Don't Shrink Back

I want to begin this morning by asking you if you’ve ever stopped long enough to consider the need for warning labels?

Evidently someone at one time did just that and the need arose!

I know sleep walking is a real issue, but I never thought sleep hair drying would be one.

I know children are fairly flexible, but there is a limit.

Just in case you go a little too fast while opening your mail.

Although these warning labels seem a bit on the ridiculous side, they exist because someone identified a danger or potential danger to avoid.

Just as there are physical dangers to avoid, there are also spiritual dangers.

The writer of Hebrews saw a significant spiritual danger within the church and throughout this letter, he has been exhorting them to avoid it.

Our text this morning is one of the five warning texts in the book of Hebrews...

This one is perhaps one of the most severe warnings in all the Bible…

Think of it this way…there are huge orange warning signs on I-20 regarding big rigs and the construction zone…Get off I-20, go around this zone, the road is too narrow for you to fit...

The warnings are posted, yet some think they are skilled enough to get through it and what happens…accidents…which could have been prevented if they just heeded the warnings.

In much the same way, the writer is throwing up those orange signs so that accidents are prevented in this dangerous journey of Christian testimony...to prevent us from falling off the track.

I think it is very important that these warnings not be misunderstood...

They do not teach that genuine believers can fall away and be lost…these warnings are there because our journey of faith this side of heaven is a dangerous one and if we don’t pay attention we can easily get off track.

Previous Warnings...

Heb 2:1.

Hebrews 2:1 “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

Pay attention…to what?

to what you’ve heard…what did we hear?

The message of the gospel.

Heb. 3:6, 14.

Hebrews 3:6 “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.”

We are his house if what?

we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end

Meaning if we don’t hold fast, we were never part of his house.

Hebrews 3:14 “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,”

The New Testament warns us both by precept and by example that some professing Christians may not persevere in their profession of Christ to the end of their lives.

I know that is hard for some to hear, but it is a reality we have to face that is clearly taught in the Scripture.

Heb 4:2.

Hebrews 4:2 “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

It is possible to attend a church like ours, to listen to the ministry of the Word of God, and for it to fall on deaf ears!

It is a very real possibility that the person sitting around you…and even the very person sitting in your seat, to know all kinds of information about Jesus, the Bible, God, etc. and nothing reaches your hearts...

Your will has not changed, your desires have not changed, your speech has not changed, your behavior has not changed...nothing has changed in your life.

James 1:22 (NASB95)

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

James is not saying that there was an option, like today I just want to hear...

or maybe you come and say I think I’ll not only hear it today, I think I’ll do some of that Bible stuff...

He’s saying the proof of genuine faith is in the obedience to the Word because we have truly heard it!

Why?…because even the pagans can hear the Word, but it’s of no value to them because they don’t combine it with faith.

When we combine it with faith, then we do what it says, which in turn, proves the genuineness of our faith.

Why would the writer of Hebrews need to issue so many warnings…

This is where understanding the historical context of Hebrews comes into play...

The Church was under attack from both Jews and Gentiles…

Some who were associated with the church determined the persecution was not worth it and were departing or on the verge of departing and going back to Judaism.

What that revealed is that the greatest detriment to the church was not the persecution from without, its greatest detriment was the departure of those from within.

That’s what the immediate context conveys to us.

Apparently some members of this congregation were deserting the church by not being committed to fellowship and mutual encouragement.

Hebrews 10:24–25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

One of the first indicators of a lack of love toward God and his people is to stay away from the worship services.

What handicaps the church is not pressure from a godless culture, it is the failure of those within the church to walk in obedience!

Absenteeism from worship gatherings often indicates an absenteeism from the Lord Jesus himself.

Our warning text comes on the heels of his exhortation to faithfully gather…by using the word “for” in verse 26, he connects these two texts together.

With all that in mind, let’s examine Heb 10:26-39.

Here’s what I think we will see in this text...

Main Point: True Believers Will Persevere By Not Shrinking Back!

God ordained the means whereby men and women will continue to the end and be saved…perseverance of the saints.

As this journey of faith continues for us, there is no doubt it will only become harder…

and before long, some among us right now will have to answer the same question these first century Hebrews did…Is following Christ worth it or should I just chuck it all away.

How do we avoid shrinking back?

Let’s look for two keys to help keep us from being a causality.

The first key is ...

Heed The Solemn Warning Against Apostasy (26-31)

This is similar to his warning in Hebrews 6:4-8.

