Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 says, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  If we are to live by faith, then we must understand what faith is.  Faith is the basis of what we hope for, the everlasting life with God when Christ returns to claim His followers.  Faith is not something that we can prove by sight.  If we must always see a positive outcome before we act, then that is not faith.  We cannot demand to know the outcome before we step out in faith.  We are to simply act knowing without a doubt that God is in charge no matter what happens.  Verse two adds, For by it the elders obtained a good report.  Living by faith was not a new concept, but it was through faith that the elders, those people of God who lived before Christ came, obtained a good report.  It was not their own goodness, nor their obedience to the law that gave them a good report, but it was their faith in God that did.  Verse three continues, Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.  We can never really prove that God, by His word alone, created the heavens and the earth.  This is the same with the creation of all life.  We may see a lot of evidence that points to a Creator, but we can only know the truth of a Creator through faith.  We do not have to prove God exists, but we simply have to accept Him by faith.  We cannot really prove that Christ died for our sins in earthly, scientific terms, but we can only accept the fact by faith.  Verse four states, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.  We might question why God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's, but it had to do with faith.  If we offer any sacrifice to God for any reason other than faith in Him, it will not be accepted.  We cannot buy God's grace but can only accept it in faith.  Verse five adds, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  Not many people can say they pleased God enough that they never died.  Just two that are mentioned in the Bible.  This does not mean that Enoch never sinned, but that he was totally dedicated to following God's will after he came to God through faith.  Verse six continues, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  Without faith in God, we cannot please God.  Works and sacrifices will never buy God's approval.  We can only please God by placing our faith in Christ.  Verse seven concludes, By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.  Noah was another person who found grace in the eyes of God.  Noah was not found faithful only after building the Ark but built the Ark because he was found faithful.  The gift of salvation through the grace of God will always come before doing works for God.  Works are an expression of our faith and not a means of obtaining favor with God.  The whole world may have thought Noah crazy, but he was faithful to God and built an Ark on dry land.

Hebrews 10:32

Hebrews 10:32 says, But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;  If we start to drift away from God, we need to remember life before we were illuminated, or saw the light of salvation through Christ.  We may endure all things through Christ Who gives us strength.  Before we accepted Christ, we were without hope, but through our faith in Him we have forgiveness and everlasting fellowship with God.  Verse thirty-three adds, Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.  Those in the early church were treated terribly.  They were laughed at and mocked at the best and beaten and killed at the worst.  Many times, this was done by those calling themselves God's people.  Those who were true followers of Christ identified with those suffering for their faith and had compassion on them.  We should be the same way today.  We should really be burdened by those who suffer for their faith in Christ.  Verse thirty-four continues, For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.  Those who were fellow followers of Christ had compassion on the writer, whether it was Paul or not, who was in bonds and joyfully accepted the loss of earthly possessions that were lost due to their faith in Christ.  They knew as should we, that they had a more enduring reward in heaven.  This is about as far from a prosperity gospel as we can get, but it is what God's word consistently proclaims.  Verse thirty-five states, Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  We should never lose our confidence in our salvation, no matter how bad things may get.  Verse thirty-six adds, For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  I believe that this is simply a call for us to be patient in our faith.  We will not receive the promise of God, of life without pain and struggling in this life, but we can be certain that it is coming if we have accepted the salvation of Christ.  Verse thirty-seven continues, For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Even if it is another two thousand years before Christ returns, it is but a little while when compared to eternity.  The reason Christ has not returned yet is because people are still being saved.  Verse thirty-eight says, Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  The just are to live by faith, never wavering in that faith.  If we do, God has no pleasure in us.  If we doubt when things go wrong and then believe when things start to go well again, what kind of faith is that?  We are to live by faith in the good times and the bad, and if anything, even more so in the bad.  Verse thirty-nine adds, But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.  I believe that those who draw back are those who were never really saved to start with.  Those who are truly followers of Christ will never be sent away from God.  We have an everlasting salvation.

