Letter to the Hebrews Volume 104

 Let Us Draw Near to God by the Blood of Jesus Part 1

Hebrews 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His Flesh; KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

Those of us who have come to faith in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ have no need anymore for guilt or shame or fear or any other emotion that would lead us to pull back from God and His Word, for the purpose of His Word is to serve as a mirror for us to see ourselves truly in the light of the One and Only Truth which is the Bible. The Bible shows us and tells us when we have veered off or away from the pathway of truth, just as a mirror shows us where on our physical bodies we have become dirty or filthy that we might take soap and water and cleanse those filthy places. Likewise, the Word of God can wash us and cleanse us from those dirty and filthy spiritual areas within our inner man or inner woman, i.e. our souls (Ephesians 5:26). Therefore, we have now come to this section of the letter to the Hebrews where the author (having completed his discourse on doctrine) is now exhorting the new Hebrew/Jewish converts and everyone of us who are coverted to Christ today and of every era and generation to be bold in their/our faith with these first words here, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus," (Hebrews 10:19) (KJV). The key word for us in this passage is the English word 'boldness' which is translated by the Greek word parrhēsia which means (as used here) assurance. In other words, we are to be assured of our salvation by virtue of the Blood of Jesus Christ and never let the enemy bombard us with fear or guilt or shame in order to keep us away from the Word of God and prayer to God. The only way we can allow defeat in our lives is to alienate ourselves from prayer to God and from being in the Word of God. Having the assurance that our sins are covered by and under the Blood of Christ will keep us from allowing the enemy to suggest or inject negative thoughts into our minds when we fail, flounder, and fall and this is why the author of Hebrews exhorts us into 'boldness'/parrhēsia. Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 10:19, "The Apostle, having now finished the doctrinal part of his epistle, and fully shown the superiority of Christ to all men and angels, and the superiority of His priesthood to that of Aaron and his successors, the absolute inefficacy of the Jewish sacrifices to make atonement for sin, and the absolute efficacy of that of Christ to make reconciliation of man to God, proceeds now to show what influence these doctrines should have on the hearts and lives of those who believe in His merits and death. Liberty, full access to the entrance of the holy place. This is an allusion to the case of the high priest going into the holy of holies. He went with fear and trembling, because, if he had neglected the smallest item prescribed by the law, he could expect nothing but death. Genuine believers can come even to the Throne of God with confidence, as they carry into the Divine presence the infinitely meritorious Blood of the Great Atonement; and, being justified through that Blood, they have a right to all the blessings of the Eternal Kingdom."

It is the sacrificed Body of our Lord Jesus Christ for us that allows we forgiven sinners to have boldness to go to God the Father at any time about anything because He is now our Heavenly Father by virtue of the Blood of Jesus Christ that is now applied to us or credited to us giving us access to the very Throne of God. The author of Hebrews now declares this very fact with these next words written here, "By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His Flesh;" (Hebrews 10:20) (KJV). The actuality of the physical Body of God being wounded for our sins, as it is written for us by the Prophet Isaiah with these words, "But He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) (KJV), is no loose or light or little thing but instead it is the most significant thing that has occured in human history, for God becoming a Man and willingly taking upon Himself humanities punishment for sin is why every man, woman, and child who has faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ is justified, that is, made right with God through God's own Blood, as it is written, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own Blood." (Acts 20:28) (KJV). The new and living way is the way of faith, as it is written for us with these words by the Apostle Paul, "Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. The Scriptures say, 'God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in Him.' Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in Him. In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says, 'God blesses people whose sins are forgiven and whose evil deeds are forgotten. The Lord blesses people whose sins are erased from His book.'" (Romans 4:1-8) (CEV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:20, "It is the only way; there is no way left but this. The first way to the tree of life is, and has been, long shut up. It is a new way, both in opposition to the covenant of works and to the antiquated dispensation of the Old Testament; it is via novissima - the last way that will ever be opened to men. Those who will not enter in this way exclude themselves for ever. It is a way that will always be effectual. It is a living way. It would be death to attempt to come to God in the way of the covenant of works; but this way we may come to God, and live. It is by a living Saviour, who, though He was dead, is alive; and it is a way that gives life and lively hope to those who enter into it. It is a way that Christ has consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. The veil in the tabernacle and temple signified the Body of Christ; when He died, the veil of the Temple was rent in sunder, and this was at the time of the evening sacrifice, and gave the people a surprising view into the holy of holies, which they never had before. Our way to heaven is by a Crucified Saviour; His death is to us the way of life. To those who believe this He will be precious."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 103

