Based on Hebrews 9:16-10:10 (New King James Version)
“For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.’ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God.’’ Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the law), then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, o God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
It is very difficult to keep something at the forefront of our minds many times, especially when it is something that you cannot see or touch, per se, the value of what was done. And this happens frequently because we are not spiritual beings, but rather, we only know how to stay focused on what we can see or feel, on the physical. Because of our nature, we allow ourselves to be guided more by our senses, and that is what we use to assign value to things. And if we see things very clearly (not with the purpose to offend, but rather, to bring awareness), we usually act more irrationally, like beings that are governed more by our instincts and not by reason or thought. This is what happens when we allow ourselves to be governed by our carnal instincts. But don’t worry, everyone (even me) have those moments of forgetfulness. And that is why we need to be guided by the Word of God, so that we don’t forget what really matters and has value.
Now then, just as the Lord did, we will try to explain the value of the concept through something earthly so that we can understand better spiritual things. Some years ago, I had a big problem with my home. I live in New England, and it’s located in Northeastern United States where winters can be cold (of course, not as cold as the ones that our friends that follow us in Canada have, but nonetheless, they can be cold). And well, I was away from home on one week where temperatures dropped considerably, and a couple of water pipes burst because they froze at different locations inside the house. It was a disaster. The whole house flooded, and there was damage to walls, floors, furniture, clothes, etc. Many personal and irreplaceable items were lost. Nonetheless, and thank God, I paid for homeowner’s insurance every year, precisely for events like these, and the insurance company did take care of things. If they would not have helped, I would have wound up with a completely damaged property, with considerable losses, and would have had to continue paying a mortgage for a place that was uninhabitable. This event would have left me bankrupt. God provided for something that was extremely useful at the right time. But, before this incident, it was difficult to see the value of something that I would just pay for year after year until something catastrophic happened.
Something similar to this is what happens with the salvation the Lord grants us, but of course, it is something much more superior and immeasurable. At the moment, you may not see salvation in Christ as something tangible or visible, or as something of much value in the here and now. But, the uncertainty of life teaches us that our carnal end can come at any moment, and if our lives do not belong to the Lord, even though we may have everything a person may want now, none of that will help you before the presence of the Almighty. There will be no conversation, nor nothing you can offer the Judge of the universe to let you in, and least of all, be able to impose your will. The only way that a person can have eternal life and belong to God is by being born again in Christ. Jesus is the only way to the Father.
Now then, we can talk about the way to salvation very easily, but it was only made possible because of what the Lord did, and nothing else. Blessed be God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for what they did for us through the power of the Holy Spirit, because without the Lord’s sacrifice and resurrection, we would not have any salvation or hope, only living for the here and now, and nothing more. But, we have this hope, the great opportunity of being redeemed only through everything God did, and He did things without any kind of obligation, as it is written: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. And this love that God demonstrated should compel us to serve the Lord, because the greatest injustice that could be done to God is taking salvation for granted, and not returning that great love of Christ in service. And we know that this wrong will be repaid undoubtedly, as it is written: “Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” Colossians 3:24-25. And as it is also written: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26.
So then, we can never forget the magnitude of what God did for us, something that no one nor nothing could have ever done for us. God’s grace is a gift, but it should produce actions that demonstrate that God lives within you. So, have you understood and appreciate what the Lord did for you, and do you live your life in a way that demonstrates that gratefulness, serving both Him and your neighbor? Lord bless! John