LET US
Hebrews 10:19-24 NKJV
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
This is such a great passage. The author reveals what we have in Christ and then outlines three responses.
Having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus. This had to be astounding to the Jewish believers who were accustomed to being on the outside of the earthly Holy of Holies. But now because of the blood of Jesus we can go into the presence of God because Jesus made a way for us. And having a High Priest over the house of God. Jesus is the One who represents us before God as a constant reminder of His sacrifice and our cleansing.
Let us draw near to God. No longer do we have to come with a consciousness of our past sins. No longer do we live with a sense of unworthiness. We have been cleansed to come near to God. The magnitude of that spiritual fact is huge. There is in the hearts of all mankind a desire for God. Many do not know that and draw close to idols, false religions, worldly enticements, success, money, etc. But we can come close to the living God, which is the only thing that will satisfy our hearts.
Let us hold fast, we might say hold tight, to our confession of hope. I like how the NLT phrases this verse: "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." We are to hold on to the expectation we have in Christ. To hold on tightly to saying what God says about us in His Word. So we hold on to affirming we are new creations, children of light in a dark world. We hold on to saying that we are God's masterpiece created in Christ to do good things that God has planned for us. Hold on to declaring that we are loved by God and He is for us. God is faithful and does not waver, so let us hold tightly to affirming all He has done for us and is doing because of our connection to Jesus.
Let us consider one another. We are not simply living for ourselves. We are to be looking out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we think about others, we put ourselves in a better position to stir up love and good works. Not trying to stir up love and good works in them, but in us. Think about the Christmas season. This is when our thoughts shift from ourselves to what are we going to do for others. That stirs us. When we consider others, we move beyond ourselves, and that is a better place to live.
I love the progression of this passage. We have boldness and access to God because of Jesus. So now, let us come close to God. Let us hold tightly to affirming the positive expectations we have in Christ. And let us think about other people also. Closeness to God. A positive place in Christ. And a life beyond ourselves to bless others. Let's!