Devotion for October 15, 2026

Christ’s Saving Work

Hebrews 9:25–28

So Christ [has been] offered once to bear the sins of many. Hebrews 9:28

Jesus’s offering of himself was the perfect and final sacrifice for sin. Therefore, nothing more needs to be done or can be done to reconcile sinful men and women to God. Jesus’s sacrifice of himself was a real sacrifice for sin, not a symbol that merely pointed forward to something else, as the Old Testament sacrifices did. Those sacrifices pointed forward to the atonement Jesus would make, but they were not themselves that atonement. Jesus put away our real sin by his real death.

The author of Hebrews says very clearly, “[Christ did not enter heaven] to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (vv. 25–28). This is why today we insist that there is no Savior but Jesus and that we must believe on him and commit ourselves to him if we are to be saved.

Because of Christ’s saving work, it is now possible for those who believe on him to approach God directly. The people of God could not do this before Christ’s death. They needed to approach God indirectly, asking a priest to intercede for them. But now the way is open for everybody. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (10:19–22).

One man who approached God by faith was the Roman centurion standing at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified. When he and those with him saw Jesus die on the cross, they cried out with true faith, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54).

This may not have been a full confession. It lacked much that the centurion undoubtedly would come to know later. But it was correct as far as it went, and Matthew included it as an example of what is required of all who come face-toface with Jesus. Have you made that vital confession, acknowledging that Jesus is both the Son of God and your Savior? You need to. It is the only way that anyone can be saved.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

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