No more sacrifices need be made for sin. That's the message of Hebrews. And the author was talking to people who KNEW sacrifices. Jesus was the final sacrifice and priest, and His sacrificial work is done and he sits at the right hand of God. And it is this point where Scripture is at odds with Roman Catholic teaching.
What Roman Catholics miss out on is the Scriptural teaching that one really is forgiven for all of their sins when the sacrifice of Jesus is applied to their sin debt before God.
Positionally, the born-again believer is able to stand before God as free from sin - by applying the once-for-all sacrifice made by Jesus. The term is justification.
Conditionally, the Christian struggles in this life with the "body of sin". Paul talks about the struggle in Romans, chapters 5 - 8. In those chapters Paul tells the believer how to have genuine victory over sinful habits.
Understanding the positional and conditional truths as taught in Scripture are foundational for living out the Christian life in victory instead of guilt before God.
I'll share more with anyone who asks.
In time the one sacrifice of our Lord on Calvary was completed on that one day but in God it is eternal, not just its application. In God there is no past or future, all time is but a moment. In John 8:58 our Lord said "before Abraham was, I AM." In God the time of the creation is now, the Flood of Noah is now, the birth of Abraham is now, the Exodus is now, the end of the world is now. In like manner the sacrifice on the Cross is an eternal now. Thus Hebrews 6:23-25 declares:
And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue: but this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood, whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us.An everlasting priesthood always making intercession with an everlasting sacrifice. In the Mass that one sacrifice is made present to us. This is not to be confused with the multiple sacrifices of the Temple. These were discreet and separate acts. The one sacrifice of our Lord upon the Cross and the celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass is but one and the same act. Thus the Catholic understanding of the Mass is not in conflict with Hebrews.
But I would like to return to the original topic of this thread. You claim that the Catholic understanding of the Mass is in conflict with Hebrews. If, for the sake of argument only, I were to admit this there is an important question that needs to be asked: how do we know that Hebrews should be considered a part of holy Scripture? Remember that there are many scholars who would dispute the Pauline authorship of Hebrews.
No more sacrifices need be made for sin. That's the message of Hebrews. And the author was talking to people who KNEW sacrifices. Jesus was the final sacrifice and priest, and His sacrificial work is done and he sits at the right hand of God. And it is this point where Scripture is at odds with Roman Catholic teaching.
What Roman Catholics miss out on is the Scriptural teaching that one really is forgiven for all of their sins when the sacrifice of Jesus is applied to their sin debt before God.
Positionally, the born-again believer is able to stand before God as free from sin - by applying the once-for-all sacrifice made by Jesus. The term is justification.
Conditionally, the Christian struggles in this life with the "body of sin". Paul talks about the struggle in Romans, chapters 5 - 8. In those chapters Paul tells the believer how to have genuine victory over sinful habits.
Understanding the positional and conditional truths as taught in Scripture are foundational for living out the Christian life in victory instead of guilt before God.
AMEN! Every word by and for and through Jesus Christ.