The Way Is Open To God

February 24th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

“Therefore” links the exhortation from the previous passage to the present one. So, since there is now forgiveness in Christ, those who have trusted in Him alone for salvation (i.e., the “brethren”) now “have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus” (v. 19). The holy place in this context, as opposed to the man-made holy place in the Jewish tabernacle, is the very presence of God. The exhortation is therefore for Christians to enter into God’s presence with “confidence” (Gr. parrēsia), or freedom without fear, for the blood of Jesus has paved the way for all who believe to enter God’s presence freely and unafraid.

One of the great privileges of the new covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ is the ability to confidently enter into God’s presence (cf. 4:16) in a new way—a “living way,” not the old dying way of sacrificial animals. The living way is through the living Christ who, although He died on the cross, was raised to eternal life in His flesh. Because of this, there is no longer a veil that separates God’s presence in the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world, for that veil was torn from top to bottom the moment Christ died on the cross (Mark 15:37-38). One might say now that when Christ’s flesh was torn in His death, the veil that separated man from God was torn and thus removed. Jesus’ death opened the way for man to have confident fellowship with God. This was incomprehensible to Jews—mankind coming into the Almighty God’s very presence.

Having developed his point concerning Christ’s eternal and superior priesthood, the author emphasizes that Christ Jesus is now reigning “over the house of God.” Of course he means that Jesus currently reigns from His heavenly sanctuary where He entered after His resurrection to grant access for “the house of God”—genuine believers. In so doing, access to God is now fully realized. Christians are thus exhorted to do three things in vv. 22-24: confidently draw near to God (v. 22), hold fast to one’s faith (23), and consider how to encourage others (vv. 24-25).

First, believers are to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…” The present tense verb form “draw near” implies a daily coming to God through Christ—not an annual one the Jews observed on Yom Kippur. Moreover, on Yom Kippur both the high priest and people came together in great fear of whether or not God would accept the sacrifice of the high priest when he entered into the Holy of Holies. Since the way is paved to enter God’s presence, we should enter, doing so with a “sincere” (Gr. alēthinos), or true, heart—with true and genuine motives. Believers therefore come into God’s presence with “full assurance of faith,” convinced in their minds of who Christ is and what He accomplished for them on the cross.

Coming to God through Christ is a guarantee for the “house of God” (v. 21), namely the redeemed. These redeemed people—believers in Christ who comprise the Church, have had their hearts “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” and their “bodies washed with pure water.” As the high priest “sprinkled” blood on the ark on Yom Kippur to atone for the sins of Israel, and as baptism signifies a cleansing from sin, so too have believers in Christ had their sins atoned for once and for all and have been cleansed from sin—outwardly signified by water baptism.

Food For Thought
In Christ, since there are no barriers between us and God, we can confidently draw near to Him through prayer, Bible study, and worship—in church or out. The way is open! Enter.