“For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year” (Hebrews 10:2-3).
As he has done throughout this epistle, the author of Hebrews now returns to emphasize a point he made earlier. Here in Hebrews 10:2-3, our author builds upon a teaching from the previous chapter regarding the Old Testament sacrificial system: “…the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper” (Hebrews 9:9 NIV). One commentator applies this idea for the benefit of a modern-day audience…
“It is possible to fulfill all the outward obligations of religion and still have a conscience that is not right with God… This is one of the tragic inadequacies of religion that does not involve relationship with God.” (1)
Another source adds…
“The OT sacrifices not only could not remove sin, but their constant repetition was a constant reminder of that deficiency. The promise of the New Covenant was that the sin would be removed and even God would ‘remember’ their sins ‘no more’ (8:12, quoting Jer 31:34).” (2)
Nevertheless, it’s important to refrain from extending this concept beyond its proper Biblical parameters…
“This must not be misconstrued to suggest that once one has been born again he will have no remembrance or consciousness of sin in his life. What is true is that the Christian knows peace with God (Rom 5:1) and peace from the guilt of sin. He must still deal with daily sin (1 Jn 1:6–10)… Thus, the guilt of sin is removed for all time for the New Testament saint. For the Old Testament saint that guilt had to be removed yearly.” (3)
These verses thus harken back to a passage from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, one that our author has previously quoted and one that he will reference again later in this chapter: “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).
Under the old covenant, it took many sacrifices to cover the sins of every person. But the New Covenant serves to erase those sins through Jesus’ one-time sacrificial offering. As Hebrews 9:28 will later remind us, Christ accomplished this “…once for all when He offered up Himself.” In the words of one Biblical scholar, “‘once for all’ …is used of that which is so done as to be of perpetual validity, and never needs repetition.” (4)
(1) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2022 Edition “The heavenly sanctuary 9:1-10” [9:6-10] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm
(2) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 10:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
(3) Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2563). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
(4) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [Hebrews 6:4] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.