“The priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people… According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
“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.
“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant…
“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:6b-7,9-15,24-26
The comparison could not be more stark. The earthly place of holiness was set up with regulations for regular temporal sacrifice. Day by day, year by year, many lives were given for many sins with no end in sight. But when the infinite Christ appeared as High Priest, He once for all sacrificed Himself away from the temple, on a cross, to secure eternal purification and certain hope. His once-for-all made way for our all in all, unshakable inheritance and joy.
How vastly different is our everlasting God from us! How distinct His high ways from our finite thinking, His perfection from our selfish impulses! We see limited and dimly, He sees everything and clearly. His work on the cross, in divine and supernatural power, obliterated the human way of atonement to free us forever. Where we continue to struggle with pesky consequences, niggling shame, and unfinished suffering, we find it hard to reckon the Lord’s balm. (Isaiah 55:8-9; John 19:30; 1 Corinthians 13:12)
Our Savior’s ‘It is finished!’ is potent when we apply its effectual truth. Are we stuck in a pattern of worry, impatience, jealousy, or idolatry? Are we in a relentless cycle of sin, guilt, confession, shame, repeat? When will we take Christ’s once and forever death to heart, surrender to crucifixion with Him, and determine to live in everlasting freedom? What He finished we need not continue. (Romans 6:1-7,10-14; Galatians 2:20)
Lord, help me understand and apply Your forever forgiveness, and live to reflect Your glorious redemption.
As the rain and snow 