Click here to open the Video Devotional
Hebrews 10:26-31
The author of Hebrews has given an outline of the new life in Christ Jesus and of the way in which this new life should be governed by our conscience and the work of God’s Holy Spirit in which He sends to dwell within all who believe in Him (John 14:15-18, 26-27). Jesus stated in John 14:26-27 (ESV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
The author of Hebrews tells of how willful sin will bring about “certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:27 (NKJV) for those who have, “received the knowledge of truth” (Hebrews 10:26a). The author of Hebrews tells us “if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth…”(Hebrews 10:26a, NKJV). Jesus stated in John 6:39 (NIV), “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” In John 10:28 (ESV) Jesus proclaims, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” The question is, “If Jesus has promised that all the Father gives Him He will not lose, then how can someone, “sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth” (Hebrews 10:26a, NKJV)? The author of Hebrews tells us that the punishment for rejecting the law given to Moses was death by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Hebrews 10:28), and tells of how much worse the punishment for one, “who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29, NKJV). He then quotes in Hebrews 10:30 from Deuteronomy 32:35, 36 (NIV), “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’” The author of Hebrews ends this passage with a warning, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, NKJV).
This is a warning to not take salvation lightly, but to approach God in humble sincerity of heart.
We have not yet given an answer to the question posed above of, “If Jesus has promised that all the Father gives Him He will not lose, then how can someone, “sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth”? I believe that one cannot “willfully sin” after sincerely submitting to God through Jesus in salvation. I believe the question posed is to those who “claim” salvation but have only said the words without being sincere in their hearts. We cannot lie to God for He knows everything about us including our thoughts and intentions of our hearts. One who has experienced true salvation will exhibit the true qualities of one “born again” in Christ Jesus (John 1:12-13). The Israelites gave us an example of false salvation by simply going through the motions in their insincere actions of the sacrificial system of the old covenant. God sent His one and only Son to ensure the purity of the intention of salvation in defeating sin, death, and Satan. The task no longer lies on the sinfulness of man, but on the purity of God and in His promise for all who will believe in Him. God fulfilled this task when Jesus died on the cross and paid our price for sin. All He asks of us now is to believe in Him. Romans 10:9 (NKJV) states, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Dear LORD,
We do not want to be caught up in Satan’s trap of false salvation. Please help us to see the light of Christ Jesus and the importance of coming to Him with a sincere open heart to salvation that we would never be broken from your grace of everlasting life – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.