 The Death of Christ Jesus Perfects the Saints Part 3

Hebrews 10:15-18 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. KJV

In these next four (4) verses we simply find the author of Hebrews putting us into remembrance of what he had already cited for us in Chapter 8 taken from the Prophet Jeremiah beginning with these words, "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before," (Hebrews 10:15) (KJV). These words also declare to us that it was then with Jeremiah as it is now with all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ the same 3rd Person of the Trinity God the Holy Spirit speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah just as He continues to do today through any and every redeemed man or woman who belongs to our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say about Hebrews 10:15, "This preface to the following citation shows that the books of the Old Testament are of Divine original and authority; that the penmen of them were inspired by the Holy Ghost; that He existed in the times of the Old Testament; that He is truly and properly God, the Lord, or Jehovah, that speaks in the following verses; and that He is a distinct Divine Person, and the Author of the covenant of grace; and in what He says in that covenant, He bears testimony to the truths before delivered, concerning the insufficiency and abolition of legal sacrifices, and of full and perfect remission of sin, by the Blood and sacrifice of Christ."

Now the writer of Hebrews begins the documentation once again (just as he has already done before in Hebrews 8:10-12) of what was prophesied through the Prophet Jeremiah way back many centuries earlier beginning with these next words, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" (Hebrews 10:16) (KJV). It is often an argument or contention or debate amongst those people who do not believe in Jesus Christ or believe that He alone is God and the only One True God and that contestation is that my truth is equal to your truth, however, this passage of Scripture declares to all the world that every Christian believes what the Bible declares because that Word has been written into our minds, our hearts, our souls and this is why every true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ testifies of Him and of His Word being the one and only truth given to humanity. The English phrase 'will I write' is translated by the Greek word  epigraphō meaning to inscribe (physically or mentally). Therefore, you see, when we make our case that the Bible is the inerrant literal Word of God it is not done from speculation or from blind faith, but from actual awareness of it being the only truth for all humanity. Personally, for example, for most of my life I was a strong believer and advocate for pro-choice and a woman's right to choose what she alone does to and with her own body, but when I learned from the Word of God that every single baby born into the human race, into the earth realm was known and determined to come into existence by God before the earthly Father and Mother even knew one another and even before each one of them were even born themselves, then from that point until now I am strongly against abortion because it is the killing, the slaughter, the murder of a human life that God/Jesus desired, destined, and determined to come into the earth at that very time and place, as it is written with these words to the Prophet Jeremiah, "Then the Word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:4-5) (KJV).

