Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
1. An individual can willfully sin after having been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. If one does willfully sin after having been sanctified by the blood there is no remaining sacrifice, only a fearful expectation of judgment.
3. Willful sins after having been sanctified is a very serious matter because it involves treading underfoot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant as something common.
The above passage is very often completely ignored by modern professing Christianity and I see this as very unfortunate indeed.
Jesus warned...
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Now I am not connecting the warning of Heb 10:26-29 to the warning of Mat 7:21-23, each warning is addressing a completely different thing. Mat 7:21-23 is speaking of those who NEVER truly repented whilst Heb 10:26-29 is an allusion to the fact that the cleansing we are offered through the blood of Jesus is a once and for all cleansing, not to be repeated.
We see this second aspect, the not to be repeated, in the words of Paul...
2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Godly sorrow produces:
1. Carefulness (eagerness, diligence, haste)
2. A clearing of oneself (an answer, a coming clean in regards to wrongdoing)
3. Indignation (over wrongdoing), a hatred of evil
4. Fear (of God), alarm, terror - engaging in evil is extremely dangerous to the soul
5. Vehement desire (for righteousness)
6. Revenge (a desire to make things right, an eye towards restitution, vindication)
and finally...
7. A clearing of wrongdoing. The word used is Hagnos
[Strongs] G53 Hagnos
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.
Paul used the same word when he wrote Timothy...
1Ti 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself PURE.
It is in repentance that the iniquity within our hearts is purged once and for all whereby we can then yield wholeheartedly to the grace of God and be quickened unto life by the Spirit of God. Paul put it thus...
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Here are some parallel passages...
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
So with all this in mind let's go back to Hebrews chapter 10...
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The New Covenant entails:
1. Approaching God in a new and living way.
2. Drawing near God with a true heart (true means honest).
3. Having our hearts cleansed.
Compare to...
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Can you see how the context presents this as a once and for all cleansing, not something to be repeated over and over again? Can you see how the context presents an "enduring in purity" once this takes place?
It is due to this context that this warning is written in...
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
This same deception is rife in the "stop sinning" and "trust Jesus" street preaching movement. Very seldom is the purging of sin discussed, very seldom is the death of the old man once and for all discussed. Why is this left out? What they have done is isolate select portions of scripture, ie. "stop sinning," and stripped the "death of the old man" out of it and replaced with an emotional engine (worldy sorrow) and a mere "trust in Jesus." It is a tragedy yet it explains all the division, crude language, self righteous attitudes, clearly evident throughout the movement, the blind truly lead the blind.
There is no such thing as easy forgiveness after truly being saved. Willful sin after having been cleansed is extremely dangerous because the individual involved has been given a full measure of the light and thus ignorance cannot be professed, they already know how evil rebellion to God actually is. A presumptuous sin having come to a full knowledge of the truth defiles the conscience to a much greater extent than those who sin having never repented in the first place.
The early church understood this which is why they put so much emphasis on enduring in the faith. They never taught that one could merely confess outright rebellion and move on. We confess our shortcomings, sins of ignorance, sins of immaturity and grow. Presumptuous sin is out of the question. Don't be deceived.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Scott
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