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Warning—"Do Not Weary in Well-Doing"
Fred R. Coulter—August 8, 2005
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The book of Hebrews is the most important book for us today because of what it teaches. It brings everyone back to the Truth; it brings everyone back to Christ; it brings everyone back to understanding and keeping the commandments. It helps us understand the difficulties and problems that we go through: our trials, suffering and everything that we're confronted with. Why we need to keep the faith and stay close to God and realize that we're also going to have correction from God because He loves us and cares for us and wants us in His kingdom, and He wants us to have the 'peaceable fruits of righteousness.' In that He doesn't want us to turn out like Esau who sold his birthright for some pottage.
It's a good example because it's very much like people do today: They are not willing to do as God says, but they demand from God to have blessings and eternal life. They end up, instead of submitting to God, they demand that God submit to them and their ways. That doesn't work! Never has worked! The whole story of the Bible shows that that is an impossible thing. There is something in human beings—which is part of their human nature, without a doubt—that think that they can add to what God has said, or take away from what God has said and improve on God. God is perfect, and if God is righteous—which He is—and if whatever God does is perfect, what makes human beings think that they can improve on God? You can see this not only in religion, you can see this in science, in the conduct of human beings.
Someone just recently sent me four versions of the Ten Commandments, which other people in their 'do-goodism' have said, 'Well, we don't like the Ten Commandments that are in the Bible, but here are our Ten Commandments.' Then when it comes down—and the point will come to this—that they won't be accepted by God, they're going to get all angry. That's why there's 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' at the Lake of Fire.
We're going to see that Paul is making a comparison. On Pentecost we cover this most years about how Israel came to Mt. Sinai and received the Ten Commandments.
Hebrews 12:18: "For you have not come to the mount that could be touched… [we will see that we come to Mt. Sion in heaven above] …and that burned with fire, nor to gloominess, and fearful darkness, and the whirlwind; and to the sound of the trumpet, and to the voice of the words, which those who heard, begged that the word not be spoken directly to them" (vs 18-19).
They couldn't stand it. The reason being it's still the same thing. The Word of God is preserved in the Bible, and when people read it they can't stand it. They rebel against it and come along and say, 'God, I have a better version.' Never works!
Verse 20: "For they could not endure what was being commanded…" Isn't it interesting while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments and the judgments and the statutes and the other laws that God gave? The people that heard the Ten Commandments, what did they do? They came to Aaron and he made a golden calf and they rejected God right in His face, right at the foot of the mountain! Which shows the complete hostility of the carnal mind to God. That's why it's called 'enmity.' The human mind is an enemy of God!
People will say, 'I'm not an enemy. I'm wise, intelligent, important, calm, smooth, sophisticated. We don't need the Ten Commandments of God.' That's no different than someone standing up in vehement hatred rejecting God's way. Either way you reject God. You can reject God and think you're a nice person, or you can reject God and be hateful and mean. Either way you reject God!
It was so important, v 20: "…'And if even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned, or shot through with an arrow'; and so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I am greatly afraid and trembling'" (vs 20-21).
There's the comparison. People think that that was awesome. Go back and read in the book of Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy and see what the children of Israel did right in the presence of God!
Paul is making a comparison here so that we don't do the same thing. Just like everything else that we have found in the Bible and also in the book of Hebrews, whenever there is come correction, then there is encouragement. Whenever there is some correction coming, then Paul has us focus on the goal, the main thing we need to look to. Here he's focusing in on the greatest blessing and privilege that we have coming right into the presence of God the Father in heaven above at any time.
Verse 22: "But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem…" You cannot get a greater place to come to. It's greater than anything on earth. There's no other place in heaven like it. There's no other place in the whole universe like it. And the calling that God has given us is that we have direct access to Him through Jesus Christ. This is awesome!
People who get tangled up, just like they did with Moses, 'Moses, you and Aaron take too much to yourself.' And they fell on their faces and said, 'Look, we didn't take anything to ourselves, God put us here.' When people get focused on men instead of God, their perspective becomes carnal and they're looking at things the way that men look at it rather than seeing God in it.
Since we're talking about the children of Israel in the wilderness: After seeing all those miracles and what God did to deliver them out of Egypt and bring them across the Red Sea and so forth, you would think that they would be so grateful to be in the presence of God. You would think that they would be so grateful to have such a tremendous mission given to them to represent God as a nation to the whole world; to have the mission of having His laws and commandments to set the standards for everybody in the world, so that when they would come to Israel they would say, 'Wow! What a nation! Who has God so close to them and all the blessings and all the things that are there? They didn't do that!
Now we're in a different situation. We have been called of God and He has given us something greater. He has given us something more profound. We're going to reign as kings and priests with Christ. We, under Christ—and all the saints with us—are going to bring:
- the proper government
- the proper worship of God
- get rid of Satan the devil
- get rid of sin
- help fulfill the plan of God to bring many sons into the glory and Kingdom of God
Of course, when we understand that we're coming to God in heaven above, the greatest blessing, the greatest privilege and all of this is accomplished through the simplest thing: prayer and study of the Word of God! Simplest thing!
