Scripture: Hebrews 10:26-31 (ESV)
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Oscar Wilde is quoted as quipping “I can resist everything except temptation”. While he no doubt meant it tongue in cheek, he does capture the reality of the human heart. We are constantly tempted and we constantly fall to temptation. This is still true for those of us who have submitted to Jesus as Lord.
I think one of the strongest temptations for Christians is to live as if Jesus’ sacrifice doesn’t matter. In some ways the logic is sound: If Jesus’ once for all sacrifice covers all my sins, and if as a believer I can’t be snatched from his hand, then none of my sin today matters. It won’t have any effect because Jesus’ sacrifice covers all my sin.
That logic makes sense. But it reveals a heart that has been hardened against what Jesus has done on the cross and a complete disrespect for God’s grace and mercy. In fact the author of Hebrews swings a theological axe at the root of that sinful thinking. He reminds us that this is tantamount to trampling Jesus underfoot. It is profaning the blood of the covenant. It is outraging the Holy Spirit. It is serious stuff!
Could it be that this kind of person has never been saved in the first place? That they only came to know the truth of the gospel, and then rejected it? Or perhaps that they accepted it only in mind, but not in heart?
The only thing such a person can expect is judgement and vengeance.
We need to be clear here. This is not the case for true believers who in response to Jesus’ sacrifice, genuinely want to live a holy life for God, but who fall to temptation. For them, there is is only mercy and renewed blessing and strength every morning, to fight the spiritual battle again afresh.
But when you willfully reject God’s grace by spitting in the face of Jesus’ sacrifice, when you turn from belief, and when you live as if the cross makes no difference, then you need to know what awaits. It is truly a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God!
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for giving us strength every morning to reengage in the spiritual battle. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside. Where we have rejected you, please help us repent and turn back to you. Help us to never, ever, take you for granted.
Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Examine your life and identify any areas where you may be taking God’s grace for granted. Confess these to God and commit to making a change. Seek accountability from a trusted friend or mentor to help you stay on track.