Because of the Greatness of the Man Christ Jesus who willingly laid down His life for humanities sin and because of the greatness of His sacrifice of Himself there is no need for any other atonement (the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing and the payment or compensation for sin against God) for humanities sins, therefore, everyone of us who are 'in Christ' need to live a life of repentance and faith in Christ alone trusting that His Blood has and continues to cover all our sin before the Throne of God the Father, therefore, we read these next words from the writer of Hebrews also taken from the Prophesy of Jeremiah, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Hebrews 10:17-18) (KJV). Why? Becasue we live a perfect and sinless life here on the earth everyday. No, because the Blood of Jesus covers all our sin every single second of every single day during our continued sojourn on our way home to heaven. Amen! Does this mean we live in and love sin? No! But when we sin in word, thought, or deed, we know that we have an Advocate with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous who knew no sin unlike any of us (1 John 2:1-2). The English phrase 'will I remember' in Hebrews 10:17 is translated by the Greek word mnaomai meaning (through the idea of fixture in the mind or of mental grasp); to bear in mind, that is, recollect; by implication to reward or punish: - be mindful, remember, come (have) in remembrance. The English phrase 'no more' in Hebrews 10:17 is translated by the Greek words ou mē which is a double negative strengthening the denial; not at all: - any more, at all, by any (no) means, neither, never, no (at all), in no case (wise), nor ever, not (at all, in any wise). Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 10:17-18, "The principal thing for which they are cited here, is to observe God's promise of non-remembrance of sin; which is no other than remission of sin, and which is not consistent with legal sacrifices, in which there is a remembrance of sin every year, Hebrews 10:3 and consequently, since this New Covenant has taken place, legal sacrifices must be abolished. Now where remission of these is: That is, of these sins; and that there is remission of them, is evident from this promise of the covenant, just now produced; from God's gracious proclamation of it; from the shedding of Christ's Blood for it; from His exaltation at the Father's Right Hand to give it; from the Gospel declaration of it; and from the several instances of persons favoured with it. There may be other offerings, as of praise and thanksgiving, but none for sin; 'there is no need', as the Syriac version; or there is not required, as the Arabic version; there is no need of the reiteration of Christ's sacrifice, nor will He be offered up any more, nor of the repetition of legal sacrifices, nor ought they to continue any longer. The Jews themselves say, that 'In the time to come (i.e. in the times of the Messiah) all offerings shall cease, but the sacrifice of praise.''"

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 102

 The Death of Christ Jesus Perfects the Saints Part 2

Hebrews 10:13-14 From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. KJV

It is God the Father (who threw the devil out of heaven after he rebelled) who is waging war in the earth realm with the devil and his subordinate fallen angels who were cast out of heaven along with him. Defeating them at every turn preparing the way for the Second Coming of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ to make an end to all spiritual rebellion against heaven. The writer of Hebrews now makes this point by again quoting another Psalm of King David who first Prophesied this fact, as it is written for us here, "From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool." (Hebrews 10:13) (KJV). Christ Jesus sits at the Right Hand of God the Father awaiting the precise moment (according to the Father's will) when His return to the earth realm will occur precisely as it is written with these words, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mark 24:29-31) (KJV). The English word 'expecting' is translated by the Greek word ekdechomai meaning to accept from some source, that is, (by implication) to await: - expect, look (tarry) for, wait (for). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:13, "He waits there until this shall be accomplished according to the promise made to Him that all things shall be subdued under Him. There is an allusion here to Psalms 110:1, where it is said, 'The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit Thou at My Right Hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.' The enemies of the Redeemer are Satan, the wicked of the earth, and all the evil passions of the heart. The idea is, that all things are yet to be made subject to His will - either by a cheerful and cordial submission to His authority, or by being crushed beneath His power. The Redeemer, having performed His great work of redemption by giving Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross, is represented now as calmly waiting until this glorious triumph is achieved, and this promise is fulfilled. We are not to suppose that He is inactive, or that He takes no share in the agency by which this is to be done. but the meaning is, that He looks to the certain fulfillment of the promise. That is, they shall be thoroughly and completely subdued. The same idea is expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:25, by saying that all His enemies shall be put under His feet. The language arose from the custom of conquerors in putting their feet on the necks of their enemies, as a symbol of subjection."

Jesus Christ and His willing offering up Himself as our substitute having the wrath of God poured out on Him in my place for my sin that He had and has no part in whatsoever, in doing so has made full and complete reconciliation for me with God the Father and has now made me a citizen of heaven. So, we now find the writer of Hebrews making this statement to the then newly converted Hebrew saints and to all we saints in every era and generation throughout time, "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14) (KJV). The little English phrase 'He hath perfected' is translated by the Greek word teleioō meaning to complete, that is, (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character): - consecrate, finish, fulfil, (make) perfect. In other words, the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ has done everything that there is in making us acceptable to God the Father by covering all our sin by His Blood (past, present, and future sin) before the Throne in Heaven. Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say about we Christians being perfected and sanctified, "In the preceding sentence there is another ‘for ever,’ which refers to the sacrifice of Christ, and declares its perpetual efficacy. It is one, the world’s sins are many, but the single sacrifice is more than all of them. It is a past act, but its consequences are eternal, and flow down through all the ages. The text explains wherein consists the perpetual efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice, and the reason why it needs no repetition while the world lasts. It endures for ever, because it has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Now, in looking at these words, two things are noteworthy. One is the double designation here of the persons whom Christ influences by His offering, in that they are ‘perfected,’ and in that they are ‘sanctified.’ Another is the double aspect of our Lord’s work here set forth in regard to time, in that it is, in the first part of the sentence, spoken of as a past act whose consequences endure - ‘He hath perfected’ - and in the latter part of our text, according to the accurate rendering, it is spoken of as continuous and progressive, as yet incomplete and going on to perfection- For the text ought to read - ‘He hath perfected for ever them that are being sanctified.’ So there you have these two things, the double view of what Christ does, ‘perfects’ and ‘sanctifies,’ and the double view of His ‘work, in that in one aspect it is past and complete, and in another aspect it is running on, continuous, and as yet unfinished."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 101

