Building on the Final Sacrifice

“Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:18)

One of the arguments of the writer of Hebrews is that Christ made the final sacrifice and is, therefore, the High Priest of a better sacrificial system. In the Old Testament system, the high priest had to make frequent sacrifices and an annual sacrifice for the whole nation. The writer’s argument is that if that system had been perfect, there would have been no further sacrifice needed. Thus, that system was imperfect. What Christ did with the sacrifice of His own blood as High Priest, however, instituted a perfect system whereby there is no longer any need for a sin offering. He completed the former system with His sacrifice, so that now we have complete forgiveness. We no longer have to give a sin offering because Christ has done it once for all eternity.

We are thus called to build on that foundation. Now that the forgiveness of our sins is a reality, we are free so that we can build a life that freely honors God and lives in the personal walk of faith in Him. This means we can draw near to Him and know that we are now accepted. It means also that we can count on Him because He is faithful to His promises. Further, we can now turn our attentions to the needs of others and can promote love and good works. It means that we can enjoy the fellowship of worship in the Spirit with fellow believers and encourage one another as we await the Lord’s coming.

Lord, How grateful we are that You have provided the foundation we needed for building a life that honors You, blesses others, and fulfills who we are. Amen.