THE SUPERIOR SACRIFICE. Hebrews 10 A shadow, like a sketch of a house, is clearly not the real thing, but hints at the reality. The law at the start of this chapter is seen as a very limited description of what it means to come to Christ in faith and be accepted by God. The shadows did not make those who watched the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement each year perfect. As they waited for the high priest to come out from behind the veil, there would have been some anxiety. Are we accepted? Can we come close to worship, or is our sin keeping us apart from God so He won't hear us? The sacrifices did not give complete cleansing from sin, so the feeling of guilt was not entirely removed. There would be a temporary sense of relief through forgiveness, based on the sinless sacrifice of an innocent animal. That yearly Day of Atonement reminded them they needed forgiveness, and they would look beyond the offering to the Lord, wondering if He would be satisfied.
The forgiveness we have in Christ because of His sacrifice once for all is permanent. There is no need for another being to be made, or anything added to it, because of the perfections of His Person and the total identification with us in our need. He was an innocent, sinless, perfect sacrifice of the same kind. He was a spotless Man and so was separate from sinners, yet was "made sin for us, He who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Our forgiveness is powerful in that it enables us, by virtue of the Holy Spirit within, to overcome sin, and "If we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." When we confess it, it is gone forever.