WWUTT 1852 The Powerful Blood of the Son of God (Hebrews 10:11-18)

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Under the New Covenant, God has forgiven us our sins through Jesus Christ our

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Lord. And we have a new heart, not a heart that wants to rebel against God, but a heart that wants to live for Him when we understand the text.

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This is When We Understand The Text, a daily study in the Word of God that we may be conformed to the image of Christ.

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Visit our website at www .utt .com, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Here once again is Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. We're back to our study in Hebrews chapter 10.

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Moving on to the next section, I'm going to begin reading in verse 11, and we'll go through verse 18 in the

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Legacy Standard Bible. This is the Word of the Lord. And every priest stands daily, ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

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But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies are put as a footstool for his feet.

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For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

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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

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Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind I will write them. He then says,

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And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

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Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.

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Amen. I think I said that after yesterday's reading too, but I just can't help myself.

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What a wonderful promise. What a wonderful new covenant that we live in now by Jesus' death on the cross, who died once for all, we are forgiven our sins and we can now worship him from the heart.

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And there's no longer a need for any further offering for sin. Now, we are to live as living sacrifices unto the

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Lord. That's in Romans 12, 1. But that's not that's not having to die like physically, literally die or shed the blood of an animal to try to atone for our sins.

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But as we've read here in Hebrews 10, the blood of bulls and goats never had the power to cleanse a person of sins anyway.

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That was in verse four. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

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It is the precious blood of Jesus by his blood that we have been cleansed of our unrighteousness.

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As I mentioned yesterday, the outline of this particular chapter yesterday, we looked at verses one through 10, which were about the necessity of the savior who gave his life for us and his selfless offering of himself.

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Today, we're looking at verses 11 through 18, which tell us about the nullification of any further need for a sacrifice for sins.

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We've got a much bigger section we're going to be looking at tomorrow, beginning in verse 19, where we'll be reading about this new covenant worship that we have in Christ and even a warning that's given in there as to the consequences of rejecting this new covenant that has been given to us in Christ.

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But for today, let's come back to verse 11. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time and time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.

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Now, keep in mind, the preacher here is talking to Hebrews and he's trying to show the

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Hebrews how Christ is the superior sacrifice. He is the greater high priest. He is the greater sacrifice.

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He offered himself once for all. There is never a need for further sacrifices for those who are in Christ.

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But at the present time, at the present time that this is being preached to the Hebrews, they're still a priest.

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Like this is a time of transition that's going on here. There was from the year 30, which may have been the year that Jesus was crucified and risen again, to the year 70, which we know was when

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Rome entered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. So there's a period of 40 years there in between.

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And there's like a time of transition that's taking place in those 40 years. The old covenant is being done away with and it's already over for those who are in Christ.

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They don't have to follow the old covenant anymore. I follow Jesus. Remember, there was a statement that was made at the end of chapter 8 when he said a new covenant, he has made the first obsolete, but whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

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Remember that statement? So that's speaking of the fact that the old testament or the old covenant is coming to an end.

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This new covenant has been established and the old covenant officially closes like there's not even an option for you to continue to practice the old covenant when the temple is destroyed.

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Because that very place where it is said, the one place that that sacrifices were to be offered unto the

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Lord, that's taken away. So people can't go there and offer sacrifices anymore. And for 2000 years, that's been the case.

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The Lord has prevented any kind of rebuilding taking place on that spot.

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There is no Jewish temple anymore. As Paul says in Acts 17, the dwelling place of God is not a place that's built by human hands.

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He dwells within his church. That's in first Corinthians three, and he dwells within the very souls of the people who believe in Jesus.

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That's in first Corinthians six. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit who has been given to you by God.

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All of this taking place, of course, in the new covenant. So the old covenant, the old covenant is passing away.

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All of those things are growing obsolete, ready to disappear. So Paul is speaking or the preacher here, the preacher in Hebrews is speaking to a people that still live at a time where there is a priest there in the temple that is continually offering sacrifices.

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But he's doing something that can never take away sins. So the preacher here is urging those

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Hebrew Christians not to return to those old things. Don't go back to that. It's becoming obsolete and it's going to disappear anyway.