 The Death of Christ Jesus Perfects the Saints Part 1

Hebrews 10:11-12 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this Man, after He had offered One sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the Right Hand of God; KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

The previous verse written to us by this author of the letter to the Hebrews declared to us that our Lord Jesus Christ has made every sinner sanctified, (that is, set apart to God the Father as His now adopted sons and daughters)who has come to Him and believed on Him alone and trusted Him only for the forgiveness or the putting away of our sins once and for all in time and throughout eternity in heaven. So, we now find the writer of Hebrews first reminding us of how inadequate all of the Mosaic Law animal sacrifices were and then he begins again to reiterate for us the splendor, the superb, and the spectacular that was and is the One time sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sin of the human race. First, the reminder of the Old Covenant failure with these words, "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:" (Hebrews 10:11) (KJV). The emphasis on the frequent and many times offering of animal sacrifices paints a picture of a tiresome works based religion that left many of the Hebrew/Jewish offerers still feeling mentally weary and unsatisfied. God the Father knew that this Old system would not bring into the inner man or inner woman the peace and the relief that the guilt of their sin had been removed or 'taken away' and again this little English phrase is translated by the Greek word periaireō meaning to remove all around, that is, unveil, cast off (anchor); figuratively to expiate: - take away (up). God the Father designed this system to be their/our teacher to lead them/us to the Messiah Jesus Christ, as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul with these words in the New Testament, "Does the Law disagree with God's promises? No, it doesn't! If any law could give life to us, we could become acceptable to God by obeying that law. But the Scriptures say that sin controls everyone, so that God's promises will be for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ. The Law controlled us and kept us under its power until the time came when we would have faith. In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was supposed to teach us until we had faith and were acceptable to God. But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher. All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:21-26) (CEV). Here is what the JFB Commentary had to say of Hebrews 10:11, "A new point of contrast; the frequent repetition of the sacrifices. The oldest manuscripts read, 'high priest.' Though he did not in person stand 'daily' offering sacrifices, he did so by the subordinate priests of whom, as well as of all Israel, he was the representative head. So 'daily' is applied to the high priests (Hebrews 7:27). The attitude of one ministering; in contrast to 'sat down on the right hand of God,' Hebrews 10:12, said of Christ; the posture of one being ministered to as a king. Greek, 'the which,' that is, of such a kind as. Utterly; literally, 'strip off all round.' Legal sacrifices might, in part, produce the sense of forgiveness, yet scarcely even that (see on Hebrews 10:4); but entirely to strip off one's guilt they never could."