- You don't need a temple!
- You don't need ritual!
- You don't need a priesthood!
- Christ is our High Priest!
Isn't that something! How many millions of people go through all the rituals of their religion in vain, serving Satan the devil, and think they're doing well? God says, 'Away with all of that!
- You repent to Me!
- I'll forgive your sins!
- Christ will be your High Priest!
- You can come to Him at all times!
- You can pray to Me at all times!
- You don't have to have anyone between you and Me!
You can get on your knees and you're right in touch with Mt. Sion, God the Father and the city of the living God, Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 4-5).
"…and to an innumerable company of angels; to the joyous festival gathering…" (vs 22-23). This has got to be the resurrection and all the saints resurrected on the Sea of Glass. 1-Thess. 4 says that we are going to meet Christ in the air 'for the meeting with the Lord.' This is what Paul wants us to focus on. This is what we need to have our heart and mind fixed on, because this will help overcome the problems and difficulties and trials and things that we go through so that we don't get discouraged and give up on God. If you are not focusing on God and His plan and His purpose, you can get totally discouraged and down just in facing all the problems in life:
- in trying to overcome self
- in trying to overcome sin
- in dealing with people who are double-minded
- in dealing with friends, neighbors, children and parents and the whole thing
Today we live in a society that is dysfunctional from top to bottom. Who is 'normal' today? It's hard to find! What is a normal person today? It's been defined down to the lowest perversions accepted as normalcy! God has this for us: that we keep our mind fixed on it.
Let's go to Matthew, the sixth chapter, and let's see how this very simple outline of a prayer covers everything that I just talked about, and helps us always to focus in on God. We need to understand that it matters not who you are or where you are, you're accountable to God. If you're in the world you're still accountable to the letter of the Law and the authorities that He has set there. He gives you the authorities according to your conduct. If you don't want to control yourself, if you don't want to be law-abiding, then He's going to make the authorities become more forceful with the Law, more intrusive with the Law because you can't control yourself. When people do not focus in on God and do the things the way that God wants, then they're confronted with all these problems and don't know how to handle them. That's why this prayer in Matt. 6 follows along with what I've said.
How does it start out? Matthew 6:9: "Therefore, you are to pray after this manner: 'Our Father Who is in heaven…'" What are we talking about? Heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God, the throne of God, the innumerable company of angels, everything that is there contained in that sentence.
"…hallowed be Your name…" (v 9). God's name is Holy! No other gods, no statues, don't take the name of God in vain.
"Your kingdom come…" (v 10). That's the goal. You have your mind on God, then you have your mind on the goal. 'Your kingdom come…" because that's the only solution for the problems on earth.
"…Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" (v 10). God's will is being done on earth exactly as He has said according to the prophecies, based upon the cumulative choice of the people. There's nobody up in heaven going against God. Those on earth who go against God still carry out the will of God, because God's judgment is upon them. God judges all whether you're a sinner or a saint.
Verse 11: "Give us this day our daily bread." Even though you may store up things for a few weeks, God has got to provide it.
"And forgive us our debts…" (v 12). It says in another place 'our sins.' So, everyday we need to have our sins forgiven because the way that our minds and our lives are. Our very nature requires it and God desires to do so.
"…as we also forgive our debtors" (v 12). This is 'love your neighbor as yourself.' Love the brethren as Christ has loved us.
Verse 13: "And lead us not into temptation…" In other words, whatever trial, chastisement, we're going to have, let it not be in temptation to sin against God.
"…but rescue us from the evil one…." (v 13). That's an interesting thing in the Greek. It literally means rescue! To save us in an emergency, rescue operation. Satan is the god of this earth.
- he is the one who is hateful against the Church
- he is the one who instigates war against the Church
There are many different kinds of wars against the Church—not just slaughtering and killing, but
- sending his agents to infiltrate
- sending weird an silly people to come with strange and foolish doctrines
- sending those who bring in, what I have just called creeping Protestantism with a lawless grace; a clever, clever counterfeit.
"…For Yours is the Kingdom…" (v 13). What do we end with? After we talk about and pray about the things that we need and how to live our lives that's what it is, "…rescue us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom…" Back to the Kingdom. Back to looking forward to heavenly Sion, heavenly Jerusalem.
"…and the power…" (v 13). There's no greater power than God.
"…and the glory forever. Amen" (v 13). Right here in this daily outline prayer that we have, that people have memorized and the heathen in their 'Christian orthodox churches' recite it. If they do some sin and they go to the priest and they're forgiven and you do 200 'our fathers' and 400 'hail Marys.' They memorize it! But they don't understand it!
So, we have the same pattern. You can take this pattern of inspiration and go right through the whole Bible and see how this always fits. Maybe expanding a certain point at a certain time, expanding another point at a certain time and so forth, but you can go from Gen. to Rev. and there is the whole pattern. Look at the pattern that God did with the seven churches in Rev. 2 & 3. Is it not the same? Absolutely!
