Hebrews 10 — Verse 10

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

From the whole context, the Apostle makes an inference, which is comprehensive of the substance of the Gospel, and the description of the grace of God which is established thereby.

Having affirmed in Christ's own words, that he came to do the will of God, he shews what was that will of God which he came to do, what was the design of God in it, and the effect of it, and by what means it was accomplished; which things are to be enquired into. As, (1.) What is the will of God which he intends; By which will. (2.) What was the design of it, what God aimed at in this act of his will, and what is accomplished thereby; We are sanctified. (3.) The way and means whereby this effect proceedeth from the will of God; namely, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, in opposition to legal sacrifices. (4.) The manner of it, in opposition to their repetition; it was once for all. But the sense of the whole will be more clear, if we consider the end aimed at in the first place, namely, the sanctification of the Church. And sundry things must be observed concerning it.

1. That the Apostle changeth his phrase of speech into the first person, we are sanctified, that is, all those believers whereof the Gospel church-state was constituted, in opposition to the church-state of the Hebrews and those that did adhere to it; so he speaks before, as also (Hebrews 4:3) we who have believed do enter into rest. For it might be asked of him, you that thus overthrow the efficacy of legal sacrifices, what have you yourselves attained in your relinquishment of them? We have, says he, that sanctification, that dedication to God, that peace with him, and that expiation of sin, that all those sacrifices could not effect. And observe,

1. Truth is never so effectually declared, as when it is confirmed by the experience of its power in them that believe it, and make profession of it. This was that which gives them the confidence which the Apostle exhorts them to hold fast, and firm to the end.

2. It is a holy glorying in God, and no unlawful boasting, for men openly to profess what they are made partakers of by the grace of God, and blood of Christ. Yes, it is a necessary duty for men so to do, when any thing is set up in competition with them, or opposition to them.

3. It is the best security in differences, in and about religion (such as these wherein the Apostle is engaged, the greatest and highest that ever were) when men have an internal experience of the truth which they do profess.

2. The words he uses are in the preterperfect tense, [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩], and relate not only to the things, but the time of the offering of the body of Christ. For although all that is intended herein, did not immediately follow on the death of Christ, yet were they all in it, as the effects in their proper cause, to be produced by virtue of it, in their times and seasons; and the principal effect intended was the immediate consequent thereof.

3. This end of God through the offering of the body of Christ, was the sanctification of the Church; we are sanctified. The principal notion of sanctification in the New Testament, is the effecting of real internal holiness in the persons of them that do believe, by the change of their hearts and lives. But the word is not here so to be restrained, nor is it used in that sense by our Apostle in this Epistle, or very rarely. It is here plainly comprehensive of all that he has denied to the law, priesthood, and sacrifices of the Old Testament, with the whole church-state of the Hebrews under it, and the effects of their ordinances and services. As, (1.) A complete dedication to God, in opposition to the typical one, which the people were partakers of by the sprinkling of the blood of calves and goats upon them (Exodus 24). (2.) A complete church-state for the celebration of the spiritual worship of God, by the administration of the Spirit, wherein the law could make nothing perfect. (3.) Peace with God upon a full and perfect expiation of sin, which he denies to the sacrifices of the law (ver. 1, 2, 3, 4). (4.) Real, internal purification or sanctification of our natures and persons, from all inward filth, and defilement of them; which he proves at large that the carnal ordinances of the law could not effect of themselves, reaching no farther than the purification of the flesh. (5.) Hereunto also belong the privileges of the Gospel, in liberty, boldness, immediate access to God, the means of that access by Christ our High Priest, and confidence therein, in opposition to that fear, bondage, distance, and exclusion from the holy place of the presence of God, which they of old were kept under. All these things are comprised in this expression of the Apostle, we are sanctified.

The designation of such a state for the Church, and the present introduction of it by the preaching of the Gospel, is that whose confirmation the Apostle principally designs in this whole discourse; the sum whereof he gives us (Hebrews 11:40), God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

1. The whole fountain and principal cause of this state, this grace, is the will of God, even that will which our Savior tendered to accomplish; by which will we are sanctified. In the original it is in which will; in, for by; which is usual. Therefore we say properly, by which will, for it is the supreme efficient cause of our sanctification that is intended. And in that expression of our Savior, Lo, I come to do your will O God, it is evident, (1.) That it was the will, that is, the counsel, the purpose, the decree of God, that the Church should be sanctified. (2.) That our Lord Christ knew that this was the will of God, the will of the Father in whose bosom he was. And, (3.) That God had determined, which he also knew and declared, that legal sacrifices could not accomplish and make effectual this his will, so as the Church might be sanctified thereon. Therefore the will of God here intended (as was intimated before) is nothing but the eternal, gracious, free act, or purpose of his will, whereby he determined or purposed in himself, to recover a Church out of lost mankind, to sanctify them to himself, and to bring them to the enjoyment of himself hereafter. See (Ephesians 1:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

