You Need To Persevere

Hebrews 8:1-10:39

Key Verse 10:36

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

In the passage the author of the Hebrews exhorts us saying, "You need to persevere." The word "persevere" means "to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement." This exhortation reminds us of the struggles of Mr. Christian in John Bunyan's fiction novel, "The Pilgrim's Progress". In that book Mr. Christian makes a decision to flee from the City of Destruction and embark on a journey to the Celestial City. Then on his way he runs into a lot of difficulties. Yet through perseverance he arrives at the heavenly city. Similar challenges are lying ahead of every Christian living in this generation. So the author of the Hebrews says, “You need to persevere.” Let us think about the exhortation in two parts.

Part I. A new and living way (8:1-10:20)

The previous Sunday Shepherd Charles served a message saying our Lord Jesus is able to save us completely. 

In this passage the author elaborates on this point in further details. Look at verses 1-2 (of Chapter 8). “The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” This passage says that Jesus serves as the high priest in the heavenly sanctuary. During the Old Testament period the high priest appointed according to the first covenant served God in an earthly tabernacle in Jerusalem. But the place where Jesus under the new covenant serves as a high priest is not on earth but in heaven. In fact the early temple was a copy of the heavenly temple which is a true one. This is very important because while we are here on earth we can offer prayers to the Lord. Then the Lord who serves at the heavenly sanctuary hears our prayers and answers our prayers. Speaking of Jesus’ on-going ministry in heaven Mark 16:19-20 reads, “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” 

In 8:3-12 we find a distinction between the “first” (or “old”) covenant (7) and the “new” covenant (8). Comparing the contents of the promises involved in each covenant, verse 6 reads, “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” Exodus 19 and 20 describe the contents of the promises contained in the first covenant. Jeremiah 31:31-34 describe the contents of the promises involved in the new covenant. In what way are the promises of the new covenant “better” than the promises under the old covenant? Jeremiah 31:31-34 answer the question. 

“The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers  when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 

As the Prophet Jeremiah says, about 14 century before Christ, the Lord God led the Israelites out of Egypt to himself at Mt. Sinai. There the Lord God wooed the Israelites to enter into a covenant relationship with him. [This is called the first covenant.]  But it turned out that the Israelites went unfaithful to the covenant relationship. So the Lord turned away from them. But the Lord did not completely abandon them. Even as he was turning away from them, about 6 centuries before Christ through the Prophet Jeremiah the Lord promised to make a new covenant with them. When Jesus came he fulfilled this promise. In fulfillment of this promise, on the night before his suffering, while he was seated at the Last Supper table, he took the cup and said to his disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many.” Luke 22:20 By making a new covenant, then, the Lord God made the old obsolete. [In fact 10:9 says that Jesus “set aside” the old covenant, to establish the new one for good.] This distinction is very important, because you and I who believe in Jesus have “better promises” than the people during the Old Testament era. 

Again Jeremiah 31:31-34 explain why the promises in the new covenant are better than the first, for under the first covenant the Lord simply says, “You obey the law of Moses and I will be your God.” But under the new covenant, the Lord says that he is going to write God’s law in the minds and on the hearts of all who believe in Jesus. God fulfilled this promise by sending Jesus. When we believe and invite Jesus to our heart, Jesus who is the Word of God, makes us to come to know the law of God far better than the believers in the Old Testament period. In fact because Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being, all who believe in Jesus come to know God personally, so that they do not have to say to each other, “Know the Lord!”, for they already know God. (Cf. John 10:14; 14:9,20; Rev 3:20; Heb 1:3)  Plus, as we put trust in Jesus, God forgives us of our sins, and then he remembers our sins no more. Indeed the promises given to those who sign up for the new covenant relationship are far, far better than the promises of the first covenant. Thank God who fulfilled such wonderful promises in and through Jesus. 

In 9:1-10:20, the author compares the priesthood under the first covenant with Jesus’ priesthood under the new covenant. The high priests under the first covenant went into the Most Holy Place only once a year (on the day of Atonement called Yom Kippur), not with his own blood but with the blood that is not his own (9:13,25). The blood must be shed because without the shedding of blood (of an animal such as lamb or goat which a sinner should offer in lieu of his own blood) there is no forgiveness (on God’s part). (9:22; Lev 18:11) The gifts and offerings (such as goats, bulls, calves, ashes of heifer, scarlet wool, branches of hyssop etc.) the early priests in the Old Testament Scriptures offered to God at an early temple, cannot cleanse the consciences of the worshiper; they (offerings like bull) are reminder of sins (10:3). For this reason the high priests under the first covenant had to enter into the Most Holy Place again and again. The fact that the access to the Most Holy Place was limited (that is, only once a year) indicates that under the first covenant the way to God had yet to be “disclosed” (9:8). 

