Hebrews 9:6–7 points us back to the Day of Atonement and the Old Covenant ministry of the high priest. Once each year, the high priest alone could enter the Holy of Holies—and he could enter “not without blood.” This restricted access to God's presence demonstrated both the holiness of God and the inadequacy of the Old Covenant sacrificial system to permanently remove human guilt.

In this sermon, we consider why the blood of Christ is central to the Gospel. The high priest of Israel had to offer a sacrifice for himself because he was also a sinner. Jesus Christ, however, is the perfect and sinless High Priest who needed no sacrifice for Himself. He offered His own blood as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin and obtained eternal redemption for His people.

The message also examines the impeccability of Christ—the truth that Jesus Christ was not merely someone who happened not to sin, but the holy Son of God whose divine nature made sin impossible. His perfect righteousness and flawless obedience are essential to the certainty of Christian salvation.

Hebrews also speaks of the “people's sins committed in ignorance.” Scripture teaches that ignorance does not make sin innocent. Human beings can be blind to their own sins, motives, pride, and self-deception. This raises an important question: if our salvation depended upon perfectly identifying and confessing every sin, how could anyone possibly be saved?

The answer is the finished work of Jesus Christ. Our salvation does not rest upon our perfect repentance, spiritual consistency, or theological sophistication. It rests upon Christ's perfect righteousness and His innocent blood shed for sinners.

The Day of Atonement ultimately points beyond the Old Covenant toward the New Covenant, the cleansing of God's people, and the coming New Creation. Christ's completed atonement gives His people confidence to approach God and courageously proclaim the Gospel of His Kingdom.