November 15, 2021
Today, we are looking at 5 verses from Hebrews 10 that are an EXTREME WARNING. There seems to be two common interpretations of these verses: 1. many believe it is a warning for saved Christians about the consequences of their sin, and 2. many believe it is a warning for those who reject salvation in Christ for the world of sin.
Jesus, Himself, declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6); and so, it seems that these 5 verses are a dire warning for ALL.
We, as Christians, know that apart from Christ “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12). This means that the Blood of Christ took the place of the old covenant sacrifice after sacrifice to atone for sin. We are beyond blessed by this One sacrifice, and through our salvation in Christ we need to become quicker to turn from our sin, we need to be repenting each day, we need to be in prayer multiple times each day asking Jesus to take our sinful nature away from us, and we need to be focusing our time, words, thoughts, actions, etc. on eternity with Christ. Friends, when the time comes for you and I to meet Jesus face-to-face, don’t you want Him to intimately know you because you worked diligently, here, to grow closer and closer to Him?
In contract to Christians, there are those who have heard about Christ, or may have been a part of a religion that has included Him, but they do not choose salvation in Him, rather they choose the world’s ways. They reject the Truth of God’s atoning sacrifice by Christ.
Here is the warning in Hebrews (note: verse 30 quotes Deuteronomy 32:35-36):
Hebrews 10:26-30 NLT
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”
He also said,
“The Lord will judge his own people.”
Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for being the truth, the way, and the life to the Father. I ask for You to continue to guide my days. Help me, Jesus, to be more like You. Forgive me for when I cling closer to the world, than I do to You. Help me to put You in front of my ways, my words, my thoughts, and all that I do. I look forward to Your return and I want to be ready. Please continue to grow me in Your Truth and in Your likeness. I ask all of this in Your Precious and Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.
Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant