Letter to the Hebrews Volume 105

 Let Us Draw Near to God by the Blood of Jesus Part 2

Hebrews 10:21-22 And having an High Priest over the House of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. KJV

The author of Hebrews makes it clear to us that we should always have that 'boldness' he spoke of in verse 19 not because of any moxie, majesty, or merit of our own, but simply because we have such a magnificent, majestic, and mighty High Priest in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, as he writes here with these words, "And having an High Priest over the House of God;" (Hebrews 10:21) (KJV). When the writer of Hebrews here describes Christ Priesthood as being over the 'House of God', that meant during the time of the Old Testament the actual and literal Hebrew/Jewish Temple, that is, the building where the people gathered to worship God, however, after the death, burial, and resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ this reference in the New Testament to the House of God did not and does not mean a building, but instead it is the entire family of God, that is, every man, woman, and child that has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever (1 Peter 1:23). As it is written and declared for us by the Apostle Peter in his same first letter with these words, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17) (KJV) and also as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to brother Timothy with these words, "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:14-15) (KJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 10:21, "The House or Family of God is the Christian Church, or all true believers in the Lord Jesus. Over this Church, House, or Family, Christ is the High Priest - in their behalf He offers His own Blood, and their prayers and praises; and as the High Priest had the ordering of all things that appertained to the house and worship of God, so has Christ in the government of His Church. This government He never gave into other hands. As none can govern and preserve the world but God, so none can govern and save the Church but the Lord Jesus: He is over the House; He is its President; He instructs, protects, guides, feeds, defends, and saves the flock. Those who have such a President may well have confidence; for with Him is the fountain of life, and He has all power in the heavens and in the earth." Nothing but a complete Amen follows these words written by Adam Clarke. AMEN!!!

So, because we have such a Great High Priest in Christ Jesus our Lord we have this boldness to approach the Throne of God, just as described, declared, and delineated for us with these words by the author of Hebrews, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22) (KJV). The very first words in this passage 'Let us draw near' is translated by the Greek word proserchomai which means (as used here) to approach, that is, (literally) come near, visit, or (figuratively) worship, assent to. Literally, in heaven at this very moment the primary thing that is happening is the worship of Almighty God, as it is written and described for us by the Apostle John with these words, "The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11) (KJV). When the writer of Hebrews declares that we should draw near 'with a true heart' he means with a loyal heart or inner man or inner woman, that is, an inner man or inner woman with fealty or in other words, the loyalty that we as citizens of heaven owe to our Great High Priest and Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ as subjects in His Kingdom. Our allegiance must be to Him and to Him alone, that is, the first of the Ten Commandments as it is written with these words, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3) (KJV). The English phrase 'full assurance' is translated by the Greek word plērophoria which means entire confidence: - (full) assurance. This will be the result when we have no other gods but Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the Blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ that cleanses our conscience from guilt and keeps on cleansing us, that is, purging our sins from us and purifying us again as we draw near to Him in repentance and faith and in prayer and in praise and worship. Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 10:22, "Let us come with the Blood of our Sacrifice to the Throne of God: the expression is sacrificial. Deeply convinced of our need of help, and truly in earnest to obtain it. Being fully persuaded that God will accept us for the sake of His Son, and that the sacrificial death of Christ gives us full authority to expect every blessing we need. Having our hearts sprinkled - Not our bodies, as was the case among the Hebrews, when they had contracted any pollution, for they were to be sprinkled with the water of separation, but our hearts, sprinkled by the cleansing efficacy of the Blood of Christ, without which we cannot draw nigh to God. From an evil conscience - Having that deep sense of guilt which our conscience felt taken all away, and the peace and love of God shed abroad ill our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. Our bodies washed with pure water - The high priest, before he entered into the inner tabernacle, or put on his holy garments, was to wash his flesh in water, and the Levites were to be cleansed the same way. The Apostle probably alludes to this in what he says here, though it appears that he refers principally to baptisms, the washing by which was an emblem of the purification of the soul by the grace and Spirit of Christ; but it is most likely that it is to the Jewish baptisms, and not the Christian, that the Apostle alludes."

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…