We're to look forward to and we're called, Hebrews 12:23: "…and to the Church of the Firstborn…" That's why it's important to understand about the firstborn. The firstborn has the inheritance. Let's understand something else we find in the Bible:
In the Old Testament when a man had more than one wife and the firstborn hated the firstborn of the other wife, then the hated one was to get a double portion. We have that fulfilled in the fact that Reuben—who was the firstborn of Jacob—sinned and went up on his father's bed and lost the birthright. The firstborn of Rachel was Joseph. He received the birthright. He also got a double-portion with the blessings on his two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh.
Let's take that and apply it spiritually: We are in the New Covenant with Christ. We are going to receive a spiritual inheritance from God the Father through Christ forever. Is it going to be double of what any of the others who come into the Kingdom of God after the first resurrection receive? I don't know, but we do know that it will be pre-eminent above them. We will always be in a position greater than they will be. What I want us to focus on is not only God, not only our calling, but the greatness of the calling. This is what Paul is talking about here.
"…the Church of the Firstborn, registered in the Book of Life in heaven…" (v 23). Our names are written there. If you endure to the end, you are guaranteed! God guarantees it by His very existence, by His covenant, by His life!
"…and to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected" (v 23). That's what's happening with us. God is perfecting us so that we can die in the faith, or if we're alive when Christ returns, to be changed in a 'moment, in the twinkling of an eye'—perfected! I would have to say that perhaps 90%-plus of the perfection comes at the resurrection.
You're perfected now so that you then can await the first resurrection. Then when we are resurrected we will be perfected in glory. That's what Paul means when he talks about 'now we see through a glass darkly' and so forth, but then 'we will see face-to-face. Now I know in part,' then 'I'll know as I am known' and so forth. The perfection is not going to be finished until the resurrection. The perfection that comes in our mind—through growing, changing and overcoming—comes through the power of the Holy Spirit is to a certain degree. This shows the perfection.
When a man dies the body goes to the dust and the spirit returns to God Who gave it. The Spirit is the essential, important connection of God to make us human beings, to give us human intelligence, to have us be able—with the spirit of man coupled with the Spirit of God—to receive the Spirit of God, be begotten of the Spirit of God so we become the children of God. No other created thing has that possibility, just human beings. What Paul wants us to understand is how great this is.
Verse 24: "And to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant…"—which this is showing here.
- whatever help you need, you have it
- whatever assistance you need, you've got it
- whatever difficulty you're going through, you have the strength from Christ—Mediator of the New Covenant
Now, let's look at this thing concerning the Mediator. Then we'll also talk about His sacrifice. Every Catholic ought to read this; it's in your Catholic Bible:
1-Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men—the man Christ Jesus." Mary is not a mediator—in fact, she is dead in the grave awaiting the resurrection. The one who took care of Mary, the Apostle John, wrote way after the time that Mary had died: 'For no one has ascended into heaven but He Who came down from heaven, Who is Jesus Christ.'
IF the pope had 10,000% hindsight and 1800 years later could proclaim that Mary was bodily assumed into heaven, do you think their statement on that carries any validity when the one who probably buried her—the Apostle John—did not say that? Would not his one witness that 'no one has ascended to heaven' supersede anything that a pope could declare? Absolutely! Just like Moses, no one knows where she's buried. Just think of the mobs of people that would go there and bow down to her grave. Are people misled and deceived? Of course!
Verse 6: "Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony of which is to be preached in its appointed times."
That is according to the way that God opens the doors for preaching the Gospel—that appointed time—but also during the Holy Days and the Feasts of God, which are appointed times of God. That's something! He is the Mediator!Let's look at Jesus Who is the Mediator. This becomes important for us to really grasp and understand. This is given to us so that regardless of the difficulty of the problems that we face, regardless of the trials that we go through—coupled with what we have there and other places in Hebrews, that God is always there to help us and strengthen us—that we have a Mediator and a High Priest, therefore, there's no other priesthood needed—
- Who knows everything about us!
- Who loves us!
- Who gave Himself for us!
- Who paid for your sins through His death!
- Who, through God the Father, gives us the Holy Spirit!
- Who is there as the propitiation of our sins!
When we come to God we need to get rid of the notion that we're not honest with God.
Hebrews 4:12: "For the Word of God is living… [you can't say that of any other book in the world] …and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of both soul and spirit…" No other book can lead men to repentance other than the Bible and the Spirit of God. How far does it go down? Clear down into your being!
"…and of both the joints and the marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (v 12). Go back and read in the book of Psalms and Proverbs and see how it does discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Verse 13 tells us no one can fool God: "And there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account."
There it is. You can be honest and straightforward with God. Don't be accusative, don't be angry, don't be mad. God can change all circumstances, regardless of how bad they are.
