1. An important, fundamental Bible doctrine is referred to here in Hebrews 10:19 – "the blood of Jesus." The OT Levitical system rested squarely upon a blood sacrifice. Every day countless animals were slain, and each and every sacrifice pointed to the cross.
2. With the death of Jesus Christ the entire religious system of the OT became obsolete because Christ’s death on the cross provided a better sacrifice.
3. The Bible teaches that God has done certain things for us. It then asks us to believe God and act upon all that He has done.
4. And since the Lord has done so much for us, we are urged to "draw near" to Him (10:22).
5. In Heb.10:23, the Bible says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)." God is faithful. Shouldn’t we be faithful. Let us determine that we will be faithful. I used the words, "let us," intentionally.
6. Three times in this passage, we see these words, "Let us…" So today, let us look at this threefold exhortation from Hebrews 10. And let us ask the Lord to speak to our hearts. And let us do what God wants.

1. LET US DRAW NEAR (10:22).

1. Beloved, we must draw near to God "with a true heart" (10:22). Do you have "a true heart," or are you just faking it?
2. Everyone once in a while, we will bring in some dynamic preacher like Bro. McCoy or Bro. Behrens’ dad, and many people will pour out of their seats and come down to the front. Prayers will be said. Decisions will be made. It is all very moving.
3. But then the meeting is over. And some of these same people will not come back out on Sunday night or on Wednesday night. And they still will not go out knocking on doors. And they still will not tithe, etc.
4. God wants us to draw near to Him with a "true heart," not a phony heart, not with an insincere heart.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious bleeding side. — Fanny Crosby

5. When we think of our Lord dying on the cross for our wicked sins, how could we be insincere?
6. Furthermore, we are to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…" (10:22). Do you have this "full assurance of faith"? Are you sure you are saved? So many are deceived in this matter.
7. "Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (10:22). Let me pause here for a moment and emphasize that this is symbolic language. You can get baptized in the purest, cleanest, most sparkling river this side of paradise and it will do you no good if you are not born again.
8. A friend told me recently that he was in a church where they do not preach that you need to be born again. But Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." Have you been born again? Are you saved?
9. The "sprinkling" (10:22) here refers to the blood of Christ, not to water. The Bible says nothing about sprinkling babies (or anyone else for that matter) with water, but it says a lot about the sprinkling of blood (cf. Heb.9:11-14; 11:28; 12:24; I Peter 1:2).
10. To sprinkle the blood means to apply the blood by faith. There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His name.
11. The word "sprinkle" is used many times in both the OT and the NT, and it always describes the application of the blood of sacrifice.
12. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for us when He died on the cross for our sins. Have you received Him as your Substitute? As your Saviour? As your Redeemer?
13. The Bible uses symbolic language. Just as we are not literally "sprinkled with blood" when we get saved, "pure water" cannot wash sin off of our bodies (10:22b; cf. I Peter 3:21). This refers, not to baptism, but to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. So let us draw near with a true heart. Secondly…

2. LET US HOLD FAST (10:23).

1. Most people assembled here today have made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. One cannot join our church without making such a profession (10:23a).
2. But unfortunately, for some people that’s all it is – a profession, and nothing more – simply an empty profession.
3. If you are truly saved, then you ought to live like you are truly saved. Some church people are just as worldly as the devil’s crowd. You cannot tell them apart.
4. And if you’re saved, you need to "hold fast" your profession of faith "without wavering" (10:23). There are too many waverers in our church! In a few minutes, I will stand by the back of the tent and shake hands with everyone. And I will ask, "See you tonight?" and some will start to "waver" on me!
5. Some of you need to make up your mind whether or not you are going to get serious about your profession (cf. Heb.10:25).
6. We need to "hold fast" (10:23). Too many Christians are not holding fast – they’re laying down, they’re goofing off, and they’re giving up! But they’re not "holding fast."
7. Why should we hold fast? Because God is faithful (10:23b).

3. LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER (10:24).

1. I am afraid many believers do not consider their fellow Christians. For example, a man gets saved on Sunday morning and is all excited about serving God. He comes back on Sunday night and sees a lot of empty seats. He starts to get discouraged, and this is because lazy, worldly church members are home goofing off.
2. Notice that in the first exhortation, we are told to consider our relationship to God – we are to "draw near" to Him (10:22). In the second exhortation, we are to consider our own personal responsibility – we are to "hold fast" (10:23).
3. And now, in the third exhortation, we are to consider our responsibility to others. You and I have an important responsibility to those around us. We need to "provoke" (stimulate) one another "unto love and to good works" (10:24).
4. This word, "consider," means to strengthen zeal, to excite unto godly living, and to provoke one another by means of a good example.
5. Therefore, when Christians skip Sunday School, or skip church or skip prayer meeting, they are not being CONSIDERATE because they are not setting a good example. They are not strengthening zeal. They are actually hindering the Lord’s work.
6. The Bible says, "Let us consider one another…" (10:24). And if you have any questions about what that means, verse 25 is very clear.

CONCLUSION:

1. We are living in perilous times.
2. There is the united Europe, the UN, the increasing pull for a one-world government and a one-world religion.
3. And then there is the situation in the middle East. It would not be out of line to say that the Battle of Armageddon could start up at any time, and that the antichrist could very well be alive today.
4. All this points to the second coming of Christ. The exhortation to Christian steadfastness was never more needed than at the present hour. This is what the Bible means when it says, "so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (10:25b).