Hebrews Part 4 - Through the Bible With Zac Poonen — Zac Poonen

The New Covenant: God Remembers Sin No More

Let's turn to God's word the book of Hebrews again. We finished in our last session in Hebrews chapter 8 where we saw 10 to 12 the terms of the new covenant. And let me just repeat them once again. Let me start from the bottom with verse 12.

Verse 12 the first thing about the new covenant is God says I will not remember your sins anymore. In the old testament there was a constant remembrance of sin. We read that in chapter 7. They were always remembering sin in chapter 9 or rather we read about it.

But in the new covenant there is no remembrance of sin. It's very important if you've entered the new covenant one thing that you must accept is that God does not remember your past life against you. You may have been brought up in.

I mean you may have lived a very wicked life. But God sees you just like someone who was brought up in a very godly family. All his life he's lived godly. Sometimes people have lived a very wicked life in the past and got converted.

They feel that. Well I'm not as lucky as those other people who lived a very good life from childhood because they had godly parents. Okay that may be. But now that you're forgiven God's put you in the same level.

His past is not remembered. Your past is not remembered. What does it matter. What does it matter if he got 30 and you got zero. Those marks are wiped out. Your past record of the marks you got in old examinations is all wiped out.

So there's no question of whether he got 30 or you got zero or somebody else got 50. All the marks are wiped out. We must not look back in the past. If you come into the new covenant you start in verse 12 the Lord says I will not remember their sins anymore.

Secondly the Lord says in verse 10 I will put my laws verse 11 before that all shall know me from the least to the greatest every person and starting with the least to the greatest now normally in the world we say greatest to least.

Right. But in the bible everything is the opposite of the world. So we start with the least to the greatest. That means the least believer can know the Lord personally. You don't have to go to a prophet to find out God's will.

All shall know me personally to know God personally as your friend as your father you can go to him. And you don't have somebody else to teach you about God. Somebody may teach you about the bible that's another thing.

But to know God you don't need a secretary or anyone. You go straight to Jesus. You don't have to go through another brother to know God. All shall know me. So please remember this is your privilege. Under the new covenant every one of you can know God personally as a friend and as a father through Jesus without the help of a single human being.

Personally to study the bible you may need the help of a teacher. But to know God you don't need anybody's help. Nobody will teach his neighbor saying know the Lord. Thirdly verse 10 God has promised to write his laws in our heart and in our mind.

In the old testament he wrote it on tablets of stone outside and says you look at that and try to keep it. And they couldn't keep it. Thou shalt thou shalt thou shall not thou shall not. And so on. They couldn't keep it.

Now the Lord says I will write it inside so that you automatically keep it. You desire to keep it and you have the ability to keep it. There are two things. I will write it on your mind means I'll give you the desire.

I will write it on your heart means I'll give you the ability. You see we need two things. First of all I must have a desire to do God's will. Second I need the ability to do God's will. We read that in Philippians 2 verse 13 God works in us to will and to do his good pleasure.

Same thing here it's written. In other words I will write my laws. I'll put my laws into their mind. That is to give them a desire to do God's will. And I will write it upon their hearts. Which means I'll give them the power to do God's will.

And if God gives me the desire to do his will and the power to do his will I'm okay. And that's his responsibility. Difference from the old covenant is old covenant said thou shalt thou shalt thou shall not.

And the new covenant God says I will I will I will. And when you read that and you still think that it is dependent on you. You're mistaken. It is dependent on us in the sense that we have to submit. Think of that rock in Mount Sinai where God wrote the commandments that rock had to submit.

When God wrote rock said okay. Right. And wrote that is what our calling is. When God wants to do something in we submit like Mary she said behold the handmaid of the Lord whatever you've said O angel let it take place in me.

She submitted. But God was the one who produced that baby in her womb. Even if she tried for a million years she could not have produced a baby in her womb. But at the same time God would not have produced that baby in her womb if she did not submit.

So that's the perfect example. Mary submitted and God the Holy Spirit produced the baby. You submit. And God the Holy Spirit produces the nature of Christ within you. In Mary it was the body in which Jesus came in us.