Hebrews 10:28

Hebrews 10:28 says, He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  This is still addressed to those who wilfully sin under the grace of God.  Matthew Henry seems to say that this refers to those who only seem to accept Christ as Savior, but I believe it also applies to those who accept Christ and then willfully sin.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Of 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?  Under the law of Moses, when two or three witnessed against a person they were found guilty.  We are asked how much greater it will be for those who trodden underfoot the Son of God and counted His blood, or death, as an unholy thing.  Again, this can apply to those who totally reject Christ, but since this was addressed to the church, I believe that it also applies to Christians who willfully sin.  Matthew Henry applies this to those who claim to accept Christ, but do not really do so.  I believe that if we willfully sin after salvation, then we do count the blood of Christ as an unholy thing.  We do trod Christ underfoot, because we put self-will first.  Verse thirty continues, For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  Vengeance belongs to God, and He will judge His people.  Once more, if we have truly accepted Christ, we are saved by His sacrifice for us on the cross, but this says that God will judge His people.  We as followers of Christ have a great responsibility to put God first in our lives, and when we do not, we will be held accountable for our actions.  Verse thirty-one concludes, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  I believe that this means for the unsaved.  If we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, then God is a loving Father to us.  Still, if we have willfully sinned after accepting Christ, we will face a Father Who will deal with our sins.  We cannot live in disobedience presuming on the forgiveness of Christ.  For those who have not accepted Christ as Savior, much less Lord, it will truly be a fearful thing.

Hebrews 10:19

Hebrews 10:19 says, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,  We are given the right, the boldness, to enter into the holiest places of God by the blood of Jesus.  We cannot earn nor do we deserve this right, but through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are given the right.  We should live our lives in boldness through accepting this gift of salvation.  Verse twenty adds, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  The covenant that we have through Christ is a new and living way, not separated from God by the veil of the temple.  We do not have to offer sacrifices in order to come into the presence of God.  As followers of Christ, through the Holy Spirit living in us, we are continually in the presence of God.  Verse twenty-one continues, And having an high priest over the house of God;  We have an eternal high Priest Who reigns over the house of God.  This does not signify a particular place but refers to the life of each individual believer.  As followers of Christ, we are the house of God.  Verse twenty-two states, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  We can approach God with a heart full of assurance because of our faith in Christ.  We have been made pure by the blood of Christ.  Verse twenty-three adds, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  Once we have accepted Christ as our Savoir, we need to hold fast to Him as Lord of our lives.  We should never waiver in our faith.  If we have truly accepted Christ as our Savior, we are forever saved.  Verse twenty-four continues, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  We usually consider provoking to be a bad thing, but we are called to provoke, or to prompt or urge, each other to love and good works.  Love is not some uncontrollable emotion, but a choice.  Sometimes it may be harder to provoke this love than at other times, but we are called to love all our neighbors.  Verse twenty-five declares, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  We are to gather together to worship God and exhort one another.  We are to do so more as the time for the return of Christ grows nearer, as it does each day.  Verse twenty-six adds, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  I don't believe that this means that we lose our salvation, but we will be held accountable for willful sins committed after we are saved.  Verse twenty-seven continues, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  This is still speaking of willfully sinning after we are saved.  There will be a fiery indignation on God's part.  Salvation will never give us the freedom to sin without consequences just because our sins are already forgiven.

Hebrews 10:7

Hebrews 10:7 says, Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.  The coming of Christ was not some new concept but had been foretold since the fall of Adam and Eve.  Christ came as a man to do God's will and to fulfill the law given to Moses.  Verse eight adds, 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;  The law of God and the offerings and sacrifices of His people never brought God pleasure, because they were never able to restore people to God.  God set the standard, which was total obedience, and no one except Jesus Christ ever lived up to that standard.  Verse nine continues, Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  Christ came to do God's will and live in total obedience to God's law.  Christ proved that it was possible for a person to live up to the requirements of the law of God, but no one else, before or since, ever has.  Christ fulfilled the old covenant and issued in the new covenant.  Verse ten states, By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  We can only be sanctified, or made right in the eyes of God, through Christ and His sacrifice.  Christ died once, and His death was for the salvation of all who will accept His sacrifice through faith.  We do not have to offer a daily or weekly or yearly sacrifice for our sins.  Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice.  Verse eleven adds, And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:  We could stand daily offering sacrifices as could the priests, but they can never take away our sins.  Only a personal relationship with Christ can do that.  Verse twelve continues, But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;  Christ completed His redemptive work once and for all, and is now seated at the right hand of God until it is time for Him to return and claim His church, those who accept Him as Savior and Lord.  Verse thirteen says, From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  When Christ returns, He will not come as a suffering Servant, but as a victorious King.  The enemies of God will be made Christ's footstool.  Verse fourteen adds, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  By the one offering, Christ crucified on the cross, we who accept Him as Savior and Lord, are made perfect.  Verse fifteen continues, Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,  As followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, showing us the truth of God's word.  Verse sixteen states, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  The Holy Spirit bears witness to this new covenant made through the death and resurrection of Christ.  Once we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord we are never spiritually on our own.  The Holy Spirit does not come and go in our lives but is with us every second of the day.  Verse seventeen adds, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  Because of the sacrifice of Christ, and a person's acceptance of that sacrifice, God will no longer remember that person's sins and inequities.  The slate is wiped clean.  Verse eighteen continues, Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.  The reason we don't need daily, or yearly sacrifices is because Christ died once for all sins.  This does not mean that we, as followers of Christ, do not need to confess our sins if we commit them after accepting Christ, but it means that we do not have to be saved again.

