LIVE IN THE HOLIEST. Hebrews 10:19-22 Beginning with verse 19, we enter the practical section of this epistle. This section calls us to live in fellowship with God and His people. God has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ, so the writer begins by describing what life in the Holiest of all should be like – living continually in the presence of God. There are four blessings that give us boldness to worship God. First, the way into the Holiest is open. Salvation has made this possible. Where God is, there heaven is, so we can enter it and draw near to Him right where we are.
Second, boldness is not a feeling of our rights but an understanding of what the blood of Jesus has achieved for us and what it means to God. His life was given for us, and He gave us life through the blood, or because of what the shed blood of Christ has done for us. That alone gives us access to the presence and fellowship of the living God. The cleansing power of the blood has cleansed us and keeps us clean. Our Heavenly Father wants us near Him, and the blood of Jesus makes that possible. We honor Him when we enter the Holiest to live in fellowship with Him.
Third, “a new and living way” refers to what our Lord Jesus Christ did when He dismissed His spirit. The veil was torn in two, and He, the perfect man, the perfect sacrifice, went into the Holiest and allowed us to follow Him into the blessings of the new covenant and new sanctuary. This new way never gets old, and it is the road on which we live in the power of an endless life. Fourth, the Great High Priest is always there to meet our needs and plead our every righteous cause. He brings us to God. He satisfies both God and us. We trust in Him alone.
There are also four marks of someone who worships in truth. A true heart is one that is yielded to the Lord; we are faithful to Him. His law is in our hearts. God asks for a true heart that is not divided by distractions or personal opinions that satisfy the flesh. We may not feel like our hearts are true, but when He asks us to draw near to Him, we want to do so, obey Him, and love Him. Obedience is evidence of a true heart.
Second, “fullness of faith” is more significant than “assurance of faith.” “Full assurance of faith” leaves nothing to be skeptical about or any reservations holding us back. We accept gratefully and objectively all that God offers so we can live life to its fullest. Full of faith deals with things we think are impossible, but because we know there are no limitations with God, we will trust that what we hope for will be. We trust in Him, knowing that He can and will do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. Fullness of faith is not in feelings, but in the confidence that we trust our God, who we know loves us. Third, our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience so that we can find our joy where God does, and our power to live, because of the work of our Great High Priest. Fourth, the water of cleansing and the sprinkling of blood open up the great expanse of the spiritual world, which has no boundaries and in which we live by faith. Our worship of God is that of the inner life that is not limited by time, space, or matter, but our bodies limit us to the physical limits of life. Our bodies need the cleansing and “washing of water by the Word.” Our redeemed bodies and our spirits belong to our Lord, who has purchased us with His own life’s blood.
So, with all the blessings and benefits associated with our new life in Christ, and our Great High Priest at the right hand of God on our behalf, we can draw near to God and experience the blessings of faith, love, and joy as results of God’s grace.
“Therefore” refers to the message of the previous chapters that explain why the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Jews. It also clarifies why the new covenant, in which we are included, is greater than the covenant made with Israel at Mt. Sinai. Instead of fear and trembling, we can “draw near” and approach God with holy boldness and reverence because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. We can come to God at any time in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ come into God’s presence through the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior. He entered into the Most Holy Place as our Great High Priest and has made us holy, “perfect,” so we can also enter there. He opened a 'new and living way' by the sacrifice of His body on the cross as full payment for our sins. His body was raised from the dead after being in the tomb for three days and nights, to declare God’s complete satisfaction with what He accomplished for us. We are now members of “His house.”
We now have the boldness to enter into the Holiest because of the shed blood of Christ, who opened this new and living way through the sacrifice of His body. He is now our Great High Priest, who is over the house of God. We can draw near to Him with true hearts and full assurance of faith; can hold fast personally and publicly to what we confess; consider others of “like precious faith,” and assemble with them, and exhort each other.
Boldness involves godliness, and godliness comes from knowing God, studying His Word, practicing what He teaches us, and maintaining a consistent testimony of true faith. By God’s grace, we will continually appreciate what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, making peace with God possible. But we need to go beyond Christ's finished work at Calvary to His ongoing work on our behalf. With sincere gratitude, we can approach where He now sits at God’s right hand with boldness and confidence, knowing we are not unwelcome intruders.
Religion and religious practices devised by humans are an insult to the one who finished the work of redemption. Any humanly imposed requirements, such as “doing the best you can,” “going to church,” or confession of sins to a man, indicate that, in one’s opinion, the sacrifice Christ made was not enough to please God. Religious performances are a fleshly and perhaps satanic imposition that deludes human souls and leads them to be lost forever.
In the house of God, we do not pray to a priest or religious practitioner, but to God as our Father. We worship Him personally in spirit and truth. When we come to Him, we draw near with a true heart that has been broken and contrite. We do not trust in ourselves, but have confidence in He who bids us to come.
“Full assurance of faith” does not mean self-confidence. It reflects a sense of our unworthiness based on our understanding of God's holiness and His faithfulness to us. The efficacy of the “sprinkling of the blood” addresses our evil conscience. It provides relief to those whose conscience has been burdened by the effects of their sins. We don’t need another application of the blood, but we should remember the power and value of the precious blood of Christ. We rest in the truth that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. The cleansing power of God's word, when guided by the Holy Spirit, washes us from the world's corrupting influences.
Now it is our privilege to "Draw near" with a true heart and full assurance of faith. With a clear conscience and purity of life, we have personal access to God through Jesus Christ and can approach Him. We can grow in faith, overcome doubts, and deepen our relationship with God. Our clean consciences allow us to approach God boldly, and through our cleansing, we can come to Him confidently.
LET US. The High Priest is in His place, the veil is rent, and the blood has been shed. We are not pressing into a place we don’t belong – the consciousness of evil and guilt is lifted. The Spirit and the Word have made cleansing to give new life – to be holy. “Let us draw near” to Him, to His people, to His house, and to our God in faith.
Confession has been made with the mouth – “Jesus is Lord” – He is our Hope. There is no need to look back, except to give thanks – to remember where we came from. Look ahead – the promises of God are “Yea and Amen” – sure promises – unfailing. Our Lord is on High – “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith” – do not waver. Others are watching and learning – from me to see if I am real – real in my living for God. “Let us consider one another” is not just observation but participation – with them. In their need for love, for help, for fellowship, for assurance and guidance – from me, I must come to meet with my brothers and sisters – I need them – they need me.
Too much baggage is a problem: in an airplane, in travel, and in life, we often have too much to carry. Lighten up – drop the non-essentials. Some things have to go; drop the weights. “Let us lay aside the weights” and look at the great company that has already run the race. The race is too important to let unnecessary weights hinder progress toward the goal. Their eyes are on the distant horizon, their measured pace matches their known ability. Endurance is the key to winning because the goal is out of sight, far beyond our eyesight - at the throne. Don’t get panicky as others pass you by; keep the pace. Some may be fast at first. The race isn’t over until we see Jesus – “Let us run with patience” – looking unto Jesus.
“Let us go forth unto Him.” The leper is outside the camp, and the ashes of the sacrifice are there. The place of separation is there, Christ is there, we are to be there even in reproach. We go outside the camp to the Person who is rejected now, and we leave behind anything contrary to His will. There is where strangers and pilgrims belong; gathered unto Him, with Him, for Him. Offering praise glorifies God, offering praise exalts Christ, and offering praise testifies. “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise,” even when we may not feel like it, give God praise anytime. At all times, He is worthy of praise – the cost lies in the time it takes and the choice. A hymn, a psalm, a spiritual song, words of the scripture, whatever you have – offer praise – He is worthy!