It is the nature of Jesus. So our part is not to produce it. Whenever you think of trying to make yourself holy just think of Mary determining to have a baby. How much determination did Mary need to produce a baby.

She could never have produced it. The Holy Spirit had to do that. The new covenant begins with that story. The Holy Spirit did it. Mary submitted. Same thing is the new covenant for you the Holy Spirit will write.

That is the finger of God. The finger of God is the Holy Spirit will write his laws in your heart and in your mind giving you the desire and the ability. But you got to submit. If you don't submit it'll be just like Mary not submitting.

What would have happened in Nazareth if the angel came to Mary and Mary said sorry I'm not willing for that. You think Jesus would not have been born. The angel would have said okay Mary you missed the privilege.

I'll have to look for another girl and he finds another girl. It's okay. You're going to be the mother of Jesus. Jesus praise God. So if you miss it God will just give that privilege to somebody else.

Don't miss it. Don't miss the privilege of the new covenant. We go now to chapter 9. And basically the theme of chapter 9 is the better sacrifice that God has provided for us. In the old testament it says verse 8 of chapter 9 the Holy Spirit showed that the way into the most holy place was not yet opened.

We saw in chapter 8. The last verse of chapter 8 says the old covenant is becoming obsolete and is ready to disappear. God is finished with the old covenant. Now there's a new covenant. In the old covenant God showed through the Holy Spirit.

Here's a thick veil. You cannot enter into God's presence because there's sin in your life. When Jesus shed his blood all our sin was removed. Then we could go into God's presence. The veil has been torn.

So we see from that that it's the Holy Spirit alone who can lead us into the most holy place. And then you read this word perfect. I told you the other day that there's a perfection we can have. And a perfection we cannot have.

Here is the perfection we can have. Hebrews 9 9. The old testament could not make a worshiper perfect in his conscience. Perfect like Christ that is in the future when he comes again perfect in our conscience.

Everybody who is in the new covenant can experience that perfection. We press on to the second perfection. With this perfection perfect conscience up to perfect likeness to Christ which is in the future.

So when we speak about perfection don't get afraid. The bible speaks about it but it speaks about being perfect in our conscience. If you don't distinguish between things that the bible distinguishes you'll get confused.

Okay he goes on to say in verse 14 how our conscience can be perfect. If the blood of bulls and goats was enough for the cleansing of the flesh of man externally in the old covenant verse 14 how much more will the blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself to God.

Now notice a simple a little statement here. Let me ask you a question. How did he offered himself to God without blemish. Okay and we are we all agree. Jesus lived his entire earthly life for 33 and a half years without even a single mistake without a single sin tempted in so many ways.

No sin at all. What was the secret of his life. How did he do it. This verse gives us the answer. Read it through the holy spirit. That little expression through the eternal spirit. It's through the holy spirit's power that Jesus remained without blemish.

That means he lived as a man. He lived as a man in the power of the holy spirit and that power by that power he did not sin. And that's the same holy spirit he's given us. And if you use the holy spirit's power you can also overcome sin.

That person got electricity in his house and he can have lights. You got electricity in house but until you put on the switch you won't get the lights. He put on the switch. Jesus used that power. You also use that power.

You can have light instead of darkness in your life. Through the spirit he offered himself without blemish to God. We also through the spirit can offer ourselves pure to God. And if Jesus blood and therefore it says Jesus blood can cleanse your conscience from dead works.

Notice the expression again. Dead works. Works that appear holy that appear righteous but which cannot make you acceptable to God to serve the living God. If you want to serve the living God you got to get rid of all dead works from your life.

All works that appear good before people but which are done without joy without faith with a wrong motive for some personal gain without any zeal without any fire. These are all dead works. Get rid of them.

Our works for God must be done with faith with joy with fire for God's honor and not man's honor not to ease my conscience but to please God and get rid of every other work in my life which is a dead work.

