Hebrews 10:21-25
Hope of Believing
2023. 10. 16 the 119th Gyeongin Presbytery Opening Service Sermon
21) And there is a great priest over the house of God.
22) Our hearts are sprinkled, free from an evil conscience, and our bodies are clear. Having been washed in water, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.
23) And let us hold fast and unwavering to the hope of our confession, for he who promised is faithful.
24) Let us consider each other to encourage one another to love and good deeds.
25) Let us not assemble together together. Let us not do this, as some people are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hallelujah! May God’s grace and blessings be upon the pastors and wives gathered today and all the churches belonging to our presbytery.
Verse 22 exhorts us to ‘come to God.’ The reason the writer of Hebrews can say this is because, as in verse 21, because of Jesus' sacrifice, that is, because his blood was sprinkled and his flesh was torn, we can pass through the torn veil and enter the Holy of Holies.
Entering the Holy of Holies means getting close, very close, and intimate with God. Our evil conscience was justified by the sprinkling of the Lord's blood, and our broken and sick bodies were restored and strengthened by being washed with clean water. In this way, those who approach God become pure and healthy both in spirit and body. Hallelujah!
However, at that time, the exhortation to the Christians in the Diaspora who were scattered to various parts of the world after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem to come to God must have embarrassed them. Because coming to God meant going up to the temple in Jerusalem. But what should we do now that the temple has fallen?
The text presents two ways to do this. That is ‘true heart’ and ‘complete faith.’ Coming to God must now change from a concept of space and distance to a concept of relationship and intimacy. In other words, our relationship with God should not be estranged or awkward. Your relationship shouldn't be so awkward that there's no conversation at all. We can say everything honestly and honestly, and the Word of God must also enter and be applied into our lives and lives without any obstacles or misunderstandings. His Word must be revealed in our lives with our full faith.
These two relate to the spirit and the body. If the true heart is a ‘spiritual attitude’ toward God, then complete faith is an ‘action’ that must be practiced with our bodies. The writer of Hebrews explains what this true heart and complete faith specifically means in verses 23 and 24, respectively. Let’s read verses 23 and 24 together.
“And let us hold fast and not waver in the hope of our confession, for he who promised is faithful; let us
consider how we encourage one another to love and good deeds.”
The specific content of our true heart, the attitude with which we approach God, is ‘holding firmly to the hope of our faith.’ And the specific content of perfect faith is 'to encourage one another to love and do good deeds.'
At weekly worship services, pastors preach to believers about ‘holding fast to the hope of faith.’ Every time we worship, we reflect on our attitude toward God together with the gathered saints. Check to see if there are any doubts or wrongdoings that are hindering your approach to God. If so, I tell you to repent honestly and humbly. At the same time, preachers also reflect on themselves.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We proclaim these words from 1 John 1:9 as our message. And when these words are sprinkled on our bodies like water, a miracle occurs where our spirit and body are restored and healed. This is entirely due to God's promises and His faithful nature to keep those promises.
God never abandons or gives up on us.
“I have called you by name, and you are mine.”
The words of Isaiah 43:1 still ring true with us today. This is the hope of the doctrine we believe in.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, the waters will not overshadow you. When you pass through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flame consume you.” Amen.
God keeps his words and promises. Jesus, our Savior, became the Word and came to this earth. Hallelujah!
We must now hold fast to the hope of our faith and look after one another. Of course, we must come together to reflect on one another. We cannot take care of ourselves without coming together. So we are told not to follow the habit of some people who forsake gatherings together. The closer we see that day, the more we must gather together. However, the text does not specifically talk about the methods and procedures for gathering. That would mean applying it according to the circumstances and circumstances of the places scattered across various places. Now that we are far away in time, we must apply it according to our circumstances and circumstances.
We are gathered here today as the Gyeongin Presbytery. This meeting will continue in the future. The meeting is not just a meeting for the sake of meeting. It is a gathering for the care of love and service. God will save our Gyeongin Presbytery, which continues these meetings without abolishing them, even from the water and from the fire. He will protect you from any hardship and adversity. So, He will make us a model for other presbyteries and communities through revival and development. This is the hope of our doctrine. I pray in the name of the Lord that our Gyeongin Presbytery, its affiliated local churches, and our pastors, precious servants of the Lord, will firmly hold on to this hope, overcome any obstacle, and not shy away from any hardship, no matter how difficult it may be.
I will pray.
May the hope of faith continue to be a guiding light for all the pastors of our Presbytery, and for the local churches and Presbytery as a holy community united in Christ, forever. I pray in the name of Jesus. amen.