These are known as the “apostasy passages” of Hebrews.

These texts describe people who turn their backs on the Lord with such dramatic and decisive expression of their rebellion, and continue in that perspective to the end of their lives.

They reveal that although they once walked the walk, talked the talk, they did everything that “churchy people” do...

but their departure proved they were never genuinely belonging to Jesus at all.

So the writer gives this very terrifying warning.

As we progress in this text, you will the writer addressing two groups...

Those who shrink back and depart

Those who endure and stay

They all started on the same path doing and saying the same things, but when the pressure was on, the reality set in.

So you have to decide here this morning, which group will you claim?

Now, this is very, very important that we understand what is being written of here.

If you remember back to when we studied Hebrews 6:4–8, we noted that the writer was clearly not referring to genuine believers who had failed, who had stumbled, who had temporarily lost interest in the things of Christ.

If we’re honest, that is something we all are guilty of from time to time.

He is not describing that.

This is not somebody who woke up one morning and didn’t know whether he wanted to be in the Air Force anymore...

...Who couldn’t decide whether he wanted to put his uniform on and go to work...

...and then someone comes to him and says, “Hey, you missed it, don’t do that again tomorrow,”

...and then the next day he puts his uniform on and goes to work.

This is not a temporary lapse this is someone who was a total deserter...

…they took the uniform, trashed it, burned it, said, “I have nothing to do with this. I have no interest in this. I’m out of here. I’m gone. It is as if I was never a member of this.”

That is what he is describing.

Four truths to learn from this warning.

1. If we sin deliberately, there’s no longer a sacrifice for sins (26).

Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”

In the original language of the Bible, word order (where a word is in the sentence) was significant…it was for emphasis.

We don’t always see that in our English translations…

In the Greek…the first word of verse 26 is the word willfully…deliberately...

Please notice that we’re not talking about one act of sin here.

The present tense indicates the writer has in mind repeated acts of sin, an established pattern of sin.

This warning is not an appeal for spiritual perfection…nor does it mean that our sins after salvation nullify Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

It is an attitude that leads to repeated disobedience.

It’s the “I know what God’s Word says, but...”

It means that if you continue in that pattern of sin, deliberately refusing to repent, you deliberately reject the truth and you deliberately walk the path of destruction.

Under the old covenant, there were two basic types of sin, sins of ignorance and sins of presumption, also called “high handed sins.”

Sins of presumption were those done out of knowledge of what God expected and with a lack of care for what God wanted.

There were no Levitical sacrifices for such deliberate sins. They were punishable by death.

Notice that the writer has in mind people who “have received the knowledge of the truth.”

These are folks who know better.

They’ve learned the truth about Christ.

They know that Christ came to save sinners from their sin.

Yet they deliberately reject it.

If the truth makes a difference then...

...Christ’s sacrifice doesn’t give us a license to sin.

...Christ’s sacrifice gives us the ability and desire to get rid of sin.

2 Corinthians 5:17“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

What happens if a person does? What happens if a person who has come to know the truth about Christ deliberately keeps on sinning?

The writer says that when that happens, no sacrifice for sins is left.

There is nothing else that can be done…Jesus’ sacrifice is the only sacrifice that will take away sin.

Since final salvation is achieved only through Christ’s sacrifice, then to reject that salvation leaves only final judgment.

2. Continuing in willful sin should bring an expectation of judgment (27-28).

Hebrews 10:27–28 “but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Most of us don’t think enough about what’s coming.

We live an age of the “bail-out plans.”

We think we can live however we want and someone will bail us out. We expect somebody to bail us out…but what does God say you should expect…judgment…not a bail out.

Is the writer saying that true believers can lose their salvation?

No.

He says the coming fire will consume the enemies of God, not His children.

When his children sin, we are not judged but we are disciplined…we’ll talk more about that when we get to Hebrews 12.

To establish his point, the writer cites case law from Israel’s past. He reminds his readers that…

Under the law of Moses, those who did sin deliberately were put to death (28).

He’s referring here to Deuteronomy 17:2-7, which was instruction about what to do if a person in Israel turned from the Lord and worshipped other gods.

That is apostasy, plain and simple.

If that happens they were to investigate it thoroughly, make sure it’s not hearsay, and establish the facts of the case with at least two witnesses...

Then if the unthinkable crime of apostasy is true, stone the guilty man or woman.

Yes, God is merciful, but when a person living in the promised land deliberately violated His law by turning from Him to another god, the penalty was death without mercy.