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But recognize, even if it were sticking around, it doesn't have the power or the ability to take away sins.

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All of those things were types and shadows of the Christ who was to come. He has come.

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He has been sacrificed once for all. He is risen again. And whoever believes in him, our sins are forgiven.

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Verse 12. He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God for Christ to sit at God's right hand.

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That is to complete the work. It was done. It was to signify it is finished.

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Of course, Jesus said those words from the cross. But we recognize that the work of Jesus earthly ministry was truly finished when he ascends into heaven and he sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

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It is stated in Hebrews 1, right at the very beginning of this letter, that he, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

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That's the next event that happens. After Jesus completes the work of making an atoning sacrifice for sins, he sits down at the right hand of God.

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That's repeated again here in chapter 10, verse 12, verse 13, waiting from that time until his enemies are put as a footstool under his feet.

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So Jesus completed the work of atonement. He rose again from the dead. He ascends into heaven.

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He sits at the right hand of God. And so there at God's right hand, first of all, he's interceding for us.

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We've read about that previously in Hebrews. So he is our intercessor. He is our great high priest going before the father on our behalf.

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So that's one thing that he's doing in heaven, but he's also waiting. He's interceding for us, but in his intercession, he's also from that time that he sat down at God's right hand until his enemies are put as a footstool for his feet.

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That is once again, a quote that comes from Psalm 110, which is the most quoted

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Psalm in the New Testament. And we've heard from Psalm 110 several times in Hebrews. This is the

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Psalm, it's the Psalm that talks about Christ being a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

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That's in verse four, but it's right at the start of the Psalm where it says, Yahweh says to my

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Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet.

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And that's what's being accomplished in the world right now. Every time the gospel goes forth and is proclaimed and sinners are won into the kingdom because they turn from sin to believe in the true gospel and they are saved.

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Every time that happens, the enemies of Christ are defeated. And that's happening over and over and over again until that work is completed until the last sinner is saved and Christ's enemies are destroyed and places a footstool under his feet.

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And then he comes with the final say, the final judgment upon the living and the dead.

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When the world will be consumed with fire, the heavens will pass away with a roar on that day that Christ returns with the angels of God in flaming fire, as talked about there in 1

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Thessalonians 1, he will return in judgment. When he came the first time, it was to be our savior.

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When he comes to the second time, it will be to judge the world. Now, he will also be a savior to us in that day, because we will be rescued out of this world into his presence.

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And we have nothing to fear of the judgment of God that comes upon this place. But on that day is his enemies totally defeated.

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Christ returns, his enemies are vanquished. And until that day comes, he sits at the right hand of God interceding for us on our behalf.

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Verse 14, for by one offering, he is perfected for all time. Those who are being sanctified, you know, it's fascinating to consider, but Jesus offered himself for those who are being sanctified.

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How do you know who Jesus died for? Well, who's being sanctified? That's who Jesus died for.

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He did not die for every single person in the world. And there's nothing in scripture that says that there are passages of scripture that people will take and apply that to every single person in the world.

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But in context, that's not what's being referenced. As Lorraine Bettner said, the man who applies the atonement to all men reduces its effectiveness to such an extent that it becomes practically no atonement at all.

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Jesus did not die as an atoning sacrifice for every single person in the world, because otherwise you're talking about an atonement that is largely ineffective considering most people go to hell.

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Most people do not turn from their sin to the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved. And so if that's the case, that Jesus dies and atones for the sins of a bunch of people that go to hell, then you're talking about an atonement that is largely ineffective.

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But we know that the atonement is effective because the atonement is only applied to his elect.

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Those who are being sanctified are those for whom Jesus died, and by this one offering, he's perfected for all time.

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Only those who are being sanctified, we who are growing in holiness and righteousness and the person who comes to faith in Christ will finish the faith in Christ, as Jesus said, or I'm sorry, as Paul said.

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So the word of Christ through the apostle Paul in Philippians 1 6, I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to completed at the day of Christ.

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Everyone who is in Christ will finish in Christ and we will be in Christ forever in glory.

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Verse 15 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

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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,

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I will remember no more. And now we come back to the prophecy concerning that new covenant, which was made in Jeremiah 31.

