Many read the book of Hebrews as a theological explanation of Jesus' death and priesthood. But when approached through the interpretive key offered by Neville Goddard, it unveils something far more intimate: the death of the old self and the rebirth of a new consciousness through imagination.
Neville taught that the Bible is not secular history, but a psychological allegory. It records the inner journey of the soul—its struggle, awakening, and transformation. In this light, Hebrews 10:8–14 reveals the eternal principle by which we are made new: not by outer rituals, but by fixing an idea in imagination and remaining faithful to it.
Scripture Passage (Hebrews 10:8–14, NIV UK)
First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.
Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
“You Did Not Desire Sacrifices…” — Letting Go of Outer Ritual
The opening lines reject the sacrificial system—those repeated external efforts made in accordance with law. From Neville’s perspective, this points to the futility of trying to change our lives through outer action alone, whether that be ritual, effort, or religious observance.
True change begins within.
The “law” symbolises living by effort and appearance. But transformation—what scripture calls “holiness”—is never the result of what we do externally, but of what we accept internally as true. It is a change of state.
“Here I AM…” — The Emergence of Inner Will
"Then he said, “Here I AM, I have come to do your will.”
This phrase signals the awakening of the “I AM” awareness. It is the moment when we stop seeking change outside ourselves and realise: I AM the creative power.
To do “God’s will” is not to conform to doctrine—it is to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled. That assumption, lived in faith, becomes the creative act. In Neville’s terms, it is the sacrifice of the old state and the conscious embodiment of the new one.
The One True Sacrifice: Fixing the Idea
“We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (v.10)
Neville consistently taught that Jesus Christ represents your imagination, the divine creative power within you. The “sacrifice” is not a literal crucifixion, but rather a spiritual act: the crucifixion of the old self and the fixing of a new idea in consciousness.
To sacrifice the body is to give up your identification with the former state. When you dare to assume you are what you desire to be—and persist in that assumption—you have made the one true sacrifice.
Why Repetition Cannot Transform You
“Day after day every priest... again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (v.11)
The “priests” symbolise the old habits of thought—the patterns that maintain your current identity. Repeating affirmations or prayers without inner conviction is like offering empty sacrifices. Neville taught that “sin” is simply missing the mark—dwelling in a state that falls short of your desired self.
Only a complete inward shift—an assumption fully accepted and felt—can transform your life. Transformation does not come from effort. It comes from identification.
“He Sat Down…” — Entering the Sabbath Rest
“But when this priest had offered... he sat down at the right hand of God.” (v.12)
Sitting is symbolic. It means resting in the assumption. After the inner work is done—after the state is accepted—you no longer strive. You wait in confidence, knowing your assumption will externalise itself.
This is the Sabbath, the psychological rest Neville describes as the period between assumption and manifestation. The “right hand of God” symbolises the position of power and favour—the place from which imagination governs the visible world.
Enemies Become Footstools: States Are Subdued
“He waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.” (v.13)
The “enemies” are not people—they are former states of being: fear, doubt, guilt, unworthiness. They must be brought under submission to your new identity.
Neville would say: Every state is waiting to be overcome. When you persist in your new assumption, these old states are eventually subsumed—they no longer rule your world. They become your footstool.
Perfected in Principle, Made Holy in Process
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (v.14)
This is the mystery: your new state is perfect, already complete in imagination. But the world may take time to catch up. You are “being made holy” only in the sense that outer reality is still reshaping to reflect the inner change that has already occurred.
You remain faithful not because you are trying to make something happen, but because it has already happened in consciousness.
Final Thoughts: The Inner Meaning of the Sacrifice
Hebrews 10:8–14, far from being a theological debate on ritual, unveils the eternal law of spiritual transformation: you must die to the old self and live from the new.
The only sacrifice that God desires is the one that occurs when you abandon your present identity and move into a new state—through imagination. That is the offering “once for all.” That is what makes you holy.
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