and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
Now we don't have a temple to go to today, and we don't go running around sacrificing animals.
We'd have the animal rights group after us if we did things like that.
But I think we still make our own little sacrifices, don't we?
Paul Tripp, a great writer who I encourage you to read,
in this little book of his it's called Whiter Than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy.
It's just one page little writing, some of them stories, some of them poems.
And in this one he writes about us offering our sacrifices to deal with our guilt.
This is what he says, perhaps if I give you some of my time,
perhaps if I give you some of my strength,
perhaps if I give you some of my things,
perhaps if I give you some of my thoughts,
perhaps if I give you some of my success,
perhaps if I give you some of my relationships,
surely these sacrifices would bring you delight.
Surely these offerings will bring you joy.
I'm quite willing to give a tithe.
I'm quite willing to interrupt my schedule.
I'm quite willing to volunteer to serve.
I'm quite willing to do my part.
But I get the sense it will never satisfy.
I get the sense that this momentary giving,
this momentary service,
this momentary ministry,
this momentary sacrifice,
will not satisfy or deal with guilt.
The problem is,
our sacrifices do nothing to clean our guilty conscience.
Look at verse 2 again.
If it could,
would we not have stopped offering our sacrifices?
They would have cleansed us once and for all,
and we would no longer feel guilty for our sins,
past and present.
So what can deal with our guilty conscience?
Well, first thing we want to look at is,
why our sacrifices always fail.
Our sacrifices always fail.
Our sacrifice,
whatever form it takes,
never deals with the problem of guilt.
Look at the middle of verse 1 of chapter 10.
Or we'll read all of verse 1.
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming,
not the realities themselves.
For this reason,
it can never,
by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly,
year after year,
make perfect those who draw near to worship.
The same idea is expressed back in chapter 9, verse 9.
Here he's been talking about the whole temple
and sacrificial system,
and this is his conclusion.
He says,
this is an illustration for the present time,
indicating that the gifts and the sacrifices being offered
were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper.
Literally,
these sacrifices could never perfect the conscience
of the one coming to God.
Now, it's important for us to grasp
how useless our sacrifices are.
Two things.
First,
first,
our sacrifices don't clean us of our guilt.
Look at verse 2 of chapter 10.
If they could,
would they not have stopped being offered?
For the worshippers would have been cleansed once and for all,
and would no longer have felt guilty.
It's not surprising,
is it,
that whenever we say or do something wrong,
we have this feeling of being dirty and unclean.
We've all experienced that.
And in a desperate attempt to try and feel clean,
we sacrifice.
We make more of an effort in our lives.
We get more involved,
or we take part in a new ministry,
or we give a bit more money,
but they don't make us clean on the inside.
Chapter 9,
verse 13.
It says there,
it's a mask,
it's a cover-up.
We feel a little bit better when we do something good.
Others look at us and think that we're also doing very well,
but inside,
we're unclean.
We feel dirty.
Still suffering under a weight of condemnation.
Still feeling a useless failure.
No good to God or to anybody else.
Sacrifices don't clean us of guilt.
Second,
they just remind us of all of our guilt.
Look at verse 3 of chapter 10.
But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.
Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.
You know,
every time we sin and every time we mess up,
we fall into this trap of thinking,
I can deal with my guilt.
All I need to do is just add a little bit more to my little sacrifices,
and then everything is going to be okay.
But in the act of sacrificing,
whether it's just giving up a little bit of time to help somebody else,
whether it's reading my Bible a little bit more,
or just putting in an extra few prayers,
every time we sacrifice,
all we're doing is just reminding ourselves again and again
of my sin today and my sin from the past.
That's all we're doing.
We're heaping guilt upon guilt.
Sacrifices don't clear our conscience.
All they do is remind us
of how terrible we are
and what a failure we are.
That is the problem of our sacrifices.
They just fail.
Look back at verse 1,
the middle of verse 1 of chapter 10.
For this reason,
it can never,
by the same sacrifices
repeated endlessly
year after year,
make perfect
those who draw near to worship.
Now how many of us
live in that relentless cycle?
Making repeated sacrifices
week after week,
year after year,
struggling with sins of the past,
struggling with sins of today,
with the weight of it upon us
somehow trying to get it out of our lives
and the memory of it gone.
And we increase our commitment,
we raise our effort,
we take on more responsibility,
or we just hide away
and we suffer
with our guilty conscience
that just cripples us
and crushes us.
It reminds us
that we are in desperate need
of a better sacrifice
than what we could ever offer.
