THE TRUTH THAT GIVES THE CONFIDENCE TO
ENTER THE ABSOLUTE HOLIEST
MF Blume
NOVEMBER 13 & 20, 2011
Zechariah 6:12-13 KJV And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh
the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and
he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the
LORD: (13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and
he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he
shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be
between them both.
Matthew 16:18 KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.
Hebrews 4:12-15 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful,
and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13)
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but
all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have
to do. (14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast
our profession. (15) For we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
WE NEED CONFIDENCE AND BOLDNESS TO ENTER the REST, or MOY HOLY PLACE.
Hebrews 3:17-19 MKJV But with whom was He grieved forty years?
Was it not with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the
wilderness? (18) And to whom did He swear that they should
not enter into His rest, but to those who did not believe?
(19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Hebrews 4:3 MKJV For we who have believed do enter into the rest,
as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into
My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the
world.
Hebrews 10:19 MKJV Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter
into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews 10:22 MKJV let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
and our bodies having been washed with pure water.
God’s Word is TEACHING about what the cross accomplished in order
to GIVE US CONFIDENCE AND BOLDNESS to enter this destination for the
Christian, called the “rest”.
Remember what the fault of the FIRST COVENANT WAS?
Hebrews 8:6-9 MSG But Jesus' priestly work far surpasses what
these other priests do, since he's working from a far better
plan. (7) If the first plan--the old covenant--had worked
out, a second wouldn't have been needed. (8) But we know
the first was found wanting, because God said, Heads up! The days are
coming when I'll set up a new plan for dealing with Israel and
Judah. (9) I'll throw out the old plan I set up with their
ancestors when I led them by the hand out of Egypt. They didn't keep
their part of the bargain, so I looked away and let it go.
Hebrews 8:10-12 MSG This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't
going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This
time I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of
their hearts. I'll be their God, they'll be my people. (11)
They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in
Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and
the big, the small and the great. (12) They'll get to know
me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped
clean.
The first had FAULT that disallowed the people could to CONTINUE
(succeed) in it (but fail), and the second one solved it by WRITING THE
LAWS IN HEARTS AND NOT JUST ON STONE, then writing the laws in our
hearts IS SOMEHOW GOING TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THIS TIME!
But notice it!
- It has to get INTO OUR HEARTS.
- THIS IS WHERE OUR CONSCIENCES
ARE.
- If you hesitate, and are
stuck, the word has not gotten into your heart well enough.
Notice this very important part.
- (We have been discussing
entering the REST)
The First covenant was symbolized by the FIRST section of the
TABERNACLE.
- The SECOND COVENANT (ours)
was represented by the SECOND SECTION OF THE TABERNACLE.
Hebrews 9:8-14 MKJV the Holy Spirit signifying by this that the
way into the Holiest of all (SYMBOL OF THE REST) was not yet made
manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. (9)
For it was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered
both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him who did the service
perfect as regards the conscience, (10) which stood only in
meats and drinks, and different kinds of washings and fleshly
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
As long as THAT FIRST covenant was there, nobody was going to get into
the REST.
- Until that covenant is taken
out of the way, we’re out.
- UNTIL REFORMATION.
- Until the meats and drinks,
and different kinds of washings and fleshly ordinances are FINISHED
WITH, we’re going nowhere.
- The first tabernacle
represents all the system of FLESHLY ORDINANCES AND RITUALS THAT DO NOT
AFFECT OUR CONSCIENCES AND HEARTS.
Hebrews 9:8-10 MSG This was the Holy Spirit's way of showing with
a visible parable that as long as the large tent stands, people can't
just walk in on God. (9) Under this system, the gifts and
sacrifices can't really get to the heart of the matter, can't assuage
the conscience of the people, (10) but are limited to
matters of ritual and behavior. It's essentially a temporary
arrangement until a complete overhaul could be made.
The truth of the blood of Jesus will knock out your ideas and concerns
for good works to please God.
- You will serve the LIVING GOD.
- DEAD WORKS are sinful actions.
Notice that a system of OUTWARD AND FLESHLY ceremonies is what KEPT THE
ENTRANCE TO OUR DESTINATION SHUT.
- So long as that system of
outward ceremonies is continued, you cannot get into the
“rest”.
- Then we are told that JESUS
did the work BEHIND THE SCENES in the spirit realm that opened up the
way.
- Anything done by us in the
fleshly realm did nothing but let you participate in fleshly ceremonies.
- BUT WHAT HE DID IN THE SPIRIT
REALM did the trick!
God is trying to relate something to us.
- We always tend to look to
what WE CAN DO IN THE EARTHLY REALM to get us on our way.
- God is pointing us to the
SPIRITUAL REALM where JESUS DID THE WORK.
- Nothing we do in the material
realm effects an opening in this spiritual realm.
- Hebrews goes behind the
scenes to show us what happened in the spirit realm to remove our fears
and lack of confidence.
- Lack of confidence makes us
LOOK AT WHAT MORE WE CAN PHYSICALLY DO.
The HYMN said I WILL CLING TO THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.
- That says so much truth.
