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by Gary Sims
11/10/03
Not For Sale
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The Epistles
Hebrews 10:11-25 – Perfected!
Key Verses: (NRSV)

11: “And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.” – The author of Hebrews reemphasizes the point that returning to Hebrew practices and traditions no longer makes sense for these early Christians. Christ has paid the price for their sins.

14: “For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” – We are made perfect or complete in Christ. We are made whole by His single act of love. As we grow in this knowledge and as we turn our lives over to Him, we are made holy. This is called sanctification.

16: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds.” – Quoting from Jeremiah 31:31-34 , the author reminds his readers that God’s promise and new covenant is fulfilled in Christ.
17-18: “¹⁷He also adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ ¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” – God promises to forgive. That promise lies in Christ. He also promises to forget. The memory of our sin is blotted out for all times.
19-23: “¹⁹Therefore...²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith…²³Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful.” – The author summarizes his argument: Since Christ has perfected us in His love, then have faith and hope in His promise because He is faithful.
24-25: “²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” – Step two of the Great Commandment – love one another.

Points to Contemplate:

Have you been made perfect? Are you on the pathway towards perfection? Do you expect to be made perfect at some point in your life? Do you recognize the difference in being perfected and in being made perfect? Does your faith in Christ provide you with a sense of wholeness? With the burden of your sins being removed from your shoulders, are you now free to fully experience God’s love? Is there room for growth and improvement in your life? Do you sense that you still have much to learn? Do you see how this growth is Christ’s process of sanctification working within you? Do you feel His transforming love growing you up and making you perfect?
What does God’s “new covenant” mean to you? Can you feel His love in your heart? Does it give you assurance and confidence? Are you able to understand His Truth? As you read and study His Word are you learning new things or reinforcing and clarifying Truth that you already possess? How does it make you feel that you are “tapped” into the mind-spring of Truth, the Father of all Creation?
Are you able to forget? God has promised that He has forgiven you and that He remembers your sins no more. If He is able to forget, are you? Can you set the memories of your transgressions aside? Are you able to do the same for others? What good is there in remembering or keeping track of your sins? Do you see that God wants you to set them aside and look, instead, to the future with unwavering hope and faith? Are you amazed by His love for you and how He only sees your perfection radiating out to the world around you?
Do you “provoke” or entice others? Do you recognize the importance of small study and service groups? Do you see how fellowship groups play a critical role in the building of God’s kingdom? Can you accept that there is more to these groups than simply hanging out with those who think like you think? In your small groups do you find opportunities to “spur on one another,” challenging each other into new areas of growth, understanding, commitment, and service? How many small groups are you a member of? Should it be more? Should you consider broadening your circle of friends in order to broaden your perspectives and your areas of influence?

Promises of the Gospel:

Through Christ, God’s perfection is made available to us all. “It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people.”¹ Through this single act of love we have been made perfect. Not perfection without flaws or possibilities of errors, but a perfection of wholeness. Our souls, minds, and hearts have been filled with the knowledge of God. There is nothing we lack. God’s new covenant is “carved on the lining of our hearts.” Our slates have been wiped clean. With this there remains no barrier to God. We have full access to Him and his purifying grace. “So let’s do it – full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promise that keeps us going. He always keeps His word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worship together as some do but spurring each other on…”^{2

1}(Heb 10:14 MSG)
²(Heb 10:19-24 MSG)

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