The Contrast of the Man Christ Jesus as High Priest to the Hebrew high priest is made here next by the writer of Hebrews because it was indeed the human body of God the Son that was sacrificed for the sin of the world once and for all time and eternity. Though Jesus Christ was fully Man and fully God at the same time, He as God could and can never die, therefore, He willingly humbled Himself and placed Himself into humanity by becoming the same as His brethren and allowing His human body to be killed, as it is written with these words, "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross." (Philippians 2:8) (KJV), and also as it was written here by the writer of Hebrews earlier with these words, "Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17) (KJV). So, now we find the writer of Hebrews declaring these words next here in Chapter 10, "But this Man, after He had offered One sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the Right Hand of God;" (Hebrews 10:12) (KJV). Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of Hebrews 10:12, "Mark the strong words which immediately precede the last clause of my text. 'This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.' The writer has just been arguing that all Jewish sacrifice, which he regarded as being of divine-appointment, was inadequate, and derived its whole importance from being a prophetic shadow of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And he points, first, in proof of his thesis, to the entire disparity of the two things - the taking away of sin, and the blood of bulls and of goats. And then he adds a subsidiary consideration, saying in effect, The very fact that day after day the sacrifices are continued, shows that they had no power to do the thing for which they were offered - viz. 'to quiet consciences.' For, if the consciences were quieted, then the sacrifice would cease to be offered. And so he draws a sharp contrast between the priests who stand daily ministering and 'offering oftentimes the same sacrifice,' which by their very repetition are demonstrated to be inadequate to effect their purpose, and Jesus. Instead of these priests standing, offering, and doing over and over again their impotent sacrifices, 'this Man' offered His once. That was enough, and for ever. And the token that the one sacrifice was adequate, really could take away sin, would never, through all the rolling ages of the world's history, lose its efficacy, lies here-He sits at the right hand of God. Brethren, in that session, which the Lord Himself commanded us to believe, is the divine answer and endorsement of the triumphant cry upon the Cross, 'It is finished,' and it is God's last, loudest, and ever- reverberating proclamation to all the world, in all its generations, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…








 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 100

 The Death of Christ Jesus Fulfilled the Will of God Part 2

Hebrews 10:9-10 Then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all. KJV

Every Word of Scripture is influential, impeccable, and important, however, when we find certain things repeated often in the Word of God, this means that we are receiving something that we should listen to very carefully and prayerfully understand its meaning to us as a member of Christ Body the Church collectively, but also individually. The fact that the writer of Hebrews has quoted the words of King David in Psalms 40:7-8 several times for us in this Chapter thus far leads us to come to the conclusion that God the Father wants us to understand how very significant the sacrifice of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ was and is and always will be for every human being, therefore, we read these words from the writer of Hebrews once again, "Then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second." (Hebrews 10:9) (KJV). Also, how significant it was and is to instituting the satisfying of the Justice of God the Father with every human being that receives Christ as Lord and Savior, but also in satisfying His Justice of removing all other human beings who resist, refuse, and reject Jesus Christ from His presence forever in hell and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15). The Lord Jesus Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice for humanities sin. The old legal system of animal sacrifices has now been removed by the Once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and this is exactly why the writer of Hebrews says, 'He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.' The first meaning the 'Old Testament or Covenant' and the second meaning the 'New Testament or Covenant'. The little English phrase 'taketh away' is translated by the Greek word anaireō meaning to remove all around; cast off; expiate or put an end to or to abolish. The Old Testament is just that 'old' and abolished by God the Father through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, the Christian should use the Old Testament as learning from the experiences of the Hebrew/Jewish people in order to give us a better understanding of what we should and should not do in our walk with God during this new dispensation of the New Testament and we should spend the majority of our time in prayerful studying of the New Testament which in actuality is found in the Book of Romans through the Book of Jude. There are literally hundreds of commandments given to the 'child of God' throughout these Books, far over the 10 Commandments. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 10:9, "The sense is, either that God has taken away, and abolished the law, that He might establish the Gospel; or He has caused the first covenant to vanish away, that place might be found for the second, or new covenant; or He has changed and abrogated the priesthood of Aaron, that He might confirm the unchangeable priesthood of Christ; or rather He has taken away that which was first spoken of in the above citation, namely, sacrifice, offering, burnt offerings, and sin offerings; these He has removed and rejected as insignificant and useless, that He might establish what is mentioned in the second place; namely, the will of God, which is no other than the sacrifice of Christ, offered up according to the will of God, and by which His will is done."

