Los Angeles Conference: 1964, Our Place Inside the Vail and Outside the Camp (13:13)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
Hebrews, chapter 10. Again at the first verse. 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. For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once purged, should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. The 11TH verse. And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereas the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that He said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now her remission of these is there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore. Boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. And having an high priest over the House of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, unto good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching. It's on my heart to night to speak about what we have here in the 10th chapter of Hebrews, and then also what we have in the 13th. In the 10th chapter of Hebrews we have our place inside the veil. In the 13th chapter of Hebrews we have our place outside. The camp, when we speak of being inside the veil, it's the place that's ours before God, through that finished work of Christ, our perfect place of acceptance. But when we speak about being outside the camp, it's the position that we have in connection with all the ceremony and ritual of which Christendom is filled, that which is carried over from Judaism. And so we see here, first of all, God presents to us in this chapter that one. Wonderful place of acceptance that we have been brought into a place that was never enjoyed by those who lived before the cross. It was impossible for them to enter in to enjoy the precious things that we can now enjoy because the work of redemption has been completed. So it tells us here in the opening of this chapter, the Law having a shadow of good things to come. We spoke a little last night out of the shadow of good things to come, and how those beautiful garments of the High Priest bring before us the Lord Jesus in his present priestly work for us up there at God's right hand. But the law also had a shadow of many other good things to come. And even though the people could not enjoy. The place of nearness that we enjoy. It was set before them in shadow. It was set before them in type. And now God would have us by His Spirit to enter into these things and enjoy them. Just like our children, we like them to enjoy conscious liberty in our presence. We don't like them to feel at a distance from us. We don't like them to feel afraid of us. We want them to enjoy a place of nearness. Well, how wonderful that through the work of Christ, the believer has been brought into such a place of nearness so that he can enjoy the place that's ours through the finished work of Christ. Well, the reason they couldn't enjoy these things in the Old Testament is it tells us here was because the sacrifices then could not put away sin. In fact, the word atonement that is used so often in Leviticus means to cover that is it didn't actually take away sin. It was something that God provided for the time being. Just as if there was a pile of dirt and you covered it, it's out of sight.
But it's not removed. And in the Old Testament, God provided a way by which he could go on with an erring people, and the sacrifices were the means that were accepted to make an atonement or a covering for that time in view of the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. But those sacrifices could not take away sin. They didn't remove it. But oh how grand it is. And to know that through the finished. Work of the Lord Jesus. It's not merely that our sins are covered, but our sins are gone. The Lord Jesus has exhausted the judgment. There is no judgment left for us because he bore it and he cried. It is finished. And so complete, so glorious is his work before God, that not one charge could be laid against the believer. And not only has God been satisfied, but, as we often say, he has been glorified because his whole character has been made known. If I owed some money to a creditor and a friend of mine paid the debt for me, well, I've got the receipt in my hand. Mark paid in full. I'm not afraid of my creditor, but I haven't learned my creditor's heart. I haven't learned anything about what's in his heart. I just have the knowledge that the. Paid. But oh, how wonderful it is in Christianity that not only has the debt been paid, but it was the Father who sent the son to be the savior of the world. Supposing that creditor had said to his son, and now Mr. Hagel has a debt, would you be willing to pay the debt for him? Would you be willing to pay this out of your own money for him? And then when he hands me the receipt, it's marked. Paid in full through the kindness of my own beloved son. Oh, what a different feeling I have toward him now. I know his heart. I know what's there toward me. And all I want to tell you tonight now, that that's what happened at Calvary, that God himself sent his son. And when the Lord Jesus was there upon Calvary's cross, it was the heart of God telling itself out, and it was God Himself. That placed our sins. Upon the head of his own spotless son. And the Lord Jesus cried. It is finished. The heart of God has been told out, all His Holiness has been vindicated, all his love has been made known, and the way of blessing has been opened up for us. And so in contrast with all this continual offering of sacrifices, when we come to this 11TH verse, it says. And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering. Oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God. That is, there was something that there didn't exist at all in the Tabernacle, and that was a seat. There was no place for the priest to sit down. He was continually offering sacrifices. But when the Lord Jesus offered one sacrifice for sin, then it says forever sat down at the right hand of God. The Lord Jesus is never going to rise up again to take. The question of sin, because that has been settled for the believer, When he rises up again, it will be upon judgment, in judgment upon those who have rejected His grace. But now he is there as the one who has so completely glorified God, so completely settled a question of sin, and that God now is eternally satisfied with what Christ has done. So it says in this. 14th verse By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. It was a dear lady back in the East, and she accepted the Lord Jesus as her Savior, and she was filled with joy at the knowledge that her sins were forgiven. But after a little while she began to realize that she hadn't always done what she should. But she had. She had sinned even since she was saved. Allow believers. Do not want to sin. Sometimes we do fail, even as believers. And so we find. And she found out that she had sinned even since she was saved, and she was greatly troubled about it. She said I knew all my sins up to the moment of my conversion were put away, But what about those that I have committed since I've been saved? What about them? That's what bothers me. And perhaps there's someone like that here tonight.
