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Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also
ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Heb 9:2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the
candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the
sanctuary.
Heb 9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the
holiest of all;
Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid
round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and
Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5 And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of
which we cannot now speak particularly.
Heb 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always
into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
Heb 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year,
not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people:
Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of
all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing:
So we see the first ordinances and sacrifices signified a better way yet to
come. The perfect way had not yet come and the high priest had to return
every year to offer a sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people.
Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice only once. No more sacrifices are
necessary. We live now by the law of love. The law is written in our hearts
and we now can worship in spirit and in truth.
Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were
offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the
service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and
carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Since everything had to be done a certain way and perfectly, it pointed to a
perfect way that was to come. Yet as holy as the ordinances was it could not
change the inner soul and spirit of men and women. We needed a savior that
gave us something so powerful that our lives would literally change. One
that hated would then be able to love. One full of sin was set free from
that sin. We were in bondage but through Christ we are free.
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say,
not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us.
The blood of animals could not remove sin but the blood of Jesus could. He
entered the holy place once and for all. There is now no other way of
salvation.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
We were once in bondage to the world serving Satan without even knowing that
he was the one we were serving. Through Christ we are made free from dead
works and serve the living God.
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that
by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under
the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of
eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the
death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is
of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
This new covenant did not become sole rule of law until Jesus literally died
on the cross. The law was still in effect while Jesus lived.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without
blood.
Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people
according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water,
and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the
people,
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath
enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all
the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission.
Jesus had to die because without the shedding of blood no person can be
saved.
We see many religions today. Most of them are man's ways to try to get to
God, please God or make the seeker holy and illegible for a better afterlife
or eternal life.
No matter how hard we try with religion, we cannot free ourselves from sin
and we cannot make ourselves holy enough to enter heaven.
Sin can never enter heaven. God is holy and sin will separate us from God
but it will not separate us from God's love. The law says, the soul that
sins shall die. This means naturally as well as spiritually.
Religion cannot get rid of the thing that separates us from God. Jesus
Christ became one of us and was under the law. He did not break the law in
any point. Yet when He died, He died not for his own sins but for the sins
of all mankind. All we have to do is believe this and accept Jesus into our
lives. When we turn from sin and ask Christ to save us from sin, we are
"born again" by the spirit of God. Our sins are cleansed by the blood of
Jesus. We can now have eternal life and be reconciled to God.
True religion will change a person's life. He will not go about using force
and trying to make converts by force. He will not kill or attack anyone of
another faith. He will instead point people to the savior, Jesus Christ. If
the message of salvation is rejected we must keep a spirit of love and not
return to the bondage of sin which would cause us to hate and curse those
that oppose us. Many have made that mistake and the gospel has been hindered
because of cruelty of so-called Christians.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us:
The true holy place is with God. Christ ascended to God after His death and
resurrection to present to God a perfect sacrifice for sins of all.
I realize that it is hard for modern people to understand sacrifices and
shedding of blood for remission of sin. Even animal sacrifices would appall
us in today's way of thinking. Yet, the only reason we are not familiar with sacrifices is because
here in the United States we have mostly been influenced by Christianity.
Because of Christ sacrifices are no longer necessary to free the soul from
sin. So we haven't been taught and brought up with any thoughts of
sacrifices since our sins have already been paid for through Jesus Christ.
If, however, we would have lived in countries where they are still trying to
get rid of sins, you might see a religion using sacrifices of animals. Some
pagan religions even sacrificed humans to appease false gods. Deep in their
hearts they knew that the shedding of blood was the only way to get rid of
sin.
In their minds they changed the getting rid of sin though to trying to
please false gods by sacrificing perfect child or animal. For some
strange reason though they knew something had to die to pay for sins.
God has always hated the sacrifice of humans. No human could be illegible
for such a sacrifice anyway. That is why our loving God sent His own son to
be the sacrifice that would usher in a perfect way of salvation for all who
would just dare to believe it.
Why was a sacrifice needed? Because the law of God says that the soul that
sins shall die. God told Adam and Eve that they would die if they ate of the
tree of knowledge. When God makes a commandment, it cannot change. God
didn't want us to die so He let His Son die instead but rise again so that
we who believe in Him will die physically but rise again to live forever.
The soul and spirit of Jesus and of us will not die physically. Only the
body dies physically but the soul can die spiritually by going to a place
where it can never escape called hell. The reason for hell is to stop sin
from spreading any further after a person dies. Jesus saves us from hell and
grants all believers eternal life. The just died for the unjust ushering in
a way of salvation for all who believe.
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:
We are to die physically only once and then face the judgment of God. We
don't have to face that judgment in fear but with assurance of salvation if
we just receive Jesus Christ while we still live.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation.
Notice that He will appear to those that look for Him. Since we know from
other scriptures that the Second Coming will be seen by all, there is a hint
here that He will gather His believers together just before His public
appearance.
Who will go with Jesus? Those that love His appearing.
2Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his
kingdom;
2Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Even so come Lord Jesus
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