For by one sacrifice…
Hebrews 10:14 - Throughout our lives as believers, we are “being made holy” through the transformative journey of being Christian.
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model. For an explanation of what the image represents, see the bottom of this devotional.
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Hebrews 10:14 NIV
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was foretold in prophecy. Barb is starting a new series on the Book of Isaiah that will take about a year to complete, and that book has very detailed prophecies about the birth, ministry, persecution, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Isaiah 53:10-12 has perhaps the best description of what was to come for Jesus:
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Psalm 110:4-7 also offers a foretaste of the coming Kingdom:
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.”
Today’s verse and the three that precede it remind us of the animal sacrifices that the Jewish high priests made over and over again, yet they were not able to take away sin. Christ, on the other hand, atoned for the sins of believers forever in one ultimate sacrifice. He took His place at the right hand of God, finished with His work of atonement.
Let’s dissect this short verse for more insight into what the author of Hebrews was saying…
For by one sacrifice:
The sacrifice made by Christ was final and sufficient, once and for all time. The Old Testament’s sacrificial system required a constant series of offerings for sin. Want to see the gory details? Open up your Bible to Leviticus 16. And yes, the details are rather gory…
Jesus made his one offering on the cross. That singular offering fulfilled and surpassed the system of animal sacrifices as explained in Hebrews 9:12 and fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah referenced earlier. This one-time sacrifice was a revolutionary concept, especially for Jews who converted to Christianity.
He has made perfect:
Christ’s sacrifice was complete and totally achieved what Mosaic Law could not. In the ancient Greek in which Hebrews was written, the word used is τελειόω (teleioō), defined as:
to make perfect, complete
to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end
to complete (perfect)
add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full
to be found perfect
to bring to the end (goal) proposed
to accomplish
bring to a close or fulfilment by event
of the prophecies of the scriptures
So does being made perfect mean that we are morally flawless? No, far from it. It just means that as believers, we become fully equipped and complete in standing before God. The Law made nothing perfect. Through Christ, a better hope was bestowed upon the faithful.
Forever:
The effect of the animal sacrifices required by God as part of the law handed down to Moses was temporary. The sacrifice of Jesus has eternal effects. We have assurance of this, as Jesus Himself told us in John 10:28:
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Those who are being made holy:
What does it mean to be “made holy”? That’s the process of sanctification at work, being set apart for God’s purposes. It’s a continuous, constantly progressing process in the life of a believer, a work of the Holy Spirit. We were sanctified by Christ’s sacrifice and we’re also called to work out our salvation as God works in us.
Paul, in his Epistle to the church of Philippi, explained this well (Philippians 2:12-13)
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Throughout our lives as believers, we are “being made holy” through the transformative journey of being Christian.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Heavenly Father, how I praise and thank You for Your glorious plan of salvation, once for all on the Cross. Thank You for the remission of sins and that You remember our sins no more. By Christ’s one offering of Himself, I have been made perfect in Your eyes for all time and into eternity. Help me to live a life that is honouring to Your name. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
“Hebrews 10 (NIV) - For by one sacrifice he.” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026.
Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)
BibleHub was accessed on July 15, 2026 for commentary on Hebrews 10:14
ChatGPT description of the image at the top of this devotional:
A master sculptor stands in a sunlit workshop.
On a pedestal sits a marble statue that is already obviously complete and beautiful. Yet the sculptor gently brushes away the last traces of marble dust and polishes its surface.
The statue isn’t becoming a different sculpture—it already is the finished work. The polishing simply reveals what the sculptor has already accomplished.
This wonderfully illustrates Christ’s finished sacrifice while the Holy Spirit continues refining believers.