O Merciful Lord, how I rejoice over the fact that Your suffering for sins was a “once and for all” event. In the Old Testament animal sacrifices had to be repeated because they offered only temporary forgiveness. But Your sacrifice was offered once and provided total and permanent forgiveness. Under the New Covenant, the role of the Levitical Priest was eliminated in favor of You becoming the High Priest. Since You are my High Priest, I need to pay attention to the things You tell me. Nothing can substitute for Your work and role in saving me. The law was never intended to save people, but to point out sin and point them to You. My true salvation comes through You whose sacrifice brings lasting forgiveness for my sins. Being ethical, working diligently to help others and giving to charitable causes are good things, but all of these good deeds cannot save me or make things right with Your Father.
There is no better hope than You. That better hope can be found in the form of a New Covenant. It is new and better because it allows me to go directly to the Father through You. I no longer need to rely on the sacrifice of animals to obtain forgiveness. The New Covenant is better because You live forever and so will I. No one can add to what You did to save me for my past sins, my current sins and my future sins because Your blood has washed away the penalty due for those sins. It is wonderful to live with the thought that all sins are forgiven “once and for all”. As my High Priest, You are my Eternal Advocate. It is a wonderful thing to have direct access to You. You look after my interests and intercede before the Father on my behalf. Under the Old Testament, the high priest went before God once a year for the forgiveness of sins. Now that I have You, my salvation is eternally assured.
Because of Your death, animal sacrifices came to an end. You were the perfect sacrifice who completed the work of my redemption. I do not have to look for another way to have my sins forgiven … You were the perfect and final sacrifice for me. You replaced eternal death with eternal life. I would have to be calloused, cold-hearted and stubborn to refuse Your life-giving gift. Your consistent presence with the Father assures me that I have a place waiting for me with You when I die. This wonderful assurance frees me from guilt and fear of failure. Since blood was required as the price to be paid for sins, Your blood poured over me by the Holy Spirit, has made me clean for my meeting with You and Your Father in Heaven. Because You died “once and for all” I know that I have a mansion that You have prepared waiting for me. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Hebrews 9:26 But now He has appeared once for all to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.