And that's the big second picture
that I want us to grasp.
That not only do our sacrifices
always fail,
but the sacrifice of Jesus
is so much better.
Instead of us making sacrifices,
Jesus becomes the sacrifice
for us.
Verse 5 of chapter 10.
Therefore,
when Christ came into the world,
he said,
quoting Psalm 40,
sacrifice and offering
you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me.
He's saying it's
when Christ came into the world,
he came in as a physical human being
like one of us.
With burnt offerings
and sin offerings,
you were not pleased.
Then he said,
here I am,
it is written about me
in the scroll,
I have come to do your will,
O God.
Well, what is God's will
for Jesus and for us?
Look at verse 8.
Then he said,
sacrifices and offerings
and burnt offerings
and sin offerings
you did not desire,
nor were you pleased with them,
although the law required them
to be made.
Yes, God had said in his law
that sacrifices were to be made,
but only because they pointed forward
to a better
and a greater sacrifice to come.
Verse 9.
Then he said,
here I am,
I have come to do your will.
He sets aside the first,
he puts aside this old system
to establish the second,
to bring about a new way,
a new sacrifice.
The sacrifices of the animals
that we read about
in the Old Testament,
all they are there to do
is to point us forward
to something better
and to someone greater.
Or go back to chapter 10,
verse 1.
He says there the law
which is encompassing
the whole of this whole
sacrificial system,
he says it's only a shadow
of the good things
that are coming.
They are not the realities themselves.
And if we are to follow
the shadow through
of the Old Testament,
all these old sacrifices,
if we follow that shadow
and we reach the end
of that shadow,
we meet the person
of Jesus Christ,
the true sacrifice.
It is his shadow
that falls back
across the Old Testament
and it's the person of Jesus
that we meet in the new.
And he's saying to us
in these few verses here,
the only sacrifice
that is going to work,
the only sacrifice
that is going to deal
with our guilty conscience,
past and present,
is that of Jesus Christ.
Two things about this sacrifice.
First,
the sacrifice of Jesus
makes us perfect.
Look at verse 10.
He says,
and by that will
we have been made holy
through the sacrifice
of the body
of Jesus Christ.
Through his death
on the cross
we have been made holy.
We get the same idea
in verse 14.
Because by one sacrifice
he has made perfect
forever
those who are living
holy lives.
Now when we talk
about perfection here
being made perfect
we don't mean
a moral perfection
where we never mess up
and sin again.
It's not a moral perfection.
It's all about
a relational perfection
where we can now
relate to God
and enjoy God
and love God
and serve God
even though
we mess up
and fail
again and again.
it's not a moral perfection
where we will never
mess up and sin.
It's about
a relational perfection
where we can still
serve God
and relate to God
and enjoy God
even though
we keep
messing up
day after day.
Look back at chapter 7
and we'll try and get
a bigger picture of this.
Chapter 7 verse 18.
Again it's contrasting here
our sacrifice
and the perfect sacrifice
of Christ
and what that does
for us.
Verse 18 of chapter 7
The former regulation
that's the old
sacrificial system
is set aside
why?
Because it is weak
and useless
for the law
made nothing perfect.
Our sacrifices
do not do anything
for us.
And a better hope
is introduced.
That's Jesus
by which we draw
near to God.
By which we can
have a relationship
with God
and enjoy Him.
Go to chapter 9
verse 13 again.
Again look at the contrast.
Chapter 9 verse 13.
The blood of goats
and bulls
and the ashes
of a heifer
sprinkled on those
who are ceremonially
unclean
sanctify them
so that they are
outwardly clean.
How much more then
will the blood
of Christ
who through
the eternal
Spirit
offered Himself
unblemished to God
cleanse our
consciences
from acts
that lead to death
so that we can
or that we may
serve
the living God.
Christ's sacrifice
deals with
our guilt
so that we can
relate to God
that we can
enjoy Him.
Verse 14
is talking about
the blood of Christ
it's about His death.
When we think blood
we think a mess
we think a stain.
But the picture here
is that
through Jesus
His blood
becomes the
cleansing agent
for our guilty
conscience.
His sacrifice
applied to
our lives
perfects us
relationally
so that
look at the end
of verse 14
of chapter 9
so that we can
serve the living God
even though
we continually
mess up and fail.
How many times
do we get it
into our heads
that where something
goes wrong
we say something
or do something
we're overcome
with guilt
we think
we cannot serve
God anymore
I can't do it.
But He cleanses
our conscience
so that we can
serve
the living God.
I think I've
mentioned this
before but I was
plagued
as a teenager
with this.