- Clinging to the cross means
RELYING ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IT MADE, that 1500 years of rituals and
fleshly ceremonies and animals sacrifices could never provide.
- AND once you grasp a glimpse
of a revelation of what that cross did, you realize you need to hold
onto that revelation and never let it go!
- Do not slip back into the old
way of thinking of what MORE YOU CAN DO AND HOW BETTER YOU CAN MAKE
YOURSELF.
The truth is that a perfect sacrifice had to be given to open up the
way.
- NOT GOOD WORKS.
- NOT SELF IMRPOVEMENT.
- The bible teaches us that
Jesus’ single sacrifice was so perfect that it caused GOD TO RIP
OPEN THE VEIL in the temple to represent to us that FINALLY a sacrifice
was made that DID MORE IN ITS DEATH THAN 1,500 years of hundreds of
thousands – millions – of sacrifices of animals did.
- God ripped that veil open as
soon as Jesus died, before any of us had a chance to do any good work
to ADD TO THE WORK OF THE CROSS!
Notice that Hebrews takes another angle.
- How STANDING represents
UNFINISHED WORK.
Hebrews 10:11-14 MKJV And indeed every priest stands daily
ministering and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never
take away sins. (12) But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God,
(13) from then on expecting until His enemies are made His
footstool. (14) For by one offering He has perfected
forever those who are sanctified.
Standing means the work is never done.
- And they kept STANDING after
1500 years of sacrifices and all those carnal ordinances.
- But JESUS OFFERS ONE AND SITS
DOWN!
- And He just does not sit in
any old place.
- HE SITS DOWN ON THE RIGHT
HAND THRONE OF GOD.
- By one offering HE PERFECTS
FOREVER his followers!
- WE DO NOT PERFECT OR COMPLETE
OURSELVES!
- HE PERFECTS US!
Speaking of the Father looking on the suffering of the Son…
Isaiah 53:11 KJV He shall see of the travail of his soul, and
shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
BU HIS KNOWLEDGE… US knowing what his suffering accomplished on
the cross, causes JUSTIFICATION.
- It is all because we learn HE
BORE OUR INIQUITIES.
No wonder Paul said “THAT I MAY KNOW HIM!”
LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.
God looked at the travail of Christ on the cross AND IT SATISFIED HIM!
- What 1500 years of
animal sacrifices could not do, ONE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST satisfied GOD!
- It did not say he looked on
the painstaking and unending efforts of Christians to be as good as
they can.
- HE LOOKED ON THE SUFFERNG OF
CHRIST AND WAS SATISIFIED!
You need to see just how the work of the cross SATISFIED GOD!
- We feel incomplete and that
there must be more that must be done, due to this feeling, so we strive
to figure out what more we can do.
- NO!
- We have that feeling because
of an evil conscience.
- We need our consciences
PURGED.
Hebrews 10:1-2 KJV For the law having a shadow of good things to
come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those
sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers
thereunto perfect. (2) For then would they not have ceased
to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had
no more conscience of sins.
Recall that THE FIRST TABERNACLE OPERATION made way into the SECOND -
holiest impossible.
- BUT IF IT IS IN OUR MINDS
THAT WE MUST DO CARNAL ORDINANCES, IT WILL STILL KEEP US OUT as though
Jesus never died.
Galatians 5:4 KJV Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
…You feel away from solely depending on his sacrifice as our
means of becoming RIGHTEOUS!
- We need to be TAUGHT so well
by the Word that our consciences are purged from hesitating and FEELING
incomplete.
- WE WALK BY FAITH in
understanding what impacted God, and NOT SIGHT that looks to the
material realm for what MORE WE CAN DO to make ourselves holy!
- LEARN the truth.
- Learn how impacting that
cross was to GOD!
- He looked at it and was
satisfied!
- When you finally appreciate
what this word is telling us about how the cross impacted God, it will
wipe every trace of legalism out of your mind and GIVE YOU ABSOLUTE
BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE!
2 Peter 3:18 KJV But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.
Amen.
BY HIS KNOWLEDGE HE SHALL JUSTIFY MANY.
Jesus’ blood GOES ALL THE WAY.
- You are baptized into HIS
DEATH that impacted GOD THE FATHER, so that YOU DIED and are therefore
FREED FROM SIN! (Rom 6:6-7).
People’s CONSCIENCES are what SUFFERS GUILT.
- Guilt because they know they
have to face God due to sinning.
- But the blood of bulls and
goats cannot remove that guilt.
- The blood of beasts could not
bring peace to a troubled conscience.
- They only purified their
fleshliness, so they could outwardly get involved with ceremonies.
- This is why entrance to the
HOLIEST was not allowable when these ordinances were imposed.
- The things that trouble us
because we violated a holy law could not YET AT THAT TIME be dealt with.
- You think of death and
judgment and get troubled, since the blood of animals from old
testament sacrifices cannot remove that guilt.
Hebrews 9:22 MKJV And almost all things are by the law purged
with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.
ALMOST ALL… BUT NOT THE CONSCIENCE.
We are talking about ENTRANCE INTO REST.
