In chapter 10 verse 9 the Apostle Paul tells us that it was God’s WILL to replace the sacrificial law with His moral (Ten Commandment) Law. In verse 10 we are told that “By His WILL we are sanctified.” He notes that Jesus died in order for the Law to be written in the hearts of God-seekers. Note in John 17:17 where Jesus, speaking to the Father, asks Him to “… sanctify them (the apostles) by your Truth; Your Word is Truth.” To summarize, God’s Will is found in His Truth which, if believed and obeyed, sanctifies (sets aside for righteousness) those who truly seek Him. Note that God’s grace and the seeker’s faith neither sanctify the believer nor make him righteous. ONLY OBEDIENCE TO HIS TRUTH/WORD SANCTIFIES THE GOD SEEKER AND HIM MAKES RIGHTEOUS. These are the WORKS He requires of His saints. The Lord describes these saints in Deuteronomy 7:6 and 1 Peter 2:9 as “… a chosen generation, an holy nation, a peculiar people who bring praise to Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Then in verse 24 the Lord, through Peter, tells His church that, having been cleansed and sanctified by obedience to His Truth/Word, they must now “live in righteousness.” Righteousness is the absence of sin. Sin is the transgression of the Law. Sanctified righteousness results from obedience to God’s Ten Commandment Law, which includes commandment #4 which the Institutional Church rejected in 365 A.D. when Pope Sylvester I outlawed God’s Sabbath and declared that henceforth Sunday–the day sun worshipers worshiped their god–would be the church’s Sabbath day. From that time until this day only God’s tiny church obeys His command for righteousness and sanctification.

To make certain that God’s saints “Remember(ed) the Sabbath and keep (guard) it holy …,” He made the New Covenant with the true church in which He fulfilled His promise to “… put My Laws (commandments) in their hearts and write them in their minds” (vs 16). These “Laws/commandments” identify sin and righteousness. We are sinners if we disobey even one of them (Jam. 2:10) and righteous if we obey all of them. In verses 17 God promises to “remember their sins and iniquities no more.” Therefore Jesus need not be sacrificed again. L.J.