By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “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,” then he adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:10-18 NKJV)

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Shalom, church family. Thank you for joining me once again as we walk through the book of Hebrews this summer. This series, The Drift, has impacted me greatly as a part of our greater Restoration Life walk, and I pray that you are being moved and transformed, as well. As we read chapter 10, the author continues to reveal that the Old Covenant was never enough to restore our relationship with the Father. Priestly efforts to atone for sin through sacrifice and ritual were temporary. Our God, in His perfection, demands justice for wrongdoing. If His law and commandments are broken, a price must and will be paid.  

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Without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Messiah, (Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew), man would still be in a state of spiritual ruin. When we are born into the world, we are born of Adam. When we are born again and truly make Jesus our King, our death sentence is paid in full by Him, and we are set free. Because He is perfect, we are made perfect by Him as he dwells in us. Apart from Him there is nothing we can do to please God. The very purpose of our existence is for God’s pleasure, to worship and serve Him, and we have the opportunity of learning how to walk that out together. Because of Jesus, there is remission of sin once and for all, and if there is no debt, there is no payment needed. The Hebrew word mechilah is translated as pardoning or forgiveness of a debt or sin, to wipe away. In a legal context, it means an official letting go of a grievance where someone is released from an obligation, and the debt is no longer owed. Since God is perfect and operates in righteous justice, praise be to Him that He sacrificed His Son in this way out of love for us. He covered our debt physically, spiritually, legally, and for all eternity. Our job now is to receive this blessing and enter into the New Covenant where His ways become internalized.

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Let us remember Moses’ encounter with the presence of God in the burning bush. The bush was consumed by fire yet not destroyed. It was preserved by fire. Brothers and sisters, this is what happens to us when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and God’s very ways are written in our hearts and minds. Following the law could never save us, but because of Jesus’ finished work, we are free to live in obedience to God’s Word. Our actions become an expression of God’s love in our lives. Zachariah Messier, apart from Christ, was doomed to perdition. But as Galatians 2:20 reminds us, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me! If we are experiencing drift away from our King, we are making choices to put something or someone else on the throne of our lives that only One is fit for. When we order and align with the way God has created things to be, we are no longer trying to figure out how to get Him on our side. Instead, we decide to join in on His side. We can stand confident that when we invite His Seed into our hearts, it will produce fruit. The old man dies, and Yeshua remains.  

I believe we live in a very exciting time, where the Father is gathering His people from among the nations. As we continue to walk and share our testimonies with the world, I urge you to trust that He will preserve you like the burning bush. We are indeed free to walk in His ways and keep His commandments because we are no longer condemned by the legal accounting; we are now expressions of His love and kindness to the world.  

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If you or someone you know is experiencing drift, I invite you to explore these questions:

• Is there something or someone that I’m allowing to be more important to me than Jesus Christ?

• Do I understand the similarities and differences between the old and new covenants?

• Do I actually believe it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me?

• Am I serious enough about my walk to be vulnerable and seek wise counsel in my struggles?

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God our Father, Yeshua our King, thank you for making a way when we had no way to perfect our relationship with You. As You gather Your children, Lord, will You set Your fiery presence in our hearts? Will You transform us into Your image as You originally intended before the fall of man? Thank You for Your many blessings in our lives, and thank you for teaching us to rightfully worship and serve You and one another. We pray in Your holy, righteous, and mighty name King Jesus, Amen.