Hebrews 10:21-22

And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from an evil conscience, and having our bodies washed with pure water.

And having a High Priest over the house of God–Jesus is your High Priest. He represents you before the Father and intercedes for you. He is full of compassion for you because He has been tempted in every point as you, yet without sin. He understands your struggles and temptations and is able to make a way of escape.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith–this is your personal invitation from a holy God to come before Him, not as a fake or with pretense, but in truth. He doesn’t push you away, or walk away from you when you seek to draw near. Your faith trusts in what God has said about your forgiveness and justification, and it is your faith that makes you certain that you can come to Him for every need.

Having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water–the blood of Jesus, when it has been applied to your heart by faith, brings to you the greatest of joys–assuring you that you are forgiven, that your conscience is cleansed, and that you have been washed from all that defiles.

It is the deity behind the manhood of Christ which makes the Cross an atonement;

It is the manhood of Christ within the deity which makes it an atonement of us.

J. Sidlow Baxter

Oh! precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

-Robert Lowry

Hebrews 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh…

By a new and living way which He consecrated for us–the old covenant is done away, all its requirements and demands fulfilled and satisfied by the new covenant. You are no longer under the law, but under grace, and His grace has brought a living reality to your heart–a reality of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the presence of the Lord. You can know God personally and have His light shining within you. This is not a theoretical or a “hope so” way, but a living way. You are alive in Jesus.

Through the veil, that is, His flesh–Jesus’ body is likened to the veil in the temple…at the exact moment of His death on the cross the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. This means that His death made it possible for you to have access to a holy God. The heavens are opened to you as a believer, and have been to every believer since the veil was rent 2000 years ago. Every spiritual blessing is now yours in Christ–the heavens are not shut, and there is no layer, curtain, or barrier that is keeping you from drawing close to God and receiving from Him.

“The blood of Jesus Christ has transformed the judgment seat into the mercy seat.”-J. Sidlow Baxter

Hebrews 10:19

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…

Therefore–the “therefore” refers to the vital truths that have been stated in the preceding verses…because of the new covenant, sealed by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, your sins have been forgiven, cleansed, and are remembered against you no more.

Brethren– you are now a part of God’s family. You are free from the condemnation and bondage of sin because you are a believer in the Gospel. You have been born again of God’s Spirit, sanctified, and enjoy unity and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Having boldness–your boldness comes, not because of performance, but because of what Jesus has done for you. He has made it possible for you to come before God in prayer with full and complete confidence of faith. Nothing needs to keep you back or hold you back.

To enter the Holiest–in the Temple worship, the holy of holies was the place of God’s presence and glory. This place could be entered only by the high priest once a year. Here the high priest came to place the blood of atonement upon the mercy seat for the remission of sins for the people.

By the blood of Jesus–Jesus, your High Priest, offered His own blood to make atonement for your sins. His blood is acceptable to God, once and for all time, as the perfect sin offering– your good works, your self-righteousness, your best efforts could never be acceptable before a holy God to solve your sin problem.

10 benefits of the blood of Jesus:

1. Seals and guarantees the New Covenant-Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 13:20
2. Gives life-John 6:54-56
3. Brings redemption-Ephesians 1:7, 1Peter 1:18-19
4. Makes propitiation (atonement)-Romans 3:25
5. Justifies-Romans 5:9
6. Provides peace and reconciliation-Colossians 1:19-20
7. Brings cleansing and the assurance of forgiveness-Colossians 1:14,1John 1:7
8. Frees from guilt by purging the conscience-Hebrews 9:14
9. Makes us overcomers-Revelation 12:11
10. Gives us boldness and confidence to enter God’s presence-Hebrews 10:19-24

REjoice:

REjoice is a fitting way to conclude the series on “RE” words found in Scripture. To rejoice is to live in daily celebration of the Lord. We are to rejoice, not in the circumstances of life, but in the Lord of life. We are to rejoice evermore because He is forever true, forever holy, forever good.

I love the way the old hymns writers celebrated the Lord through their words and music. Here is a small sampling of what their hearts have passed on to ours as a legacy of praise and rejoicing.

All people that on earth do dwell,

Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;

Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell,

Come ye before Him, and rejoice.

For why? The Lord our God is good,

His mercy is forever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure.

-William Kethe

Let every act of worship be

Like our espousals, Lord, to Thee;

Like the blest hour when from above

We first received the pledge of love.

Let every moment, as it flies,

Increase Thy praise, improve our joys,

Till we are raised to sing Thy name,

At the great supper of the Lamb.

-Isaac Watts

Awake, my tongue; awake, my lyre;

With morning’s earliest dawn arise;

To songs of joy my soul inspire,

And swell your music to the skies.

With those who in Thy grace abound,

To Thee I’ll raise my thankful voice;

Till every land the earth around,

Shall hear, and in Thy name rejoice.

-William Wrangham

His kingdom cannot fail;

He rules o’er earth and heaven;

The keys of death and hell

Are to our Jesus given.

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice!

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope!

Our Lord, the Judge shall come,

And take His servants up

To their eternal home.

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice!

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

-Charles Wesley

Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 NKJV

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NKJV

REst:

No list of “RE” words would be complete without the word “Rest.” This is a word unique to the Gospel. Jesus said, “Come unto Me” because He is the only one who can give rest for our souls. There is no rest to be found outside of Him, only works, strife, and restlessness.

Rest is the putting down of our burdens and picking up God’s peace in its place. We can rest in the Lord because He has carried our burdens. We can rest from our works because He has provided us with salvation through His Son and brought us redemption through the free gift of His grace.

Our rest is a rest of faith. Works (our efforts to save ourselves or keep ourselves) make us weary. Works wear us out; rest brings refreshment. Works bring strain; rest brings ease. Works bring tumult; rest brings quietness. Works bring worry; rest brings peace.

For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: Isaiah 30:15

For we which have believed do enter into rest. Hebrews 4:3