Finally, the writer of Hebrews concludes his discourse on the death of our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilling the will of God by declaring to the then Hebrew converts to Christ and to we converts to Christ today and in every era and generation what His sacrificial death for each one of us individually who have received Him by way of the 'new birth' means for each one of us with these words, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10) (KJV). The important word (for us) in this verse is 'sanctified' which is translated by the Greek word hagiazō meaning to make holy, that is, (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate: - sanctify or set apart. Salvation through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior when we believe upon Him, as it is written for us with these words by the Apostle Paul, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) (KJV), sanctifies each one of us who belong to Him and removes the guilt incurred by our sin and seperation from God before our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what John Wesley said of Hebrews 10:10, "By which will - Of God, done and suffered by Christ. We are sanctified - Cleansed from guilt, and consecrated to God." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:10, "That is, by His obeying God in the manner specified. It is in virtue of His obedience that we are sanctified. The Apostle immediately specifies what he means, and furnishes the key to his whole argument, when he says that it was 'through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.' It was not merely His doing the will of God in general, but it was the specific thing of offering His Body in the place of the Jewish sacrifices; compare Philippians 2:8. Whatever part His personal obedience had in our salvation, yet the particular thing here specified is, that it was His doing the will of God by offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin that was the means of our sanctification. We are made holy. The word here is not confined to the specific work which is commonly called sanctification - or the process of making the soul holy after it is renewed, but it includes everything by which we are made holy in the sight of God. It embraces, therefore, justification and regeneration as well as what is commonly known as sanctification. The idea is, that whatever there is in our hearts which is holy, or whatever influences are brought to bear upon us to make us holy, is all to be traced to the fact that the Redeemer became obedient unto death, and was willing to offer His Body as a sacrifice for sin. As a sacrifice. A Body just adapted to such a purpose had been prepared for Him; Hebrews 10:5. It was perfectly holy; it was so organized as to be keenly sensitive to suffering; it was the dwelling-place of the incarnate Deity. In the sense that it is not to be offered again; Hebrews 9:28. This ideals repeated here because it was very important to be clearly understood in order to show the contrast between the offering made by Christ, and those made under the Law. The object of the Apostle is to exalt the sacrifice made by Him above those made by the Jewish high priests. This he does by showing that such was the efficacy of the atonement made by Him that it did not need to be repeated; the sacrifices made by them, however, were to be renewed every year."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 99

 The Death of Christ Jesus Fulfilled the Will of God Part 1

Hebrews 10:5-8 Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; KJV

Over these many centuries that have gone by since the supernatural birth and the sinless life and the sacrificial death of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ there has been continuous debate, discussion, and deliberation on what makes up the will of God. The will of God is in fact the desire, the decree, and the demands of God in His entire Creation, for He did not make things to haphazardly function, however, when the first man created (Adam) disobeyed the command of God, then all of humanity was plunged into sin and born with a sin nature that is completely corrupt and cannot be changed or fixed. Also Adams disobedience changed the animal world causing some animals to eat other animals to survive, likewise even the physical world was twisted by Adam's sin causing hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and all other so called natural disasters (Romans 8:22). The will of God is to restore all things back to His initial desire before the first man sinned by sending the Second Man Jesus Christ to fulfill, accomplish, and satisfy His will for Mankind on the earth, as it is written for us here by the writer of Hebrews with these words, "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure." (Hebrews 10:5-6) (KJV). This is taken from the Psalm of King David Psalms 40:6-8. These words express the desire of Christ Jesus our Lord to willingly make Himself even lower than the creatures He created in order to restore all things back to there original design, as it was written for us earlier in this same book with these words, "Thou madest Him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst Him with glory and honour, and didst set Him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the Grace of God should taste death for every man." (Hebrews 2:7-9) (KJV).

