Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Law Vs. Grace

Temple Baptist Church - 8-21-2019
Hebrews 9:28-10:10


Introduction:

A.  The Holy Ghost gave plenty of time and space to show these Jewish believers both the differences and purposes of both the Law—given by Moses, and Grace—given by Jesus Christ.

B.  Why such detail?  For two reasons:

1.  That sinners might not believe that keeping God’s Law was ever meant to bring eternal salvation and

2.  That saints might not believe that failing to keep God’s Law brings eternal damnation.

C.  Chapter 9:28 is continued in chapter 10:1-18.  Again, let me admonish the church to pay no attention to chapters and verses.

1.  The end of a chapter and the beginning of a new chapter does not mean that they are different in their contexts.

2.  The end of a verse and the beginning of a new verse does not mean that the sentence or thought has changed and another started.

1.  Hebrews 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

a.  The First Advent – “Was once offered.”

(1)  “Was.”  Jesus Christ came in the First Advent as the “Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” 

John 1:14-17  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  (15)  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  (16)  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  (17)  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Galatians 4:4-5  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  (5)  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

(2)  “Once offered.”  Jesus was offered once and will never hang on a cross again.

Romans 6:10-11  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  (11)  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

1 Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

b.  The Second Advent.  “shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
spells out a couple of things:

(1)  “Shall He appear the second time.”

John 14:2-3  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 1:9-11  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  (10)  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  (11)  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

(2)  “Without sin unto salvation.”  He is not coming to die, He is coming to deliver!

Isaiah 25:8-9  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.  (9)  And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Romans 8:18-23  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (19)  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  (20)  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,  (21)  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  (22)  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  (23)  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  (56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  (57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20-21  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:  (21)  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  (18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

2.  Hebrews 10:1-4.  The Limitation of the Law.

a.  The Law’s Implementation.  “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things.”

Galatians 3:22-26  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin (the Law brings the knowledge of sin), that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  (23)  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  (24)  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  (25)  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  (26)  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

b.  The Law’s Insufficiency.  “and not the very image of the things.”

(1)  It could not Perfect the Sinner.  Verse 1.  To bring to maturity and closeness to God.  Now, “we draw nigh unto God.”

Hebrews 7:19  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

(2)  It could not Clear the Conscience.  Verse 2.  “Conscience” is consciousness of something.  Our conscience is an awareness of wrongdoing.  My past life before I was saved does not bother me!  I was what I was and did what I did but my past is gone, and I am “hid with Christ in God!”

Hebrews 9:13-14  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:  (14)  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(3)  It could not Erase the Memory.  Verse 3.  I do not even remember the years before my conversion in 1976.  For 28 years, I lived in sinfulness, willfulness, and selfishness.  I hardly ever think about those years as I relish being a new creature in Christ.  Every year, the Old Testament Saint went through the same ritual of sacrificing the Paschal Lamb.  It was a remembering of what they were and are.  This is what the Roman Catholics do each time that they have the Mass.  It is a re-sacrificing of Jesus Christ who died ONCE for sin.

(4)  It could not Pay the Sin Debt.  Verse 4.  The Old Testament sacrificial system was one of Atonement.  A “covering” of sin for another year until the Lamb of God would come and “taketh away” the sin of the world.

3.  Hebrews 10:5-10.  The Fulfilling of the Law.

a.  A Supernatural Body.  Verses 5-6.

(1)  Not the Paschal Lamb. 

Exodus 12:3-5  Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  (4)  And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.  (5)  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  (A beautiful type of salvation.  A lamb must become the lamb but must become your lamb to be saved.)

(2)  But the Lamb of God.

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

b.  A Supernatural Book.  Verse 7.

(1)  The Value of the Bible.  “In the volume of the book

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (The message of the prophets received by faith.)

(2)  The Fulfillment of the Bible.  “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Luke 2:8-14  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  (10)  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (12)  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  (14)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

c.  A Supernatural Plan.  Verses 8-10.

(1)  The Fulfillment of the Law.  “He taketh away the first”

Galatians 4:4-5  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  (5)  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

(2)  The Propitiation of the Sinner.  “Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  (In virtually every other religion in the world, the individual must die for his/her “god.”  In Christianity, our God died for us!)

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