The book of Hebrews stands as a direct challenge to every system that would keep believers chained to the law, to legalism, or to the illusion that righteousness can be achieved by human effort. Hebrews proclaims with unmistakable clarity: Christ’s high priestly ministry is the only means by which we are freed from sin and the condemnation of the law. To retreat from this is not a minor error—it is to forfeit the very rest, maturity, and inheritance that the New Covenant secures.
From Condemnation to Rest: The Finished Work of Christ
The law—especially the Ten Commandments—was never given to impart righteousness. It exposes sin, highlights our inability, and stands as a ministry of condemnation and death (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). Its purpose was to drive us to Christ, not to offer a ladder to heaven. The Sabbath commandment itself was a shadow, pointing forward to the true rest found only in the gospel (Hebrews 4:9-11). To insist that the law is our standard for life is to miss the entire thrust of Hebrews: Christ alone is our righteousness, our peace, and our access to God.
Through Christ’s death and resurrection, believers are not merely forgiven—they are freed. Freed from sin, freed from the curse and condemnation of the law, and established as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). We are made members of a new priesthood, not to serve in the oldness of the letter, but to celebrate the benefits of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. This is not theoretical; it is the very ground of our assurance and the source of our spiritual rest.
The High Priest Who Sustains and Empowers
Jesus Christ, appointed by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, is both fully human and fully divine (Hebrews 2:14-18; 5:5-6). He knows our weakness, having suffered and been tempted in every way, yet without sin. His intercession is not a distant ritual but a present, sustaining reality: “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). This is the foundation of our perseverance—not our resolve, but His ongoing ministry.
To settle for anything less—whether by clinging to the law or by confusing law and grace as some do in misreading Galatians—is to invite confusion and legalism. Such error is not harmless; it undermines justification itself and collapses the very basis of sonship and inheritance. If you attempt to mix law with grace, you forfeit the rest Christ offers and return to the ministry of condemnation.
The Call to Maturity: From Milk to Meat
God is not content for His people to remain on “milk”—the elementary principles and external regulations. He calls us to move on to “meat”: the deep realities of Christ’s person and work, the riches of the New Covenant, and the privileges of our priesthood (Hebrews 5:12-14). This maturity comes not by striving under law, but by discipline and training in the word, by feeding on the gospel as our true food and drink (John 6:63; 4:13-14).
The result is spiritual maturity, discernment, and effective ministry. We are empowered not by our own strength, but by the living water Christ provides (John 7:37-39). This water satisfies the soul and enables the church to function as God’s true temple, ministering with boldness and perseverance.
What Is Lost If We Return to Law?
Let us be clear: to embrace legalistic observance or to misinterpret the relationship between law and grace is not a secondary matter. If you accept the law as your rule of life, you lose the rest Christ purchased. You exchange the ministry of the Spirit for the ministry of condemnation. You abandon your inheritance as a co-heir and forfeit the boldness of sonship. The gospel is not a supplement to the law; it is its fulfillment and its end for all who believe.
God Speaks—Will You Listen?
Today, God speaks not through shadows, but through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). In Christ, He brings spiritual refreshment, transformation, and entrance into the new creation (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Peter 3:13). The eighth day—the day of resurrection and new creation—has dawned. To remain under the old is to deny the reality of the new.
Support for the ministry of this gospel—through teaching, encouragement, and material provision—is not optional. It is how the church is empowered to stand against opposition and to persevere in the truth (Galatians 6:6; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 9:14).
The Only Foundation
The message of Hebrews is uncompromising: Christ’s finished work is the only foundation for rest, maturity, and effective ministry. Any system that would add law to grace, or diminish the sufficiency of Christ’s priesthood, must be exposed and rejected. Our calling is to fix our eyes on our High Priest, to drink deeply of the living water He provides, and to enter fully into the rest and inheritance He has secured.
Anything less is not just a theological misstep—it is a forfeiture of the very salvation, liberty, and sonship Christ died to give.
Test Your Understanding
- What is the concept of rest in Hebrews 4, and how does it relate to benefiting from the service of Jesus Christ?
- How can one enter rest according to Hebrews, and why is it vital to distinguish between law and grace?
- What is the difference between the law and the gospel, and how do they each relate to forgiveness, redemption, and access to God?
- How does Hebrews critique the idea that the law points to Christ and obligates people to obey the moral law?
- Why is the gospel viewed as our food and drink, and how does it bring holiness and liberty?
- What is the importance of not neglecting the word of God and the warnings in Hebrews?