Read the book of Jeremiah. Remember, he was thrown down in the sewer. He thought he had it! He was up to his neck in yuck!—called in Greek 'skubalon.' He was in the sewer and it looked like that God was going to leave him there. Even at one time he said, 'God, this is too much for me to bear.' What did He do? God sent an Ethiopian there who tied some rags together, threw it down as a rope and helped pull him out! Can you imagine the stench, the foul rottenness that comes from that? God still heard him! It doesn't matter if you have been slammed into the sewer, God will not leave you! Think of that! He knows all!
Here's the reason, v 14: "Having therefore a great High Priest…" No man is to come between you and God the Father and Jesus Christ. Any priest who says you have to come to him is a liar and a fake and of Satan the devil so that Satan can control you in his way, under the guise of being Christian. You need repentance! You need to pray directly to God and Jesus Christ!
"…Who has passed into the heavens…" (v 14). You don't have to worry about going to any special place on the earth. You can pray to Him anytime anywhere on earth, and always get through, because He's in heaven.
"…Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith" (v 14). All the way through, the whole book of Hebrews is:
- to the faithful: hold fast
- to the sinners: repent
- to those who are in doubt: look at the goal
Keep your mind on that!
Verse 15: "For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses… [this is the very reason that He came] …but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He was without sin."
He understands it. After all, was He not the Creator of Adam and Eve? Yes! Did He not give us, as human beings, our heart, mind, emotion, everything about us? Yes! He formed us with His own hands.
- He loves us!
- He wants us!
- He knows our difficulties!
- He knows that we have the law of sin and death in us!
- He knows that we are weak!
- He knows that we are going to have temptations and sins come upon us!
Therefore, He understands completely.
Stop and think about this: If God forgave Manasseh, the worst king of all the kings of Israel and Judah, which He did. If God forgave Ahab, God can forgive you. Look at the sins that they did. God is interested in repentance and forgiveness. Though, if there is not repentance and seeking of forgiveness, there will be judgment. That's what He wants us to understand.
Verse 16: "Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
That's just the way that it has to be. What a perfect system. You don't have to go to a psychologist. You don't have to go to a psychiatrist. You don't have to go to a confession booth and tell your sins to a priest, who, in many cases with women, will take advantage of them; and little kids will be pedophiliac toward them, and all that sort of thing. Besides, think of this: the sacrifice of the Mass is sacrificing Christ over and over and over again. It is a blasphemous thing! A man is supposedly commanding God to sacrifice Himself. Jesus said, 'No man takes My life, but I have been given commandment to lay it down and to receive it back again.' So, the whole operation of the sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist and the false communion in various churches against the Passover of God are blasphemous!
The way you distinguish between a carnal religion supposedly representing God and the true function of a Christian in relationship to Jesus Christ and God the Father is this: The carnal mind cannot stand the Word of God! Just like the Israelites, they didn't want to hear God give the commandments as we saw in Exo. 20 and Heb. 12, no question about that. They wanted a man between them and God, or a king between them and God. All of those who have a priest or a minister between them and God or just carnal because they want to have someone else to accuse when things go wrong: it's the priest or it is the minister. NO! It is you! That's why it's very important. You have got to put down all your pretenses and come to God.
Verse 13: "…are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." Everyone's going to give account of himself alone before the throne of God. This is what he's talking about. This is the greatest thing that God can offer man at this time, if we do it and take it the way that God has said. That's what's so fantastic and important. For those who don't want it and want to have a man, then it becomes a cursed thing because they have a carnal religion contrary to the Word of God. You can see that. All you have to do is just observe and comprehend that.
Let's talk a little bit more about how He is able to understand our temptations and so forth. Heb. 5:5 is talking about Christ. This also tells us the great humility of God. Stop and think: What am I willing to give up for God? The fact is, God demands your life! Here's what Christ did, like Paul said, 'Who would die for another man?' Maybe someone would for a righteous man! But how many would die for sinners? Christ did! Because He did:
Hebrews 5:5: "In this same manner also, Christ did not glorify Himself to become a High Priest, but He Who said to Him, 'You are My Son; today I have begotten You.' Even as He also says in another place, 'You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec'" (vs 5-6). In order to qualify for that, and in order to be the Priest for all mankind:
Verse 7: "Who, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was able to save Him from death… [everything was hinged on the plan of God and the fact that Jesus would not sin] (notice what He had to do in order to not sin): …and was heard because He feared God."
Jesus needed to be saved from death—didn't He? That's quite a thing! {note book: The Christian Passover—read the sections: The Nature of God and The Nature of Man and what Jesus Christ did as our Passover. That will give you some understanding.} God has not only gone above and beyond, God laid all eternity in the universe on the line to save the ones He has created so they can enter into His kingdom.
Verse 8: "Although He was a Son, yet He learned obedience from the things that He suffered." That's what we need to understand with every trial and difficulty that comes along. Gives us an opportunity to learn obedience.
Verse 9: "And having been perfected…" Isn't that what we read, 'just men being perfected' (Heb. 12)? Yes! Christ—as God in the flesh—was not perfected until He lived a perfect life without sin and then laid His life down as the perfect sacrifice for all human beings, because He's the Creator of man. You could not ask for anything greater; you could not ask for anything better.