Then only can I serve God it says in verse 14. Further verse 27 is a very important verse. It says that it is appointed unto men once to die. And after this comes the judgment. Now there's a beautiful truth we can all learn from this verse.

You want to hear it. It's very simple. If you meditate on this verse you learn something. What is that. When does God judge a man. The answer is there after he dies. When do you judge a man. Long before he dies.

You see the difference between you and God. When you meditate on scripture you learn something like that. Why can't we all be a little more like God and say well he hasn't died yet. Maybe he'll improve tomorrow.

Maybe he'll improve next week. God always has that hope. Okay this fellow is bad today. But maybe my next week or next year or five years from now he'll be better. We don't give that fellow even one day.

Leave alone five years. God Almighty waits till a man dies. Then judges. Let's follow his example and we'll save ourselves a lot of unnecessary sin. But it's true that once a man dies there's no more escape.

There's only judgment for him. And now we go to chapter 10. The chapter 10 it says here about the law being a shadow of the good things to come which could never make perfect. Notice again in verse 1 the last part verse perfect.

What was the fault with the old covenant. In one sentence it could not make people perfect. What is the mark of people under the old covenant. Today they are afraid of the word perfection. What is the mark of the new covenant.

It can make people perfect in their conscience and help them to press on to perfection in their life till one day they become like Jesus. That is the new covenant. And if you are serious about the new covenant you will never again be afraid of the word perfection.

You will long to be perfect. If you have no longing to be perfect I'd say you're still back under the old covenant verse 1. They could never become perfect even in their conscience. And then they could never become like Christ one day either.

Please remember these two perfections. Perfect in our conscience and perfect like Christ. One in the future. One right now. But which the old covenant could not help them to have. Okay. If they were perfect in their conscience they would not have kept on offering sacrifices for sins.

Offering the Body as a Living Sacrifice

Then let's move on to chapter 5. I like to quote this verse to people who have suffered under creatures who are always tell them to give their offerings. I say I want to show you a verse in the bible which says God doesn't want your offerings.

That's verse 5. Sacrifice an offering. Thou is not desired. Do you believe that. What does God desire a body. You've heard me say many times in the old testament the emphasis was on give your tithe. In the new testament the emphasis is on give your body.

There there was such a strong emphasis. Have you paid your tithes. Have you paid your tithes. Have you paid your tithes. You go to a church and the people are emphasizing. Have you paid your tithe. Have you paid your tithe.

Have you paid your tithe. That's an old covenant church. In the new covenant the emphasis is have you given your body. Have you given your eyes. Have you given your tongue. Have you given your hands. Have you presented your body as a living sacrifice.

Romans 12 1. Where do I get that from hebrews 10 5 offering. He does not desire but he desires your body. That is the new covenant equivalent of the old testament tithe. Just like Jesus Christ dying on the cross is the equivalent of the old testament lamb which was sacrificed on the passover day.

Everything had an equivalent that going through the red sea. The new testament it is baptism. The old testament tithe. The new covenant is giving our body. Here it is God doesn't want an offering. He wants your body first.

Does that mean we are not to give our money to God. If you don't feel happy to give money to God you don't have to give anything to God. Give your body. But most people who give their body will usually want to give a lot of other things as well.

But that's voluntary. Give what you want happily. But the most important thing God requires from you is a body. When Jesus came into the world verse 5 Jesus did not come primarily to pay his tithes. He did not come to give offerings.

Instead he gave his body. And he is the mediator of a new covenant for us teaching us not God. What God wants primarily from us is not our offerings but our body. What are the offerings we can give to God.

Money service. Lord I distributed 1 000 tracts today. Lord I've served in some part of north India for 10 years. These are all offerings to God. Lord I prayed for five hours yesterday. I fasted three days.

These are offerings. But Lord I still lust with my eyes. I still get angry with my tongue. God says forget your offerings. I don't want you to go to north India for 10 years. And I don't want your tights.

And I don't want your fasting. I don't want your prayer. I don't want any of your offerings. I want your eyes. I want your tongue. I want parts of your body. Give me your body. Don't substitute offerings for your body.