But Jesus’ ministry is different. Jesus entered the heaven itself (that is, the Most Holy Place) with his own blood. The blood of the Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God can cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death. (9:11-14) 

The four gospels describe how this happened. In Jerusalem there is a passageway called “Via Dolorosa” [the way of suffering]. Through this route, about two thousand years ago after suffering under Pontus Pilate Jesus took his cross and went to the Calvary Mountain. There Jesus the sinless Lamb of God shed his blood: he offered himself as an atoning sacrifice. And he died. At the moment of his death, while the [earthly] priests were busy with the evening sacrifice in a man-made sanctuary in Jerusalem, a miracle took place: the veil of the temple (called the second curtain) was torn into two, top to bottom, exposing the Holy of holies (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45), symbolizing that Jesus, as the High priest, who could enter the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 6:19,20; 9:11,12), had opened the way for all believers to enter into the presence of God through His flesh symbolized by the veil (10:19,20). 

In this way Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary. Now daily Jesus appears for us in God’s presence (9:24). 

Look at 9:26b-28. “But now [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” [Here “many” refers to all who believe in the Lord.]  As we wait for his return, Jesus continues to work in and through us, until all of his enemies become his footstool. (10:8-14)

In summary let us look at 10:19-20. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God…” Jesus is the way to the Father. This way is a “new” way. It is new in that it replaces the old way of the Israelites coming to God in the earthly sanctuary. Jesus is called the “living” way because it alone gives “life” to man, not any life but the life that is in the presence of God, the Father. 

Part II. Let us draw near to God (10:21-39)

In view of the new and living way opened for us, what should we do? In Hebrews 10:21-39, the author exhorts us to persevere until we complete our spiritual pilgrimage to His kingdom.  

Let us read 10:19-22. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” In our generation it is not easy to draw near to God, for there are so many distractions. In order to draw near to God we need to secure quite moments each and every day, the moments to read the Bible, meditate on his word, offer prayers and supplications to God, and as the opportunity presents itself, share the gospel with others. 

In verse 23, we are encouraged to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (23) – the hope of the life in the presence of the eternal God. 

In verse 24, we are exhorted to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (24). 

Look at verse 25. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” It is interesting to note that as we see the Day approaching we need to do two things “all the more”: meeting together; and encouraging one another and we must do this all the more. But the general trend seems to be the other way around. At the U.S./Canada Staff conference, Dr. Marvin Newell said in his special lecture that during his young adulthood he followed his parents to attend church worship services on Sundays, and there each Sunday along with his parents he spent the whole day at his church. But nowadays a lot of Christians do not even bother to come to the church. This is not a healthy trend. In the Book of Acts however the members of the early Christian churches in Jerusalem were different. Let us open the Bible and read Acts 2:42-47, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This passage shows us that they met for Bible study, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. They did this in mutual encouragement, building up and strengthening the body of Christ. While we are in this world, we easily get influenced by the world. Then we become discouraged. We easily lose the motive to flee from the corruption of the world, and press on towards the Celestial City. This is particularly true because as the Day approaches, the overall environment of this world will become increasingly adulterous and wicked. But by meeting together all the more we can encourage one another, so together we should be able to overcome the world, press on towards the city with a foundation.  

In verses 26-31 we have a severe warning against who deliberately keep on sinning (26-31). Interestingly this warning follows immediately after the exhortation to not give up meeting together. Why? Most likely it is because they started skipping meetings once or twice. And it became a habit. Soon instead of spiritual desires, worldly desires took over them. Then they became victims to the temptations of the world. They sinned here and there. As they fell deep in a sinful lifestyle, sinning became a habit. Eventually they ended up doing this deliberately.  If however one keeps on sinning deliberately what will happen to that person? Look at verses 26-31 again. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” 

In verses 32-34 the author exhorts his audience to remember those earlier days. Here “those earlier days” refer to the days when they first believed in Jesus, the days when with the first love they sacrificially served the Lord with great passion. This is the call for us to make not just a strong start but make a strong finish. 

Finally the author says,” So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” 

In conclusion, this passage teaches us that like Mr. Christian in the Pilgrim’s Progress we are called to make a holy pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God. In order to invite us to His kingdom, our Lord Jesus came, and offered himself as an atoning sacrifice. Then he rose again, ascended into Heaven, and now is serving as the high priest. In this way our Lord Jesus opened a new and living way for us to come to the Father. This Jesus is going to come back to bring salvation to those who wait for him. In the meantime, let us continue to persevere to do God’s will, especially the will to make disciples of all nations, still pressing on towards the City of God. 

One word: You need to persevere

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