- show me a pagan religion that has anything that comes close to it
- show me the stupidity that men have come up with to replace what God has given
- show me where it is better
- show me where the Protestants and Catholics know better than what God does
- show me that their way is better than the Truth and the love and the grace of God and what Christ has done
Yes, they like to borrow part of it, but they won't wholly submit themselves to God.
Verse 9: "And having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him… [if you receive grace, you must obey; very simple] …after He had been designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec" (vs 9-10).
Let's see how we have a great Priest. This is why prayer and study and bringing every thought into captivity to God and Christ is so important. That's our full-time occupation. Whatever we do for a living is secondary.
Hebrews 7:24: "But in the other case, because He is living forever, His priesthood never changes."
I want you to think about that! Does that make null and void the papacy and all of its priesthood? And the Dalai Lama and all of his priesthood? And whatever fake, counterfeit religion that is out there saying they represent God and they don't? Does that make them all null and void? Yes, indeed! Elders, teachers, ministers, pastors, evangelists and prophets are to teach the people of God to be perfected! That's what they're there for. You come to Christ! He has a "…priesthood that never changes."
Verse 25: "Therefore, He has the power throughout all time to save those who come to God through Him because He is ever living to intercede for them. For it is fitting that we should have such a High Priest Who is Holy, blameless, undefiled, set apart from sinners and made higher than the heavens; Who has no need, as do the other high priests… [as they did at the temple, because this was written before the temple was destroyed] …to offer up sacrifices day by day, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people; for this He did once for all time when He offered up Himself" (vs 25-27). That's what's important! Christ did it once for all time by His one sacrifice.
Verse 28: "For the priestly law makes high priests of men who have weaknesses; but by the word of the swearing of the oath… [by the order of Melchisedec] …which supersedes the priestly law, the Son, Who has been perfected forever, has been made High Priest."
The reason I'm going through this is so that we can understand the contrast of what people do if they give up on God. What are they giving up on? What are they taking in exchange? Is it not the same as Esau who gave up the inheritance for a bowl of pottage? That's the whole lesson.
Hebrews 8:1: "Now, here is a summary of the things being discussed: We have such a High Priest Who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, and not man" (vs 1-2).
You can't have it any better. This is the greatest thing that God could do so that He can communicate with you through His Spirit and His Word, and you can communicate to Him through your prayers and living your life. There can't be anything greater. That's why He's done it this way.
Let's look at the sacrifice of Christ as the Mediator and so forth, Hebrews 9:11: "But Christ Himself has become High Priest of the coming good things…" What is that? The resurrection! The coming Kingdom of God! Everything in the plan of God!
"…through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by human hands (that is, not of this present physical creation)." (v 11). Anyone who goes to a great cathedral or temple or church and sees all the things that are there—think about it—that cannot compare to your personal relationship with God.
Verse 12: "Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by the means of His own blood, He entered once for all into the Holiest… [right into the presence of God the Father] …having by Himself secured everlasting redemption for us." That's what Christ has done.
Then he makes a comparison which is very important and which helps us understand what God is doing; and helps us to realize that God is for us, with us and loves us, and is perfecting us, working with us and how He does it—all of these things together.
Verse 13: "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who aredefiled, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh."
That's an important thing to understand. They never received eternal life under the Old Covenant through the sacrifice system; they were only justified to the temple. Only the ones that God had called like the patriarchs of the Old Testament and certain of the prophets and kings received eternal life under the Old Covenant. All the rest were just justified to the temple, that's it! That's as far as it went. They weren't justified in heaven above, because God did not set up the operation that those sacrifices could justify anyone to God the Father in heaven above. All they were was justified to the temple. They were forgiven their sins so they could live in a physical society and not have the curses come in relationship to the blessings and cursings in Deut. 28 and Lev. 26.
This is the key, v 14: "To a far greater degree, the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself…" That's why it blasphemous for any priest to say that he can command God to come into the wine and bread—the literal body and the literal blood.
"…without spot to God, shall purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (v 14). That is the perfecting of your spirit.
Today people are all caught up in superstition. If something happens like an earthquake, they all run and get a statue of the saint that they worship or the statue of the supposedly virgin Mary, as if that were to save them. You need to read in Isa. 40-44 the stupidity of idols. Take blocks of stone, build a house, you live in the house and what's left over you make a little statue of a god and you bow down and worship it. God says that's insanity!
God wants a clean heart and mind and to purify your conscience. That is a continuous work in you day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, year-by-year. As we are going to see, one of the greatest problems we have today is people weary in well-doing. Think about that! Think about your life! Think about what you're doing! Think about Christ and so forth. This is why direct access to God the Father and Jesus Christ is so important. No evil human being is between you and God. No one can mediate between you and God.
