Hebrews 10:1b &12 ” The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship…but our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time.“

In this time of a global pandemic, churches have had to find creative ways to enact some rituals such as baptism by immersion. My church recently held a baptismal service where the candidates said their vows to God on the bottom floor while someone on the top floor poured water over them. On reflection, this ingenious move had a double meaning for me. The candidates were not only being baptized by that water being poured on them but God was also pouring out His Holy Spirit from on high and enduing them with power and anointing. God was doing a complete makeover of these individuals.

The passage today focuses on Christ’s sacrifice for our sins once for all. We see that under the old system sacrifices were repeated year after year because they were unable to provide the perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. Imagine having to be baptized every year seeking the elusive cleansing or you were being reminded of all your feelings of guilt and all the sins you committed, everytime you came to church! Can you see the priest/pastor daily ministering offering the same sacrifices to attempt to remove your sin again and again? Is there a lesson for us here? Are we in our own vain efforts trying to clean ourselves up before God? Impossible ! But what is impossible for men is possible for God (Matt.19:26).

Jesus our High Priest came into this world to do God’s will and offered himself as a single sacrifice for sins that would be good for all eternity. He came to offer perfect cleansing for our forgiveness thus performing the finished work of removing our sins. As verse 19 notes ” and when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer anymore sacrifices”. Jesus came to remove from us all the guilt and shame that hinders us from being reunited with God. We are reunited with God and it is so good. Now that we have been made clean by Christ’s blood with God, where does that leave us?

My dear sisters and brothers, this opens up for us a new and life-giving way where we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. Just let your mind take in that fact! Not an old, dead way but a new life giving way! The Creator God who made the Earth on which we live, the mountains, the universe, the sun, moon, stars, fellow humans , planets, all living creatures, has given you full access to his presence where there is fullness of joy. Remember this is the same God who gives us all different gifts (1Cor. 12:11). When you have access to someone’s presence, you are free to have audience with them at any time, and develop a growth mindset as you ask questions, learn and understand new and different concepts and gain wisdom and insight. You benefit from being coached, mentored and shaped into your best self. Almighty God gives us his children this access. He not only gives us this access but also gives us the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). We have the mind of Christ!!! Think about that for a second! When we have the mind of Christ we have access to higher thinking and higher ways of operating. Can you imagine, no matter where we are, we have Christ’s mind advising and guiding us on the best pathways for our lives (Psalm 32:8). We therefore will operate differently from those who don’t know Christ.

Why would God give us access to his presence and the mind of Christ? Because he wants us to be his permanent Ambassadors in the earth. We are empowered to act on his behalf: to go into all the world, to exercise faith, to drive out demons, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to pray, to preach, to bring deliverance, to bring joy where there is grief, change doubt into belief, to turn mourning into dancing, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. Let us therefore start living in the perfect cleansing that Jesus purchased for us with his blood and be his permanent representatives throughout the world.

Father, we seek your forgiveness of our sins, guilt and shame. We thank you for your prefect cleansing that never loses its power. It reaches to the highest mountains, the lowest valleys and the troubled seas of our lives. We thank you that you give us full access to your presence and the mind of Christ which empowers us to be your Ambassadors. Help us to rescue the perishing, care for the dying and snatch those from sin and the grave. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.