“For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)
In the Mosaic law, priests offered sacrifices day after day for sins. However, the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins (vv. 4,11). Similarly as argued in Hebrews 8:5, the law was only a shadow of the good things that were yet to come. The sacrifices could not make people perfect because they were continually offered year after year (v. 1). It was not a permanent solution for the problem of humanity’s sinful nature. Just as the high priest from the old covenant points to the ultimate high priest in Jesus, the sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament point to the perfect sacrifice, Jesus’ death on the cross.
This passage in Hebrews also serves as a reminder that we cannot save ourselves. While we may think we can earn our salvation and go to heaven by doing enough good works, there are numerous passages in Scripture that say otherwise. Without Christ, all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment (Isaiah 64:6). We can follow all the commands in the Bible but if we stumble at one point, it is the same as breaking all of God’s law (James 2:10). Because of this, we need a Savior.
Right before he died on the cross, Jesus spoke his last words “It is finished” (John 19:30). What did Jesus mean by this? According to the author of Hebrews, Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was the permanent solution for our problem with sin. Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:36), paid the penalty for our sins in our place. He died the death that we deserved. Through his sacrifice, those who believe in him are perfected forever (v. 14).
Because Jesus’ sacrifice covers all our sins: past, present, and future, we can have confidence that the Lord will never again remember our sins and lawless acts (v. 17). Nothing can snatch us from his hand or separate us from the unfathomable love that he has for us!