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Hebrews 9:11-15 (the message)

"But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven's "tent"—the true Holy Place—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God."

Let me try and say this in a nut-shell: in the Old Testament they offered up animals as sacrifices (always the best quality animals, spotless and expensive) to wash away of the sins of the people. It seems silly to us today in the twenty-first century, with no real concept of blood covenants (other than, of course, marriage), to think how powerful and important the shedding of blood was. With the shedding of blood in sacrifice, the people were completely free from their sins, and it had to be offered up constantly, everyday, in order to keep everyone's slate clean.

And then the ultimate redemption was made for us, once and for all. Jesus came to earth: the perfect, cream-of-the-crop "lamb" who offered up His own blood so that we could have our purity and freedom from our dark sin. Because Jesus died- because His blood was shed on the cross - all the bad stuff you and I have done has been rid of, forgotten and abolished, never to return. The life you now enjoy because Jesus died on the cross transcends and outlasts the moment of salvation; it's a powerful, victorious, dream-filled and joyful life because you are free. Jesus died to save you and make you perfect in Him.

I beg you to take some time and study Hebrews. It may seem overwhelming and intimidating, but it will change you and open up an understanding of the life you now have in Jesus.

*I recommend a study companion by Andrew Murray, "The Holiest of All." It changed my life.