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Jesus' Everlasting Sacrifice

    I have been reading the book of Hebrews lately and have been blessed to be reminded of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. It is encouraging to realize that when Jesus died on the cross, that He did so not only for our past and present sins, but for our future sins as well! It says in the book of Hebrews: "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb 10:10 NIV).

     This is brought out earlier in the same chapter when the writer compares the "Great is thy faithfulness." superiority of Christ's sacrifice on the cross to the Old Testament sacrifices of goats and bulls. In stating that these Old Testament sacrifices could never take our sins away, the writer of Hebrews states: "For this reason it (the Old Testament sacrifices) can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect (completely cleanse and forgive) those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins" (Heb 10:1-2 NIV).

     This Old Testament offering is stated again in direct contrast to Christ's everlasting and eternal sacrifice: "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God" (Heb 10:11-12 NIV).

     Isn't it good to know that, as a believer in Jesus, your sins are completely covered? That unlike the old testament sacrifices, you have been made perfect by Christ's blood? If it sounds just too good to be true, consider again the book of Hebrews: "By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:14 NIV)

     This verse brings out two amazing truths. That even though believers are "made perfect" and thus reborn and forgiven completely, we are still being "made holy" that is, we are still being sanctified and made into Christ's image and likeness. We have here the promise of our eternal forgiveness as well as the promise of the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Any way you look at it, it still comes down to one word: Grace.