July 19, 2009

Hebrews 10: 26-31
The Willful Sin

R.A. Torrey shares the story of an older couple who had raised a son during really bad financial years. They paid and saved to get him educated. While he was away he partied and didn’t get in touch with them. Dad decided to go check on the kid.The old man showed up and spoke to him when among his friends, he said “who are you old man?, I don’t know you…get that old derelict out of here.”

Several years later he decided he was sorry and ought to go make amends. He got home and his Mother met him at the door and told him that his dad had died some time before. The door was closed, he had rejected Dad, no further contact would ever be made.

So too with one who makes a full and final rejection of Jesus Christ. There is no further contact, no further chance to repent.

Read the verses with me.

The willful sin.

1. The Apostate Peril

2. The Awful Punishment

3. The Angry God

1. The Apostate Peril verses 26-27

Recall that this book was written to address 3 particular groups. Saved Jews to encourage them to see what Christ offers them as opposed to the Old Testament. 2. Unsaved Jews who don’t believe anything. He teaches them who Christ is.

And third is unsaved Jews who have been convinced that the message is true, have begun to be drawn by the Spirit but have not quite dared to leave the Old System and commit to the new.

In verse 26-31 we see the fourth warning to these dear people to come all the way to salvation…do not make a full and final rejection of Jesus Christ. Because if you do you are in grave peril from which there is no escape.

Now there are many views of this passage and I feel we need to look at them briefly.

First, many people teach that this means you can lose your salvation. But that denies the whole point of chapters 8-10 which we just studied and throws out verse 14’s forever forgiveness. And we know that John 10:27-29 says My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand.

The Father and I are one." /

In Romans 11:28&29 …but in regard to election they(the Jews) are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. )

(even the Jews can still come today) you cannot lose your salvation IF you have it.

Opinion 2: Some say “ a hypothetical loss of salvation…if you could lose it (but you can’t ) then you can’t get it back. That’s silly…why deal with a hypothetical.

Opinion three: It is speaking of a saint on the shelf, but that’s pretty hard language, so no way it can be number three.

#4 Old Testament Sins of ignorance could be forgiven, but willful soins could not. But that’s not true The Old Testament taught that you were guilty and had to sacrifice according to Leviticus 4:4, 5:15

Leviticus 6:2 shows robbery was a willful sin yet it was forgivable. The Old Testament doesn’t say there was no sacrifice for willful sins, it says there is no sacrifice for certain gross sins like rank idolatry( Deut.17:3-6).

But here the willful son of Hebrews 10 has nothing to do with the willful sins of the Old testament.

Well WHAT IS IT? Look at verse 26:

FOR…a logical connective, shows that this verse 26 is related to the previous section. This refers to someone who doesn’t draw near, who doesn’t place firm confidence in Jesus, who doesn’t get saved.

This person looks at all Christ has to offer, knows it, but rejects it in a full and final way (apostate) HE knew, was convinced what the truth was but rejected it.

And notice verse 26 continues…There IS NO other sacrifice for sins, Jesus is all there is. Animal are out, no longer acceptable by God so this guy, rejecting the only way, is finished. There is no sacrifice that can save him.

But verse 27 he can expect only judgment and fire and hell. If you reject Jesus’ sacrifice then you choose hell and separation.

LISTEN, if you never do anything else, make sure of your standing with Jesus. Romans 6:17 says “know ye not that the one you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are? Either you obey sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness. Whose servant are you? PLEASE Make sure.

Now after seeing the Apostate’s peril, we move on in verses 28-29 to see the Awful punishment. Verse 28: People who despised the Mosaic law dies with no mercy under 2 or three witnesses.

Remember The horrible story of Achan in Joshua? He directly disobeyed God in Joshua chapter 6, God had told the Israelis that everything in Jericho was “under the ban,“ Accursed (except Rahab) and if you take anything out of that city you will bring a curse on yourself and your nation. Old Achan say a designer shirt and some spare cash lying around and took it and hid it and brought major grief on Israel. The penalty was death, a horrible stoning of he and his family. Why? They despised to obey God’s word.

Here in Hebrews the writer says: If despising under the shadow brought punishment, death, Then, verse 29,how much more dreadful the outcome if you reject the precious perfect Son of God, You will find less mercy than Achan found.

Because you have trampled the Son of God under foot

Counted the blood of the better covenant as unholy

Done despite to his Spirit, that is mocked or scorned the Spirit of grace as opposed to the law. Folks, one who believes in Jesus with his whole heart, cannot do that.

This sets Christ apart from Animal sacrifices, it shows he is real not the shadw and to despise that is a fate worse than death.

Do you believe that?

Really? -Do your friends know?

The writer isn’t finished because he enlarges on the awful punishment in verses 30-31 as we see the Angry God. (30-31)

People do not like an angry God. We do all we can to rewrite him to fit our image, that is a dangerous thing. Some say “the God I believe wouldn’t do this or that.” But Be warned, The real God is not tame or confined to our weak thoughts and he HATES sin. HE alone can make that judgment, he alone knew when “the cup of the Amorites was full.” HE alone can make those judgments.

There are 2 Old testament quotes here. Deuteronomy 32: 35-36. Look back there with me.

Moses is singing a song to Israel and either showing they said they said they believe in God got comfortable and turned form God because they didn’t really believe in him, didn’t really trust God. And he says God will judge those unbelievers in Israel.

OR he is saying, and it is hard to pinpoint, that he will judge the enemies of Israel, but the point is this in Hebrews, God will judge in favor of true believers and against apostates.

And look at verse 31-

He writes, “ brothers, I said God will do the judging-and you don’t want that believe me. This is far more serious than “wait til your father gets home.”

Listen, what nis a Christian? Someone who believes in God? No. it is someone who has seen Jesus Christ as God in flesh, and seen himself or herself as sinner, and turned from serving sin to serving God. Romans 6 plainly teaches that if you are a recipient of grace you will serve God. Paul told the Church at Thessalonica ( 1Th 1:4 -7 We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction. As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. and(1Th 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; )

If you serve someone or some THING else, don’t’ fool yourself, Romans 6 says you belong to the one you serve.

Praying a prayer is fine, but God wants to see you not just hear what you have to say.

Consider:

Do you want to serve God and enjoy the forgiveness of sins? DO you want to deny God and take your chances?

The choice is yours. If he draws you then please surrender.