No Perfection Through Law

February 16th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 10:1-4 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The Hebrews author has brought forth an inherent problem with Judaism in comparison to Christianity. Writing specifically to ethnic Jews who had converted to Christianity but who were contemplating a return to Judaism, the author, though sympathizing with their persecution (10:32-34), went to great lengths to explain the absurdity of abandoning the superior faith of Christianity to Judaism. Throughout his exposition he uses Jewish Scripture and common sense to explain to his audience that falling back into Judaism was not just a bad idea for the here and now, it would also be eternally damning to their souls (6:4-6; cf. 10:26-31).

The Law that Moses gave to the people of Israel was only a “shadow” of God’s plan through His Messiah, or Christ. This “shadow” (Gr. skia) is a pale reflection of the real thing. Orthodox Jews kept the Mosaic Law to the best of their abilities, but even the best of them could not keep it in its entirety. The Law commanded that sin be atoned for by sacrificing animals day after day and year after year. If a person sinned, they were to bring a prescribed animal to die in their place, for God had made this substitutionary provision for repentant sinners—an animal dying instead of the sinner. These animal sacrifices were the “shadow of the good things to come.” Animal sacrifices, however, were incapable of making anyone “perfect,” or complete. Those who drew near to God with animals were merely covering, or atoning for, their sins. These attempts to do so were pale reflections—“shadows”—of the perfect sacrifice named Jesus Christ.

One of the ways the old covenant sacrifices revealed their inadequacies was that they needed to be offered regularly. This was because the people continued to sin, and continued sin requires continuous sacrifices. Guilty consciences were never eased, evident by the fact that once the atonement on Yom Kippur was accomplished, the Israelites still went home with guilt. If the old order of animal sacrifices was good enough, animals would not need to be offered regularly, year after year. And without the ability to clear one’s guilty conscience, sin clearly remained.

So what was the purpose of the OT sacrifices? Verse 3 says it was to remind sinners of their sins. The animal blood could not remove sin, it only served as a vivid reminder of sin. This in itself stood in stark contrast to God’s New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ and foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34; cf. Ezek. 36:22ff.). In the old covenant sin was remembered in the regular sacrifices, but in the New Covenant sin is forgotten eternally! God not only removes a sinner’s sin in the new covenant through Christ, He “will remember their sins no more” (8:12).

So whereas it is impossible for animal blood to atone for man’s sins eternally and bring him into a right relationship with God (v. 4), it is possible for the blood Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), to bring us into fellowship with God. What was impossible in the old covenant is now possible in the new: eternal forgiveness and salvation.

Food For Thought
I think God wants His children to be reminded of their sins, but I believe this to be true only so that we are immediately reminded of our salvation in Christ. God’s Ten Commandments are a reminder that we have fallen short of His glory and in need of His grace. When we remember our sins, we can then be reminded once again of God’s goodness, grace, and mercy at the cross.