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“What God Lets Us Do” Hebrews 10:19-25

  • glynnbeaty
  • May 3, 2020
  • 10 min read

Living with restrictions is not very fun, is it? It’s not necessarily that the restrictions are really changing our lives, but just the idea of being told what we can and can’t do just goes against the grain. I may not want to go to the laundromat, but that’s because I don’t want to, not because I can’t.Growing up was a series of not being able to do things because we were too young. Being told we could do something came with growing older. With each of these new opportunity came a sense of greater freedom.

We’ve been in a situation where we’re still being restricted from taking certain actions out of concern for our national health. I respect the opinions of learned people and want to follow the accepted suggestions and recommendations of men and women more schooled and experienced in matters of which I am largely ignorant.

Our passage todays speaks of “letting us” do several things, all in connection to our relationship with God.

Background

Of all the books of the Bible, the book of Hebrews is the only way in which there is no known author. Numerous theories have arisen as to who wrote the book, but all of the theories are conjecture only. Some have suggested Paul wrote it, others that Apollos or Barnabas wrote it. There have been other names suggested, but there is not enough evidence to lead to a conclusive answer.

The theme of the book is to demonstrate how the new covenant under Christ is superior to the old covenants found in the Scripture we now call the Old Testament. The book begins with the declarative statement, “In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became so much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs” (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Beginning with Jesus’ superiority over the angels, the writer then addresses His superiority over Moses, over Aaron, over the sacrificial system and so on. The passage we are looking at today comes toward the end of the writer’s discussion of the creation of the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood and the effect this covenant has between God and those who come to Him through Jesus.

In this passage, the writer lists three things that we are encouraged to do. Each of the things includes the phrase, “let us.” As we look at these three things, I want us to keep in mind the following:

Central Truth: Because of God’s wondrous grace, we are enabled to do things others can never do.

God lets us:

Draw near to Him (19-22)

My mentor in the ministry was raised a Catholic. He came to know Christ as his savior when he was in college, and he surrendered to the ministry shortly after that. With his conversion, he joined the Baptist church where his girlfriend was attending (she later became his wife).

I remember once him talking about the differences between Catholics and Baptists. One of the things he said has always stuck with hem. He mentioned that Catholics have a greater reverence for God than do we. That’s the reason for the Catholics going to the saints to intercede with God on their behalf. The Catholic sense of awe for God is the driving force behind it. While there is much to be said about reverence for and awe toward God, this passage lets us know that such reverence and awe should not hinder our ability to enter into God’s presence through prayer.

The writer says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (v.22a). The Bible tells us this by giving us the reasons why we are allowed to draw near to God. Verses 19-21 speak of the reason why we are able to do so.

First, our confidence to do so derives from the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. This blood cleanses us from our sins and enforces the New Covenant that brings us into right relationship with God. When covenants were made in the Old Testament, it was the custom to slaughter an animal to seal the deal. The animal was killed and cut in half. The two halves were placed on poles set apart from each other, and the two people making the covenant would walk between the two stakes, signifying the completion of the covenant. The animal was then cooked, and a covenant meal was had. The blood shed for this was the seal of the covenant. Jesus’ blood seals the promise God makes to us that we will become His children through our faith in His Son and by the empowering presence of His Holy Spirit. Because of this blood, we are encouraged to enter into God’s presence.

Second, we have the body of Christ that acts as a doorway into God’s presence. You will recall that as Jesus died on the cross, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying that our separation from God was no more. With Jesus’ resurrection, we are given a new and living door into the presence of God. We have the blood and we have the body of Christ to ensure our ability to draw near to God.

Third, we are ushered into God’s presence by the living High Priest who is Jesus Himself. Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, is in us and we are in Him. Because we are in Christ, we are seated with Him in the heavenly realms at God’s right hand. How can we not enter into His presence when we are so close to Him, and since His priest stands with us before Him?

With all of this in mind, the Bible tells us “let us draw near to God.” It also tells us how we should draw near to God, all because of the blood, the body and the ministry of Jesus.

We draw near to God with a sincere heart. We have nothing to hide from God, nor do we need to hide anything from Him. We can come to God openly and honestly, knowing He knows us better than we know ourselves. We come with a sincere heart.

We come with full assurance of faith. We trust God. We trust Jesus. We trust the Holy Spirit. Our faith is in the Trinity, God revealed to us in three ways. Our faith is based not in some half-baked theory or story, but in a personal relationship with Him. We trust His word and His promises, and so we have a faith that is fully assured.

