Hebrews 10, Mr. Rogers, and you: Finding your true identity in Christ.
- Thad DeBuhr
- Aug 15
- 9 min read
Hebrews 10:1=18
The Main Message: Because of Jesus’s one-time sacrifice, your sins are completely forgiven, and you no longer have to carry the guilt. Jesus’s finished work gives you a new, secure identity as a holy and beloved child of God.
The Constant Feeling of "Not Enough"
Have you ever felt like you're running on a spiritual treadmill? You read your Bible, you pray, you try to be a good person, you volunteer at church—and yet, you still feel like you're falling short. You wonder if you're reading enough, praying hard enough, or serving enough. The to-do list for a "good Christian" seems endless, and the guilt of not measuring up is a constant weight.
Maybe you've looked at your past and seen all the mistakes you've made, the "bad things" you've done, and you wonder if you can ever truly be forgiven. It's a heavy burden, this feeling that you're just not "good enough" for God. It's a feeling that makes you want to hide, to shrink back, to give up.
The writer of Hebrews knew his audience felt this way. They were still drawn to the old ways, to a system of repeated sacrifices and rituals that, in a way, validated this feeling of "not enough." Every year, they had to go through the same rituals, a constant reminder that their sins were still there. But the author's message is a radical, life-changing one: Stop running on the treadmill. Jesus's work is finished, and what He did is enough for you, for your past, and for your future.
Before moving on, pause and read through Hebrews 10:1-18 in a couple of different translations. Choose two from this selection: NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, NKJV
Setting the Scene: Hebrews 10:1-18
Today, we are continuing our journey through Hebrews, where the author meticulously builds a case for the superiority of Jesus's sacrifice. In Hebrews 10:1-18, the argument reaches its climax, contrasting the inadequacy of the Old Testament sacrifices with the once-for-all sufficiency of Jesus’s sacrifice.
The author begins by calling the old law a "shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves" (Hebrews 10:1). As N.T. Wright explains in Hebrews for Everyone, the old covenant was not bad, but a blueprint pointing to the true reality of Christ. The constant repetition of sacrifices, particularly on the annual Day of Atonement, proved they were only a temporary fix. As Craig S. Keener notes, if they truly removed sin, they would have ceased to be offered (Hebrews 10:2). The very act of repeating them served as a powerful reminder of sin, not its ultimate eradication. Brad Gray of WalkingtheText.com often highlights that these rituals were meant to direct our gaze to something greater, a divine foreshadowing.
The author then introduces Jesus's perspective through a powerful quote from Psalm 40: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me... Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God" (Hebrews 10:5-7). God's ultimate desire was not for ritualistic animal sacrifice, but for perfect obedience. Jesus’s incarnation, the body God prepared for him, was the ultimate act of obedience. By offering his own body, Jesus did what the Law could not, "setting aside the first to establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9).
The profound result of this single, perfect sacrifice is an incredible promise: "by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Hebrews 10:14). This perfection isn't about sinless living but about our standing before God. We are declared holy and perfect in His sight because of Christ’s work. Unlike the priests who stood ministering endlessly, Jesus, after offering his single sacrifice, "sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). This simple act signifies the completion of his work. The debt is paid. The work is done.
The author concludes by quoting from Jeremiah 31, bringing the promise of the new covenant to a powerful conclusion: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds... Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more" (Hebrews 10:16-17). This is the radical promise at the heart of the passage: we are no longer dealing with a system of external rules but with an internal reality where our sins are truly and completely forgiven. We are not just forgiven sinners; we are saints, set apart and made holy through His work.
The "Rabbit Trail": Mr. Rogers and a Secure Identity
A common struggle for modern Christians is living with a sense of lingering guilt and shame over past sins. We know intellectually that Jesus’s sacrifice was enough, yet we often feel a need to "do better" or to "make it up to God." This is where the life of Fred Rogers provides a powerful illustration of living out the truths of Hebrews 10.
In his book, Five Mere Christians, Jordan Raynor dedicates a chapter to the profound faith of Fred Rogers. He notes that Mr. Rogers was an intensely private man who never "needed anything from anyone." Raynor writes, "He never had to posture or perform to be loved or admired by the people around him. He didn’t crave affirmation or applause, because he was already secure in his identity as a child of God."
