Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ~ Hebrews 10:19-23
The Most Holy Place was the name for the third room of the tabernacle of Moses where the Ark of Covenant resided and where only the high priest went once a year to offer the atoning sacrifice. It was the room where the Shekinah glory of God appeared. It truly was the most holy place.
But that was an earthly order, and the writer of Hebrews is referring to a heavenly tabernacle into which we can have confidence to enter by means of the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God forever!
Christ serves as our high priest, and He encourages us to draw near to God with a full assurance of faith knowing that we are received in Him.
One of the hindrances to many of us going in is the guilt of sin. We don’t feel worthy to approach God because of the way we see ourselves, but the writer says, “having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” We must not reject the invitation of God to commune with Him because of the way we see ourselves. Christ alone is what makes any of us worthy.
Even though this tabernacle is in heaven, we have access to it—in the Spirit—when we draw near to God. If you read these passages carefully, the overwhelming emphasis is upon access to God through Jesus Christ. All God asks of us—since He’s already done the hard part—is draw near to God and to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” And if we need any further reassurance, “for He who promised is faithful.”
