Today's readings are Exodus 15.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ex.+15.1-18 ) and Hebrews 9.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+9.1-28 ).
Hebrews 9.27 is one of the most often misused verses I know of. I think we'd better look at it carefully.
First off, look with me at the context of this verse. Jesus has shown himself to be the mediator of a new covenant (there's lots we could say about that, of course). By shedding his blood, by dying, he has established the validity of the testament God has provided for us. By entering into the holy place of heaven, he has gained access for us into that holy place as well.
Very often we are told, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." Actually, people often leave out the "just as," preventing the statement from looking like the start of a conditional statement. This text in Scripture is then used as a moral hammer to tell people to obey the Bible, to repent, to see if they can believe well enough to escape from the judgment of God. We had best flee this coming judgment. And we'd better flee it now, by turning from our wicked ways and believing on Christ.
While we do need to turn from our wicked ways and believe on Christ, that is not the force of this passage of Scripture. Keep looking at the context, now a little closer. Jesus is the one who dies once and faces judgment on the behalf of his chosen people. He has borne our sins. He has taken our imperfect obedience. He has taken the hateful attitude we showed toward him, which drove him to his death. Jesus has become sin for us and has faced judgment. It is appointed for man to die once. And Jesus is the only person in history who has died ready to face judgment.
Look at verse 28 with me now. Christ will come a second time. He has shown himself to be the victor over sin. And when he comes again, had we better watch out for his judgment? Is he coming to destroy us for our ongoing sin? Is he going to bring us to judgment as well? No. He's going to gather us to himself. He will take us to be with him, our sin blotted out by his righteousness.
I confess, and you probably do also, that I don't eagerly await his coming. I don't love and trust the Lord perfectly. Yet he died for that sin too. There is nothing I have ruined in this world that Jesus didn't die for. There is nothing that I need to repent of that Jesus, in his perfect love, mercy and grace has not already atoned for. Does the love of God not call us to repentance? It should. As I close, let us rejoice that our Lord and Savior has given us repentance through and faith in Christ.
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