Hebrews 10:26-31
If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.
Explanation:
There is no question God is loving, merciful, forgiving, tender-hearted, kind, compassionate, and long suffering. If GOD is for us, who can be against us? He is protective, jealous for our love, dialed in to our needs, and aware of our situations. He fights for us and provides for us. He is an attentive, all-caring God.
His hand is outstretched when you stumble. His heart is toward you when you blow it. His grace envelopes you when you sin. His eyes are on you when you feel lost. His mercy finds you when you falter. His arms enfold you when you hurt. His power lifts you when you are weak. God is all in…when we need his help. God is all in…when we need grace. He has provided everything we need for living a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3)
But… reject His Son's sacrifice for your sins, turn your back on what He has done for you or insult His Holy Spirit, and you will know the judicial side of God.
It’s not the stumbler, but the quitter who finds himself eternally damned.
The person the author of Hebrews describes is one who has professed faith in Christ, who came to the cross and outwardly identified with Christ. They professed to be in the sanctifying process, but none of it was real. They have turned their back on all of that now. One step more and they would have truly been covered by the blood and saved forever, but now they have willfully refused God’s salvation.
It is a dangerous game of spiritual roulette when we are convicted of sin, but don’t respond with any action. The deadening of our heart begins. Like the lepers of old who felt no warning of pain, and thus lost toes, feet, and hands…we stand to lose it all because God draws the line on rejecting the conviction of His Holy Spirit and devaluing Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins.
Being inside of a lie makes it hard to see out, but if we hope for eternity with God, we must break free. We must see that a seared conscience leads to deliberate sin, and deliberate sin is the damning sin, because there is no other place to go for salvation.
Application:
Currently, what are you repudiating (refusing to accept) from the Spirit of God?
The writer of Hebrews seems to see us as he spells out his dire warning of making initial responses to the Gospel, but living no follow through. What is another word for “follow through?” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Devo Plus:
We must live with an eternal viewpoint to be healthy repenters. I have a memory of a college teacher explaining the great white throne of judgment in Revelation 20; how no matter how big my dreams, how grand my words, how lofty my aspirations…one day I would stand before God and give an account of what I actually DID in my earthly life. It changed everything for me. I am so grateful because it added a layer of soberness for how I respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Living with an eternal perspective gives me stability, insight, endurance, and a healthy desire for ongoing change.
Prayer:
If today’s devo has convicted you of unrepentant sin, pray:
Lord, I once walked with You, my heart tender to Your leading. Yet little by little, I exchanged Your truths for temptations and deceit that led me away from You. Instead of taking thoughts captive and confessing them immediately, I allowed them to grow totally out of control. Disappointment and discouragement have taken their toll on me.
So today I’m confessing my desperate need for You. You have promised that if we will confess our sin, You will forgive us and make us clean again. Lord, I truly need Your forgiveness. Repentance is on my heart and lips. I want to turn around and head another direction—back to You, Lord. I need Your help. Amen.