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…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 97

 All of the Hebrew/Jewish Animal Sacrifices were Inferior Part 1

Hebrews 10:1 For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near. MKJV Note: MKJV=Modern King James Version

The Hebrew/Jewish people before the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ lived under a legal system that demanded strict adherance to the Mosaic Law which included the Ten Commandments as well as all the rules of religious observance given in the first five books of the Old Testament (in Judaism these books are called the Torah). The writer of Hebrews here declares that all the observances and many animal sacrifices for sin were but a shadow of the good things that were to come during the Gospel of Grace reign following the death, buriel, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ back to heaven, as it is written here in the very first verse, "For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer  continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near." (Hebrews 10:1) (MKJV). The little English phrase 'a shadow' is translated by the Greek word skia meaning 'shade; or a shadow (literally or figuratively [darkness of error or an adumbration, that is, the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand and a sketchy, imperfect or faint representation]): - shadow. In other words, God the Father knew that it would take many centuries to prepare His people the Hebrew people and the rest of the Gentile world for the era or reign of the Gospel dispensation, therefore, He knew that what they needed during that waiting period was a regimented or organized or strictly controlled set of patterns, procedures, and practices that were to be kept to the letter because there would be no grace upon or in the hearts of sinful men and women during that period of time, again as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul with these words, "So that the Law has become a trainer of us until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer." (Galatians 3:24-25) (MKJV). The Law was then for the Hebrew people and now Hebrew and Gentiles alike a trainer, a testament, or a teacher that always and at all times rendered evidence that it could not be kept by any person Hebrew or Gentile, therefore, we see that this was done by God the Father to show all humanity how deficient, debased, and depraved each and every one of us in the human family truly are and that we need something (grace) and Someone (Jesus Christ) to stand up for us (1 John 2:1) and make us acceptable to God the Father which none can do without grace and without the Dispenser of grace Christ Jesus our Lord. When the writer declares these words, 'they are never able to perfect those drawing near', he means that all of those who worshipped God under the Mosaic dispensation with all their animal sacrifices were never able to clear, clean, or cleanse the conscience of shame, that is, the painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt of their sin, but the Blood of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ can wipe away all shame and remove the guilt from our conscience when we flunk, fall, and fail in sin and weakness during our sojourn on the earth, as we are reminded by the words of the Apostle John, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." (1 John 1:8-10) (MKJV).

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:1, "That is, the whole of the Mosaic economy was a shadow; for so the word 'Law' is often used. The word 'shadow' here refers to a rough outline of anything, a mere sketch, such as a carpenter draws with a piece of chalk, or such as an artist delineates when he is about to make a picture. He sketches an outline of the object which he designs to draw, which has 'some' resemblance to it, but is not the 'very image;' for it is not yet complete. The words rendered 'the very image' refer to a painting or statue which is finished, where every part is an exact copy of the original. The 'good things to come' here refer to the future blessings which would be conferred on man by the Gospel. The idea is, that under the ancient sacrifices there was an imperfect representation; a dim outline of the blessings which the Gospel would impart to people. They were a typical representation; they were not such that it could be pretended that they would answer the purpose of the things themselves which they were to represent, and would make those who offered them perfect. Such a rude outline; such a mere sketch, or imperfect delineation, could no more answer the purpose of saving the soul than the rough sketch which an architect makes would answer the purpose of a house, or than the first outline which a painter draws would answer the purpose of a perfect and finished portrait. All that could be done by either would be to convey some distant and obscure idea of what the house or the picture might be, and this was all that was done by the Law of Moses. The sacrifices here particularly referred to were those which were offered on the great day of atonement. These were regarded as the most sacred and efficacious of all, and yet the Apostle says that the very fact that they were offered every year showed that there must be some deficiency about them, or they would have ceased to be offered. They could not free them from the stains of guilt; they could not give ease to a troubled conscience; there was in them no efficacy by which sin could be put away."

