"A Gracious Invitation" {Hebrews 10:19-25}

"Let us draw near.... Let us hold fast... Let us consider one another." This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. And this boldness ("freedom of speech") rests on the finished work of the Saviour. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest could not enter the holy of holies unless he had the blood of the sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). But our entrance into God's presence is not because of an animal's blood, but because of Christ's shed blood.

This open way into God's presence is "new" (recent, fresh) and not a part of the Old Covenant that "waxeth [grows] old [and] is ready to vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13). It is "living" because Christ "ever liveth to make intercession" for us (Hebrews 7:25). Christ is the new and living way! We come to God through Him, our High Priest over the house of God (the church, see Hebrews 3:6). When His flesh was torn on the cross, and His life sacrificed, God tore the veil in the temple. This symbolized the new and living way now opened for all who believe.

On the basis of these assurances—that we have boldness to enter because we have a living High Priest—we have an "open invitation" to enter the presence of God. The Old Covenant high priest visited the holy of holies once a year, but we are invited to dwell in the presence of God every moment of each day. What a tremendous privilege! Consider what is involved in this threefold invitation.

“Let us draw near” (v. 22):
Of course, we must prepare ourselves spiritually to fellowship with God. The Old Testament priest had to go through various washings and the applying of blood on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Also, during the regular daily ministry, the priests had to wash at the laver before they entered the holy place (Exodus 30:18-21). The New Testament Christian must come to God with a pure heart and a clean conscience. Fellowship with God demands purity (1 John 1:5-2:2).

“Let us holdfast” (v. 23):
The readers of this epistle were being tempted to forsake their confession of Jesus Christ by going back to the Old Covenant worship. The writer did not exhort them to hold on to their salvation, because their security was in Christ and not in themselves (Hebrews 7:25). Rather, he invited them to hold fast "the profession [confession] of... hope." 

In this study of Hebrews there is an emphasis on the glorious hope of the believer. God is "bringing many sons unto glory" (Hebrews 2:10). Believers are "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1) and therefore can rejoice in hope (Hebrews 3:6). Hope is one of the main themes of Hebrews 6 (vv. 11-12, 18-20). We are looking for Christ to return (Hebrews 9:28) and we are seeking that city that is yet to come (Hebrews 13:14). When a believer has their hope fixed on Christ, and relies on the faithfulness of God, then they will not waver. Instead of looking back (as the Jews so often did), we should look ahead to the coming of the Lord.

“Let us consider one another” (vv. 24-25):
Fellowship with God must never become selfish. We must also fellowship with other Christians in the local assembly. Apparently, some of the wavering believers had been absenting themselves from the church fellowship. It is interesting to note that the emphasis here is not on what a believer gets from the assembly, but rather on what he or she can contribute to the assembly. Faithfulness in church attendance encourages others and provokes them to love and good works. One of the strong motives for faithfulness is the soon coming of Jesus Christ. In fact, the only other place the word translated "assembling" (Hebrews 10:25) is used in the New Testament is in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where it's translated "gathering" and deals with the coming of Christ.

The three great Christian virtues are evidenced here: faith (Hebrews 10:22), hope (Hebrews 10:23), and love (Hebrews 10:24). They are the fruit of our fellowship with God in His heavenly sanctuary.