Hebrews 10:19-25 – Christ, the new and living way

From this point onwards, the author of Hebrews would be dealing with the practical outworking of all that he had discussed in the previous chapters. He had dealt with the superiority of Christ, especially as the High Priest of the New Covenant. Bear in mind that he was talking to a group of Hebrew people teetering at the brink of returning to Judaism. Throughout this epistle, he had interspersed his writings with a series of four warnings - Hebrews 2:1-4; Hebrews 4:1-2; Hebrews 6:4-8; Hebrews 10:26-28. In his warning of the dangers in Hebrews 10:19-28, it was not all gloom. However, in this final warning, the writer outlined three Christian virtues which he would later develop in the last three chapters. In verse 22, he dealt on the virtue of faith and developed it further in chapter 11. In verse 23, he dealt with hope and expanded it in chapter 12. And finally in verse 24, he talked about love and discussed it in more detail in chapter 13.  

In verses 19-23 he began by warning believers of the danger of willfully sinning. The connective “therefore” in verse 19 looks back to what the author had said in the previous chapter. He had been talking about Christ’s High Priesthood and how He had offered a better and perfect sacrifice; enacted a better covenant; and now serves in a better sanctuary. In light of all that Christ had done, believers now have an open invitation to enter the Holy of Holies, the presence of God. For up to this point only the high priests were given the privilege once a year. But because of what Christ had done, He had made a provision for believers both now and the future to approach God.

In this passage, the author gave two reasons why believers could approach God. The first reason is recorded in verses 19-20. He explicitly stressed the Blood of Jesus as the means for believers to enter God’s presence. The Blood of Jesus basically refers to His sacrificial death. The crucified flesh of Jesus had now removed that veil that separated the people and the presence of God. Hence, believers can now come confidently through Christ’s sacrifice into the presence of God. This way to God’s presence is not only new but also living. New, in that Christ’s death had created a new situation never known in the Old Covenant. It is “living” because it is intricately and indissolubly bound up with the Lord Jesus Himself. The second reason why believers could approach God confidently is given in verse 21. Because believers have a great High Priest over the House of God, they can now approach God boldly. Believers here are seen as the House of God.    

In verses 22-25, the author gave three admonitions to the believers. The first admonition was for believers to draw near to God by faith. How? He asserted that they should draw near to God with true devotion. Not only that, they should also draw near with a faith that fully assured them that Jesus’ Blood had removed every stain of guilt and made them acceptable before God. They should also come “having hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” In Hebrews 9:18-22, the author described how Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of animals to ratify the Old Covenant at Sinai. But now, in a greater way, in the New Covenant, Christ’s Blood sprinkled over the believers’ hearts had cleansed them from all evil conscience. And they should come having their “bodies washed with pure water.” This is referring to water baptism, the outward act of washing to symbolize inner cleansing.

The second admonition found in verse 23 was for believers to hold fast to their hope. This was a call to persevere in their faith. They should remain unwavering because of the God Who had promised them their future, is a faithful God. Finally, the third admonition found in verses 24-25 dealt with the horizontal relationship. It was a call to love - their social responsibility. This was particularly needful as some of them were leaving Christianity. By love they should encourage one another to remain faithful to the Lord. Verse 25 suggests that to desert the communal gathering puts one at risk of backsliding. However, this verse also suggests mutual accountability as all believers would have to give an account to God ultimately. The day drawing near would be the day of accounting. This definitely is an allusion to the judgment seat of Christ.

Beloved, we have a responsibility to God to live our lives faithfully but we also have a responsibility to our brothers and sister to help them live for God consistently. By the grace of God, let us be each other’s keeper in the journey!