You say, well, I know all my sins were put away. But I've sinned since I've been saved, and perhaps the devil is whispering in your ear that you're lost now and you must be saved again. Well, this one to whom this lady made that remark, he said to her, He said, how many of your sins were future when the Lord Jesus died? Why, she said, I suppose they were all future. Well, he said, is the Lord Jesus going to die again? She said no, I know he's not going to die again. Well, he said if the Lord Jesus didn't settle that question once for all on Calvary's cross, when is it going to be settled? And dear friend, I want to impress that upon your mind because this verse doesn't say by one offering. He hath perfected until you sin again. But isn't this wonderful? And this is the truth of God. By one offering you have perfected forever them that are sanctified now. This is the truth of God. God wants to make it good to your soul tonight, that when you accept Christ as your Savior, God has brought you into a new standing before Him. And those words are true of you. Perfected. Forever perfected forever, you say. Even when I've sinned, I'm still perfected forever. Sin in the believer's life does not change his standing before God. It hinders the enjoyment of it. And many dear Christians are not enjoying communion with the Lord because of sin allowed in their lives. But the standing is always in uninterrupted perpetuity through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing can interrupt that because. God sees us accepted in His. Beloved son. You know, some people will say, oh, but that's dangerous doctrine. You tell people that you're just encouraging them to sin. Oh no. If you lay hold of that in your soul, it will make you want to please the Lord Jesus in a way that you've never done before. Why? When you think of love like that, why, it'll make you want to please him. And I might say indeed, that that's the only kind of service the Lord wants. He wants the service that flows from love. And if somebody held a gun in your face and said, if you don't love me, I'll shoot you, would that make you love you? The person what'd you feel? Well, I must love them now. No, you'd just be afraid, wouldn't you? And you'd never feel like doing anything for a person like that. And yet I know people that tell you that if you don't keep on, always do what's right, the Lord will stop loving you. But all how good it is to know that he says I love you, I always will love you. I've settled the question of your sins once for all, and I want you to do what you do because you know. What I have done for you, we love him because he first loved us. And any kind of service that just flows from fear is not acceptable service to the Lord, nor the feast days in Israel on the 23rd of Leviticus. It says Thou shalt do no servile work therein. Thou doesn't want what we do for him to be servile, because we have to. That's the principle of law, and man failed under that. But God wants the service of your heart as being one for Christ. It says, the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and he died for all. That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again. Oh, may the Spirit of God press these precious words home upon your heart. It's the truth of God, my friend. It's the truth of God's own word. By one offering yeast perfected forever, forever them that are sanctified. Perhaps you might hesitate and say, well am I one of the sanctified ones? While the 10th verse says, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So you can see that being sanctified is not by some experience that we go through, and that is not as to our standing, but it's that which is consequent upon the work of Christ. The believer is set apart from being under condemnation and judgment and set apart for glory. And how did that take place? By the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. And when you are set apart, how long are you perfected for?
