1. The book of Hebrews is a fascinating book. Today, we will be looking into chapter 10.
2. Chapter 10 begins with the word "For," thereby connecting it with chapter 9. Our author (probably the apostle Paul) is continuing the theme of Christ’s sacrificial death as an atonement for sin (cf. 9:28).
3. Before we get into our text in chapter 10, let me emphasize some important truths brought out in 9:28. Remember our Lord’s first advent was to take away sin, but His second advent will be to judge sin (9:27).
4. Now please look at the word "once" (9:28). "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…" (9:28; cf. 10:10,12,14).
5. The key word in this passage, and the key word today is "one" (10:12,14).

I. THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR OR PRIEST.

1. A mediator is one who brings reconciliation between two opposing parties. According to the Bible, man is a sinner and is at enmity with God.
2. A priest is a mediator who offers up sacrifices in behalf of the people. Webster’s Dictionary defines a priest as "a person whose office it is to make sacrificial offerings."
3. In the OT, God ordained a priesthood for the nation Israel. When the epistle to the Hebrews was written, this OT priesthood was still functioning, but God was not in it. Scofield and most other Bible teachers believe this epistle was written in AD 64. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman army under the Roman general Titus.
4. After their temple was destroyed, the Jews no longer needed priests. And so to this day they have no priests, just rabbis (cf. Matt.23:1-9).
5. Let me emphasize that according to the Bible, Judaism is wrong (cf. Heb.9:22; Lev.17:11).
6. The author of Hebrews refers to the OT Levitical priesthood here in 10:11. Under the OT economy, many priests kept themselves busy offering up sacrifices. The tribe of Levi, descended from Aaron, the first high priest, was set apart for the priesthood.
7. Now I would like for us to see some contrasts between the Old and the New Testaments. In the OT, there were many priests. In the NT, we only need one priest, and that priest is the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Heb.8:6; I Tim.2:5).
8. The OT priests ministered daily (10:11), "But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" (10:12).
9. Another contrast: In the OT there was a special priesthood, but in the NT all born again believers are priests. You can pray for me, and I can pray for you. You can pray for your unsaved friends and loved ones and so can I. We are all priests (cf. I Peter 2:5,9).
10. Some people have the notion that preachers are priests. This is not true. There is no special priesthood in the NT, and every priest today is functioning outside the will of God as it has been revealed to us through His Word.
11. The apostle Paul said, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle…" (I Tim.2:5-7; cf. I Tim.3:1-13; 4:1-3).
12. Let me make this as plain as I can: Jesus Christ offered the only sacrifice that ever could atone for sin. And Jesus Christ is the only Mediator that could ever come between God and man, and satisfy the righteous demands of God.
13. He "gave Himself a ransom for all" (I Tim.2:6). Many years ago, Evangelist John R. Rice preached a message called, "Ye Must Be Born Again." After the service, a RC lady requested a meeting with Bro. Rice. After they chatted for a few minutes, the lady asked Bro. Rice how people get born again. Bro. Rice opened his Bible to this text, I Tim.2:5, and asked her how many Gods are there?
14. She replied, "One." And next he asked, "And how many mediators are there?" And she replied, "One." And then he asked her, "Who is this Mediator?" She answered, "The man Christ Jesus."
15. Bro. Rice asked her, "So it is not the priest?" NO. It is not Mary? NO. It is not the saints, etc.?" NO. She soon saw the light and was gloriously saved.
16. The OT priests had no chair to sit on. My family and I visited the replica of the tabernacle at the Mennonite Center in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. All the furniture was on display, and there was no chair. The OT priests had no chair because their work was never finished.
17. Now, let us consider our great high priest, the Lord Jesus: "But this man…sat down" (Heb.10:12). This signifies that His work on the cross is finished.
18. Beloved, because His work on the cross is finished, there can be no purgatory, no mass, no prayers for the dead, and no more priests.