Verse 24: "For Christ has not entered into the Holy places made by human hands, which are mere copies of the true; rather, He has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us… [as a Mediator, as a propitiation for our sins.] …not that he should offer Himself many times…" (vs 24-25). That's why the sacrifice of the mass is a blasphemous, pagan, satanic counterfeit of the sacrifice of Christ.
"…even as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies year-by-year with the blood of others" (v 25).
That's the difference. We can come into the very Holy of Holies of God the Father's throne room in heaven above, through Jesus Christ, anytime day and night, any day, any week, any month, any year directly. That's what's so important. We don't have to go through a man. Christ is the Mediator.
Verse 26: "For then it would have been necessary for Him to suffer many times since the foundation of the world…. [He didn't do that! That's what the sacrifice of the Mass does.] …But now, once and for all… [all time] …in the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested for the purpose of removing sin through His sacrifice of Himself."
What we need to understand; this is why it's so important; this is why not only do we look at the things that are false, but while we understand the things that are false, let's not become complacent and 'weary in well-doing.' The whole point of all of what we're going through here is this:
- Why should we not want to pray to God?
- Why should we delay it?
- Why should we put it off?
- Why should we think it is a difficult thing?
- Why can't we make any time to pray?
- Why can't we make any time to study?
Because we have forgotten—weary in well-doing—and it's the most important thing to do!
- through that then comes contact with God
- through that then comes the perfecting of the spirit
- through that then you grow in grace and knowledge
That's what it's all about.
Verse 27: "And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, the judgment; so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear the second time without sin unto salvation to those who are eagerly awaiting Him" (vs 27-28).
To maintain the zeal that we need. That's what the whole book of Hebrews is all about, people weary in well-doing Paul said twice, 'Do not weary in well-doing.'
You need to also consider this, and this is an important thing: We live in a 'gadgetized' speeded up society. Everybody has been programmed and trained by television to have a ten-minute attention span. That's it! If you're watching television and it becomes boring you have a much smaller attention span and you're channel-surfing here and there and everywhere. People like to have everything quick and fast and now. Not everything comes that way! You can't have everything new and exciting all the time. What is new and exciting is what God has provided and the way to Him through Christ! It's guaranteed! That's what's so absolutely important!
Hebrews 10:9: "Then He said, 'Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.'…. [Isn't that what we ask everyday? To do the will of God!] …He takes away the first covenant in order that He may establish the second covenant; by Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (vs 9-10). Everyone who comes to Him and for all time; can be applied in both ways.
Verse 12: "But He, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has obtained eternal perfection for those who are sanctified" (vs 12-14).
That is that you have the Holy Spirit of God. You see all the perfecting. That's what God is doing. He's perfecting us. He's working with us. To be perfected we have to overcome human nature and all of those things.
Hebrews 12:24: "And to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant…" We just went through the various Scriptures showing why He's the Mediator, why He's the High Priest and so forth.
"…and to sprinkling of the blood of ratification… [the blood of Jesus Christ] …proclaiming superior things than that of Abel" (v 24).
When Paul wrote this, he had some understanding that we don't have today about what the situation was with Abel and what he was doing and so forth. I think we have perhaps a greater understanding of Cain's sin and what he did than that of Abel, because hardly anything is said of Abel except what he writes here. We'll just have to leave that as a question mark, but nevertheless, we have to look at it this way: Abel was probably the very first one to truly serve God with a pure heart. That's why it's referring to that and referring to the fact that he was martyred and killed by Cain as compared to Jesus Christ Who was martyred and killed by the political and religious leaders of His time.
Here's a warning; this is why all of this is important. Unless you know what you're dealing with first, then the warning doesn't have that much affect.
Verse 25: "Beware that you do not refuse to hear Him Who is speaking!…." God speaks to us through His Word. God speaks to us with His Spirit in our mind by putting thoughts in our mind, what to do and what to say. "…do not refuse to hear Him Who is speaking! …."—from heaven!
"…For if they did not escape judgment, who refused to hear the One Who was on the earth Divinely instructing them…" (v 25).
When God came down and revealed Himself to the children of Israel and gave the Ten Commandments and laws, statutes and judgments on Mt. Sinai and was with them in the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night, they refused Him! This really shows the hardness of the heart of human beings. Think of what God provided for them everyday. Cloud cover in the desert. Don't you think that's a wonderful thing? Yes, indeed! And a pillar of fire at night so it lit up in the desert, otherwise it's pitched black and cold!
He provided manna six days a week, and after the first Sabbath that they found no manna they understood which day was the Sabbath. I mean, you couldn't miss it. For 40 years, but still they refused! Look at all the rebellions and fighting and arguing and quarreling and apostasy right under the nose of God! Or, as you could say, in your face rebellion toward God!
"…For if they did not escape judgment, who refused to hear the One Who was on the earth Divinely instructing them, how much more severely will we be judged, if we ourselves apostatize from Him Who speaks from heaven" (v 25).