For years
I had a Bible
beside me
and
well my parents
always encouraged
me to read it
and I would
constantly move it
I would never read it
but I would move it
around the room
just to give the
impression that
I'd read it.
But the reason
why I could never
read it
the reason why
I felt I could
never do anything
for God
was because
of guilt.
and I still
sometimes fall
into that trap
and we all
do.
We feel
we can't
serve
we can't
do anything
but He has
cleansed our
conscience
so that we
can.
The sacrifice
of Jesus
makes us
perfect.
Second
the sacrifice
of Jesus
is sufficient.
Verse 11
of chapter 10
Day after day
every priest
stands
and performs
his religious
duties.
Again and again
he offers the
same sacrifice
which can never
take away sins.
But when this
priest
that's Jesus
had offered
for all time
one sacrifice
for sins
he sat down
at the right
hand of God.
Like our
sacrifices
the priest
here
had to offer
sacrifices
again and
again.
He was so
busy making
sacrifices
look at verse 11
he was always
having to stand
and perform
his religious
duties.
He could never
sit down
and have a
break.
No sooner
was one
sacrifice done
then he had
to do another
one and by
the time
he'd finished
that the
person who
had started
was there
again.
And no
sooner do
we make
one sacrifice
for sin
then we're
having to
make another
one again
and again.
But when
Jesus
sacrificed
himself for
us
verse 12
look at
what he
does.
He's not
standing and
performing his
religious duties
what does he
do?
He sat
down
at the
right hand
of God.
It's telling
us that his
sacrifice
is complete.
It's
sufficient.
We don't
need to
be adding
our little
acts of
sacrifice.
It's done.
It's final.
It's over.
It is
finished.
But more
than that
the impact
of this
what we
might call
a once
for all
sacrifice
is that
it's
eternal.
Look at
verse 14.
Because
by one
sacrifice
he has
made
perfect
forever.
He doesn't
make us
perfect for
one day
and then we
have to
kind of go
back again
and start
all over
again.
It doesn't
mean that
kind of at
the end
of a
month or
at the
end of
a year
we kind
of have
to do
something
extra
special.
No,
because of
one
sacrifice
he has
made
perfect
forever.
He removes
the stain
of our
guilt
perfectly
and
sufficiently.
Everything
dealt
with.
Now the
big question
is this.
How can
we,
how can
I
experience
a
cleansed
guilty
conscience
so that
I can
live my
life fully
for God
and no
longer be
plagued
and bogged
down
in my
guilt?
Well,
third,
how the
sacrifice
of Jesus
is
experienced
and becomes
a reality
in our
lives.
If we're
going to
experience
the benefits
of a
cleansed
guilty
conscience
then we
need two
things
and we
find them
in verses
15 to
18.
The two
things we
need
is the
word of
God
and the
spirit
of
God.
Not
separately
but
together.
The word
of God
and the
spirit
of God
working
together
in
partnership.
First,
the word
of God,
verse 15.
The Holy
Spirit also
testifies to
us about
this.
First he
says,
this is the
covenant I
will make
with them.
After that
time,
says the
Lord,
I will put
my laws
in their
hearts and
I will
write them
on their
minds.
Now some
of you will
know that
this quote
here in
verse 16
is a quote
from the
prophet
Jeremiah
about a
new covenant,
a new
relationship
that God
has promised
to his
people,
one we
enjoy today.
But instead
of saying
in verse
15,
Jeremiah
testifies to
them,
look at
what it
says,
the Holy
Spirit also
testifies to
us.
What
Jeremiah
spoke to
the people
then is
the same
word that
the Holy
Spirit speaks
to us
today.
As we
read the
word of
God,
so the
Spirit of
God takes
that same
word and
applies it
to our
lives.
So what
does this
word tell
us?
Well,
look at
the end
of verse
16.
He says,
I will
put my
laws in
their
hearts and
I will
write them
on their
minds.
So rather
than our
hearts being
filled with
a guilty
conscience,
our hearts
are now
filled with
God's
word.
Rather
than our
minds being
weighed down
with an
unclean
conscience,
our minds
are now
set on
God's
pure
word.
And the
Spirit takes
that which
is in
our hearts
and our
minds and
he begins
to work
it out
into our
lives.
Which brings
us to the
second part
of this.
It's not
just the
word of
God we
need,
we need
the Spirit
of God.
Verse 17.
Then he
adds,
their sins
and lawless
acts I
will remember
no more.
And where
these have
been forgiven,
there is
no longer
any sacrifice
for sin.
