Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
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For since the law has but 1a shadow 2of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, 3it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
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Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
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For 6it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
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Consequently, 7when Christa came into the world, he said, 8"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
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in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
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Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"
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When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in 9sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),
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then he added, 10"Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
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And by that will 11we have been sanctified through the offering of 12the body of Jesus Christ 13once for all.
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And every priest stands 14daily at his service, 15offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, 16which can never take away sins.
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But when Christb had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he 17sat down at the right hand of God,
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waiting from that time 18until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
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For by a single offering 19he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
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And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
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20"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
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then he adds, 21"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
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Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The Full Assurance of Faith
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22Therefore, brothers,c since we have confidence to enter 23the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
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by 24the new and living way that he opened for us through 25the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
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and since we have 26a great priest over the house of God,
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let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts 27sprinkled clean 28from an evil conscience and our bodies 29washed with pure water.
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30Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for 31he who promised is faithful.
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And 32let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
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33not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and 34all the more as you see 35the Day drawing near.
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For 36if we go on sinning deliberately 37after receiving the knowledge of the truth, 38there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
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41Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy 42on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
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How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one 43who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned 44the blood of the covenant 45by which he was sanctified, and has 46outraged the Spirit of grace?
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For we know him who said, 47"Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, 48"The Lord will judge his people."
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49It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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But recall the former days when, after 50you were enlightened, you endured 51a hard struggle with sufferings,
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sometimes being 52publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
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For 53you had compassion on those in prison, and 54you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had 55a better possession and an abiding one.
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Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has 56a great reward.
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For 57you have need of endurance, so that 58when you have done the will of God you may 59receive what is promised.
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62but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
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But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)