That's very interesting. We ourselves apostatize. That's one of those middle-voice Greek verbs where you are the one who is doing it. You can't blame someone else; you can't blame God. You yourself are apostatizing—or in this case "…we ourselves…" Isn't it interesting that Paul includes himself, because didn't he say in another place that he 'disciplined himself lest after he preached to others that he himself would be a castaway'? Yes, indeed! "…if we ourselves apostatize from Him Who speaks from heaven."
Let's see how apostasy begins; I already mentioned 'weary in well-doing.' What is the 'well-doing' that people weary themselves in today? Because of the condition of the Church and the scattering of the Church and the problems of ministers and the problems of brethren and people, it's hard to get some people to get together for fellowship on the Sabbath; sometimes even on a once a month occasion.
Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold fast without wavering to the hope that we profess, for He Who promised is faithful; and let us be concerned about one another, and be stirring up one another unto love and good works" (vs 23-24).
This is all a apart of not wavering. This is all a part of continuing. This is all a part of not 'weary in well-doing.' Of course, this is what the whole book of Hebrews is about. Don't 'weary in well-doing'!
- look at the goal
- look at the stakes
Verse 25: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, even as some are accustomed to do…" If you really love God, really believe God, really love the brethren, should not want to fellowship with them whenever you have an opportunity? Yes! That's also to say we need to be wary of false brethren and things like that—that's true. That's not to say about those who live way out and isolated and can't get together.
When I travel to different places, people will drive to come and that's good, I'm happy to see them. I'm glad they come. I know all the difficulties and problems that people have, but we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, even if it's just a few—that's just the way it is today. Let God do the growing and adding.
Also today—we need to be fair in it—we're all a lot older and driving is a little more difficult and greatly expensive. I remember when I first started attending church, I would ride with brethren all the way up to Sacramento, which was 125 miles one way. I also remember—even though the wages were lower, gas was only about $.30 a gallon. Now it's ten times! There are all of those factors. What we need to do is if there's an opportunity to assemble together on the Sabbath and if it's going to involve an expense in driving, then work things out where it can be done, say, once a month, twice a month—something like that.
But let's remember, regardless of where you are, do not 'weary in well-doing.' That's the whole key. It's interesting how, in both cases—Heb. 10 & 12—that what comes right after that is a warning again about apostatizing from God. Whoever says that it's impossible to fall from grace doesn't understand what is written. What happens with all these 'lawless grace' people—once saved always saved and that there's nothing that can take you from God—just don't read their Bibles. If they do, they only pick out the Scriptures, which seem to verify their positions and avoid the others.
Hebrews 12:26: "Whose voice then shook the earth, but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet, once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven also.' Now the words 'once more' signify the removing of the things being shaken, as of things that were made, so that those things, which cannot be shaken may remain" (vs 26-27).
What Paul is doing here is drawing an analogy. Don't let anything shake your faith—that's what he's talking about. Just like it says in Psa. 116:, 'My heart is fixed!' that's what we need to do, have our heart fixed with God and His way.
Verse 28: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken… [the greatness of the inheritance and the reward] …let us have grace, through which we may serve God in a pleasing manner with reverence and awe; for our God is indeed a consuming fire" (vs 28-29). Apostatizing or falling away!
Let's see some of the warnings that Paul has written all the way through. Let's see how being 'weary in well-doing' starts.
Hebrews 2:1: "For this reason, it is imperative… [you can't get anything stronger than that] …that we give much greater attention to the things which we have heard…" Here's the thing that happens when you 'weary in well-doing': You put the things out of your mind. Here is something that is true: Spiritual things cannot stay in a carnal mind! The Spirit of God in us must be used, accompanied with:
- prayer
- study
- controlling thoughts
- overcoming
If it's not used
- because you don't pay attention
- because you don't study
- because you don't pray
- because you don't listen to the things that you have heard
"…lest at any time we should slip away" (v 1). That's a start of 'wearying in well-doing.'
Let's see what else can lead to apostasy and falling away, and hence the unpardonable sin! Hebrews 3:12: "Beware, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in apostatizing from the living God."
Satan's going to come along and make it appear wonderful. That's what he does, makes it alluring. Isn't that what he told Eve? Eating of the fruit, it's going to be great! Try it; you'll like it! She didn't stand for God; neither did Adam!
Verse 13: "Rather, be encouraging one another each day, while it is called 'today'…" That's what's important. Take today and use it to the fullest. Don't worry about yesterday, that's already gone. You can't recapture it. If you had problems and difficulties yesterday, don't bring it into today, because all you're doing is polluting today with something that happened yesterday. What good is it going to do? It's not going to change anything.
Encourage "…one another each day, while it is called 'today,' so that none of you become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (v 13). It is so tricky. You know how you fight your carnal mind. You know the tricks that your mind plays on you. That's why we are called to perfection, so we can overcome that through Christ.
Verse 14: "For we are companions of Christ, if we truly hold the confidence that we had at the beginning steadfast until the end…. [there's another way of overcoming being 'weary in well-doing'] …As it is being said, 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion'" (vs 14-15). That's what we need to understand, realize and do.