Hebrews 10:1

Hebrews 10:1 says, For 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.  The law of God, given to Moses, was but a shadow of salvation through Christ.  The law of God could never save anyone's unless they fulfilled all aspects of the law.  If people could be saved by the law, then there would be no need of a daily and yearly sacrifice, but this was never the case.  Verse two adds, For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.  This is a further pointing out of the temporary nature of man-made sacrifices.  They were done by the instruction of God, but they were never capable of bringing salvation.  If they could, then once they purged the sins of the people, they would no longer be necessary.  Verse three continues, But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.  The sacrifices made under the law of God were but a reminder that people were still under the power of sin and death.  These sacrifices were but a temporary reprieve and not an everlasting pardon.  Verse four declares, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.  The bulls and goats had no say in the matter of the sacrifice, nor were they equal to people.  Just as the blood of the bull and goat could not bring everlasting salvation, neither can the blood of anyone except Christ.  We cannot die to bring forgiveness to others or even to ourselves.  Verse five adds, Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:  Christ came to offer His body as a sacrifice for our sins.  Verse six continues, In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.  Burnt offerings and sacrifices were never intended to bring everlasting forgiveness.  They were to show the willingness of God's people to acknowledge their sins and ask His forgiveness.  Even this had become perverted as the religious leaders used these rituals to profit for themselves and to control others.  Salvation through Christ can never be controlled by anyone nor any group of people.  If any church claims to control the salvation of its members, then it is not being true to what God's word teaches.

Hebrews 9:18

Hebrews 9:18 says, Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.  The shedding of blood was a part of the old testament with God.  It was the blood of an animal that was shed in the place of those that it represented.  Verse nineteen adds, For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,  This sprinkling of the blood of calves and goats was symbolic of the shedding of the blood of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who was to come as an eternal sacrifice for the sins of all people.  We must remember that Christ died for all sins, but for anyone to claim His gift of forgiveness that person must believe in Him through faith.  Verse twenty continues, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.  The shedding of blood for a sacrifice to God was always a part of God's covenant with His people.  We are told that the wages of sin, any sin, is death.  We cannot die for our own sins but need a sacrifice instead.  Until the coming of Christ, this was an animal, which would have been without sin.  Only people are capable of sin, which is the wilful disobedience to the will of God.  Verse twenty-one states, Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.  Moses consecrated everything associated with the worship of God with blood.  When we come to Christ through faith in Him as Savior and Lord, He consecrates everything that we are to God.  Verse twenty-two adds, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.  Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins.  If we do not accept the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, then we cannot find remission for our sins.  Our own death, no matter how noble or heroic it might be, can never bring a remission of our sins.  Christ alone is the perfect sacrifice.  Verse twenty-three continues, It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  Those earthly things that represented heavenly things could be purified by the blood of calves and goats, but the real heavenly things required a better sacrifice.  Verse twenty-four declares, For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:  Christ, by His shedding of His blood on the cross, did not enter into an earthly holy place made by hands, but into a heavenly holy place made by God.  Verse twenty-five adds, Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;  This tells us that Christ is not a temporary sacrifice that has to be offered over and over again, like the yearly sacrifices of the earthly high priests.  Verse twenty-six continues, For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  If Christ had to sacrifice Himself yearly, He would have been doing it since the foundation of the world and would have to continue to do so.  Instead, Christ made a onetime sacrifice for us all sins for all time.  It is up to each individual to decide whether or not to accept that sacrifice.  Verse twenty-seven says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  This simply reminds us that everyone will die, until Christ returns, and then we face God's judgment.  After we die, or Christ returns, there is no changing our relationship to God.  Verse twenty-eight adds, 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.  Christ died for the salvation of all, but only those who accept Him by faith will share in that salvation.  It is truly sad the number of people who choose everlasting separation from God when He has already provided a way to everlasting redemption.