Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The ninth chapter of Hebrews is primarily concerned with comparing and contrasting the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was a physically centered agreement between God and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. It called for total obedience to the law. If the people did that, there would be personal and national physical blessings (health and wealth), or if not kept, physical curses (poverty and captivity). This covenant between God and the Children of Israel came with the promise of the coming Messiah that would take away the sins of the World (Genesis 3:15).
The New Covenant, on the other hand, is not physically based but spiritually based. It calls for obedience from the heart and fulfilling God's laws, not the letter of the law but its spiritual intent. It promises an eternal life of being with our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, filled with a love that has no earthly description within any human language, and glory beyond our human comprehension or understanding. The New Covenant was given to humans by Christ Jesus at the "Sermon on the Mount" found in Matthew 5-7.
Sadly, even though Jesus went to the Cross of Calvary to take away the sins of the World, there will be many who do not want to accept that greatest gift of all times. One must wonder how so many can know of this gift of life and turn away from it. Satan will dangle the bait of fame and fortune in front of all who would bite the hook and take the bait.
Jesus' first coming was to deal with the hindrance of sin, which He did through His substitutionary atonement for the sins of the World. Since He dealt with that problem and provided a perfect solution, He is coming the second time, apart from sin, to bring salvation (rescue) for those that have walked the "narrow path" and "entered through the small gate" (Matthew 7:14). The "Law" could not take away the sins of the World or produce any power that might go against it. When Jesus joyfully went to the Cross of Calvary, His one selfless act destroyed the works of Satan and bestowed His righteousness upon all that believe and follow Him. In and of ourselves, we have no righteousness at all or can ever hope for any (Romans 3:10).
No wisdom, education, integrity, prosperity, or authority that is known on this planet or in this universe can change the fact that we all have an expiration date, we are all going to die someday. Just as that is a solid fact there is another fact that is just as concrete, and that is there is no other way except Christ Jesus, that anyone is going to see the Kingdom of Heaven.
As followers and believers in Christ Jesus, we know that He is coming back, we do not know when, but we know that his coming is imminent. All saved believers look forward with excitement, eagerness, and exhilaration to that glorious Day. I will give Charles Spurgeon the last words here because no one could have said it with more elegance.
Charles Spurgeon "It ought to be a daily disappointment when our Lord does not come; instead of being, as I fear it is, a kind of foregone conclusion that he will not come just yet."
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