Forever what a standing the believer has been brought into. And so it goes on to say whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. That God has sent down His Holy Spirit to make these things good in our hearts, and He wants to make this good in your heart tonight. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, if there should be anyone here tonight who has not accepted Christ as your Savior, why? Know that there may be doubts in your mind, but if you have accepted Him as your Savior, this is your standing, and the Spirit of God wants to make it good in your heart tonight. And so it says here. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now a remission of these is There is no more offering for sin. How could God require another offering after that one perfect sacrifice of His beloved Son? Now we come to what we spoke of at the beginning about inside the veil. It says there having therefore brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Well, you know, in the Old Testament there was that beautiful veil that hung up of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen, the cherubim wrought in it, and that veil separated between the holy place and the holiest of all. And the people could never go into the holiest of all. The high priest, only once a year could go into the holiest of all. But when the Lord Jesus died, it says that the veil of the temple was renting twain from the top to the bottom. The reason it was from the top was that it was from God's side. God was showing that this was His doing. So that there would be entrance into his very presence, a thing. That was never enjoyed in the Old Testament under Judaism was now to be enjoyed in all its preciousness in Christianity. God came out and all the riches of his grace, and we go in in perfect acceptance. And so it tells us we have boldness. Oh, isn't that wonderful? If you or I have been writing this, we would never have chosen such a word. We wouldn't have used the word boldness, but God uses it because. He wants us to come with that perfect confidence, just like a child coming in the door of its home. Did you ever watch a child? Doesn't matter whether it's a poor home or a grand home. When the child comes home, it comes in the door with confidence. And it has the knowledge that it's accepted there and how blessed it is that the believer can go into the very holiest of all. Oh, isn't this lovely to know that all the light and holiness of God's presence can only show that we are perfectly fit to be there? That lovely verse in first John one and seven says if we walk in the light. As He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. That is, God brings us into the unsullied light of his presence, the very holiest of all. And then he said, you're perfectly fit to be here because I see no spot upon you. You have been cleansed in that blood that cleanses from all sin. Now if I was going into a very brightly lighted room, my clothes were dirty, I'd feel conscious. But if I was sure that my clothes were spotless, they were Immaculate. I wouldn't care how bright the light was, it would only show I was fit to be there. And that's where God has brought us into the holiest of all. And what gives us this boldness? Oh, you say I look in and I feel so unworthy. But God says the only ground of your boldness is the blood of Jesus. And is that not enough? Will you have any better title in heaven? Will you be any more accepted in heaven than now through the finished work of Christ? Why? The theme of the redeemed in heaven is, Thou hast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. And so we as believers have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
And that's why when we gather on Lord's Day morning to remember the Lord. Lord Jesus, we often sing that lovely hymn the holiest. We enter in perfect peace with God, through whom we found our center in Jesus and His blood. We don't have a special class of people that are the only ones that can have a place of special nearness. Every believer has the same place of nearness. Every believer is equally a priest and accepted and able. To go into the very holiest of all in perfect acceptance. And so that's the contrast. The law had a shadow of good things to come, but not the very image, because only the high priest went in once a year. But now the veil has been rent and we go in in perfect acceptance. And this is true of every believer. Paul said here, for I believe it was Paul who wrote Hebrews, it says. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, and then it says by a new and living way. We have remarked about it being new, but something that. Was not known and enjoyed in Judaism. But it's a living way. Why is it called a living way? Well, you know, a man didn't have to be born again to enjoy the ritual of Judaism. And you don't have to be born again to enjoy stained glass windows and robes and vestments and music and all kinds of decorations. You don't have to be born again to enjoy that at all. Any natural man can enjoy those things. But I'll tell you this, that you have to be born again to enjoy. Being simply and consciously in the presence of the Lord. And that's why it's called a living way. A living way. And so sometimes people will drop in to one of the little meetings where we gather in simplicity around the Lord and they'll say, well, this is certainly dull, no music, and the place is so plain. Well, dear friends, the reason we gather in such simplicity is because we don't. Don't want anything to attract us, but the Lord Jesus himself, He is the one who is there. This is a place for those who are enjoying the presence of the Lord Himself. And so it's a living way. Again, I say in Judaism, new birth was not necessary to enjoy the ritual and all that God gave. Perhaps someone might say, but why did God give? Those things in Judaism, because in the Old Testament man was under trial. And if it was possible to improve man and make him worship God by external means, then God gave the very best external means that could be given. If a religious building would make a man a worshiper, then God gave the finest that that grand temple. If good music would make man a worshiper, then when the temple was dedicated, there were 120 of 1 instrument alone, besides the great many others. Well, if these things would really make a change in man's heart, God gave the best means to produce it. But when the when they crucified the Lord, then the Lord said as it were, well now the veil is rent. There's a way into my presence. But it's not going to be by anything that appeals to the flesh. I just want you to be there. Enjoying My presence by the Spirit because you have a life and nature that's suited to my presence and the blood has made you fit to be there. Oh, how lovely. That is a new and living way. But all. What did it cost, brethren? He consecrated us for us. Through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. Little him puts it nicely Himself He gave our poor hearts to win. Was ever a love Lord like thine from the paths of folly and shame and sin, And fill them with joys divine?
