Stop exhausting yourself by trying to do what Christ has already done.
Hebrews 10:11-12 (NIV)
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 21: The Atonement
We believe
that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek—
made such by an oath—
and that he presented himself
in our name
before his Father,
to appease his wrath
with full satisfaction
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross
and pouring out his precious blood
for the cleansing of our sins,
as the prophets had predicted.
So he paid back
what he had not stolen,
and he suffered—
the “just for the unjust,”
in both his body and his soul—
in such a way that
when he senses the horrible punishment
required by our sins
his sweat became like “big drops of blood
falling on the ground.”
He cried, “My God, my God,
why have you abandoned me?”
And he endured all this for the forgiveness of our sins.
Therefore we rightly say with Paul that
we “know nothing but Jesus and him crucified”;
we consider all things as “dung
for the excellence of the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We find all comforts in his wounds
and have no need to seek or invent any other means
to reconcile ourselves with God
than this one and only sacrifice,
once made,
which renders believers perfect
forever.
This is also why
the angel of God called him Jesus—
that is, “Savior”—
because he would save his people
from their sins.
Summary
One of the main points made in the book of Hebrews is the “once for all” nature of our Lord and Savior’s sacrifice on our behalf.
We see this theme especially taken up towards the end of the book in the first part of chapter ten. Throughout the opening verses, we are pointed back to the Old Testament, to all the sacrifices that were made and how they could not take away sin. “But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year," chapter 10 begins, "for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."
A few sentences later, the verses we just read give a stark contrast: “Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…” (ESV).
Christ laid down His life once for all; His one and only sacrifice took away our sins, which the sacrifices made by the priests year after year with the blood of animals could never do.
And so the our Confession reminds us: “We…have no need to seek or invent any other means to reconcile ourselves with God than this one and only sacrifice, once made, which renders believers perfect forever.”
Dig Deeper
This is important for you to remember: that Christ’s one and only sacrifice takes away your sins. You need continual reminders of this, because at various times over the course of history, people have tried to invent all sorts of other ways of reconciliation, other ways of salvation.
But it’s not just consolidated to history. Even in our world and culture today, people claim that there are many ways to God, many ways of salvation. Some think if they’re good enough, that’ll get them to heaven, but that’s not what God’s Word tells us. Our Lord and Savior, during what is known as the Upper Room Discourse, tells His disciples that He alone is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV).
This claim is utterly offensive to the world, the culture around us, and yet it is the truth.
In a world that finds this truth completely offensive, may the Lord strengthen you and help you to stand firm in this truth, in the truth of His Word. May you boldly declare that He alone is “the way, and the truth, and the life,” that He alone is the only way “to the Father,” and that it is His one and only sacrifice that takes away your sins!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, and our Savior who victoriously sat down at His right hand while He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your faith in Christ's one completed sacrifice will grow in strength;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 1
