It’s funny, I am having a similar conversation with my cousin you cited that passage in Hebrews 10.
Here was my response:
Heb 10:14-18
…(a 18. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
The last thing I want this to spiral into is a back and forth Chapter/Verse, tennis match. We also agreed to proceed with this discussion in love, without judgment. That being said lets agree going forward to limit our discussion topics to one at a time and to stay with that topic until it logically leads us to the next or we agree to move on. I have found that topic jumping only creates more confusion and consternation.
First off, you need to understand that I don’t believe that Christ ever intended us to rely on the Bible alone. Christ himself established a Church and that Church gave us the inspired complete canon of Scripture. I know I’ve said that before, just reiterating.
To address your interpretation of Hebrews 10:14-18, I agree with you. There is no more blood sacrifice necessary. These verses tell us that the levitical priesthood’s daily sacrifices were ineffectual in remitting sin. Jewish tradition (to this day, ironically) teaches that the Temple sacrifices will stop when the Messiah comes. Oddly there haven’t been Temple sacrifices since the year 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple. The sacrifice of the Mass is an un-bloody representation in time of Christ’s once-for-all eternal sacrifice on the Cross and we do this at his own command, Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-25. (I know you didn’t say that it was bloody, but that is an argument I have heard, thus just making the point).
Regarding works, I assure you that the Church does not teach “works righteousness”, as is often claimed. We believe that we are saved by a free gift of God’s grace, Rom 3:24, Eph 2:8, Titus 3:7, received through faith, Rom 1:17, Rom 5:1, Gal 3:11, that is active in good works, Jam 2:24, Jam 2:17, 1 Jn 3:10. St. Paul begins and ends Romans (Rom 1:5, Rom 16:26) by insisting on the “obedience of faith”. He tells us in Phil 2:12 to “work our your salvation with fear and trembling” but also assuring us in verse 13 that it is God working in us for his good purpose (therefore these works are not works of our own creation). Gal 5:6 tells us that neither circumcision (a reference to the Jew of the old covenant and the observance of the Mosaic Law) nor uncircumcision (the Gentiles, people outside the old covenant) counts for anything, but only faith working through love. We are told in many places (Rom 2:6, Matt 16:27, 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Peter 1:17, Rev 20:12) that we will be judged according to our works.
I agree with you that good works are a sign of your (my wording now) being in communion with Christ. But the Bible says in too many places to ignore that they are required if you hope to be saved. Your faith must work in Christ’s love, i.e. you must bear fruit.
I think we are also in agreement (correct me if I am wrong) on the point that you can loose your salvation and that salvation is a process and not a one time event. If I am incorrect, we can pick this up on the next round. Moving on…we must continue, as Rom 11:22 says, in his kindness, otherwise we too will be cut off, clearly making the point that someone who is saved can fall away.