Our
conscience
has been
cleansed.
Therefore,
verse 17,
God has
no remembrance,
he has
no record
of our
sin.
And the
Spirit takes
that word,
the truth
about Jesus
and what he
has done
for us,
and he
constantly
reminds us
of what
we have.
Every time
we think
of our
sin and
we think
I'm useless,
I'm too
much of
a failure,
I can
do
nothing.
Supernaturally,
the Spirit
takes the
word and
brings to
our memory
that our
guilt is
gone.
There's
sins and
lawless
acts I
remember
no more,
I remember
no more,
I remember
no more.
But more
than that,
look back at
verse 16
again,
the last
part.
He says,
I will
put my
laws in
their hearts
and I
will write
them on
their minds.
It's like
the Spirit
takes the
word and
carves
conscience
cleansed
across our
hearts.
It's as if
it's been
carved into
our lives.
So every
time we're
tempted to
think of
how awful
or how
bad,
the Spirit
helps us
to see
what Christ
has done.
You see,
a heart
that is
filled with
God's
word will
no longer
be crushed
by guilt.
A mind
that is
filled with
God's
word will
no longer
be crippled
by guilt
because the
Holy Spirit
takes that
word,
applies it
to our
lives,
constantly
reminding
us,
speaking to
us,
that our
conscience
has been
cleansed.
The
documentary
that I
mentioned
at the
beginning,
one of
those
children,
he was
standing
before an
audience
just like
this,
and he
was talking
about
all the
atrocities
that had
happened
in World
War II,
and he
was reminding
the people
there that
his grandfather
was responsible
for all
of those
acts.
And one
of the
pupils
asked,
how did
he feel,
and he
said,
I just
feel this
overwhelming
sense of
guilt and
shame.
And then
there was
this old
man in
the corner,
and he
waved his
hand,
and he
said,
I was in
one of
those camps.
my family
had been
killed by
your
grandfather.
And he
walked up
to the
front,
and he
embraced
this man,
embraced
him.
And they
cried,
it was
emotional,
and he
said,
it's not
remembered,
it's gone,
it's gone.
And I
think just
that image,
that picture,
and that's
what I want
us to go
away with
here,
is that
it's like
the Spirit
and the
Word come
to us,
and they
embrace us
and put
their arms
around us,
reminding
us and
telling us,
your guilty
conscience
has been
cleansed.
you don't
need to
bring it
with you
anymore.
It's
gone.
It's
finished.
It's
over.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
I'm
just
going to
read
a verse
that comes
from
Hebrews 10
verse 22.
And then
I'm going
to pause
and I'd
just like
there to
be some
silence
that each
one here
can reflect
on what
we've
said,
can confess
where we
need to
confess,
and can
ask God
that by
His Spirit
He would
take His
Word
and give
us that
sense of
a cleansed
conscience.
let us
draw near
to God
with a
sincere
heart
in full
assurance
of faith,
having our
hearts
sprinkled
to cleanse
us from
a guilty
conscience,
and having
our bodies
washed
with pure
water.
Let us
draw near
to God
with full
assurance,
and have
our hearts
sprinkled
to cleanse
us from
a guilty
conscience.
Let's
just talk
to God
individually
in our own
hearts.
Let's do
that now.
команд
to
ctoral
mówi
bears
from
to
Russians
to
a
moil
enjoying
the
stations
to
have
ihn
at
All right.
How much more then will the blood of Christ cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God?
Father, help us to live in the freedom that you have given us.
You have set us free.
Help us to love you.
Help us to enjoy you.
Help us to live with you.
Giving of our lives in response in full sacrifice to you.
As an offering of our praise and our thanksgiving for all that you have done.
We thank you for the great God you are.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to sing a great song that takes some of these themes and these thoughts.
it's a song that takes us to the cross
it takes us to Calvary
it shows us the perfect
and sufficient sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus
who dies for us
who took the blame
who bore the wrath
who takes all our guilt
and all our shame
cleans our conscience
once and for all
never to be remembered
let's stand and sing
and give our thanks to God
Amen
Oh to see the dawn
of the darkest day
Christ on the road
to Calvary
try by sinful men
torn and beaten then
nailed to a cross
Christ on the cross
Christ became
name for us
took the blame
for the last week
and forgiven
Oh to see the pain
written on your face
bearing the awesome
every bitter thought
every evil deed
crowning your blood
and brown
and forgiven
this is the power
of the cross
Christ became
sin for us
took the blame
for the last week
during the extraordinaire
in capuch