What does not suffice to-day will not satisfy the morrow. The sacrifice that does not remove sin the first time will not remove it the second time, nor the third, nor the fourth. It affords only a temporary passing over of sins; it must be repeated again and again. This was the imperfection of the law sacrifices; for "in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." Why not? Because that was not the real sacrifice, but a shadow of the good to come. The sacrifices being imperfect, those who were cleansed by them were not perfectly cleansed, and, therefore, could not gain access to God.

      The power and perfection of the sacrifice which Jesus brought stands out clearly by contrast. Here is no repetition. (See Heb. 9:24-26.) "Once at the end of the ages hath he been [120] manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Unlike the priests of the law, he did not "stand" day by day, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices the which can never take away sins; but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, "sat down." (Heb. 1:3.) That task was completed. The sacrifice being perfect, it answered its purpose perfectly, and rendered those who come under the efficacy of it perfect, as far as atonement and cleansing from sins are concerned. "Once for all"--that includes past and present; "forever" takes in all the future. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Therefore we have access to God, before whose consuming holiness no sin-defiled being can stand.

      The Holy Spirit also bears witness to us. The Spirit bears his witness in speech, words to be understood and believed. (John 16:13; Acts 4:25; Heb. 3:7.) What is the testimony of the Spirit on this point? He declares that in that new covenant God shall remember their sins and their iniquities no more. So there is no more need for a further sin offering. [121]

      Although God ordered the sacrifices of the old dispensation, and the observance of them was according to his will as then given, and formed the only means of even that distant approach to God that was granted to the worshipers of the old covenant, yet they never were any part of God's ultimate will and purpose. Just like the scaffolding is not the plan of the architect, so those gifts and sacrifices were only "imposed until a time of reformation." They were the stitching that loosely connected God with his people until the true work perfectly united them. The inspired men of old were often made to see the inefficiency of those sacrifices, even while they were still in force. (See, for instance, Ps. 51:16.) The words quoted in our lesson are from Ps. 40:6-8, and are prophetic of Jesus Christ. It was granted to him to take away the first "will" of God, that he might establish the second. The first will commanded the typical sacrifices. The second will, the true sacrifice, was brought by our Lord. The time had come. God willed no more of whole burnt offerings. Now, with what sacrifice shall Christ fulfill the will of God? "A body didst thou prepare for me." And what shall be done with that body? For what purpose was it given? [122] "To do thy will, O God." This sacrifice had a moral value. It was not the unwilling death of an unintelligent creature, but the willing obedience unto death of a free moral agent. Christ's death was only a part of that sacrifice. His blood stands simply for the end and perfection of a lifelong sacrifice. Christ's whole life was one continued act of obedience. (Rom. 5:18, 19.) He came by God's will (John 8:42); came to do God's will (John 6:38). He died for God's will. (John 10:18.) The freedom from physical blemishes required of the animal sacrifice found its antitype in the spiritual perfection of the Son of God, which, tested and proved and established in the temptations of his lifetime, made his death acceptable and truly efficacious as a sin offering. And this death marked the establishment of the true "will" of God. "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

      Those who are in Christ must share in the mind of Christ. (See Phil. 2:5-8.) In the manner above described Jesus dedicated the new and living way to God. To take that way (the only way), we must follow him. He leads us on the road of obedience and sacrifice unto God. [123] It must be with us, as with him, the motto of our lives that we have come to do God's will, not our own. As for him, so for us God has prepared a body, whose proper use is in the doing of God's will even unto death, not the gratification of its own lusts and desires. For "the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body: and God both raised the Lord, and will raise up us through his power. Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? . . . Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body." (1 Cor. 6:13-20.) If I am in Christ, I can say with Christ, "A body hast thou prepared for me." Far from this body being simply a clog and hindrance to me, it becomes the very instrument of God for doing God's work in the earth. (Rom. 6:13, 19.) My feet for hastening unto his work and worship, my hands to minister in his name, my eyes to look for him, my ears to hear for him, my head to think, my mouth to speak, my voice to sing--all my members and all my faculties for God: this is consecration, happiness, and salvation. "Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of me: I [124] delight to do your will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart."

      We pray thee, Holy Father, sanctify our bodies and spirits unto thy service, through the blood of Jesus, having washed us from all sin through the atonement of his perfect sacrifice. May we give day by day our body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our spiritual service. Inasmuch as we have been bought from the power of Satan, and sin, and darkness, and death, with a great price, set thou thy seal upon us; for we belong not to ourselves, but to thee. Work thou in us both to will and to work of thy good pleasure. Sanctify us wholly, and may our spirit and soul be preserved entire, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to thy faithful word. In Jesus' name. Amen.

      We now enter upon the second half of this Epistle, which is practical and hortatory, as the first half was chiefly doctrinal. Lesson 16 is Heb. 10:19-39. Note three divisions--verses 19-25; 26-31; 32-39. Find what each of these [125] three paragraphs specially treats on. Look at each verse in each paragraph, and note every statement. How shall we take advantage of our new privileges? What is that willful sin mentioned in the second paragraph? What evidence of faith in the Hebrews? (Verses 32-34.) What did they need now? Find a similar expression in Heb. 6. What is patience? [126]

[LOH1 119-126]