We were all once dead in our sins, Elin.....that's why Jesus came.
Agreed. . .but by
"church of the firstborn," Heb 12:24 is referring to those who are
born again,
and the born again are not
dead in their sins, they are
alive in Christ.
The letter to the Hebrews, familiar with the OT, is referring to the firstborn, who were God's
particular possession (Ex 13:2, 12-15 (Lk 2:23) by purchase.
God
bought back (redeemed) from the destroying angel all the
firstborn of Israel,
both men and animals, in the tenth plague (Ex 12:21-29).
Because God
purchased them from death, they were his by right (Ex 13:2, 12-15, 22:29).
Therefore,
--firstborn
animals were consecrated (given over to God) by sacrifice (Ex 13:15), unless
it was an
unclean animal, which was then either
redeemed (bought back from the priest) or
destroyed (Ex 13:13, 34:20);
--firstborn
sons were consecrated to God for full-time service to him (Ex 13:2);
--God then
substituted the Levites and their livestock for consecration to his full-time service
in place of the firstborn sons of Israel and their firstborn animals (Nu 3:9-13, 41, 44-51; 8:15-19),
and then gave to the Levites his right to ownership of all firstborn males, both men and animals
(Nu 18:14-15);
--therefore, all the
firstborn sons of Israel had to be bought back (
redeemed) from the Levites
for five shekels of silver (Ex 13:13, 15, 30:12, 34:20; Nu 18:15-16).
And that is what Hebrews is referring to in the church of the firstborn; i.e.,
those that have been redeemed.
They are not in bondage to sin, nor is firstborn a Scriptural figure of bondage to sin,
in fact, it is just the opposite--it is a figure of redemption from bondage to sin in the redeemed
church of the firstborn.