Series: The Warning Passages of the Book of Hebrews
Sermon: Consequence of Sinning Deliberately
Bible Passage: Heb 10:26-31
I. The problems with the recipients of the book of Hebrews
1. 2:1 – “drifting away” from God and Christian faith
2. 3:12 – “an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God”
3. 6:6 – “fall away” from faith
4. 12:25 – “refuse God who continues to speak through Jesus”
5. 10:24 – “not meeting together for corporate life and worship”
6. 10:22 – “not drawing near” with their hearts cleansed and with a clear conscience
II. Verse 26: if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us
1. “Deliberately” willfully, intentionally, voluntarily
2. The Old Testament deals with both unintentional sins and intentional sins
a. Num 15:22-31 (unintentional)
i. Unintentional sin is something people commit without premeditation and on accident
ii. God gave provisions for their unintentional sins
iii. God forgave those who committed unintentional sins
b. Num 15:30-31 expulsion and judgment (cf. Deut 17:2-7)
i. Intentional sin was something they committed after full knowing and experiencing the truth by disregarding God and His revealed will
ii. Intentional sin is treated as despising God or blasphemy against God
iii. God did not forgive those who committed intentional sins
c. It is something believers do fully knowing that it is displeasing to God, and it hurts God
3. According to Heb 10:16, sinning deliberately amounts to rejection of the offer of God through Jesus Christ—“no further sacrifice for sins is left for us”
4. In verse 29, the writer of the book of Hebrews gives a threefold explanation for the idea “to sin deliberately” (10:29)
a. “To sin deliberately” is to trample Christ under foot
i. “To sin deliberately” is not breaking the law but knowing fully what God has done through Christ but still doing it!
ii. It is the wound from love
iii. Like Julius Caesar was broken to know that Brutus too was involved in the conspiracy
b. “To sin deliberately” is to treat the blood of the covenant as an unholy thing—the blood of the covenant sanctified them
i. “To sin deliberately” is the failure to see and appreciate the blood of Jesus
ii. Sin is the failure to see the sacredness of sacred things (Barclay)
iii. It is the failure to realize and appreciate the sacredness of that sacrifice upon the cross (Barclay)
c. “To sin deliberately” is to insult the Spirit of grace
i. “To sin deliberately” is the insult to the Holy Spirit
ii. To know the right way and yet to walk away from it is a terrible arrogance and insult to God (Walter Riggans, 118)
5. “after receiving the knowledge of the truth” (10:26)
a. These are believers, born again Christians!
b. They have experientially understood the truth—it is not that they were sinning without the knowledge of the truth; but, they were sinning fully knowing what they are doing was not pleasing the Father
c. What are their sins?
i. Failure to draw near (10:22)
ii. Rejecting Jesus (10:23)
iii. Rejecting the corporate worship (10:24)
iv. Rejection of the Christian faith
d. The writer calls them “the enemies of God” (verse 27)
6. There is consequence for such “deliberate sinning”
a. … no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God (verse 26b-27)
b. The author shows the examples of the Jews who sinned deliberately (verses 28-29)
c. The book of Hebrews takes “the Day” seriously (10:25)
i. The great and final Day when the coming one will reveal himself (10:37)
ii. Save those who eagerly await him (9:28)
iii. Dispense judgment to the others (9:27)
iv. (the final day can be good for some and not good for others)
III. Key advantages to believers particularly for those who now sin deliberately
Heb 10:19 we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
1. Heb 10:22 let us draw near to God
2. Heb 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful
IV. Lessons
1. Jesus is the only solution for human sin and is the only way for salvation, rejecting Jesus has left the deliberate sinners with no sacrifice
2. Those who disregard God’s work through Jesus will face God’s righteous judgment (10:27
3. Believers can insult the Holy Spirit when they ignore God’s work in Jesus
4. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (10:31)
5. Believers need to fall in the Hands of God with confession and repentance rather than falling in the hands of a God who becomes their judge (10:31; 12:23) (Raymond Brown, 191)
Take Away:
Draw near to God through Jesus by the guidance of the Holy Spirit with repentance and confession