THE PERIL OF DESPISING THE WORD OF GOD

Hebrews 10:26-31 

Introduction: The book of Hebrews is an interesting book.  There are five parenthetical warnings in this book.  A parenthetical is explanation placed in the passage.  This passage is a parenthetical in the scripture that we have read.

      It is important to remember that this book was written to Jewish people.  There are some facts we must remember in regards to these people.  They were very familiar with the Old Testament. They had heard the Gospel as we see in Hebrews 2:1-4.   They had been saved for a period of time as we see in Hebrews 5:12-14.  They had ministered to others as we see in Hebrews 6:10 and Hebrews 10:34.  They had experienced persecution as seen in Hebrews 10:32,33.  They were an organized New Testament church.  We know this from Hebrews 13:7,17,19,23.  Here is where the problems come in.  They were not yet separated from the Jewish community as seen in Hebrews 4:2 and Hebrews 13:13.  The Judaizers were influencing them toward Apostasy (falling away from the faith) and this is seen in Hebrews 10:23,35,36 and Hebrews 13:9.

      So what is our passage trying to say to us?  The answers to our questions are found in this passage itself and others verses in the Word of God.  We want to make sure that we make the Word of God our authority and not our opinions.

      As I said in the beginning, that there were five parenthetical warnings in this book.  This is the fourth of the five.  It is written to believers with other exhortations.  Let’s look at the other three before this and show the progression of the sin that had permeated this assembly of believers.  What is the first sign?  The believer starts to drift from the Word of God.  This is seen in Hebrews chapter two and verses one through four.  Then He starts doubting the Word of God.  You see this in chapter three and verse seven through chapter four and verse thirteen.  After doubting the Word of God, you become dull.  We see this in chapter five and verse eleven through chapter six and verse twenty.  This dullness leads to laziness in his or her spiritual life and this results in despising the Word of God that we see in this passage. 

      This thought comes on the heels of the previous verses.  It has in its  contents the danger of drawing back.  It warns us of our forsaking Christ.  It is a solemn warning of  the judgment.  Paul has tried to warn the Hebrew believers of the danger of approaching apostasy.  Paul gets the warning. 

I.  THE POSSIBILITY vs. 26a

                  “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth”

                  A. It is possible to continue in sin willfully.

                                                Hebrews 3:12

                        “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing     from the living God.”

      It does not refer to willful sin in general. If it did, every believer would be in continuous danger of losing his salvation, but it cannot refer to this for elsewhere in Scripture we find that that sin remains in the Christian life in this present world and Christ remains the propitiation for sin at all times. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1^st John 1:8 - 2:2)

      The Bible plainly teaches that Christians do sin after they are saved. There is no sinless perfection in the Christian life in this present world. Paul testified, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18). The believer's righteousness is in Jesus Christ positionally

                        1^st Corinthians 1:30

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”

    2^nd Corinthians 5:21 

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 

                  B. It is the referring to the spiritual experience and not the intellectual part only.  It is     referring to that presumptuous sin that the Lord hates. 

                                                Psalm 19:13

“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”

      The word “presumptuous” means to be arrogant or brash or bold.  It is almost like thumbing our noses in the face of God.  Many people think they do this but one day they will regret this when they stand before God in judgment.  Under the Law, sinners who committed presumptuous showed the despised the Law and these folks were executed for the same.  David committed such as sin and knew he could be slain for the same.  The only sacrifice he could really offer was the sacrifice of a broken heart over the sin.  Psalm 51:16-17

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

         C. It is that sin that we commit deliberate knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that this is sin and we know it and we know that God knows it. 

                                             James 4:17

      “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

                  D. A good example of this is found in the verse above this verse.

                                                Hebrews 10:25

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” 

II.  THE PROSPECTIVE Vs. 26b, 27

“there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

      The prospective that faces us is not bright when we sin and are not willing to deal with those sins.

         A. When we refuse to run and confess our sins, there is not any sacrifice to cover that sin.  If you will not confess your sin, the cleansing from the Lord is not available.

                                                1^st John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from  all unrighteousness.”

         B. When we do not take care of our sin, there will a judgment waiting. Zephaniah 1:18

“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

                                                1^st Corinthians 11:31-32

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 

III. THE PRINCIPLE Vs. 28-29

“He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  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?”

A. Under the old covenant, a man who despised  the Law died without mercy after two or  three witnesses presented evidence of the crime.  This is what was used in the trial of  Christ.  Only, they had to digged up two false  witnesses.

         B. The words “blood” and “Spirit” show the severity and solemnity of the realities under the New Covenant.  You and I, when we sin willfully, despise the sacrifice of Christ and  really are like the person who spit in the face of Christ.

         C. This is willful and deliberate apostasy.  What is apostasy?  This is a desertion of the faith. It is High Treason.  It is being a spiritual Benedict Arnold.  Men can be steered wrong by following or even reading after apostates but I believe that God’s men will get straightened out by the Spirit of Truth who leads into “all truth.”  If they go “haywire” and stay, then this verse is appropriate. 

                                             1^st John 2:19 

               “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

            This is why the warning that Paul is trying to give us.  If a man stays away from the Lord, and there is no chastening in his life, the Bible is plain on this subject.      Hebrews 12:5-8

      “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

                  The Lord may not take the life of disobedient believer but He always deals with him.

         D. We forget that spirit of grace that saved us and the throne of grace where we spend time with Him. 

                                             Hebrews 4:16

      “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 

IV. THE PROOF Vs. 30-31

“For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

                  A. The Old Testament revelation of God is clear.

                                                Vs. 30

                              There are several verses noted here.  Let’s see them.

                                                Deuteronomy 32:35-36

“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.”

                                                Psalm 135:14

“For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.”

                                                Romans 12:19

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

         B. In the Old Testament reference is show the divine vindication of Israel in the face of enemies, but in the New Testament the reference is to the divine vengeance on His people in vindication of His character.

         C. Even with the New Covenant, it does not void out the fact that the living God is holy and still hates sin.  If anything, he hates it more because it took the Blood of His Son to redeem sinful man from the power of sin.

         D. He is just, holy and true. He will judge sin in the lives of His children! 

Conclusion: I mentioned David a short time ago.  God judged his sin.  Four of his children were affected by his sin.  Three of them died violently.  His daughter lived her life in shame because of the results of David’s sin.