Here is what Vincent's Word Studies had to say of Hebrews 10:5, "Confirming the assertion of Hebrews 10:4 by a citation, Psalms 40:7-9, the theme of which is that deliverance from sin is not obtained by animal sacrifices, but by fulfilling God's will. The quotation does not agree with either the Hebrew or the lxx, and the Hebrew and lxx do not agree. The writer supposes the words to be spoken by Messiah when He enters the world as Savior. The obedience to the Divine will, which the Psalmist contrasts with sacrifices, our writer makes to consist in Christ's offering once for all. According to him, the course of thought in the Psalm is as follows: 'Thou, O God, desirest not the sacrifice of beasts, but thou hast prepared my body as a single sacrifice, and so I come to do Thy will, as was predicted of Me, by the sacrifice of Myself.' Christ did not yield to God's will as authoritative constraint. The constraint lay in His own eternal spirit. His sacrifice was no less His own will than God's will." Here is what the JFB Commentary had to say of Hebrews 10:6, "As if these could in themselves atone for sin: God had pleasure in (Greek, 'approved,' or 'was well pleased with') them, in so far as they were an act of obedience to His positive command under the Old Testament, but not as having an intrinsic efficacy such as Christ's sacrifice had." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:6, "The idea is, that God had no pleasure in them as compared with obedience. He preferred the latter, and they could not be made to come in the place of it, or to answer the same purpose. When they were performed with a pure heart, He was doubtless pleased with the offering. As used here in reference to the Messiah, the meaning is, that they would not be what was required of 'Him.' Such offerings would not answer the end for which He was sent into the world, for that end was to be accomplished only by His being 'obedient unto death.'" Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:6, "There was a time fixed and foretold by the Great God, and that time had now come, when these legal sacrifices would be no longer accepted by Him nor useful to men. God never did desire them for themselves, and now He abrogated them; and therefore to adhere to them now would be resisting God and rejecting Him. This time of the repeal of the Levitical laws was foretold by David (Psalms 40:6-7), and is recited here as now come. Thus industriously does the Apostle lay low the Mosaical dispensation."

Next the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that all the Hebrew animal sacrifices made to Him (God the Father) were done out of necessity for them, that is, for humanity to go on living despite their sin debt still being unreedemed to His satisfaction, but the Lord Jesus Christ came to do what the other sacrifices could never do, as it is written here in the next two verses, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;" (Hebrews 10:7-8) (KJV). The obedience of the Hebrew people to do the meal-offerings, the burnt-offerings, the sin-offerings and all the other animal sacrifices that He commanded of them in the Book of Leviticus was what satisfied God the Father, however, He never meant for those offerings for sin to satisfy His ultimate justice between He and humanity, this was only going to be accomplished by the death, buriel, and resurrection from the dead of the Messiah when He came to the earth. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:7-8, "From the purpose and promise of God concerning Christ, which are frequently recorded in the volume of the Book of God, Hebrews 10:7. God had not only decreed, but declared by Moses and the Prophets, that Christ should come and be the Great High Priest of the Church, and should offer up a perfect and a perfecting sacrifice. It was written of Christ, in the beginning of the Book of God, that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head; and the Old Testament abounds with prophecies concerning Christ. Now since He is the person so often promised, so much spoken of, so long expected by the people of God, He ought to be received with great honour and gratitude. From what God had done in preparing a Body for Christ (that is, a human nature), that He might be qualified to be our Redeemer and Advocate; uniting the two natures in His own person, He was a fit Mediator to go between God and man; a days-man to lay His hand upon both, a peace-maker, to reconcile them, and an everlasting band of union between God and the creature - 'My ears hast Thou opened; Thou has fully instructed Me, furnished and fitted Me for the work, and engaged Me in it,' Psalms 40:6. Now a Saviour thus provided, and prepared by God Himself in so extraordinary a manner, ought to be received with great affection and gladness. From the readiness and willingness that Christ discovered to engage in this work, when no other sacrifice would be accepted, Hebrews 10:8. When no less sacrifice would be a proper satisfaction to the justice of God than that of Christ Himself, then Christ voluntarily came into it: 'Lo, I come! I delight to do thy will, O God! Let thy curse fall upon Me, but let these go their way. Father, I delight to fulfil Thy counsels, and My covenant with Thee for them; I delight to perform all Thy promises, to fulfil all the prophecies.' This should endear Christ and our Bibles to us, that in Christ we have the fulfilling of the Scriptures."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 98