People who substitute offerings and don't give their body are back in the old covenant. In the new covenant what God wants is your body. This is a wonderful book. Hebrews. Why am I taking more time on Hebrews than any other book of the new testament or the whole bible.

For that matter my personal conviction is it's one of the most important books in the bible. If you want to live in the new covenant I would say study Hebrews. And that's why I've given far more importance to this book than any other sacrifice.

An offering he didn't desire but your body. And what must I do with this body. Lord it's Jesus is saying when I came into the world that is when he came through the uh from the womb of Mary he never had a body in heaven.

But now God the father gave him a body. A body thou has prepared for me. What shall I do with this body. Go to north India. Pay tithes. Pray for five hours fast. What shall I do with this body. Very simple verse seven.

I have come to do your will. Whatever it is. Oh God in this body. I've come to do your will. This is what Jesus came for. And this is what we have to do with our body. When you present your body to God don't present your body to go here or go there or this ministry or that ministry or anything.

Say Lord you gave me a body from my mother's womb. Every part of it eyes tongue hands passions desires. It's all yours to do your will. What are my eyes for to do God's will. What's my tongue to speak God's will.

My passions my strength my energy must be to do God's will. One passion in life. What is the will of God. The will of God is your sanctification. Okay that's first part. What's the will of God for my ministry.

Lord I want to know your will. I don't want to rush here and rush there and do something for God. I want to do the will of God in this body. That's what Jesus taught us to pray. Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

What do you think the angels are doing in heaven. They're not running around here and they're trying to do like they say something for God. I don't want to do something for God. I want to do God's will.

Jesus didn't come to earth and from the age of 12 start running around doing something for God. I said what is your will. And the father said work as a carpenter for the next 18 years. Okay I make 18 years.

He worked as a carpenter. That was the will of God. And one day when the father saw he was faithful in his earthly job. Okay now you go. Now you preach. Do you think God may tell you to be a carpenter.

No impossible. God will only tell me to preach. Who said that. That's the problem. A lot of people cannot hear that God may tell them to do something quite different because their understanding of spirituality is only doing full-time work.

Jesus did not come to do full-time work. He came to do the father's will. When the father's will was carpentry he did carpentry. When the father's will was full-time work it was full-time work. You must dedicate yourself to do the will of the father not to do this job or that job.

I can't join the Indian army and say I want to be posted in this place. No if I join the army I leave it to them to decide where to post me. They can post me on the battlefront. They can post me in the home department at behind the scenes of the battle.

That's up to them. I cannot dictate neither can be in the Lord's army. Lo I come to do your will. Oh God. And a second time is repeated verse 8 you don't desire offerings or sacrifices. But verse 9 I come to do thy will.

Oh God. And in this way verse 9 he took away that first covenant and established the second covenant. The second first covenant was a lot of activity. Activity activity. If you go into the tabernacle it's all activity activity activity.

But in the new covenant carpentry for so many years helping his mother at home for so many years it was all the will of God. And preaching when the time came to do the will of God in his life. Don't think that carpentry is less God's will.

And helping your mother at home is less God's will than preaching. That's old covenant idea. In the new covenant whatever God wants you to do at this particular time that's God's will. That is what that is the holiest thing you can do.

And a lot of people have gone out into the ministry before God called them and now they are frustrated. They're running here and there. They may go here make a mistake. After five years they go somewhere else.

Then they get frustrated there ten years and then they go somewhere else. And I come across people who are so old and have just made a mess of their life because they didn't seek the will of God. They went around trying to do something for God.

Please don't make that mistake. Follow Jesus. He's the pattern. Of course there are people at the other extreme who feel that even if God calls them for full-time work they say no carpentry is better.

That's the other extreme. There are always these extremes in Christendom that even if God calls them they will not go because they are making a good good money in their business. So let's avoid both these extremes.

And then it repeats the some of the terms of the covenant again in verse 16 and 17 which we considered earlier I will put my laws upon their heart. I will write them in their hearts and their minds and I will not remember their sins anymore.

