…²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

When perfection comes, what need is there of imperfection? A fairly simple concept. Why continue to bring imperfect sacrifices to God, when a perfect one has already been offered up? The Levitical priests were required to bring offerings for themselves first, and then for the sins of the people. But the sacrifice Christ brought was a once-for-all deal. It would make no sense to try to repeat it, as it might be suggested in Hebrews 6:6 in the case of the hypothetical falling away from Christ. To seek a repeat sacrifice of Christ would be a complete insult to the one and only offering of Himself. He is not only better than all other sacrifices, not only better than the entire Levitical priesthood system, He is perfect in every way.

We find here the first of several assertions in the book of Hebrews regarding the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (see also 9:12, 26, 28). Chapter 10 also emphasizes the uniqueness of His sacrifice with the reference to His “one sacrifice” (10:12) and “one offering” (10:14).

This truth of the singularity of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins leads invariably to the singularity and “once-for-all” nature of our salvation experience. We have “once been enlightened” (Heb 6:4), “once been cleansed” (10:2) and “sanctified once for all” (10:10). These are not repeated actions, where a person loses his or her salvation, then gains it back repeatedly. We unabashedly and with the greatest confidence believe that when a person is once saved, they are always saved!

To hold any other theology is a slap in the face, the greatest insult to the once-sacrificed Christ. It would mean that His offering up of Himself as the perfect substitute for our sin, as the sinless, perfect high priest in the “indestructible” order of Melchizedek, was only good for some of our sins. It would mean additional sacrifices of Himself would be necessary. But, this Scripture today tells us that Christ “does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices….” This is once, this is perfect, this is final. All of our sins, past, present and future are dealt with on the cross.

The book of Hebrews, it seems, does not tire of exalting the uniqueness and the superiority of Christ over all other forms of religion. It is only in Him that we can rest in an assured restoration to and relationship with God.

Lord, what a blessed truth and experience there is in the once-for-all sacrifice Your Son provided in dying for my sin. I praise You for saving me!