Hebrews 10:11-18 NKJV – “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 [then He adds], “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, [there is] no longer an offering for sin.”
V11 “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” The priests are very active with their daily activities and ministries of serving God and His people. Every day sacrifices must be offered and offered repeatedly. Finally, the promised Passover Lamb (John 1:29 and 1 Corinthians 5:7) arrived at the perfect time and offered the perfect sacrifice. This one sacrifice was sufficient for all time.
V12 “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…” This Man refers to the Lord Jesus who offered up one sacrifice–Himself. Once completed (“it is finished”), He sat down at the right hand of God, the position of greatest honor.
V13 “…from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.” Note how the Lord Jesus must wait. He has been waiting for nearly 2,000 years, but the time of His return is coming quickly. “Enemies…footstool” means totally subjugated and defeated. The Second Coming is at the end of the Tribulation and prophesied in Zechariah 14:1-9.
V14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Perfected forever is justification (Romans 8:1 and Acts 13:39). Justification (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)” is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).” Sanctification is the process the Holy Spirit uses to transform, grow, disciple, and discipline us to be the type of people that honor God. We grow into maturity, a mature Christian faith and life. As one of the commentary versions translate: Ephesians 4:13 (GW) “This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard.”
V15 “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before…” How do I know that I a believer, is justified and being sanctified? We know by what the Scripture teaches (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:25, Romans 5:1, and Philippians 3:9 ), from out cleansed conscience (Hebrews 9:14 and Hebrews 10:22), and the assurance from a changed life (Isaiah 32:17 and Colossians 2:2). A change not done by our effort but God’s work.
V16 “…”This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them…” This quote is from Jeremiah 31:31-34. This covenant replaces the old covenant (Mosaic) because the old fails to accomplish a permanent forgiveness of sins and a cleared conscience. The whole work of having the New Covenant is because of Jesus Christ, who came as the High Priest (of the order of Melchizedek). The new High Priest then required a change in the Law from Mosaic to the New Covenant.
It is to Israel.
Because of the work of Jesus Christ, Gentiles, by faith, can also partake of the blessings of the New Covenant. This is the idea of Romans 11.
V17 “…then He adds], “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” This is total forgiveness. It does not mean that God’s memory is wiped out but that He will not bring up our past sins and punish us.
V18 “Now where there is remission of these, [there is] no longer an offering for sin.” Remission is the removal of sins. There is no further offerings for sin. Our future sins (the sins we commit tomorrow) are also forgiven, for all sins in the present were future when Jesus suffered for our sins on the cross.
We learn:
- Just as Jesus needed to surrender His life, we do also. See Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 13:15-16.
- The blessings of Jesus’s sacrifice. See Titus 2:14.
- Jesus’s death was a victory. See Colossians 2:14-15.
- Jesus is King of all kings (Revelation 17:14 and Zechariah 14:9) and is victorious over all His enemies. See Zechariah 14:3-4 and Zechariah 14:12-15.
- Jesus’s perfection of us believers. See Colossians 1:22 and Jude 1:24.
- God’s grace helping us to obey His laws (Law of Christ in Galatians 6;2). See 2 Corinthians 3:3.
- The perfect sacrifice has been offered, and we can rejoice forever if we believe the Gospel.