Main Thought
Sin created a barrier between people and God. Year after year, priests offered the blood of animals as a temporary covering, but no amount of sacrifices could permanently remove that barrier. A greater sacrifice was still needed. Jesus entered the true heavenly sanctuary as our perfect High Priest, offering His own blood once for all. When He died, the temple curtain was torn in two, declaring that the barrier separating humanity from God had been removed. Because of Christ, we are invited to draw near to God with confidence.
But what does that look like practically? We are completely forgiven, though we remain flawed. The finished work of Christ continues to transform us. The same sacrifice that secured our forgiveness also began the lifelong work of making us more like Jesus. As we respond to and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we learn to recognize our sin, renounce it, and return to God. This process is a big part of becoming the people that God made us to be.
Main Passages
'But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.'
- Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV
'But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. '
- Hebrews 10:12-14 ESV
'And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”’
- Hebrews 10:15-16 ESV
Discussion Questions
Hebrews teaches that Jesus offered Himself "once for all" and secured "eternal redemption." Why is it important to understand that Christ's work is complete? How does this truth change the way we approach God?
An idol can be more than a statue. It is anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts - anything we believe we must have in order to be okay. Who or what do you truly live for? What do you believe you need in order to be okay? How might your answers reveal a functional idol in your life?
This week, what is one practical step you can take to draw near to God with confidence and cooperate with the Holy Spirit's transforming work in your life? How can this group encourage or pray for you?