still commit? When He died, He saw your whole life. For everything in it that was not according to God, He bore the judgment.

In this letter it is about the holy God and the sinful man and what the Lord Jesus has done to enable that man to be in God’s presence. You should therefore look upon Christ and also upon God and how He values His work. The knowledge that all your sins were born by the Lord Jesus will not make you a superficial Christian. Exactly the awareness that He had to suffer for all your sins, will make you desire not to sin. In case it happens, it concerns, as said, your relationship with the Father. If you sin you will not be able to enjoy fellowship with the Father. Therefore it is necessary to confess each sin as soon as you become aware of it. Then fellowship with the Father will be restored.

This distinction between your relation to God and your relation to the Father is important. Regarding the relation to the Father we will go into details when we get to the letters of John. For this moment it is enough that you know of this distinction. Now the point is that you fully consent to God’s appreciation of the perfect work of His Son, which also made you perfect before God.

For that reason the power of the word “therefore” (Heb 10:19) is, that what follows is the conclusion of what is previously said. It is also the transition to the practical walk of life of the Christian that then follows and takes place from the fellowship with God in the sanctuary.

In the Old Testament a free entrance into the sanctuary was impossible. Such an entrance was not even presumed. But to the believers, who are connected to the new covenant, that free entrance in God’s presence is reality. You are allowed to enter freely the open heavenly sanctuary to worship.

Isn’t a peak of this letter reached by this? The sanctuary is open for “brethren” (and of course the sisters are included), those are all who are connected to the Lord Jesus and whom He calls ‘My brethren’. You are in the sanctuary if you know to be in God’s presence in the Spirit and enjoy in Christ the full love and confidence of His fellowship. Then you tell God what wonderful things you’ve discovered in the Lord Jesus. It is not about the words you then use, but whether your heart is really full of Him. The way to God has been opened and paved for you by the blood of Jesus. By that blood you are washed and also the way to God’s heart is cleansed.

I wholeheartedly hope that you extensively make use of that confidence by drawing near to God in the sanctuary and to speak with Him about the Lord Jesus. It is your personal privilege to do that. In great parts of professing Christianity individual believers are kept at a distance because others are drawing near to God on their behalf. That is the case when a reverend or bishop speaks to God on behalf of the believers.

Such believers think that they can only draw near to God through the means of a representative. In such a situation the Christian goes back to the Old Testament system and he behaves like a Jewish worshiper. But even where believers do know this privilege, people still can ascribe too much value to certain persons who (according to them) ‘are able to say everything much better’ or who (according to them) know the Bible better.

If you would ask a group of believers the question: ‘Who among you wants to go to heaven?’ then, I believe, everyone would raise his hand. But if you ask the same group: ‘Who among you wants to go to heaven now?’ then there is high chance that a silence descends and that the hands of just a few would go up, possibly of those who have enough of life on earth. God is inviting you and each of His own to come NOW into the sanctuary and to come as often as you want.

Heb 10:20. You are allowed to enter “by a new and living way”. The word ‘new’ has the meaning of ‘just opened’ and implies that the character of that way always keeps its meaning. It is a way that remains fresh and new because the work through which that way has been opened never gets out of date. It is also a ‘living way’ because it is connected to the Lord Jesus Who is the Life. It is a living way, not in the sense that that way leads to life, for the way is walked by those who have life already. The characteristic of this way is life. As a believer you are allowed to walk this way in the footsteps of Him Who lives.

This illustration of that ‘way’ to the sanctuary makes your entering the sanctuary a continuous fresh and new experience. It makes you forget the time that has passed between the fulfillment of the work, already so many ages ago, and now. It will be like that forever as if it just happened that He bore your sins in His body on the cross; as if He just said: “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). God’s eye is forever focused on His Son as a Lamb that was just slain. That is the exceptional way John describes the Lamb that he sees “standing as if slain” (Rev 5:6).

