Sunday Morning Service (Hebrews 10:26-39)

Hebrews 10:26-39

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“In Just A Little While” • 2.18.18 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- From the beginning of this book, our author has made an impassioned plea to this Jewish church not to turn back from following Jesus.

- Jesus is superior to Judaism's heroes. He is greater than any of their institutions. He offers and delivers a more sure hope and future for any that trust in Him.

- Chapter 10 has offered a more definitive close to his argumentation. We learned in our last study that the Father could not be satisfied with the offerings of the Levitical system.

- The Son, therefore, offered His body and the Holy Spirit declared that there was no longer a need for sacrifice! Imagine the shock to the Jewish mindset!

- Since we aren't living to offer an appeasing sacrifice to God, what are we to live for? Our author answers. We are to draw near to our Savior, holding tightly to what we have believed!

- While we do that, we are to focus our attention upon our brothers and sisters in the faith, not forsaking the opportunity to gather together, especially as the Day of Christ's return approaches.

- The question remains: "Why is communion with God, commitment to doctrine and consideration to our family in Christ so vitally important? Our answers begin in verse 26.

Text

• Hebrews 10:26,27 : "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." : If we sin willfully. This entire book has been written to a singular group of people. These are Jewish Christians living in the shadow of a refurbished Temple.

- By extension, I might add that any person who has come to saving faith in Jesus Christ is entered into this "we." We are a part of this group. If then, we sin willfully.

- The idea is to do so voluntarily, of our own accord. This is not an act where one has simply missed the mark. This is an act of their volition.

- This is where the tense of the verb helps. It is written in the present tense. If we are currently in the act of sinning now willfully.

- This is a matter of repeated practice, which is made far more egregious by what it is coupled with. Ignorance is one thing, but this scenario has a group of people sinning against knowledge!

- If this group decides to pursue a sinful course, having a precise and correct knowledge of the truth, they are putting themselves in grave danger.

- Our author says it bluntly: There isn't a sacrifice left that can deal with their condition.

- Where would they expect to receive absolution? Before we move on, let's review some pertinent information regarding a Christian's relationship to sin.

- From a general standpoint, sin's power is broken in a Christian's life by the work of Jesus Christ. Before we were Christians, we were slaves to sin. It was not possible for us not to sin!

- When we received the gospel, God endowed us with the righteous nature of Christ. Consequently, we are no longer dominated by our sinful natures. Christians alone have free will.

- We have been freed by His grace to choose love for Christ and thereby, act in obedience to His Will, expressed in His Word and by His Holy Spirit. That does not mean that we don't sin.

- We do and will continue to sin, but it will bother us! It will no longer be enjoyable as it once was. Soon, the Christian will lose their taste for it, as the Holy Spirit changes the heart.

- For some, time will be necessary for the Lord to break the patterns of behavior that have kept them in chains. It might not be easy, but in the true believer, it will happen.

- Take any passage of scripture that we study as an example. You walk into church on a day when our text addresses a subject that flies in the face of your current practice.

- Last week, our text shed light on God's opinion regarding those that do not prioritize fellowship gatherings. At other times, it's been about co-habitation, drunkenness and the like.

- Many assume that the Pastor has been given some heads up and that he is targeting "that wretched sinner," when in reality, God has just allowed His Word to be heard again on that topic.

- That Christian who hears the word, might disagree momentarily and be disappointed that the Pastor "forced his interpretation" down the throat of the congregation.

- But then, when a little more time, prayer and study has taken place, that person realizes that the Pastor was consistent with the rest of scripture and it was God's voice coming through!

- They now agree with God and will soon make a beeline to get right with the Lord! Only that kind of person can be assured that their salvation is genuine. Compare that with the other side.

- A person who has made a verbal commitment to Christ, has engaged to some degree with believers, but who has no regard for God throughout the rest of his week, cannot be so confident.

- That person continues to make way for his sin to dominate him. He caters to his flesh and doesn't have any regret for his actions. Indeed, he questions you for having the gall to call him on it!

- He believes that God has saved him through his words and through a one time commitment, so his actions in the present are of no consequence. That person is incredibly and tragically deceived!

- If you are a person who calls themselves a Christian, but you have no heart for God, no passion for Holiness, no desire for His Word and no wish to share His love, you are not saved!

