Christ Is Faithful!

Do Not Go On Willfully Sinning

The Church had gone through difficult trials and was going through some trials. However the persecution for some was not as severe. They were part of the church, but their trials had become less intensive. They had gotten comfortable in where they were. They were comfortable going to church, hearing the messages, understanding and agreeing with the messages, but failed to apply the messages. This is evident because the were willfully sinning.

willingly adv. — in a manner disposed or inclined toward something.

They were not letting the Word of God change them. They knew what the Word said, but did not do what it said.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [a]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [c]an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in [d]what he does.

The people that Paul is writing to are the ones who come to church but are not saved. They hear the gospel and agree with it, but never receive it. This is evident by their willful sinning. They like the feel good messages but don’t think enough of the messages to give their life to Jesus

There are two things that Paul warns them, regarding rejecting Christ

1. There is no sacrifice for their sins

This is significant because they must account for their own sins when they stand before the Father. Christ removes our sin and wipes our clean from sin. Through Christ our sins are forgiven. Without Christ you must atone for your own sins. This is impossible. The only way this can be satisfied is eternal separation fro the Father in hell. This is a hopeless place.

2. There is a terrifying expectation of judgement.

All of us will stand before the Lord one day. We will have to give an account for the life that He gave us. For those that have received salvation from Christ, they will be given eternal life because of what Christ has done for them. For the person that rejects Christ:

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose [g]presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and [h]books were opened; and another [i]book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the [j]books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if [k]anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

If Christ has not written your name in the book of life then you will be thrown into the lake of fire with Satan and his demons.

Do Not Reject Salvation

Rejecting salvation carries with it the penalty of eternal death. 3 reasons why?

1. Rejecting Jesus is to trample him under foot.

The Letter to the Hebrews The Threat at the Heart of Things (Hebrews 10:26–31)

It is not mere rebelliousness against law; it is the wounding of love. It is possible to stand almost any physical attack; the thing that brings submission is a broken heart. It is told that, in the days of the Nazi terror, there was a man in Germany who was arrested, tried, tortured and put into a concentration camp. He faced it all with gallantry and emerged upright and unbroken. Then, by accident, he discovered who it was who had produced the information against him—it was his own son. The discovery broke him, and he died. Attack by an enemy he could bear; attack by one whom he loved killed him. When Caesar was about to be murdered, he faced his assassins with almost disdainful courage. But when he saw the hand of his friend Brutus raised to strike, he wrapped his head in his mantle and died. Once Christ had come, the awfulness of sin lay not in its breaking of the law but in its trampling of the love of Christ underfoot

God loves us and was willing to send His Son to die for us. The rejection of his son is the ultimate betrayal of his love.

2. Rejecting Jesus proves your inability to cherish that which is sacred.

The writer to the Hebrews says in effect: ‘Look at what has been done for you; look at the shed blood and the broken body of Christ; look at what your new relationship to God cost; can you treat it as if it did not matter? Don’t you see what a sacred thing it is?’ Sin is the failure to realize the sacredness of that sacrifice upon the cross.

If you cannot appreciate what the Lord has provided for you, then you are not able to appreciate that which is sacred.

You have taken that which is most holy and turned into trash.

3. Rejecting Jesus is insulting the Holy Spirit.

The Letter to the Hebrews The Threat at the Heart of Things (Hebrews 10:26–31)

The Holy Spirit speaks within us, telling us what is right and wrong, seeking to check us when we are on the way to sin and to spur us on when we are drifting into lethargy. To disregard these voices is to insult the Spirit and to grieve the heart of God.

If the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and you ignore what he says, you grieve the heart of God.

Don’t Fall Into the Hands Of An Angry God !

It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a long forever, a boundless duration, before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your souls; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance's, and end, any mitigation, any rest at all; you will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite. O, what can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! All that we can possibly say about it, gives but a very feeble, faint representation of it; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: for, "Who knoweth the power of God's anger?" How dreadful is the state of those who are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery!

HE CONCLUDES WITH:

Men's hearts harden, and their guilt increases apace at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls. Never was there a period when so many means were employed for the salvation of souls, and if you entirely neglect them, you will eternally curse the day of your birth. Now, undoubtedly it is, as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree which brings not forth good fruit, may be hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and flee from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over every unregenerate sinner. Let every one flee out of Sodom: "Escape for your lives, Look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."

Persevere Through Salvation!

The early church endured tremendous trials and persecution. They lost personal property, the were mocked and made fun of publically. They considered all these trials and tribulations worth the cost of following Christ. As a matter of fact this is when they were most prime to receiving Christ. It was in their suffering that they depended on Christ.

William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 149.

Now that they have been through this and they are no longer in times of trial and tribulation, they have gotten comfortable. They no longer have their zeal for Christ. They no longer see a need for Him. They will be less apt to receive Him as their savior. Paul tells them to remember the time when they needed Him and He sustained them. Remember and come to Him for salvation.

Today we live very comfortable lives. I believe this comfort brings tremendous threat to the salvation of souls. Many people feel they have no need for a living Savior. They like their lives just the way they are. All they have is what the world has to offer. They do not see what heaven has to offer.

Also, to believers, we too can become complacent in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We allow the world and the things of the world to be our satisfaction and joy. This is fleeting. True life comes from a vibrant relationship with Jesus! What are you allowing to take His place. Is it your spouse, is it your kids, is it you job, is it your money? what is it? Lay it down as an idol and repent! Come back to the one who brings satisfaction and joy everlasting!