Names of God: YHVH, part 10. The unfathomable riches of Yavah given to the church; Heb 10:1-25; Rom 3:21-26.

Title: Names of God: YHVH, part 10. The unfathomable riches of Yavah given to the church; HEB 10:1-25; ROM 3:21-26.

 

 

HEB 10:19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

 

HEB 10:20 by a new and living way [hodos: road] which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

 

HEB 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

 

HEB 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 

HEB 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering [leaning back or leaning away], for He who promised is faithful;

 

Not only is communion with God possible, but also to do His work and bear His fruit, JOH 14:11-20.

 

The Holy Spirit was leading them on toward the act of faith in the Lord Jesus, while at the same time there was that tug of the evil nature urging them to return to the temple sacrifices and escape the persecution. Thus, they were wavering between two things, either to go on to the act of faith in Messiah or to go back to the First Testament.

 

We don’t have the shadow (vs. 1), we have the reality. We are fully cleansed and have entered the Holy of Holies in heaven as fully sanctified ones, and given the privilege of seeing the face of God. We can commune directly with God, conversing with Him and Him with us. “I in you and you in Me.” Let us hold this fast! We must hold it fast because there are so many things in this world and within us that are tempting us to release our grip on it.

 

And in addition (vs. 24) to not leaning back towards the Temple - let us consider how to stimulate others to press forward towards the new way and away from the old.

 

HEB 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

 

“consider” - katanoeo = consider closely; attentive, continuous care.

 

Stimulate is a perfect translation of the word. It is also used in a negative sense as “to irritate.” The positive exhortation is to be continuously attentive to stimulating others to love and good deeds. No specifics are given other than having the care to do so. God trusts the Spirit filled believer who is yielded to His will to determine the specifics of stimulating others to love and good deeds.  

 

There is no way around it in the scriptures.

 

The new economy demands mutual care on the part of the members of the Christian community. They are to stir up each other's ministries as well as the law of Christ in their hearts.

 

We are all in the Holy of Holies in heaven with Christ and in Christ. We are united forever as the body of Christ. In such a place with such a privileged people, how does it make any sense to isolate ourselves from one another? Not only as we a community of believers, joined together in Christ, but we are to closely consider how to stimulate one another for good.

 

Since you are in this heavenly place with me, and the temptations are all around that are designed to put your eyes and mine on that which is outside this place, how is it that I should not care to do anything or given any warning when you are starting to look outside? How is it that I should just say that that is your own life and not mine and have no care for you who are my brother and sister? Those Christians who choose isolation and want to live, “every man for himself,” are missing some of the truth of what it means to be in Christ, in the Holy of Holies.

 

There are Christians who find such a thing somewhat revolting and use excuses to nullify it. They claim that believers must grow up on their own, and they are right. They purport that believers are responsible for their own spiritual condition and they are right again. Neither those nor any other truth nullifies this truth. We’re not exhorted to live the spiritual life for another or to violate their personal privacy, but we are to closely consider how to stimulate our fellow members of the body to that spiritual life. Assisting someone is not living for them. God empowers us and assists us but He does not overpower us.

 

Another truth one can’t escape from in the scriptures is that if we behold the face of God we will think and conduct ourselves like God.

 

Ask yourself, “Who did Christ not care for?”

 

It is inescapable that the truth should alter our conduct. Communing with Christ daily should alter our thinking, transform our minds, and change our conduct.

 

HEB 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

 

HEB 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

 

“assembling” - episunagoge = the word synagogue with “epi” meaning full. It is used of the Rapture. Epi is used to distinguish it from the synagogue.

 

Not forsaking the gathering cost them something back then due to the persecution of the Jews. If they were seen they were ostracized and persecuted. But where else would they find their encouragement, which first and foremost comes from the word of God and secondarily from the ministries and love of other believers. It is a call to be as much a part of the assembly as is possible.

 

This section of Heb 10 reveals the unfathomable riches of Christ that comes to the church age believer who can now behold His face every day and thus clearly see the attributes of Yavah.