This is so important. That's why it's repeated a second time in verse 16 and 17. And then it says since brethren I believe this passage verse 19 to 25 is one of the most important passages in the whole book of Hebrews.

We could say it's the central passage of the book. It speaks about a new and living way into the most holy place. We have now confidence brethren to enter the most holy place first of all by the blood of Jesus and second by a new and living way which he consecrated by the veil that is his flesh.

The veil was torn symbolizing that his flesh was torn. And there's a way for us now to go into the most holy place a new and living fresh way. Part of the meaning of that is that it's always fresh it's never stale.

It's always new. Like in revelation we read about a new song that means every time they sing the same song. It's like it's singing it for the first time. Fresh. That's the way we should sing. You may sing that for the hundredth time but it's fresh again a new song the same way a new and living way means even though I'm taking up the cross and following Jesus today it's exciting today it's it's new it's fresh.

This is the way of the cross this new and living way the way of death to the flesh the way of rending the veil the way that we are called to follow Jesus death to my own will offering my body to do God's will that the will of the flesh will never be done in this body low I come oh lord this body to do your will.

And if we keep doing that we go through this new and living way that Jesus opened. We don't have to rent the veil today. The veil is already rent but to go through that way which he inaugurated for us you see it's like a minister cutting open a ribbon and inaugurating a new road.

Of course Jesus didn't do it that easily. He had to pay a price for 33 years to inaugurate this road. But the road is now inaugurated for us. We don't have to make the road. No no no no. The road is already made.

We have to only walk it. Jesus has opened this way of the cross this highway of holiness as it says in Isaiah 35 the way of the cross. And we have to walk it. And if we walk it we get into the most holy place.

Now don't get taken up with the road. See when you're traveling supposing I'm traveling from here to Bangalore by road and I get so taken up with the road. I say boy what a beautiful road this is. What nice potholes.

And I get stuck in the road admiring the road. I'll never reach Bangalore. And that's what's happened to some people who have heard the message of the cross of putting the flesh to death. And you see them 20 years later they are still admiring this road.

Oh this putting the flesh to death. This is the way brother. And they never reach the destination. The destination is the most holy place. We are not to get taken up with the cross. It's the resurrection we are after.

We are seeking to fellowship with God. And this happens to be the way I want to reach a destination. And that's what it says. Through the new and living way we get into the most holy place. There are some people who are not taken up with the way at all.

They never get into the most holy place. That's one extreme. The other extreme is people who are always talking about death to the flesh death to the flesh the way of the cross the way of the cross the way of the cross.

And you look at their lives. They are so long-faced and gloomy and miserable. And you say I don't want this life at all. You're not a recommendation to anybody because you're taken up with the way of the cross.

You're not taken up with the fellowship with the father in the most holy place. I don't want the way of the cross except as it leads me to the father. I don't want to be taken up with the way. I want to be taken up with the father.

It's not looking unto the way. Have you ever seen a runner looking down and running. He's always looking at there in front where I have to go. And these people who look down and run will always come last.

And I want to give that word of warning to anybody sitting here who's being gripped by the message of the cross. And you think you're holy. You're not holy. If you're gripped with Jesus you're holy. So that's a warning.

Because I've seen people taken up with that. The lord has made a way for us. He's a high priest. And therefore let us draw near. It says with a sincere heart. Notice the emphasis on sincerity frequently with faith with our hearts sprinkled clean our bodies washed with pure water means that there's no sin which I committed with my body which has not been cleansed which I have not set right.

If I have harmed somebody I go and apologize. If I've cheated somebody I set it right. That's how my body is washed with pure water. I hold fast to the confession of my hope. I don't shake and I consider other brothers around me in the most holy place.

I'm not selfish. I think about other people how I can stir them up to love. And I don't live by myself. Verse 25. I'm fellowship with other people as often as possible until Jesus comes again. Take that passage from 19 to 25 and meditate on it.