Let's look at it this way: When I'm flying in a plane and I look down and see the clouds and earth, when you're way up there all you can see is an outline of a city or town, or if it's at night you can see the lights and so forth. But you can't see anything specific. When you're taking off, you can see everything and the higher you go the less you can see.
It's the same way when people start apostatizing. They can see everything around them and it looks the same and they don't realize where they're going, but they're getting farther and farther away, and pretty soon they can't look back and see anything. That's why, if that's your condition, you have to be like you're coming in for a landing and everything becomes clear again. And lo and behold you come down to a certain level and you see the highways and you can see trucks and cars on it. Then you see the city, the houses, the roads, the buildings and lo and behold you're back on the ground. That's what we need to do spiritually, because if you get way out and you give up on God and apostatize, then there comes a point here:
Hebrews 6:4: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and who personally obtained the heavenly gift, and became partakers of the Holy Spirit, and who have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they have fallen away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing that they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves, and are publicly holding Him in contempt" (vs 4-6).
Here is the ultimate, Hebrews 10:25: "…encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Isn't it just the way that people do when they're getting closer and closer to the point of really achieving what God wants them to achieve, then Satan is right there to try and take them away. That's why we have to be diligent in it.
Verse 26: "For if we willfully… [with a determined attitude of hatred and rebellion against God] …go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the Truth… [we've had the Truth expanded for us, and the relationship that God has given to us] …there is no longer any sacrifice for sins."
There does come a time, and we are living in that time, when more people are in danger than have been in last 30 years!
I got a letter from someone saying, 'Thank you for the tapes, but all the brethren I know are just falling away.' Why?
- they've allowed themselves to be deceived
- they are wearying in well-doing
- they do not understand or realize the greatness of their calling
So, they go right back into the world, and we have seen time and time again that those who do so just don't care! There's another reason why people stay home: Because too many fellowship groups have allowed kooks and nuts into the fellowship, which should never be allowed in and it discourages everybody and causes arguments and things like this.
There was a man who recently said: 'Do you think it's possible for us to sit down and have a civil dialog concerning the observable calendar and the equinox. I said, 'No, there will be no dialog, God has already answered the question with the Calculated Hebrew Calendar. By the way, how much do you know about it? Do you know anything about it?' No! 'What dialog can you have?' People like to make themselves important and false brethren like to come in and upset the fellowship of the brethren. You've got both things:
- brethren who want to fellowship but can't because of age and distance
- those who need to fellowship and when they get together Satan is there sabotaging it with kooks and nuts and false brethren and ministers
Those are the problems we are confronted with today. It is a struggle! It is a lot of work! It does take a lot of diligence and individual effort to stay faithful to God. That's why you're individual relationship with God is so important. That's what the book of Hebrews is talking about.
Let me just read here: The Unpardonable Sin!—here's what it is (from the printout):
The unpardonable sin is a deliberate, willful choice and rejection of God the Father and Jesus Christ, and a repudiation of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrifice and His blood.
It all starts with 'wearying in well-doing.
The unpardonable sin is a deliberate and calculated renunciation of God. It is not an accidental sin, nor a sin under temptation, nor a sin through weakness. But the unpardonable sin is a knowing, determined, calculated, premeditated, willful decision and choice arrived at by rejecting any pangs of conscience, leading of the Holy Spirit, pleadings of the Word of God, or ministers and brethren. It is a willful, determination to reject the gift of repentance, and hostile contempt for the commandments of God, the Spirit of God, a willful repudiation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of God. Those who have committed the unpardonable sin have no regrets, no sorrow and no conscience that they have turned their backs on God the Father and Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. It is impossible to renew them to repentance. It is impossible for the Holy Spirit to move them to repentance, for others to move them to repentance, or to move themselves to repentance. They have seared their consciences with a hot iron and there is no power—human or Divine—that is able, or has the ability to renew them to repentance. Their choice is final, their judgment is final and God's judgment against them is final.
That says it all!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter (except where noted)
Scriptural References:
- Hebrews 12:18-23
- Matthew 6:9-13
- Hebrews 12:23-24
- 1 Timothy 2:5-6
- Hebrews 4:12-16, 13
- Hebrews 5:5-10
- Hebrews 7:24-28
- Hebrews 8:1-2
- Hebrews 9:11-14, 24-28
- Hebrews 10:9-10, 12-14
- Hebrews 12:24-25
- Hebrews 10:23-25
- Hebrews 12:26-29
- Hebrews 2:1
- Hebrews 3:12-15
- Hebrews 6:4-6
- Hebrews 10:25-26
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Revelation 4; 5
- 1 Thessalonians 4
- Revelation 2; 3
- Exodus 20
- Deuteronomy 28
- Leviticus 26
- Isaiah 40-44
- Psalm 116
Also referenced:
- Book: The Christian Passover by Fred R. Coulter
- Printout: The Unpardonable Sin
FRC: bo
Transcribed: 6-22-11
Reformatted/Corrected: January/2017