- Now, that all being said, and that all being true, remember that the sin that our author is more than likely referring to here, is the sin of apostasy, to walk away from and forfeit the salvation of God.

- I believe this passage to be an expansion on what our author had written in chapter 6.

- There isn't a sacrifice that can cover the sins of an apostate because that person has decided to look away from the source that would save Him!

- There is a sacrifice that is sufficient for every repentant sinner. His Name is Jesus Christ and His blood is sufficient to cleanse all who believe on Him from every sin they commit!

- The people that are being addressed are sinning willfully, presently and permanently! If they continue in their course, theirs will not be an expectation of hope, but of judgment!

- Realize the power of those words: A fearful expectation of judgment! Several of the other translations prefer the phrase "terrifying expectation." The RSV says, "a fearful prospect."

- Perfect love casts out all fear, but perfect justice inspires nothing but fear! A casual attitude toward sin is a visible and public proof of apostasy.

- The sense of fear that creeps into that person's soul is their own private witness!

- For those that believe that God has been satisfied in Christ's act for all people everywhere, this verse stands to be reckoned with! There remains a judgment and a passionate zeal

- Those that stand opposed to Christ know that a time is coming when God will express His wrath against their sin.

- Our author mentioned that Christ was currently waiting until His enemies were made His footstool. Here, His zeal will consume His adversaries! Not one will be left standing!

- It is better to bow our knees now voluntarily, than to bow our knees then in defeat! Verse 28.

• Hebrews 10:28-31 : "Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." : The law of Moses was direct in it's administration.

- The mandate for the death penalty under the Theocracy demanded, at the least, two witnesses, who were then to be the first to carry out the sentence.

- If death was an appropriate penalty under the old covenant, what worse punishment would befall a person uner the new covenant?

- That is the penalty for bulls and goats. What will be the penalty against the blood of Christ?

- I hope that you are disquieted in your soul and not one to treat this subject casually. Please understand that God does not! Look at how He views the rejection of His Son's sacrifice.

- This person has trampled the Son of God underfoot. This isn't running along and accidently crushing something.

- This is akin to looking upon something with disdain and making a choice to step on it with the full intention of insulting it! Why would someone do this? They count Christ's blood as common!

- The blood that once set him apart, that brought him into fellowship with God, has no value!

- As far as I understand the language, he has come to a settled position that there is nothing special about the blood of Christ. It's just ordinary blood! What an insult!

- And it's not just an insult to every other believer on Earth or to any church. It is an insult to the Spirit of grace! The word is connected to violence.

- Certainly, one cannot violently act toward God in a physical way. If there was to be a violent display, it would be done with words and with the misdeed of neglect.

- These then are those that ultimately blaspheme the Holy Spirit, walking away not in deference, but with seething words of anger and disgust!

- This is inspired commentary regarding how God sees this. This is how God feels about those that reject the Son that He has offered!

- The God that promised to avenge and repay according to the Mosaic Covenant will not lessen His standard under the priesthood of Melchizedek. He will judge His people!

- These two verses appear side by side in Deuteronomy 32:35,36! Let there be no doubt: There is no greater terror imaginable than for a person to fall into the hands of the living God!

- The phrase "to fall" refers to being entrapped by. It's surprising, unexpected, which speaks to the source of terror. A person who rejects Christ's offer of salvation assumes certain beliefs.

- They apparently believe first, that their actions are never going to demand an accounting and that if they do, they have somehow met the criteria that God would be satisfied with.

- They live their life with this kind of pride, die and then realize how wrong they are!

- They will stand before God, who will require an accounting and when they arrive, they will discover, too late I might add, that He has not been appeased, but is offended by their actions!

- When they awake in His presence, when their fate in in His hands, that is a nightmare of eternal proportions!

- Better to fall upon the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ now than to fall into the hands of His Father then! That is our author's point!

- He knows that this is a serious end and he has to warn them like this. If they take a path that leads them away from trusting in Christ, he fears for their future.

- But because their decision isn't final, he doesn't leave them to an uncertain future. In love, he appeals to their past! Verse 32.

• Hebrews 10:32-34 : "But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven." : For the first time in this letter, our author references his history with this particular church.

  - "Remember back in the old days!" He remembers clearly. They had come to the faith and then, went through a very difficult season. Truthfully, this is often the norm of Christian experience.