Oh, isn't it not, isn't it lovely when we come into his presence and know that we have been accepted there? Than to think of what it cost him to bring us there. We think of how he gave himself Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Oh, he wants your heart and mind. When the bride asked the bridegroom in the Song of Solomon, he said, and she said to him, Tell me where you make your flock to lie at noon all he replied, he said, If thou knowest not. O thou fairest among women, he said. Follow the footsteps of the flock. And feed thy kids beside the shepherds tents. He seemed grieved that she didn't know where she would find him. He said, you'll find me in the midst of the sheep. Oh, how lovely this is. That's where you'll find the Lord in the midst of his own. Why? In that glory the Lamb will be in the midst of the throne, and that's where he delights to be even now in the midst of his own. He was grieved because the bride didn't know. And he said, If thou knowest not. Oh how lovely it is. He wants us around himself. And then it serves on having an high priest over the House of God. The list is brought in here because the priestly work of Christ is to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of our standing. We spoke a little last night of the work of Christ as our great High Priest. And the reason I spoke of it is because we're always prone to lose the enjoyment of what we have in Him, and so he's up there to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of it. We get discouraged and we allow things to come in. Perhaps a doubt about one's security, perhaps a doubt about his love, perhaps a doubt about the wisdom of God's ways. And then perhaps when we try to do something, we get occupied with how. Itself there is in it, and so it spoils the enjoyment of the place that we have. So we have a high priest over the House of God, not to offer a sacrifice again that's done once for all, but to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of the place that we have been brought into for the present priestly work of Christ. Is not to again settle the question of sin, that. Has been settled. The priestly work of Christ is to maintain our souls in the enjoyment of it and to keep us from failure. And that would get us away from the communion with the Lord, because He wants us to enjoy His presence. And then it says, let a strong ear with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Full assurance of faith. Isn't this beautiful too? That is. We're always prone to allow doubts to come in, but it says here God wants us to draw near in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. That is, what is it that removes sin from the conscience? The blood of Christ. The heart sprinkled from an evil conscience. So once for all that blood has been applied, and when the enemy would seek to say, well, you're not worthy to be in his presence, I can reply and say, oh, it's only through the blood of Jesus. It's only through his finished work. For it's the believers standing that is in view here, not our state. It's our standing. And the standing is perfect. I might mention that is the reason that we don't have the advocacy of Christ in Hebrews. It comes in in John where we have the family, but in Hebrews where it's the one sacrifice of Christ contrasted with the many sacrifices of Judaism, then that sacrifice is so complete that the believer is to have no more conscience of sin. When it's the family, then we might lose the enjoyment of the relationship. And so it's brought in in John's epistle. But here I say the priesthood of Christ is to maintain our souls in the enjoyment and the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, as the blood of Christ applied once for all.
The blood is never applied the second time, only once, once for all, and our bodies washed with pure water. Now this is what is referred to in the 13th chapter of John. The Lord was going to wash the disciples feet. And Peter said why? He said wash me all over. He said not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. And the Lord said he that is washed need is not saved to wash his feet, but is clean every whip. And saw the body washed with pure water is not as I mentioned before, it is not connected with failure in the Christian's life. It's the fact that when 1 is when one is cleansed in the blood of Christ, he is pronounced clean every wet. And the washing of the feet has to do with our being restored when we have failed.