This way has been “inaugurated” by the Lord Jesus. ‘To inaugurate’ is to take into use something new. Christ has entered the sanctuary as the First One, as Forerunner on the basis of His blood. On the basis of His blood you are now able to enter also and that is “through the veil, that is, His flesh”. In the Old Testament God dwelled behind the veil. It was impossible that an Israelite could ever enter there. Only Aaron was allowed to do that and then still only once a year. But God Himself has shown that the way to Him is free by tearing the veil in two from top (thus from Him) to bottom (Mt 27:51). Through the flesh of Christ, that is His body, your sins have been paid for in full and therefore the way to the sanctuary has been opened for you.

Heb 10:21. And when you enter the sanctuary by that opened way, you encounter there “a great priest”. That is no one else than the Lord Jesus. He is available to you. He commits Himself to you. He is the High Priest, but here He is not presented like that. As High Priest He is the foremost among many priests. However, by presenting Him as ‘great Priest’ it is emphasized that to God there is only one Priest. He is ‘great’ in the glory of His Person and in the glory of His service in the sanctuary. If you are also allowed to draw near to God, it is only in Him.

He is the great Priest over “the house of God” (Heb 3:6). By that both the sanctuary and the family of priests is meant. His service in the sanctuary is perfectly to the honor of God and because of His Person pleasant to God. The service of the priestly family is also pleasing to God only because of His Person. How great He is!

Now read again Hebrews 10:19-21.

Reflection: Are you often to be found in the sanctuary?

Draw Near to God

Heb 10:22. The way to the sanctuary is open. The confidence to enter it has been given. Now the writer is stimulating you to actually draw near to God. On the basis of your Christian position you have access to the sanctuary. So really make use of that privilege. To give you the full joy of that privilege the writer points out some conditions that are connected to drawing near to God in the sanctuary. Those are not meant to yet take away the confidence. It’s not only that you should draw near, but also how you draw near.

You will surely agree that drawing near to God in the Holy of Holies cannot happen indifferently, without considering the Person Whom you’re drawing near to. First of all there should be a “sincere heart” or an upright mind toward both God and men. To draw near to God in a way that pleases Him you ought to know your Christian position and value and enjoy that in your heart. In other words: You will rejoice in what you have become in Christ and thank Him and God for it. You will come “in full assurance of faith”. Should you still have any doubt whether your relation to God is alright, then you will not be able to draw near to Him.

To really draw near to God in full assurance, full confidence or faith is necessary. Full assurance of faith completely rests in the love of God. With “having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience” the writer refers to the consecration of the priest (Exo 29:20; Lev 8:23). In the consecration of the priest a part of the blood of the consecration offering is put on the lobe of the right ear of the priest, and on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot. This picture shows that the hearing (ear), the action (hand) and the walk (foot) are to be cleansed in order to be able to do a priestly service for God.

The writer here summarizes, as it were, ear, hand and foot in the heart because the center of all this is the heart. What you hear, what you do and where you go are out of the heart (Pro 4:23). Therefore, your heart may not be plagued by “an evil conscience”, for that draws you away from God. Through the sprinkling of the blood (Heb 12:24; 1Pet 1:2) your heart is clean and your conscience is perfect. But you should continually examine whether that is also the case in practice.

Not only the hearts are clean, but also the “bodies”. Not only should your inner being be in accordance with God, but also your outward attitude should be alright toward God. That asks from you to live up to that continuously. By your stay in and walk through the world you continuously get defiled. Therefore it is necessary to undergo the daily washing of the water by the Word (Eph 5:26). By reading the Bible you are cleansed.

Heb 10:23. The previous conditions have to do with your drawing near to God. Though you’re also dealing with the world in which you live. Toward the world it is important that you hold fast “the confession of our hope without wavering”. In the sanctuary you receive the strength for it. There you see that all promises of God will be fulfilled by Him, while you still don’t see anything of it at this moment in the world. In the sanctuary however you see Christ in Whom everything that God has promised is ‘yes and amen’. Therefore entering into the sanctuary is an enormous encouragement for your testimony in the world.