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 96

 The Amazing Greatness of Jesus Christ's Sacrifice Part 5

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

The writer of Hebrews now concludes his discourse of the one time offering of the Blood of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ for our sins with these words in the final verse of this Chapter 9 of Hebrews, "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28) (KJV). The little English phrase 'to bear' is translated by the Greek word anapherō meaning to take up (literally or figuratively): - bear, bring, carry up, offer up. In other words, when Christ died on the Cross, then resurrected from the dead, then ascended back to heaven, He took His Blood with the sins of humanity marinated, mixed, and mingled in with His Blood offering to God the Father and placed it on The Mercy Seat in heaven, therefore, when a sinner like me or you come to Him in repentance and faith believing/trusting that His sacrafice alone is the remedy for all our sins, then we are saved, as it is written, "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, 'Jesus is Lord,' and if you believe with all your heart that God raised Him from death." (Romans 10:9) (CEV). The English phrase 'unto them that look for Him' is translated by the Greek word apekdechomai meaning to expect fully: - look (wait) for. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Church this very meaning when he said these words, "But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and He will make these poor bodies of ours like His own glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21) (CEV). The English word 'salvation' is translated by the Greek word sōtēria meaning rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving. The salvation of every sinner that turns to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin is done in a threefold process (3), for at the very moment the 'new birth' (John 3:3-8) the sinner is saved and immediately becomes a 'new creature or creation in Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:17), however, while he or she remains down here on the earth in their house/tent/body they/we are being saved as we 'walk by faith and not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7) during whatever time we are given here on the earth to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as we pilgrim and sojourn our way home to heaven.

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 9:28, "As man dies but once, Christ was offered but once, or He suffered and died but once; and that was not on His own account, or for His own sins, 'but to bear the sins of many': not of angels but of men, and these not a few, but 'many'; which is said to magnify the grace of God, to exalt the satisfaction and righteousness of Christ, and to encourage souls to hope in Him: hence many are brought to believe in Him, and many are justified by Him, have their sins forgiven them, and are glorified; though Christ bore not the sins of all men; for as all men have not faith, all are not justified, pardoned, and saved: what He bore were 'sins'; all kind of sin, every act of sin, and all that belongs to it; its filth, guilt, and punishment, even the iniquity of all His people; which must be a prodigious weight, and that which nothing could be more nauseous: His bearing them supposes they were upon Him, though not in Him, imputed, though not inherent; that He did not sink under them; that He made an entire satisfaction for them, and bore them wholly away, both from the persons of His people, and from the sight of justice. The way in which He came to bear them was this; He became a surety for all the elect; His Father imputed to Him all their sins, and He voluntarily took them upon Himself; where justice found them, and demanded satisfaction of Him for them, and He gave it; which is an instance both of His great love, and of His great strength: and unto them that look for Him: with affection, faith and patience: shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation; this is to be understood of Christ's visible and personal appearance on earth, which will be a glorious one; He will appear in His own glory, and in His Father's glory, and in the glory of the holy angels, and in the glory of His power, to the joy of saints, and to the terror of the wicked; for every eye shall see Him: and this is said to be 'the second time'; that is, that He appears on earth, and personally; for though He often appears to His people, it is in a spiritual way; and though He appeared to Stephen and to Paul, yet not on earth, but in heaven; and this is called the second time, with reference to His first appearance in human nature at His incarnation, and after that He ascended to heaven; and as this will be the second, it will be the last: the manner in which He will appear, will be, 'without sin'; without sin itself; without any thing like it: without any infirmities, which though not sinful are the effects of sin; without sin imputed to Him, with which He appeared before; without being a sacrifice for sin; and without sin upon His people that come with Him, or He shall meet whom He shall raise, or change, and take to Himself: and the end of His appearance with respect to them, will be 'unto salvation'; the end of His first appearance was to obtain salvation for His people, and He has obtained it, and there is a comfortable application of it made unto them by the Spirit of God; but the full possession of it will be hereafter, and into this will Christ put them, when He shall appear."

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…