We have an Unavoidable Appointment

Hebrews 9:17-28

A testament is the covenant of on who has died with those who are alive, to be placed in effect at his death. A man may place his son as manager of his business, but retain ownership. However, in the event of his death, he assigns ownership to his son. That assignment is his testament. He covenants, or commits to give his son ownership. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” (Hebrews 9:16-17)

A testament must be validated as being actually the testators wish. Today it will be witnessed and notarized. A system of notaries was not available, and an animal was killed, and its blood applied to demonstrate commitment. That procedure was followed in instituting the old covenant, by sprinkling the blood of sacrificial animals.

“Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:18-22)

God established the principle of blood being required for sin in his statement in Genesis 2:17, stating ”But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” When God rejected attempts to use plants to comer man’s nakedness and sin, killing animals to make clothing, he demonstrated the requirement for blood sacrifice for remission of sin. The commandments regarding sacrifices under the law perpetuate and clarify the requirement. The same principle remains in effect under the new covenant and testament.

“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:23-26)

The statement “and without shedding of blood is no remission” is interesting. When we say a cancer is in remission, we mean that it is no longer growing. It may or may not have been completely destroyed. Hebrews 10:4 informs us, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” To actually get rid of the sin, and institute the new Testament required a superior sacrifice. Christ offered himself, not the blood of an innocent animal , but of an innocent man. Since he removed the sin there is no need of additional sacrifices to keep sin in remission.

Because “the wages of sin is death,” and as Romans 5:12 tells “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” we all are condemned to die. As Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:“ Romans 14:12 reminds us, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Christ offered the solution, by sacrificing himself.

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28) He did this for all mankind, not just a select few, according to I John 2:2. “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” He did so because as II Peter 3:9 informs us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” It is his desire that every person be saved.

Mark 16:16 is quite clear that those who believe, and act on their belief will be saved, but those who do not believe will not. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” They choose what they want. God would prefer that they be saved. As Romans 1:20 says, “they are without excuse.” It is not God’s fault. Those who are looking for him will be saved.