Hebrews 10:1-18

As already stated, animal sacrifices of the Old Testament law were offered by the High Priest once a year but never made those approaching perfect. In fact, that system was only temporary and was designed as a reminder of sin, not to eradicate it. Verse 4 tells us that "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin." So why was the system necessary? Verse 1 gives us the reason - the law was "a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things." The death and shedding of an animal's blood only pictures the perfect sacrifice which was to come - Jesus Christ. Jesus came to do the will of God to do away with the Old Covenant and establish the New Covenant. By doing God's will, Jesus Christ sanctified (made holy) those who would accept and believe in His perfect sacrifice for sin (10:10). Being made holy means that the believer is set apart from sin to God. This righteousness is positional which implies that when God looks upon the believer, He does so through the righteousness given by His Son, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that after Jesus had offered Himself as a sacrifice, He "sat down at the right hand of God...waiting till His enemies are made His footstool." Most importantly, His sacrifice has now given those who believe a right standing before God, which could never be done on our own (10:14-18).

Dear God, I thank You that I can now approach You through the righteousness given to me by the blood of Jesus Christ.