I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them

Hebrews 10:1-17 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. ⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵ Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me;
⁶ In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. ⁷ “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’”

⁸ After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹ Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”  He then says, ¹⁷ “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Today’s text says: By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.     Jesus paid the price for sin. His sacrifice on the cross perfected and sanctified us, redeemed us, every man, from every sin, past present and future. What does this mean to us about how we should live? What does it mean in our lives that we are no longer viewed as sinners because of the finished work of the cross? If we are no longer sinners, because Jesus has cleansed us from every sin, past, present and future, then is it necessary for us to concern ourselves with how we live? If sin no longer affects how God views us, then is what we choose to do still of consequence, or is that sin too, already covered?

There are some who do choose to live and believe that because Jesus has conquered sin and death, sin is no longer of any consequence, what they do, the choices they make, the lifestyle they live no longer matters because of the finished work of the cross, they are redeemed, forgiven of every sin, past present and future. In Romans 5:17-21, Paul speaks of the grace of God to overcome sin through Christ.        For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men…  The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,  so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.    So the law could not change, save or redeem man from sin, rather the law, through awareness of sin, actually increased sin. Paul continues in Romans 6:1-7, to answer those who would believe that because of grace they are free to live as they choose, free to sin because grace triumphs over sin.       What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?  Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?  Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin.     By grace, through the finished work of the cross, we are freed from sin. May it never be that we should believe that we are free to sin.

Is this just Paul’s view? What does Jesus say?     “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)       “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)  Jesus says not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is not just eternity with God and Jesus. The kingdom of heaven is also what we as Christians are called to live and walk in every day. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is at hand, it is nearby. He says the kingdom of heaven is within us. (Luke 7:21) We though cannot enter it, we cannot walk in the power and the authority of the kingdom, if we choose to walk in lawlessness. Jesus says:    “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)     We though, cannot have and walk in the abundant life Christ came to give if we believe the thief and liar who came to kill and destroy.  

Today’s text says:  And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”  He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”           The covenant that Jesus has made, the new covenant He established through the finished work of the cross, has indeed covered our sins, past, present and future. God remembers them no more. But through that covenant He has also put His laws on our hearts and our minds. He has made us aware of His will and His commandments concerning righteousness. Jesus says:   “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

If we love Jesus, if we choose to walk in the abundant life He gives, we must also choose to obey Him. We are indeed freed from sin and its consequences through the finished work of the cross. Freed from sin, may it never be that we disbelieve what God has said, what He has written on our hearts and minds, may we truly love Christ, keeping His commandments.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You for Your grace, that through the finished work of the cross You have indeed redeemed me from my sin. You have freed me from the consequences of sin. Thank You also that You have written Your laws on my heart and my mind through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. I love You. I choose obedience to You, that I might walk in Your grace and the abundant life of the kingdom of heaven, now and forever.     Amen