You cannot rest if you feel guilty before God.
The confidence we need to hold firm to until the end comes when OUR
CONSCIENCES ARE PURGED.
- We need to grasp what it
means to be freed from sin by our deaths with Christ.
- If we don’t grasp this,
our consciences will not be purged either, and we will hesitate and
never get into the holiest -- the Garden status – the REST
– where God can GET ON WITH HIS ORIGINAL PLAN WITH US.
- GRASPING IT IS HAVING IT
WRITTEN IN OUR CONSCIENCES!
Hebrews 6:18-20 MKJV so that by two immutable things, in which it
was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us,
(19) which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil, (20)
where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become a
high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
THIS TRUTH CONSOLES YOU!
You know very well that guilt and a feeling of not being good enough is
not going to allow you to enter.
- It’s too holy for
guilty people to let themselves enter.
The TRUTHS of the New Testament concerning the work of the cross are
intended to CORRECT our understanding.
- When Jesus finished the work,
our faith in that affected us.
- It made us ready to enter.
- But so much clutter is in our
heads about how we are NOT FIT to enter.
- The SWORD of the word needs
to cut that out.
- The TRUTH shows you what
JESUS DID in the heavenlies in order to GIVE US CONFIDENCE WE NEED to
enter.
- GIVE US BOLDNESS.
- KNOCKS OUT ALL FEAR AND
UNBELIEF.
That sacrifice was so POWERFUL and impacting to God that It moved God
to REMIT SINS and NOT EVEN REMEMBER THEM ANY MORE.
Hebrews 10:16-22 MKJV "This is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My Laws into their
hearts, and in their minds I will write them," (17) also He
adds, "their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."
(18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering
for sin. (19) Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter
into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, (20) by a
new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil,
that is to say, His flesh; (21) and having a High Priest
over the house of God, (22) let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water.
Contrast with OT:
Hebrews 10:3 MKJV But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance
again of sins every year.
When your mind hesitates, you need to tell yourself, “No,
mind. You’re wrong. Christ remitted my sins. He
forgot them. No more offering – nothing – is required
for me to enter now. He impacted the FATHER SO MUCH that God
remitted our sins! God looked on that sacrifice and was FINALLY
SATISFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4,000 YEARS! Conscience, hear the
word of the Lord! BE BOLD NOW AND ENTER!”
It is in dealing with cutting off all the sins of our lives and
REMITTING THEM.
- When Jeremiah 31 said that
our sins and iniquities would be remembered no more by God, that means
they are REMITTED.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 MKJV Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that
I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house
of Judah, (32) not according to the covenant that I cut
with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out
of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was
a husband to them, says Jehovah; (33) but this shall be the
covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days,
says Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My
people. (34) And they shall no more teach each man his
neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall
all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says
Jehovah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their
sins no more.
So, sins are remitted. KNOWING THAT gives us BOLDNESS.
- Not doing more good works.
- Not getting slain out for a
half hour on the floor.
Notice Hebrews 10:21 adds the idea that we have a high priest as
another reason for us to enter boldly.
(21) and having a High Priest over the house of God,
(22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies having been washed with pure water.
1) First we’re told that OUR INIQUITIES ARE REMITTED, so no
further need for sacrifice is required.
2) THEN we are told WE HAVE A HIGH PRIEST named JESUS.
This takes us back to chapter 4.
Hebrews 4:12-16 MKJV For the Word of God is living and powerful
and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13)
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but
all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to
do. (14) Since then we have a great High Priest who has
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. (15) For we do not have a high priest who
cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all
points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. (16)
Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Chapter 4 says the same thing as chapter 10.
- COME BOLDLY to the holiest
– to the throne.
- The high priest is touched by
our weaknesses.
- He knows what hurts and how
it feels because he suffered temptation.
- So when he cuts with HIS
WORD-SWORD, he really wants to remove that misery out of our
lives.
- HE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND IT!
When you are not getting the revelation of the cross, you feel
inadequate, and may not even know what is your problem but you’re
convinced you cannot be good enough.
- Hebrews teaches us to learn
about how the CROSS IMPACTED THE FATHER!
- Depend upon what Jesus did
– and not the good works we instinctively think we need to do
when we feel unworthy.
- We need to REST FROM THOSE
WORKS.
- Get educated by the word and
have it cut the unbelief and instinct that makes us think we HAVE TO BE
BETTER PEOPLE out of our hearts.
If there is ANYTHING you think you need to do in order to solve the
nagging problem that God is not quite pleased with you, other than the
WORK OF THE CROSS that gets us into this life, THEN YOU ARE LEGALISTIC
and YOUR CONSCIENCE IS DEFILED.
- We have to be made aware of
the COMPLETE WORK OF THE CROSS to such an extent that we have utmost
confidence and boldness that it made us fit to enter the GARDEN
THRONEROOM, the holiest of holies.
- SO WE CAN STOP DEALING WITH
SIN-CONSCIOUSNESS, AND LET GOD GET ON WITH HIS ORIGINAL PURPOSE FOR US
and DOMINION-CONSCIOUSNESS.