- Believing in Christ isn't a panacea for your social ills. If anything, trusting in Christ will often increase your social ills! That's what happened to the Hebrews.

- They began their walk with God and ended up in an intense fight. They suffered for their decision. Some were put on open display, like members of a theatrical troupe.

- They were taunted, ridiculed and shamed for their faith. They were put under constant pressure by the people around them who set unfair burdens and circumstances in their way as tests.

- In a note of honor, there were people who accepted ridicule because they would not let their brothers suffer alone! "If you are going to say that about them, you had better say that about me!"

- This is when our author met the Hebrews. He was a prisoner and he found sympathy from them in the middle of their affliction.

- The persecution that they were facing was difficult, but they still found grace to be able to treat this prisoner with great affection! That is the consistent witness of Christians everywhere.

- It wasn't long though before the persecution took on a much more menacing component.

- At some point, they were robbed of their possessions. In the West, we Christians are acquainted with ridicule and shame. Christians around the rest of the world face the loss of goods.

- Homes are taken. People are thrust out of communities. Bank accounts are seized. When the Hebrews faced something along these lines, they took it joyfully.

- They were able to endure this because what they lost could not compare with what they had in heaven!

- Isn't it incredible: What you believe about heaven directly reflects how you act upon this earth! This has been the fuel for our author just as it had once been for his audience!

- He is writing to them because he believes that man of them are about to miss out on heaven!

- What a difference a few years can make! Our author is telling his audience to think back on the attitude that kept them in Christ during that previous trial. He strengthens that in verse 35.

• Hebrews 10:35 : "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward." : Don't toss away your confidence in the Lord! This word is the exact same word that is translated "boldness" earlier in the letter.  

- Their belief in God's reward kept them from giving in when they were being plundered earlier in their Christian walk. They had once believed. He is calling them to keep believing!

- Only that person who keeps his confidence can be assured of God's great reward!

- This word refers to the payment of wages that is due! The Hebrews had acted with bravery in the sight of persecution for the sake of Christ believing that they would be rewarded for their actions.

- Our author is telling them not to lose their reward now! They just need to hold on. Verse 36.

• Hebrews 10:36 : "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:" : I like the NLT for verse 36: "Patient endurance is what you need now!"

- They need only to wait because the promise always comes after the will of God has been performed! That is the way that it works!

- For this group of people, God's will was that they endure patiently through suffering. When they had done that, God promised that they would be rewarded! Verse 37.

• Hebrews 10:37-39 : "'For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." : Our author brings to mind the writings of the prophet Habakkuk 2:3,4.

- He wrote of the mighty Chaldeans that would soon sweep over Judah in judgment. He couldn't understand how God could choose that wicked nation as His chastening rod.

- Yet, God answers Habakkuk and let's him know that he and all of God's true people will be comforted soon. Listen to those words: It's yet a little while!

- In our minds, it never feels that way, especially on this side of eternity and in the midst of suffering. But when you take into consideration the mindset of an eternal God, what is a long time?

- In just a little while, He will come and He won't take His time or shuffle His feet! Jesus is coming back for salvation! We've learned this from our author!

- Now, in this time, for this moment, those that are the just shall live by faith!

- Faith is what brought them into Christ and it will be what holds them in place!

- What happens if he shrinks back, if he cowers before the circumstances that are before him? God says that He will have no pleasure in him. He won't approve of him!

- God's opinion of you is the only one that matters! If He doesn't approve of you, you have no hope! But we aren't those that stealthily withdraw.

- Generally, a person who slinks out of a dangerous situation is saving themselves. A person who takes this course spiritually doesn't save themselves. They damn themsef!

- The author is confident that these are not the kind of people that would do that! No, they are one who believe until they acquire their soul's salvation!

Conclusion
- Why do we need to continue in communion with God? Why is a firm commitment to doctrine necessary? Why is a constant focus upon our brothers and sisters in Christ vital?

- Because these are the very things which keep us from turning from Christ! Our heart will follow our practice!

- You might be thinking, "I can't keep on this course. I can't keep suffering." Our author speaks right to you. In just a little while, you will be rewarded by a returning Savior for your faithfulness!

- I'd rather run into the presence of God, hold onto my antiquated, out of touch beliefs and live for my brothers and sisters now, than lose out on my reward then! May the same be said of you!