Why does he go back to the law of Moses?

His making his argument by moving from the lesser to the greater...

If physical death came as a result of a willful rejection of the Mosiac Law…then a willful rejection of Christ brings an even greater judgment...

3. Apostasy brings a more severe judgment. (29).

Hebrews 10:29 “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

He doesn’t elaborate on what that more severe judgment is which I think is reasonable to conclude is spiritual death for eternity...

Instead gives us three evidences of why we should expect a more severe judgment.

Here is what apostates do...

Trample Christ underfoot — attack His person

It’s the same word that is used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount where he talks about salt that has lost its savor.

He says it’s good for nothing, but you might as well just go and walk on it.

It’s the same word that he uses later on in the same Gospel to describe what the pigs were doing to the pearls.

And here, the writer says, that’s what these individuals have done; they have trampled all over Jesus.

Its the opposite of what Paul says in Philippians 3:7–8 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

Instead of counting the other stuff as garbage so they could know Jesus, they count Jesus as garbage for the sake of knowing all the other stuff.

All of us would do well to make sure the way we choose to live does not drag Jesus through the mud!

Minimize His sacrifice — attack His work

They profane, or treat “as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant.”

unclean = koinos…common....They treat the death of Jesus as just being like the death of any man.

In other words, your death and his death are the same.

They say there is no significance to the death of Christ…

What about that word “sanctified”… how do we explain that, isn’t that saying they were saved?

Can you be sanctified without being a Christian?

Let me say first, the Bible is very clear that our salvation is eternally secure…time does not permit a full disclosure of all the passages that speak of our salvation in eternal terms.

So when you come to a difficult part of the text like this you have to interpret it in light of the whole of Scripture…the whole of Scripture is clearly against the loss of salvation.

So we turn to other Scripture to see if there is any reference to an individual being sanctified without being saved.

Please turn for a moment to 1 Corinthians 7:14 “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.”

If we apply the same logic as those who say you can lose your salvation, then we would have to say that an unbelieving husband is saved because of his spouse.

We certainly know that Scripture teaches salvation is only by faith in Christ alone.

What Paul is saying here is that as a result of the unbeliever living within the framework of a believing spouse, that marriage, by virtue of the believing spouse walking with Christ, is brought under the sphere of spiritual blessing.

There is a sanctifying influence brought to bear upon the person who lives within a realm of grace.

These individuals were brought under the realm of grace by virtue of their association with the church.

In the same way you may come and attend communion services here at Open Door and to some measure experience God’s presence and the reality of Jesus, yet it not be something that has taken hold of you.

It is in that sense there is a sanctifying influence upon you.

Insult the Holy Spirit — attack the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

“insulted the Spirit of grace.”

The Holy Spirit is God’s agent of grace…to reject the truth of Christ as the only means of salvation, which the Holy Spirit testifies, is to spit in the face of the Holy Spirit and say no thank you, I don’t want what you are offering...

We will only experience the fulness of God’s grace when the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us…that only happens when we accept Jesus by faith.

4. It is terrifying to be judged by God Himself (30-31).

Hebrews 10:30–31 “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

The author turns to the character of God to show the judgment is right!

The words For we know him focuses attention on the person.

Then he adapts a quote from Deuteronomy 32:35 (cf. also Rom. 12:19, where the same adaptation is found).

The second quotation comes from the following verse in Deuteronomy 32:36.

Moses spoke these words just before the Israelites entered the promised land.

That text also contains warnings, both together stress the fact that vengeance and judgment belong to the Lord.

Vindication of God’s people goes hand in hand.

This should leave little doubt that God will indeed judge those who reject him.

v. 31…Should strike real fear into the hearts of those who disregard Christ.

By using the phrase “hands of the living God” the writer clearly identifies that God himself is against those who through their actions or attitudes have placed themselves outside of his mercy.

Do not play around with God…YOU WILL LOSE!

No one escapes His judgment.

Those rooted in Christ will find grace and mercy…your sins are forgiven, the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice has been applied to your heart.

Those who continue to spurn the person and work of Christ, and arrogantly despise the person and work of the Spirit, will face the infinite wrath of God for eternity!

Second key to not shrinking back...

Endure with Faithful Obedience (32-39)

As a gentle pastor, the writer assures them he is confident they will make the right choices and so he encourages them with steps to help them persevere.

Remember the Past (32-34)

Hebrews 10:32–34 “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.”

