“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;…” (Hebrews 10:19-20).
This passage tells us that we may enter the holy place with boldness. He has spent a lot of time and space comparing the blood of animals with the blood of Jesus. He has shown us that the blood of animals was (is) ineffectual in remitting sins; he affirmed, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” He has also shown us that such blood was simply “carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.” But not so with the blood of Jesus! He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw nigh to Him through the cross. Earlier in chapter 10 the author showed that animal sacrifices were things God had no pleasure in (v. 8), and that God prepared a body for His Son so He could come and do the will of God. The offering of Jesus was the means through which man has been sanctified through the offering of His body, once for all (Hebrews 10:10); by one offering He has “perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). For Jewish Christians to return to the Law of Moses and hope for remission of sins through the blood of animals would be a tragic mistake. They would be turning their back on the genuine in lieu of a powerless copy of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Thus, with confidence in the power of Jesus’ blood, we must draw near with a “true heart in fulness of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). This is faith in the truth that Jesus, God’s Son, choose to be robed with flesh and “through death he might bring to naught him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, that he might deliver all them who fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). A heart with fulness of faith not only believes in the power of the blood of God’s Son, but equally has confidence in the sufficiency of that blood. Because He was “God in the flesh” our faith rests securely in His resurrection. He’s the only Being who has ever died and was raised to never die again. Through the power of that resurrection He proved that at the time the Father chooses, He will command that all the dead will hear His voice and come forth from the grave. And, so they (we) shall.
Not only are we to draw near with a pure heart which is full of faith, we also must draw near “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:21). Left unspoken is the object which is sprinkled upon our hearts, but which clearly is the blood of Jesus. This “cleansing” would be impossible without genuine repentance on man’s part preceding it. No sinner will enter into heaven without the “sprinkling” of Jesus’ blood (1 Peter 1:2).
We draw nigh boldly to the holy place because we have had our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22), a reference to water baptism. Through baptism our sins are remitted and we are saved (Acts 2:38; 22:16). The Scriptures abundantly teach the necessity of baptism, for through baptism we enter Christ (Galatians 3:27), His death (Romans 6:3-4), and enter His body or church (1 Corinthians 12:13). Water baptism is an act of faith, performed because Jesus commands us to be. Wise men may scoff at the necessity of baptism, but the Savior of the world (who made salvation possible for the whole human family), said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). It is impossible that a man believes Jesus if he does not believe His words!
Drawing near requires that we also hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not. He is faithful who promised (Hebrews 10:23). Because of our confidence in Christ’s Sonship and in His blood, and because we have followed His instructions as to how we may be cleansed, sanctified, redeemed, purchased, and saved, we have to be mindful of others who have the same faith and hope, and provoke one another to love and good works. True, faithful following of our Savior allows nothing less.
Jim McDonald