Hebrews 10:19-25
A Better Commitment (#30)

Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies having been washed with clean water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another for the stirring up of love and of good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, just as is the custom for some, but exhorting one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We have been looking at the superiority of Jesus Christ. 10:18, last week, in 10:18 we ended a section that began in chapter 5, about Christ’s Better priesthood. Now in verses 19-25 it is we who are challenged in view of the better Christ, the better priest, to be better people.

Pollyanna, remember her? Had to live with a sour Aunt in a sour town? But in a short period of time, because of how she acted, what she did, they changed.

This is the point the writer of Hebrews is going to bring into play. Because of what Jesus did and who HE is, we too will be expected to change.

In 19-22 we see that we are to come confidently.

Verse 23, come steadfastly

And verse 24-25 Come faithfully.

19-22 come confidently.

v. 19 For 5 chapters we have been defining and defending the better priesthood of Jesus Christ, proving to these Hebrews that the law and all it entailed, sanctuary, sacrifices, and priesthood, were only a shadow of those things to come.

But Jesus’ new priesthood and all it entailed are real and verse 19 begins the wrap up of applications of this long doctrinal section by contrasting all that never was under the old, namely access to God, with all that is available under the new, total access to God by a new and living way. Jesus Christ!

So the point of verses 19-22 is this: Since we have boldness to come to God, and since we have a great high priest, let’s make use of them.

Verse 19, we have boldness to enter the holiest, heaven itself. The holiest place was where God dwelt. So we have access to God.

Verse 20: Jesus has opened the way by his flesh being sacrificed for us. (John 14:6) So, since you have access to God and (v 21) since you have a high priest over the house of the people of God, since you have these great benefits, Then DRAW NEAR,

Jews who haven’t been save, come to salvation, come to God through Jesus the new and living way. The Old Testament priest drew near in a physical sense, year after year, But you can draw near and then you are home. YOU can come to Jesus for salvation…and note verse 22 “With full assurance.”

Under a law system you came, sacrificing, yet knowing you’d have to do it again next year. But not now! Not with the sacrifice that Jesus offered. He offers full forgiveness from sin.

In the Old Testament the priest would sprinkle blood on objects and people and perform washings.

But this is the new covenant, it is eternal, your hearts are cleansed and the pure water, perhaps a reference to baptism that’s unclear, maybe even a reference to God’s spirit living in us. And because of this, people, you can come confidently.

Hebrews 11:6..you must believe that he is. Hebrews 7:25 Says he is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him.

Come confidently. Now no one can come unless God’s Spirit draw him (John 6:44) But come confidently, John 6:38 says “he that does come I will on no wise cast out.” Come confidently. Belief, trust.

Listen, if the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart right now, don’t put it off, come, we will sing, stop the service and show you how to have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life………………

Come Confidently.

Now if that isn’t enough, the exhortation to come confidently, then we will move on in verse 23 Come Steadfastly. Steadfast means unwavering, unfaltering. (23)

Here again he challenges those who will draw near to HOLD FAST. Now in Hebrews 3:6 He said we are in the house if we hold fast to our confidence, if we really trust in Christ we will always trust in Christ. We will not always be a super saint, but trust confidently n God. 3:19 says we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Some come along, think about Christ, believe that eh CAN save them, but do not carry through to the logical end by trusting him for salvation.

But we have a promise, that is why we must be faithful and steadfast Because HE is. Psalm 110 and Jeremiah 31, the New Covenant was promised. God is faithful, He keeps his word so YOU trust him.

Our hope is based on the unwavering promise of God, why should we not cherish it and boldly confess it. Hold fast, Christian.

Satan’s biggest weapon is doubt. He wants doubt to come in because doubt is not faith and whatever is not faith is sin. But the promise of eternal life is based on the promise of God who cannot lie and you can hold fast to them.

Then thirdly we are admonished to come to God not only Confidently and steadfastly, but also to come Faithfully. Vs 24-25

First it was “draw near” then Trust implicitly or without reserve, now it is Serve God faithfully.

