Hebrews 10 Temple Sacrifices

Another common passage that is used to prove that one can lose salvation is in Hebrews 10.  First consider Hebrews 10:14:

¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

What does it mean: perfected forever, that are sanctified?  It is not just 5 minutes or until I decide otherwise.  It is forever.  And how has God done this?  By one offering, no other offering is necessary.

As Hebrews 10 is discussed, keep in mind Hebrews 10:23.

²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Why should one have to hold fast that profession of faith?  Simply because God is faithful.  It is not hold fast, because if one does not they are going to get it.  It is God’s faithfulness, that is why believers are to hold fast.  It is not us, it is God.  Keep this in mind.

Now for the passage, Hebrews 10:26-31.

²⁶For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, ²⁷But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ²⁸He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: ²⁹Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. ³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Wow!  People tell us if one sins, they are lost.  Or are we?

First of all, the writer of Hebrews states that there is going to be much sore punishment, Hebrews 10:29.

²⁹Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Remember Hebrews 10:14, these people were sanctified.

¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

How can people who are perfected forever, be brought into some kind of punishment?  The truth is God punishes His children when they do wrong.  However, there are those that teach about Hebrews 10:26, Messiah takes away His sacrifice.  It is like Messiah did not die for you at all.  For them that is all the proof they need.

²⁶For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Unfortunately, that is way out of context.  That belief does not consider the context and purpose of the Book of Hebrews.  The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers that were having a real problem, Hebrews 5:1.

¹For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

This is present tense.  Their problem was that the Temple was still standing.  Jewish believers in the 1^st Century were going through a lot of persecution from family and friends.  They were pointed at as being crazy.  They had forsaken the Jewish way of life for nonsense.  This is the context of Hebrews 10.  The writer of Hebrews was not telling believers that if one sins wilfully, Yeshua takes His blood away.  He was stating that there were no additional sacrifices required in the Temple.

Hebrews 10:1

¹For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Hebrews 10 has to be read this in context.  One should not read their own thoughts in to this book.

Yeshua did the only sacrifice, no more sacrifices period.  Especially no more sacrifices in the Temple were required.  It never made any one perfect anyways.  If one sins willfully there are no more sacrifice.  The writer is referring to Temple sacrifices are over and will not redeem anyone at this point.  Yeshua has done it all

Sure there were others offering in the temple.  However, as for the believer, it does not do any good.  Actually is did not do anything for the non-believer at this time.

The vail was ripped in half when Yeshua died for our sins.

The writer is asking, why are you going back to those empty things?  If one sins willfully, there are no animal sacrifices that will help.  The only thing one has now is 1 John 2:1-2.

¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua Messiah the righteous: ²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

If one is sanctified in Messiah Yeshua then Psalm 89:31-33 applies.

³¹If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;  ³²Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. ³³Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

And the judgment that is referred to in Hebrews 10:30:

³⁰For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Keep these words in mind, the Lord shall judge His people.  Hebrews 10 states vengeance belongs to me saith the Lord.  God shall judge His people.

 How does God do this?  1 Corinthians 11:30

 ³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Many believers were weak and sick because they commit sin.  Sleep refers to physical death.

1 Corinthians 11:31

 ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

We are to judge sin in our lives and repent.  If one does not judge sin, then what is our judgment?  Going to Hell?  No, it is 1 Corinthians 11:32.

³²But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We are not condemned with the world.  What we see in Hebrews 10 is God is going to judge his people.  It is fearful to fall into the hands of the living God.

But rather than teaching that you are lost.  This passage teaches:  about God’s discipline for his people and the sufficiency of the Final Sacrifice.

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