Once and for all

Hebrews 10:1 says the law was only a “shadow of the good things to come.” What are some ways people today try to deal with guilt or sin apart from Christ? How does this passage help you see why those solutions cannot truly solve the problem? (Read Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 3:20)

The sacrifices under the old covenant served as a “reminder of sins year after year” (Hebrews 10:3). Dennis Johnson says: “Those sacrifices were annual reminders, not removers, of sin’s defilement.” What is the writer of Hebrews saying about the Old Covenant?

Hebrews 10:4 says it is “impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins.” What makes Jesus qualified to take away our sins? What does this teach us about the identity and mission of Jesus? (Read Hebrews 2:14–17; 1 Peter 1:18–19)

Psalm 40:6–8 shows that God ultimately desires obedience rather than ritual sacrifice. Why is heart obedience more important to God than outward religious activity? How can we sometimes fall into the trap of valuing religious actions more than obedience? In what ways do you drift into ritual rather than heart obedience and what are ways to break out of this mentality? (Read 1 Sam 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-13a; 66:3, 4; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8; Hosea 6:6; Matt. 15:8–9).

Who originally said, “I have come to do your will” (Psalm 40:8)? How is the writer of Hebrews applying it in his day (Hebrews 10:7)? What does Jesus’ obedience teach us about submitting to God’s will even when it is difficult? Where might God be calling you to trust and obey Him more fully right now? (Read John 10:17–18; Mark 14:36; Philippians 2:8)

Hebrews 10:10 says believers are sanctified “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” What does it mean that Christ’s sacrifice is final and complete? How should this shape the way you think about your standing before God? (Read Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:12; Romans 8:1)

The priests in the old covenant “stand day after day” offering sacrifices, but Jesus “sat down at the right hand of God” after His sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11–12). What does this contrast reveal about the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross? (Read Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 110:1; John 19:30)

Hebrews 10:14 says that by one offering Jesus “has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” How can believers live with confidence and assurance because of this truth? How does this guard us from trying to earn God’s favor through our own works? (Romans 8:3–4; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5)

In the New Covenant, God promises to write His law on our hearts and minds (Hebrews 10:16). How does the Holy Spirit transform our desires so that obedience becomes something we increasingly want rather than resist? (Read Ezekiel 36:26–27; Galatians 5:16–25)

God promises in the New Covenant, “I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 10:17). How should this promise shape the way you view your relationship with God and your identity in Christ? How might it change the way you worship and live each day? (Read Micah 7:18–19; Romans 5:1; Colossians 2:13–14; See also Pss. 25:7; 79:8; Isa. 43:25; 64:9; Ezek. 18:22).