Look at verse 24 : “Let us consider one another.” First he deals with personal salvation and assurance. Assurance of YOUR standing is needed before you can effectively minister to others.

So we consider one another…You will be more apt to be a confident bold witness if you encourage one another. Christian faith and witness will flourish more in a real atmosphere of warm Christian fellowship. STIR UP one another. A Pep rally!

So what are we stirring up?

1. Love. Constantly reminding each other of our responsibility to do things in a loving way, to speak in a loving way, to act in a loving way. But stir up to love???

It is like a girl trying to convince Mom and Dad of how nice this boy she is about to bring home to meet them is. As Christians we should stir up each other to love.

Also we are to provoke or stir up each other to good works. What are those works? Look at verse 25. Not forsaking the gathering together as some habitually do.

But exhorting one another….

Not forsaking, don’t entirely abandon the fellowship. You are to keep each other gathering. Like maybe get together with someone for coffee and say “hey we missed you last week, here’s what we learned,“ if we are able to stir up love we need to be together.

NOT necessarily here,in this building, but this is an appointed place and time. Encourage one another to be in fellowship.

People do forsake the assembling, or abandon the fellowship. Some withdraw from laziness, some are just sold out to another God. Some leave because we come off a thinking we are better than they are. Some leave because we aren’t spiritual enough. Some leave because of a personal grudge, people leave for many reasons. Some go because they say they aren’t getting fed, maybe they should bring a fork to the meal.

In Acts 2:42 we read that one of the four things the early church devoted itself to was “fellowship.” Fellowship was a very important part of their reason for meeting together. It was one of their objectives. But what is fellowship?

(1) Fellowship means being a part of a group, a body of people. It is opposed to isolation, solitude, loneliness, and our present-day independent kind of individualism. Of course, it does not stop there because we can be in a crowd of people and even share certain things in common, but still not have fellowship.

(2) Fellowship means having or sharing with others certain things in common such as interest, goals, feelings, beliefs, activities, labor, privileges and responsibilities, experiences, and concerns.

(3) Fellowship can mean a partnership that involves working together and caring for one another as a company of people, like a company of soldiers or members of a family.

But you who are here, you are enjoined to encourage others who have left. to. Mend the breaches in fellowship. All of them. Did you leave a place? Make sure that before heaven you mend all the breaches. Doesn’t mean you have to go back .Encourage others to Forsake sin. Encourage them to come here or get connected somewhere they can grow.

Note that he says “so much more as you see the day approaching. And though believers are encouraged to not forsake, it is to unbelievers we are to go , to encourage them to jion us in the faith in Christ. Because judgment day is approaching.

Is you life about ME ME ME? Or is it about other people and their best interests?

I close with this from Chuck Swindoll: In the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon. Linda didn’t know you don’t travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so she set off where only four-wheel drives normally venture. The first evening she found a room in the mountains near a summit and asked for a 5 A.M. wakeup call so she could get an early start. She couldn’t understand why the clerk looked surprised at that request, but as she awoke to early-morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood. Not wanting to look foolish, she got up and went to breakfast. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged. “Where are you headed?” one of the truckers asked.

‘Whitehorse’

“In that little Civic? No way! This pass is DANGEROUS in weather like this.”

“Well, I’m determined to try,” was Linda’s gutsy, if not very informed, response.

“Then I guess we’re just going to have to hug you,” the trucker suggested.

Linda drew back. “There’s no way I’m going to let you touch me!”

“Not like THAT!” the truckers chuckled. “We’ll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we’ll get you through the mountains.”

All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots in front of her and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they made their way safely through the mountains.

Caught in the fog in our dangerous passage through life, we need to be “hugged.” With fellow Christians who know the way and can lead safely ahead of us, and with others behind, gently encouraging us along, we, too, can pass safely. - Don Graham

Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 286