He wanted them to remember significant moments in the past to provide them with the strength to endure today.

They endured great conflicts of suffering

conflict…that is a word from which we derive our English word for athletics.

it has to do with the struggle and the pain and the commitment that is necessary in achievement in an athletic competition.

They identified with Christ in a culture that shamed them.

made a public spectacle...

The word used here was often used to describe the Roman arena where people doomed to die were exposed to the gaze and the scan of the crowds.

This means that they were not ashamed to make their faith in Jesus public and were insulted and mistreated when they did.

They chose to identify with Christ in a fallen world, so society shamed them

Not only did they receive this kind of abuse themselves, but they also chose to identify with others bearing this reproach.

As Christians, we must be willing to endure the same persecution.

They sympathized with those imprisoned for their faith.

In the early days of their faith, these Christians showed tender compassion to their brothers and sisters in chains.

Though they were not in prison themselves, they chose to identify with those who were persecuted in that way.

They accepted the seizure of property with joy.

What is remarkable is not that they lost their possessions because they identified with Jesus, but that they responded “with joy” to such persecution.

Why?

They knew they had a better and lasting possession.

These believers understood that “better” possessions were in store for those who persevered in the midst of persecution, so they continued to identify with Christ—even when it cost them in earthly matters.

Moreover, they knew the possession that awaited them was “lasting.”

They knew their possession in heaven was an everlasting possession that would not be taken away from them and would never expire.

He reminded them of all this because that knowledge helped them endure early in their faith, and they needed to recall those days to help them endure in their present circumstances.

We may lose everything for the sake of Christ here, but eternally speaking, we lose nothing.

Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence (35-36)

Hebrews 10:35–36 “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

v. 35…the writer highlights the boldness that believers now have on account of their union with Christ.

Throw away…the word means to cast or fling away as one throws out garbage which is no further use.

How tragic it would be if we dispose of our confidence to enter the presence of God in this way.

He speaks of having a great reward in the present tense.

The believer who stands firm already begins to experience the reward, even if its fulfilment still lies in the future.

Verse 36...Endurance is a more specific aspect of confidence.

It includes an element of perseverance, a persistence even when circumstances are difficult.

The purpose of the endurance is expressed in the words so that you may do the will of God.

We demonstrate our endurance in the faith if we do the will of God.

What’s the will of God?

you would read your Bible,

that you would pray,

that you would be in fellowship with God’s people,

that you would be ready to give an answer for those who ask a reason for the faith that’s within you.

That you would give yourself to holiness rather than to impurity,

that you would be thankful in all things

that you would let the joy of the Lord be your strength

that you wouldn’t forsake assembling together, and so on.

There’s no mystery in the will of God.

The will of God is not some supernatural message we hope to get in some spectacular way...

It’s a book bound with a cover that’s available to all of us...

You just read your Bible; it’s all in here. You don’t have to be a genius.

Instead of wishing God would reveal some future plan to you, why not focus on the daily plan He has already given you?

Live By Faith (37-39)

Hebrews 10:37–39 “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

The author quotes from Habakkuk 2:3–4.

Habakkuk speaks of God’s coming judgment on Judah for refusing to do the will of God.

The author of Hebrews picks this up typologically to point to the final judgment that is coming at Christ’s return.

In other words, Habakkuk speaks of God’s coming, which the author of Hebrews sees fulfilled in the future coming of Christ.

No one knows when Jesus is coming, so we must always be ready by continuing to do the will of God and not draw back in our faith.

According to verse 38 God finds no pleasure in us when he returns if we do not go on living by faith.

The righteous person will live by faith, being willfully obedient, because they trust in their Savior.

Verse 39 — the author expresses his utmost confidence in his readers by reminding them of their identity and strength as God’s people.

He proclaims that they will not draw back in their faith and thus will prove their allegiance to Christ until the very end.

Destruction awaits those who do draw back, but not those who press on and preserve their souls.

They will obtain the life promised to those who endure. In every sense of the word, they will be saved. This is what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Lesson for Life — Don’t Be Spiritually Complacent

Which group are you going to identify with here this morning...

Those who shrink back...

Those who endure forward...

Before he provides examples of those who endured forward, these believers needed to be reminded to persevere in the faith.

Before they can associate themselves with those listed in the following chapter, they must make every effort not to draw away from Christ…don’t give it up and go back…don’t abandon the truth…prove the reality of your faith by enduring.

Let’s ask for God’s help.