II. THERE IS ONLY ONE SACRIFICE FOR SIN (HEB.10:10).

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is our great high priest; and certainly He is our only priest (Heb.4:14). Once a sinner receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, he needs no other priest.
2. And not only is one priest enough, one sacrifice was enough (10:10).
3. Every once in a while I will invite an unsaved man to our church, and he will ask, "What time does your mass start?" We do not have any masses. This is not a mass; it is a preaching service.
4. One of the biggest problems I have with Romanism is the mass. Please listen carefully to these words from the NY Catechism of the RCC: "The Mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross. Holy communion is the receiving of the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine."
5. The RC Council of Trent declared: "The sacrifice (of the mass) is identical with the sacrifice of the Cross, inasmuch as Jesus Christ is a priest and victim both. The only difference lies in the manner of offering, which is bloody upon the cross and bloodless on our altars."
6. How contrary this is to the Bible! (Heb.7:26,27; 9:28; 10:10,12,14).
7. And this is not a small matter. We are talking about the difference between eternal salvation and eternal damnation. Which will you choose?
8. Beloved, there is only one sacrifice for sins. And if a sinner does not comprehend this he will spend eternity weeping and wailing in the fires of hell.
9. Please mark these words – "once for all" (10:10).

Once for all, O sinner, receive it,
Once for all, O brother, believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
Christ has redeemed us once for all.

10. There are thousands of religions in this crazy world, but when you get down to it there really are only two. One says: Do this, and do that, and so on. The other says: Jesus did it all. Just believe on Him.
11. When our Lord hung on that cross nearly 2,000 years ago, He cried out: "It is finished." Shame on these false teachers who say that our Lord had to go to hell and be tormented by demons! What blasphemy! He said, "It is finished."
12. He said to the thief next to Him, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
13. Beloved, Jesus made a perfect sacrifice. His death was a perfect atonement for sin. You cannot add anything to that which He has already done.
14. We need to put all our trust in what He has already done. The problem is most people are trusting more in themselves than they are on Christ. But the Bible is clear: The price for man’s salvation has already been paid in full.
15. There is only one acceptable sacrifice for sin and that is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Which brings us to my third point.

III. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO BE SAVED FROM SIN.

1. Over the years I have spoken to countless people about salvation from sin. It is amazing to me how confused people are regarding this matter of salvation.
2. A lady called me, and she was very confused about salvation.
3. Unsaved friend: Are you confused? Are you ready to get this matter settled?
4. We have been focusing on the words, "once for all." Here are some other words that are very important: "for ever" (10:12,14).
5. Have you been "perfected for ever" (10:14)? Jesus Christ made a perfect sacrifice for sin. You can add nothing to it.
6. Have you been "sanctified" (10:14)? Sanctified = set apart.
7. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ you have (not will have, but "have") everlasting life. Do you have everlasting life? (John 5:24)
8. Beloved, Bible salvation is a "once for all" salvation, a one-time salvation. It is an "already settled" salvation. "The old account was settled long ago."
9. This is much better than a "hope everything’s going to turn out OK" salvation, or a "I’m doing the best I can salvation," or "God did His part, and now I’m doing my part" salvation.
10. There is only one true salvation (John 14:6).
11. The basis of our salvation is the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. A few months ago, Bro. Dewitt told about the time his daughter’s friend ran out into the street to push away her little sister from a truck. The little baby lived but the big sister died.
12. His point was simple: Jesus died so that you and I might live forever (Heb.10:10-12).
13. Unsaved friend: If you repent of your sin and come to Christ, He will thoroughly cleanse you of all your sin (Heb.10:17,18).

CONCLUSION:

1. Many years ago down in Dallas, Texas, John R. Rice was preaching and at the end of his sermon, he gave out an invitation for sinners to get saved.
2. There was an unsaved lady with a sad face sitting up front and she was crying during the message. But at the invitation she would not raise her hand and come forward.
3. Bro. Rice wrote about it later and said: "Oh, the marks of sin on her face! She just stood there and sobbed."
4. He asked her, "Why don’t you come? Why don’t you come and be saved?" She replied, "Oh, I can’t." Dr. Rice said: "Yes, you can. Come on."
5. She said: "No, I can’t. I cannot forget what I have done." Bro. Rice opened his Bible to Hebrews 10:17, and said: "If God is willing to forget, can’t you be willing to forget too?"
6. She felt relieved when she discovered that when God washes away sin, those sins are gone forever, and He remembers them no more.
7. Thank God. It is a perfect salvation.