This security wasn’t born from self-confidence or pride but from a complete acceptance of his new identity in Christ. He truly believed and lived as if his sins were forgiven and God had put His laws on his heart. Raynor continues, "He wasn’t trying to impress anyone, to earn anyone’s love, to prove he was worthy of anyone’s attention."
Because Mr. Rogers didn't need anything from the people he met, he was uniquely free to give everything to them. He could be fully present and focus entirely on the other person, whether it was a child on his show or a visitor in his office. He wasn't seeking validation; he was overflowing with the grace he had received. This is the goal of our new identity in Christ. When we stop trying to earn our worth and accept that we are fully forgiven and made whole, we become free to love and serve others, just as Mr. Rogers did.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO PODCAST THAT GOES DEEPER INTO THIS SECTION OF HEBREWS
See viewer comments and questions on screen at the end of the podcast.
Questions for you to chew on and discuss:
The Old Testament sacrifices were offered over and over again, but Jesus's sacrifice happened just once. How does knowing Jesus’s sacrifice was "once for all" change how you think about your own sin and God's forgiveness?
The old law was a "shadow" of the reality that is Jesus. Are there any parts of your Christian life where you’re still chasing the shadow instead of living in the reality and freedom of Christ?
Journey Group Discussion Starter:
God promises to remember our sins no more. Many of us, however, still carry around guilt and shame from our past. What are some practical things we can do to truly accept this promise and start living in the freedom of knowing our sins are completely forgiven?
How to Apply These Lessons from Hebrews Today:
REST, Embrace, Let
This passage is more than just a theological argument; it's a foundation for how we should live. Here are a few ways we can apply these truths today, with some real-life scenarios to help you think through them.
1. Rest in a Completed Work
The priests' work was never finished; Jesus's is. The cycle of repeated sacrifices in the Old Covenant showed that the work was never truly done. Jesus's single sacrifice and His act of sitting down at the right hand of God signify a completed and permanent work. We are called to stop trying to earn what has already been given.
Scenario: You wake up feeling burdened by guilt over a mistake you made yesterday. You feel you need to "make it up to God" by spending extra time praying, reading your Bible, or doing a good deed.
Application: Pause and remember that Christ's sacrifice was enough. You don't need to offer another sacrifice—whether it's an animal or your own good works—to receive forgiveness. Instead of striving to earn back favor, rest in the finished work. Thank God for His complete forgiveness and let that gratitude motivate your obedience and service today.
2. Embrace Your New Identity
Because of Jesus, you are "made perfect forever" in God's eyes. Your identity is no longer that of a sinner trying to get right with God. You are a beloved, forgiven, and holy child of God. Live from this reality, not toward it. See yourself as God sees you.
Scenario: You find yourself in a new group of people, and your past sins or failures come to mind. You feel a strong urge to hide parts of your past or to act in a way that makes you seem more "put-together" than you feel you are.
Application: This is a key moment to embrace your new identity. The old you, defined by those sins, has been crossed out. The new you is forgiven and made holy by Christ. You don't need to earn acceptance from this new group or from God. You are already loved. When those feelings of shame or unworthiness arise, take a moment to thank God for your new identity and let that truth give you the confidence to be authentic.
3. Let the Law Be Written on Your Heart
The promise of the new covenant is an internal reality, not a set of external rules. Instead of seeing Christian living as a list of "dos and don'ts," seek to have God's heart and desires be your own. When you truly love God, obedience flows naturally from that love.
Scenario: You struggle with a persistent temptation or a difficult command in the Bible. You find yourself resenting it, feeling like it's a heavy burden to follow.
Application: Instead of relying on willpower to force obedience, ask the Holy Spirit to transform your desires. The new covenant means the law is written on your heart. Pray, "Lord, I want to want what you want." Ask Him to give you a heart that loves what He loves and hates what He hates. This moves you from a place of begrudging duty to one of joyful obedience, as your will becomes aligned with His.
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An crucial teaching in this age of identity confusion.