Christ’s Perfect Sacrifice (Psalm 40:1–17)
1 UDB The law does not show very well the good things that God will give us later. The law is like a shadow of something else. If people come to worship God by offering the same kinds of sacrifices every year, they can never become perfect. BSB BSB: For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
2 UDB If God had removed the guilt of those who brought these sacrifices, they would not feel that they were still guilty. So they would certainly have stopped offering those sacrifices! BSB BSB: If it could, would not the offerings have ceased? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt the guilt of their sins.
3 UDB But rather, the fact that they offer those sacrifices each year reminds them that they are still guilty for their sins. BSB BSB: Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
4 UDB So we know that even if we offer animals such as bulls or goats to God, even if he sees their blood flow, that will not stop us from being guilty. BSB BSB: because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 UDB That is why, as Christ was coming into the world, he said to his Father, "It is not sacrifices and offerings that you have wanted, but you have prepared for me a body to offer. BSB BSB: Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.
6 UDB Animals that completely burn up when people offer them to you have not pleased you, and neither do other sacrifices please you. BSB BSB: In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.
7 UDB Because of this, I said, 'My God, listen! I have come here to do what you want me to do, just as they have written about me in the scriptures.'" BSB BSB: Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’”
8 UDB First Christ said, "It is not sacrifices and offerings and animals that the priests have completely burned up and other offerings to atone for those who have sinned that you have really wanted. They have not pleased you." He said that, even though those things were offered according to the laws that God gave Moses! BSB BSB: In the passage above He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them” (although they are offered according to the law).
9 UDB Then, concerning his offering himself as a sacrifice to atone for people's sin, he said, "Listen! I have come here to do what you want me to do!" God made useless the first offerings and sacrifices and put the sacrifice of Christ in their place. BSB BSB: Then He adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.
10 UDB Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, God set us apart for himself. This happened when Jesus Christ offered his own body once as a sacrifice, a sacrifice that he will never need to repeat. BSB BSB: And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
12 UDB But Christ offered a sacrifice that will be enough forever, and he offered it only one time! After that, he sat down to rule beside God in the place of highest honor. BSB BSB: But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.
13 UDB From now on he is waiting for God to completely defeat all his enemies. BSB BSB: Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet,
14 UDB By offering himself once as the sacrifice for sin, he perfected forever those in whom God has worked his cleansing and purity. BSB BSB: because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 UDB The Holy Spirit also confirms to us that that is true. First he said: BSB BSB: The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:
16 UDB "When the time of the first covenant with my people has finished, I will make a new covenant with them. I will do this for them: I will cause them to understand my laws and I will cause them to obey them." BSB BSB: “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
17 UDB Then he said: "I will forgive them for their sins, and I will consider that they are no longer guilty for having sinned." BSB BSB: Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
18 UDB When God has forgiven someone's sins, that person does not need to make any more offerings to make up for his sin! BSB BSB: And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed.
A Call to Persevere (Jude 1:17–23)
20 UDB He has enabled us to go into God's presence by making a new way in which we can live forever. This new way is Jesus, who died for us. BSB BSB: by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,
21 UDB Christ is a great priest who rules over us, we who are God's people. BSB BSB: and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 UDB So we must approach God sincerely by confidently trusting in Jesus. It is he who made our hearts pure from having sinned. It is as if he sprinkled his own blood over our hearts and as if he had washed our bodies in pure water. BSB BSB: let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
25 UDB We must not cease assembling ourselves to worship the Lord, as some people have done. Instead, each one of us must encourage the others. Let us do that all the more since we know that the time that the Lord will return is near. BSB BSB: Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 UDB If we deliberately and habitually sin after we have known the true message about Christ, no other sacrifice will help us. BSB BSB: If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
27 UDB Instead, we must fearfully expect that God will judge us, and then he will righteously punish all his enemies in a furious fire. BSB BSB: but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
28 UDB Everyone who rejected the laws that God gave Moses had to die without mercy when at least two or three people testified against him. BSB BSB: Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 UDB That was a severe punishment. But how much greater punishment would there be for a person who despises the Son of God? If anyone despises the covenant made with the blood of Christ—the blood that purified them from all their sin—what will happen to them? If a person rejects the gracious Spirit of God, who acted so kindly toward him, how much worse would God punish that person? BSB BSB: How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 UDB We can be sure of this since we know that God said, "The right and power to give people what they deserve for having sinned belongs to me. I will punish them as they deserve." And Moses wrote, "The Lord will judge his people." BSB BSB: For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
31 UDB It will be a terrible thing if the all-powerful God who really lives seizes and punishes you! BSB BSB: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 UDB Remember the earlier times when you first understood the truth about Christ. You endured much hardship, and when you suffered, you continued to trust God. BSB BSB: Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.
33 UDB At times people insulted you in public; at other times they made you suffer. At other times you suffered with other believers in their hardships. BSB BSB: Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated.
34 UDB You not only were kind to those who were in prison because they believed in Christ, but you also accepted it joyfully when unbelievers took away your possessions. You accepted it because you yourselves knew very well that you had possessions in heaven forever, possessions that are much better than those that they took from you! BSB BSB: You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.
35 UDB So do not become discouraged when they cause you to suffer, because if you continue to trust in God then he will greatly reward you. BSB BSB: So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.
36 UDB You must learn to be patient so that you may do what God wants you to do and he will give you what he has promised. BSB BSB: You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
37 UDB A prophet wrote in the scriptures: "In just a short time, the one I promised would come will surely come; he will not delay coming. BSB BSB: For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38 UDB But those who belong to me, who act righteously, will continue to live by trusting in me. If they are cowards and stop trusting in me, I will not be pleased with them." BSB BSB: But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”
39 UDB But we are not people who are cowards, those who cause God to destroy us. Instead, we are people who trust in him, and because we trust him, God saves us. BSB BSB: But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.