I see that my brethren still preach half verses and this only keeps the blinders on. Let me give an example.
I don’t know how many times I have had brethren throw half verses at me to convict me as guilty. Here is one of them.
“It is appointed to me to die once then after that to face the judgement…”
Now I am not trying to be contrary here….though it may appear that way to those indoctrinated by churchianity.
The half verse above is used to threaten believers with fear of a future judgement so they better live right or else! It is also used to threaten unbelievers into repenting.
The funny thing is that if you believe in that you live by fear and self effort. You will also have to be threatened regularly to keep your efforts up. If you came to Jesus through fear then you must be kept near Jesus with fear.
And so we read some preaching that because we have only one life then judgement we must try very hard to make sure every day counts and that our performance is really good.
But let us look at the context and the whole verse in question. The writer to the Hebrews is contrasting the weakness of the Old Covenant and the sacrifices in it with the perfection and power of Christ’s One sacrifice.
Heb 9:26b ….but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Heb 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
The Old Covenant priest had to offer blood every year and so every year there was a reminder of sins. But Jesus was offered once TO PUT AWAY SIN.
athetēsis
Strong’s DefinitionFrom G114; cancellation (literally or figuratively): – disannulling, put away.
Thayer Definition:
1) abolition, disannulling, put away, rejection
The only other use of this word athetesis to put away, annul, cancel is found in Hebrews 7:18
Heb 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling(G115- athetesis)of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,
Heb 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
This is a strong word. Notice the writer says “The law made nothing perfect” then says that we have a better hope through which we draw near to God.
In other words Christ’s sacrifice makes us PERFECT in regards to the conscience. W e draw near to God through faith in Jesus who lives in us now making us perfect before the Father.
So also in Hebrews 9 the writer contrasts the weakness and unprofitableness of the Aaronic priesthood saying that those sacrifices could never take away sins or make the conscience perfect in regards to sin.
Mankind was sold into slavery to sin and Satan was our master. But Jesus offered Himself once at the end of the eons to put away sin–to annul sin–to cancel sin!
What happens when you annul a marriage contract? It has no more validity. It has been annulled, canceled. Mankind was married to sin but through Jesus death that marriage has been annulled and canceled. Now we are betrothed to another to bear fruit unto God.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Heb 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
We often hear the first half (v27) quoted….to do so is to destroy the Gospel. The second half of the sentence destroys the intention of many preachers trying to scare people with judgement.
The whole point of Jesus Christ dying on the Cross – offering Himself for you and me and the whole world was to PUT AWAY SIN –to make all people perfect before God–to justify all people, to reconcile all people to Father. And He did.
To bear the sins of many—is that all people or many? It means all people of course. Unless you want to believe that His death was only for some people and not all.
Read Romans 5 to see that “the many” means all. Jesus put away sin. He will appear a second time apart from sin for those who eagerly wait for Him for salvation.
Jesus annulled our marriage to sin. But we know that we still live in a body of sin and death. Yet if we walk by His faith calling things that be not as if they are, calling ourselves holy, blameless, righteous, sanctified, justified all by HIS SACRIFICE not our doings…then we bear fruit unto God as if married to Him.
When Jesus appears a second time it will be for the deliverance of sin altogether–hence we receive our immortal incorruptible body which is 100% free of sin and death.
The good news we should be dwelling in and telling folks is that they are ALREADY RECONCILED to the Father. They are ALREADY FORGIVEN through Jesus death and resurrection. They are already righteous and holy and blameless as far as God is concerned….THEREFORE receive the reconciliation- Receive what Jesus has already accomplished for us.
Of course Jesus said it best when He declared:
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Jesus death saved you from judgment….unless you set aside His sacrifice and try to make your own sacrifice for sin through the self efforts of the false self.
This is why the writer to the Hebrews wrote their letter. The Hebrew believers were in danger of setting aside Jesus’ sacrificial work and trusting in the Old Covenant again. Just as the Galatians also did. But if we abide in His word and His words abide in us…if we are not away from the hope of the gospel…then we shall not come into judgement here and now…never mind a future one.
If we put aside His sacrifice and instead take the responsibility upon our selves to please God every day–then I can assure you that we have fallen from grace and have come into judgement again. Condemnation and Christian Hades shall be our lot until we see Christ again crucified in us and for us and as us.
He bore the sins of many- In other words He bore you and me all the way from death and subject to judgment into life and all His Father’s favour. Rejoice in His free salvation and see Jesus in all your self story.