This faith arises in part because we are cleansed by God, in heart and in body with the pure and living water who is Christ the Lord. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go through a ritual washing. He would bathe and cleanse his body. He would sacrifice a goat for his sins, purifying his heart before God. Only after the ritual sacrifice and bathing would he then enter into the Holy of Holies, where God would be seated in the mercy seat located between the seraphim on the Ark of the Covenant. It was acknowledged that on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would stand in the presence of God. We, too, need a clean heart and body, and we have that through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The first thing we are allowed to do is “let us draw near to God.”

Hold unswervingly to hope (23)

The second thing we are told is to “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” That is, we are to stand strong in the Gospel.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Coming (two very separate events), He told them that the ones who will come through it unscathed are those who remain true to Him and to the Gospel.

Make no mistake, there are always challenges to our hope in Christ. Satan likes to call into question the validity of our relationship. He likes to make us feel that we aren’t worthy and that we aren’t where we should be. Satan uses our emotions to draw us away from God. Maybe something happens that could shake our faith.

Because we are washed and sanctified through Jesus’ blood, because we are cleansed by the Living Water, and because we trust in Him who has called us, believing Him to be faithful, we remain true to the hope. Yes, life is hard, and being a Christian doesn’t instantly make our lives a bowlful of cherries. Instead, we find that our relationship with the Father strengthens us in our daily walk, encourages us during the hard times, sees us through the dark days. We know that, even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that He is with us. Jesus promises us that He will be with us always, and we know that He is faithful to Himself and to His word. We know our hope is built upon the solid Rock that is the cornerstone of our faith.

Because of this, let us hold unswervingly to our hope we profess.

Consider how we can spur one another on (24-25)

Finally, in light of entering into God’s presence in having a secure hope, we are told, “Let us not give up in meeting together.”

It’s an interesting thing that the Bible includes this encouragement following the call to draw close to God and to keep our hope alive. One of the best ways we do that is by gathering together on a regular basis for worship, Bible study and fellowship. In the coming together, we find encouragement and support. We find acceptance and understanding. In the coming together, we find forgiveness and patience. We share our hopes, our dreams, our doubts, our fears, our confusion, our questions—we find a common ground in Christ Jesus. Through our fellowship with Him, we are able to fellowship with each other as well.

It’s interesting the Bible tells us that this meeting together is a habit. We hear the word “habit” and think of bad things. So many of our shortcomings are the results of habits, and habits are often construed as negatives. But the truth is, habits can be positive. To create a habit means we have to make a conscious effort to begin something, then we have to regularly perform the thing until it becomes a habit. Oftentimes, a habit becomes something we find ourselves doing automatically. It’s just what we do.

I was at a seminar years ago when one of the leaders said basically that Sunday School and worship attendance are habits we form. On the average, it takes a person coming to church six weeks in a row to make it more of a habit, whereas it only takes three weeks of missing to get into that habit of not attending. Both are habits, and the Bible tells us we need to be on guard to make sure our habits regarding worshiping together are positive habits, not negative ones.

And the Bible tells us the main reason to meet together is to encourage one another. One of the troubles with our current pandemic is that we have had to separate ourselves from each other, and this often causes anxieties. Having to face things alone can be daunting and can wear us down and wear us out. We need someone to pick us up, to remind us that there is hope, there are answers, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Without this encouragement, we can begin to doubt and to question our beliefs and our understanding. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we experience things in part to enable us to encourage others going through something similar. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

We encourage each other with comfort and testimonies. We encourage one another with shared experiences and moments. We encourage one another simply by being with each other. As we are learning once again as a society, we need each other. We are reminded we have more in common than we have things that divide us.

And we need this encouragement because the coming of Christ is near. I’ve shared with you before that I believe Jesus is coming again, if not in our lifetimes, then in the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren. I am convinced of this. This truth needs to drive our lives and remind us of the shortness of time to share the good news with the lost and with each other.

Let us, then, not give up meeting together.

Conclusion

It’s frustrating not to be control. Even if you aren’t a control freak, we still like to think that we have control over our own lives. These past few weeks have tested that control. At times, we get the feeling that our world is spinning out of control, and we’re caught in the whirlpool.

A couple of reminders. First, there are many things we cannot control. For those items, we need to recognize the truth and move on. If we cannot control something, it is not worthy of our time and efforts.

Second, there are things we can control. These things need our attention and our participation. That’s what the writer of Hebrews is reminding us of in these verses. We control in part how we respond to God, so let us draw near to Him. He has enabled us to do so; let us make that commitment. Let us remain strong in our faith. And let us stay in the habit of meeting together to encourage one another and be encouraged.

Finally, we need to remember that ultimately, all control comes from God. God has the whole world in His capable hands. He will not forsake us or abandon us. We know that He is always with us, and that we are in Him and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Let us never forget these truths.

 
 
 

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