And this Act of the Will of God was, (1.) free and sovereign, without any meritorious cause, or any thing that should dispose him thereunto without himself; he purposed in himself. There are every where blessed effects ascribed to it, but no cause any where. All that is designed to us in it, as to the communication of it in its effects, were its effects, not its cause: See (Ephesians 1:4) and this place. The whole mediation of Christ, especially his death and suffering was the means of its accomplishment; and not the procuring cause of it. (2.) It was accompanied with infinite wisdom, whereby provision was made for his own glory, and the means and way of the accomplishment of his will. He would not admit the legal sacrifices, as the means and way of its accomplishment, because they could not provide for those ends, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. (3.) It was immutable and irrevocable, it depended not upon any condition in any thing or persons without himself; he purposed in himself; nor was it capable of any change or alterations from oppositions or interveniencies. (4.) It follows hereon that it must be infallibly effectual, in the actual accomplishment of what was designed in it, every thing in its order and season; it cannot in any thing be frustrate or disappointed. The whole Church in every age shall be sanctified by it. This will of God, some would have not to be any internal act of his will, but only the things willed by him, namely, the sacrifice of Christ; and that for this reason, because it is opposed to legal sacrifices, which the act of God's will cannot be. But the mistake is evident, for the will of God here intended is not at all opposed to the legal sacrifices, but only as to the means of the accomplishment of it, which they were not, nor could be.

The sovereign will and pleasure of God, acting itself in infinite wisdom and grace, is the sole, supreme, original cause of the salvation of the Church (Romans 9, 10, 11).

3. The means of accomplishment, and making effectual of this will of God, is the offering of the body of Christ Jesus. Some copies after [in non-Latin alphabet], read [in non-Latin alphabet], and then the sense must be supplied by the repetition of [in non-Latin alphabet], in the close of that verse, who by the offering of the body of Christ were once sanctified. But there is no color for this supply, for the word, once, does directly respect the offering of Christ, as the following verses, wherein it is explained, and the dignity of this sacrifice from there demonstrated, do prove. Therefore this article belongs not to the text, for it is not in the best copies, nor is taken notice of in our translation. Why, and in what sense the sacrifice of Christ is called the offering of his body, was before declared. And by which, [in non-Latin alphabet], refers not to the cause of our sanctification which is the will of God, but to the effect itself. Our sanctification is wrought, effected, accomplished by the offering of the body of Christ. (1.) In that the expiation of our sin, and reconciliation with God were perfectly wrought hereby. (2.) In that the whole Church of the Elect was dedicated to God, which privilege they are called into the actual participation of, through faith in the blood of Christ. (3.) In that thereby all the old legal sacrifices, and all that yoke, and burden, and bondage wherewith they were accompanied, are taken out of the way (Ephesians 2:15, 16). (4.) In that he redeemed us thereby from the whole curse of the law, as given originally in the law of nature, and also renewed in the Covenant of Sinai. (5.) In that thereby he ratified and confirmed the new Covenant and all the promises of it, and all the grace contained in them to be effectually communicated to us. (6.) In that he procured for us, and received into his own disposition, in the behalf of the Church, effectually to communicate all grace and mercy to our souls and consciences. In brief, whatever was prepared in the will of God for the good of the Church, it is all communicated to us through the offering of the body of Christ, in such a way as tendeth to the glory of God, and the assured salvation of the Church.

This offering of the body of Christ, is the glorious center of all the counsels of the wisdom of God, of all the purposes of his will for the sanctification of the Church. For, (1.) no other way or means could effect it. (2.) This will do it infallibly; for Christ crucified is the wisdom of God, and the power of God to this end. This is the anchor of our faith, whereon alone it rests.

4. The last thing in the words gives us the manner of the offering of the body of Christ. It was done, [in non-Latin alphabet], once for all, say we, once only, it was never before that one time, nor shall ever be afterwards, there remains no more offering for sin. And this demonstrates both the dignity and efficacy of his sacrifice. Of such worth and dignity it was, that God absolutely acquiesced therein, and smelt a savour of eternal rest in it: and of such efficacy, that the sanctification of the Church was perfected by it, so that it needed no repetition. It also made way for the following state of Christ himself, which was to be a state of glory, absolute and perfect, inconsistent with the repetition of the same sacrifice of himself. For as the Apostle shows, ver. 12, 13. after this sacrifice offered he had no more to do but to enter into glory. So absurd is that imagination of the Socinians, that he offered his expiatory sacrifice in heaven; that he did not, he could not enter into glory, until he had completely offered his sacrifice, the memorial whereof he carried into the Holy Place. And the Apostle lays great weight on this consideration, as that which is the foundation of the faith of the Church. He mentions it often, and argues from it as the principal argument to prove its excellency above the sacrifices of the law. And this very foundation is destroyed by those who fancy to themselves, a renewed offering of the body of Christ every day in the Mass. Nothing can be more directly contrary to this assertion of the Apostle, whatever color they may put upon their practice, or whatever pretence they may give to it.

Therefore the Apostle in the next verses argues from the dignity and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ, by its difference from, and opposition to the legal sacrifices which were often repeated.