There is no better way to prevent yourself from wavering than the remembrance of God’s faithfulness. “He Who promised is faithful.” Your hope is not built on something within yourself, but on the faithfulness of God. That indeed gives firmness!

Heb 10:24. There is another aspect. It’s not only about your own trust in God, but you are also called to look after others and others are also called to look after you. It’s an important thing to stimulate each other. To appreciate and stimulate your brothers and sisters it is necessary to see them in the sanctuary, in the true light of Christ. That will determine your dealings with them.

Being gentle to each other is a good thing, though that is not enough. It says “to stimulate”. In it, drive and effort resounds. True Christian fellowship in the sanctuary has the effect that we stimulate one another to have feelings of love for each other and to do “good deeds” what makes the other indeed experience that love (1Jn 3:18). We are to intensify the love to each other, for love is the right Christian mind and good works are the fruits of it.

Heb 10:25. Beside your personal contacts, whereby you consider one another, there is also the own assembling together. There Christ is in the center to start the song of praise. The writer appeals not to forsake the own assembling together. There the confession of faith is made in a public and communal way. By forsaking the meeting you might pretend you are personally holding fast the confession, while you are avoiding to publicly unite with God’s people in the hardships that are connected to the confession of this faith to the world.

The writer additionally mentions another motive not to forsake “our own assembling together”: “the day”, that is the day of judgment, is approaching. Forsaking our own assembling together is a clear sign of the decrease of affection toward one another. Forsaking the own assembling together often ends up in a return to the world or to a worldly religion. The thought of the day of judgment ought to affect the conscience. That thought is to prevent Christians from returning to the world and that they are protected against the influence of people or fear for man.

The own assembling together is a particularly relevant place for us to experience support from each other. The emphasis here is not what we receive in the meeting, but what we can contribute. The readers are reminded of the meetings of the church in the beginning where they were persistent (Acts 2:42), but in which they now are in danger of slacking. Some of them were already used to forsake the assembling. They stayed away without any valid reason.

Heb 10:26. If a person out of fear for reproach and mockery consciously forsakes the gathering, he sins willfully! The word “for” at the beginning of this verse indicates the connection with the preceding in Hebrews 9-10, while it is also in immediate connection to the previous verse. That underlines the significance of the assembling together. If a Christian forsakes the gatherings it is not only an undignified behavior, but it is also dangerous. It means denying, if not despising, one of the most significant means for edification and comfort. It is also indifference regarding the fellowship of the saints.

Decay and finally falling away often start with abandoning the Christian gathering. He who forsakes the gathering of the church is not really impressed by the Lord Jesus Who is there in the center (Mt 18:20). He who loves the Lord, will love to be where He is. Considering that He also loves to be in the midst of His redeemed people, you will not forsake any gathering without a reasonable cause. Where He is He is always present with fresh blessing and growth.

If someone ever confessed to know the value of that one sacrifice and later abandons that confession, there is no sacrifice in which he could ever take refuge. ‘Willfully’ means freely, by your own free will and consciously. It is the opposite of ignorance. It is about professing Christians, who consciously and willfully are in open rebellion sinning against God. It is about people who have received ‘the knowledge of the truth’ and therefore have not had only a shallow impression of Christendom.

Such people were profoundly aware of the differences between the old and new covenant. They embraced the new, but they returned to the old, to the sacrifices that couldn’t take away sins, as it is already demonstrated at the beginning of this chapter. Such people always show a more bitter resistance than ignorant people. They are falling away from the only adequate work of Christ in order to willfully give in to sin again, to accept sinning as a habit again.

Heb 10:27. The only thing they can expect for sure is a ‘fearful’ or terrifying judgment that will be revealed in the fury of a fire. Instead of being people who have held firmly to the confession of the truth under pressure, they became adversaries. He who abandons the knowledge of the truth he once received, adopts the character of an enemy. Such a person is not one who is erring, for a person who is erring can possibly be restored again. For a stubborn enemy there is no hope for restoration.

Now read Hebrews 10:22-27 again.

Reflection: In this section there are some exhortations. Which are they? Are there some that you are to take to heart in particular?