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So here in this particular passage, this is verses 33 and 34. Verse 33 is referenced in Hebrews 10 16 and then

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Jeremiah 31 34 in Hebrews 10 17. So looking at verse 16 again, the

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Holy Spirit testifies to us, the Holy Spirit testifies to us. So though this came from Jeremiah, this is the word of God, right?

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Verse 16, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the

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Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind,

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I will write them. I mentioned that that was also prophesied through Ezekiel. We see it here in the new covenant promise through the prophet

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Jeremiah. Consider what is said to us in Romans 8 about the law of Christ that has been written on our hearts.

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I'm going to start at verse 1 just because it's such a great verse. Romans 8 1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

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For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

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And as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. Boy, that sounds a lot like what we've read here in Hebrews 10, right?

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The law had not the power to forgive us of our sins.

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In fact, the law awakened in us a desire to sin because of our sinful nature. We wanted to disobey the law.

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So the law did not have the power to make us righteous. But it was through what

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God did for us, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin.

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Through this, he condemned sin in the flesh. Verse 4. So that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

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So now we who are in Christ, who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, now the righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled in us, where previously it was just self -righteousness.

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But now with the spirit of God dwelling within us, we obey the law to God's glory.

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Verse 5. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.

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But those who are according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. For the mind that is set on the flesh is death.

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But the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.

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For it does not subject itself to the law of God. For indeed, it is not even able to do so.

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And those who are in the flesh are not able to please

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God. You could not obey the law of God. When you did not have the spirit of God.

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When you were just living in your flesh and you did not yet have the Holy Spirit, it was not possible for you to even obey

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God's law. Or to be subject to God's law. You were not willing to do so.

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Those who are of the flesh, who do not have the spirit of Christ dwelling within them, are not able to please

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God. And that goes back to Romans 3. There is none who does righteous, not even one.

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No one even seeks for God. But then we have the turn of phrase that happens at verse 9.

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However, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you.

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But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness, if the spirit of him who raised

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Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

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So then, brothers, we are under obligation not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

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For if you live according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.

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So once again, the spirit of God dwelling within us, we are not living according to the flesh, we are living according to the spirit.

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And this is exactly the fulfillment of what was prophesied in Jeremiah 31.

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I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind. I will write them.

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So now we desire to please God from the heart. He then says, verses 17 and 18, or sorry, just verse 17, which is the next part of Jeremiah 31, and their sins and their lawless deeds,

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I will remember no more. As I quoted yesterday from 1

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John 1, 9, if we ask forgiveness for our sins, he is faithful and just to cleanse us of our sins, sorry, to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

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He remembers our sin no more. Verse 18, now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.

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So if we know that we have the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ, our

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Lord, there's no longer a need to offer anything for sin because Christ has offered himself once for all.

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All our sins are forgiven and no other sacrifice needs to be made. Now, we do have the instruction given to us in Romans 12, 1 that we are to live as sacrifices unto

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God, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord.

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And this is your spiritual act of worship. This is what the Christian does in light of the fact that Christ gave his life for us.

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So we give our lives unto God, not as though to die physically in the flesh, but to live by the spirit of God that has been poured into our hearts.

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We live new life. We don't walk in the sins of our flesh any longer, but we walk in the holiness and the righteousness of God that we have been called to in Christ Jesus.

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So desire to live for him today. Obey him from the heart, not because our obedience saves us.

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Christ saves us. But in light of the fact that we are saved, so we are sanctified.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you again for the goodness and love that you show to us through your son,

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Jesus Christ, and may we live for him today. If we say that we love God, then we should walk as Jesus walked, as it says in 1

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John 2, 6. So lead us in paths of righteousness for your namesake today, not following the pattern of the world, not following after our flesh, not succumbing to the schemes of Satan.

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We walk in Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. Reminds me of what

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Paul said in Galatians 2, 20, for I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.

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The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

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It is in his name that we pray. Amen. Pastor Gabe keeps a regular blog, sharing personal thoughts, alerting readers to false teachers, and offering commentary on the church and social issues.

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You can find a link to the blog through our website, www .utt .com. Thank you for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue our study in God's Word when we understand the text.