 All of the Hebrew/Jewish Animal Sacrifices were Inferior Part 2

Hebrews 10:2-4 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. KJV

The writer of Hebrews now further shows how inadequate those yearly animal sacrifices made by the Hebrew/Jewish high priest for his own sins first and then for the sins of the Hebrew people really were with these very next words here, "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." (Hebrews 10:2) (KJV). The English word 'purged' is translated by the Greek word kathairō meaning to cleanse, that is, (specifically) to prune; figuratively to expiate, that is, to atone for or to make amends for or to make up for, compensate or make reparation for wrongdoing or causing offence: - purge. The English word 'conscience' is translated by the Greek word suneidēsis which means co-perception, that is, moral consciousness: - conscience; having knowledge of or with knowledge or knowingness. In other words, the Hebrew high priest would have ceased to make their annual sacrifices for their own sins if they had knowledge within their own consciences that their sins had been removed or made invisible before the Throne of God the Father. We see the inferiority of those Hebrew high priest making those sacrifices for their own sins continually verses our Lord Jesus Christ (who knew no sin), as it is written, "For He (God the Father) hath made Him (God the Son Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) (KJV) making a One Time sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 7:27) for the sins of all who would come to Him in repentance and faith. Let us recall these words from the Prophet Isaiah, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isaiah 43:25) (KJV) and this verse as well, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee." (Hebrews 44:22) (KJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 10:2, "Had they made an effectual reconciliation for the sins of the world, and contained in their once offering a plenitude of permanent merit, they would have ceased to be offered, at least in reference to any individual who had once offered them; because, in such a case, his conscience would be satisfied that its guilt had been taken away. But no Jew pretended to believe that even the annual atonement cancelled his sin before God; yet he continued to make his offerings, the law of God having so enjoined, because these sacrifices pointed out that which was to come. They were offered, therefore, not in consideration of their own efficacy, but as referring to Christ."  

Now the writer of Hebrews points out that those very public annual sacrifices for the sins of the Hebrew people and for himself at the end of every year (Leviticus 16:34) made it clear that the sins of the people had not been purged or cleaned for their own consciences, as it is written here, "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year." (Hebrews 10:3) (KJV). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:3, "The reference here is to the sacrifices made on the great day of atonement. This occurred once in a year. Of course as often as a sacrifice was offered, it was an acknowledgment of guilt on the part of those for whom it was made. As these sacrifices continued to be offered every year, they who made the offering were reminded of their guilt and their desert of punishment. All the efficacy which could be pretended to belong those sacrifices, was that they made expiation for the past year. Their efficacy did not extend into the future, nor did it embrace any but those who were engaged in offering them. These sacrifices, therefore, could not make the atonement which man needed. They could not make the conscience easy; they could not be regarded as a sufficient expiation for the time to come, so that the sinner at any time could plead an offering which was already made as a ground of pardon, and they could not meet the wants of all people in all lands and at all times. These things are to be found only in that great sacrifice made by the Redeemer on the Cross." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:3, "But this was not the case; after one day of atonement was over, the sinner would fall again into one fault or another, and so there would be need of another day of atonement, and of one every year, besides the daily ministrations. Whereas now, under the Gospel, the atonement is perfect, and not to be repeated; and the sinner, once pardoned, is ever pardoned as to his state, and only needs to renew his repentance and faith, that he may have a comfortable sense of a continued pardon."

Next the writer points out how the sacrificing of animals were never meant to remove the sinners sin, but it was instituted by God the Father in order to prepare the Hebrew people for the coming of the Messiah our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, therefore, we find these words written here in verse 4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." (Hebrews 10:4) (KJV). The little English phrase 'should take away' is translated by the Greek word aphaireō meaning to remove (literally or figuratively). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:4, "As the legal sacrifices did not of themselves take away sin, so it was impossible they should, Hebrews 10:4. There was an essential defect in them. 1. They were not of the same nature with us who sinned. 2. They were not of sufficient value to make satisfaction for the affronts offered to the justice and government of God. They were not of the same nature that offended, and so could not be suitable. Much less were they of the same nature that was offended; and nothing less than the nature that was offended could make the sacrifice a full satisfaction for the offence. 3. The beasts offered up under the law could not consent to put themselves in the sinner's room and place. The atoning sacrifice must be One capable of consenting, and must voluntarily substitute Himself in the sinner's stead: Christ did so. There was a time fixed and foretold by the great God, and that time had now come, when these legal sacrifices would be no longer accepted by Him nor useful to men. God never did desire them for themselves, and now He abrogated them; and therefore to adhere to them now would be resisting God and rejecting Him."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…