It's precious very very very important. And he says instead of going in there if we go on sinning willfully then there's no more sacrifice for sin. See a way indicates that we got to keep moving. Later on he speaks about running the race.

People who backslide are people who are not moving forward. You know an aircraft in the sky. It's moving as long as it's moving it stays in the sky. Do you know what will happen to an airplane if it decides to stop turns off its engine in the sky down.

That's what will happen. An aircraft has to keep moving in order to keep flying. When it stops moving it drops to the ground. So in the christian life also if we don't keep moving we backslide. And so he warns us.

He says in the old testament people who lived under the old covenant they were punished without mercy. Verse 28. You think our punishment will be less when God has given us much greater calling. And we treat the blood of Jesus as an unclean thing.

It takes in lightly. It's very serious. It's a terrifying thing. Verse 31 to fall into the hands of the living God. Then he goes on and to say that there's a great need for you to be willing to suffer.

Verse 33 to 34. People may take away your property. They were persecuted in those days. And he says okay never mind. Don't get occupied with these earthly things. You may lose them. And i believe in days of persecution if it comes to this country we may lose some earthly things.

We may lose honor. We may not be able to get jobs. Because we are christians seeking to be upright. We may not get promotion. People may turn against us. They may break down our church buildings. Okay.

When you live in the most holy place these things you can take joyfully. It says you took joyfully. Verse 34 middle the seizure of your property. Your property was seized by fundamentalist religious people.

Okay praise the lord. I'm living in the most holy place. I'm not going to fight for these things because i've got a better possession in heaven. And he says instead of going this way verse 38 if you shrink back the lord says you'll have no pleasure.

The lord will have no pleasure in such a person. There are only two ways you either live by faith or you shrink back. If you live by faith you're making progress. The opposite of that not living by faith is you shrink back.

Every backsliding is first of all a failure of faith. That's what we learned from verse 38. All backsliding is first of all a failure of faith. That's what we read verse 38. Then we go on to chapter 11 where he speaks a little more about faith.

Faith That Pleases God

And he says this faith is not something new. Even old testament people live by faith. How do you think. Abel offered a sacrifice to god verse 4 by faith. And he says faith is sort of believing those invisible things which we know are sure we are sure that's true.

The definition of faith in verse one. One the conviction of things that i have not seen. I haven't seen it but i'm convinced. The assurance of things i'm hoping for. I haven't seen it but i'm sure that's faith.

And abel lived like that. That's how he offered a sacrifice. He knew this is this is please god. And i'm going to do it. How did enoch live for 300 years. He walked with god here he tells us in verse 5 he walked by faith.

He couldn't see but he walked by faith for 300 years. He walked by faith in an unseen god pleasing god when everybody else was enjoying themselves. And god tested him for 300 years and said enoch you deserve to be in heaven.

And he took him up. And he says without this type of faith verse 6 whatever else you may have it is impossible to please god. You may do a lot of work for him. You may sacrifice a lot for him. But if you can't trust god trusting in the invisible blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

You cannot please god. If you want to please god when you come to god you must first of all believe that he exists up there and that he's a rewarder of all who seek him wholeheartedly. I want to ask you when you're in trouble who is the first person you turn to.

I hope it's god. We can ask people for help. There's nothing wrong in that but the first person i was turned to is god. I've often thought if the prime minister of india was my father anytime i have some problem i would ring him up and say dad i have a little bit of a problem.

Can you help me. And he says sure what's up. Tell me. And i tell him. And he says don't worry son i'll take care of that. Thank you dad. I put the phone down and i'm at rest. Do you believe that god almighty is more powerful than the prime minister of india.

Do you believe that god is your father. Is he the first person you turn to when you're sick. When you have a problem when some impossible situation comes before you which even the prime minister cannot solve.

Can god do something about it. Sure. Why don't you talk to him. Why don't you ask him. Why don't you go to him first before you go to anybody else. Let's develop that habit. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

We must develop this as a way of life. When i have a problem i turn to god first because i believe he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. How did noah live. Verse 7. By faith. And by faith it says he condemned the world.