Study Desk

For Christ did not go into a Holy Place made by human hands, which was a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God.

Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.

The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God?

If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop.

For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God: "You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me.

Then I said, ‘Here I am, to do your will, O God, just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.'"

Then he said, "Here I am, O God, to do your will." So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place.

Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God.

There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet.

We have a great priest in charge of the house of God.

So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water.

Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.

Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God!

What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve!

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises.

It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God.

No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.