Hebrews 10:26-31: A Warning Against Apostasy

Introduction

Scripture

Hebrews 10:26–31 ESV

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 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? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Outline

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken

Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning

Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers

Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses

Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus

Hebrews 4:1-13 - A Sabbath Rest for God’s People

Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is the Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-10 - Jesus is the High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 5:11-6:20 - Warning and Exhortation

Hebrews 5:11-14 - Failure to Mature

Hebrews 6:1-8 - Pursue Maturity

Hebrews 6:9-12 - Loving Motivation

Hebrews 6:13-20 - The Promise of God’s Word and God’s Oath

Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Greatness of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:11-19 - Jesus’ Priesthood is Needed

Hebrews 7:20-28 - Jesus Guarantees a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-10:18 - Jesus is the Greater Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-6 - Jesus Mediates a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:7-13 - The Promise of the New Covenant

Hebrews 9:1-10 - The Earthly Tabernacle Points to What Would Come

Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ is The Mercy Seat

Hebrews 9:15-22 - Blood is Necessary for Forgiveness

Hebrews 9:23-28 - Christ’s Sacrifice Permanently Removes Sin

Hebrews 10:1-10 - Christ’s Sacrifice Replaces the Law

Hebrews 10:11-18 - Christ's Sacrifice Fully Forgives Sin

Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Assurance of Faith

Hebrews 10:19-25 - Because of Christ's Sacrifice Let us...

Hebrews 10:26-31 - A Warning Against Apostasy

Hebrews 10:26-27 - A Lifestyle of Sin Leads to Eschatological Judgment

Hebrews 10:28-29 - Punishment Guaranteed for the Rebellious

Hebrews 10:30-31 - Vengeance Belongs to God

Purpose of Book

Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise

Main Point

A vivid warning is given to the congregation not to abandon Christ and persevere in truth faith because judgment belongs to the Lord

In Context

Book Theme/Purpose: Jesus is Greater, therefore persevere

Larger Context: Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Sermon Tone (Encourage, exhortations based off his theological argument - Hebrews 1:5-10:18)

Passage Context: Hebrews 10:19-11:40 - Assurance of Faith

Immediate Context: Hebrews 10:19-39 - One Unit

Hebrews 10:19-25 - Summary of Hebrews 4:14-10:18 & the 3 exhortations (2 dealing with God and 1 dealing with Christ-followers)

Hebrews 10:26-31 - Warning against abandoning Christ and His church

Hebrews 10:32-39 - Encouragement of the past and assurance of true faith in the present/future

Hebrews 10:26-27 - A Lifestyle of Sin Leads to Eschatological Judgment

Hebrews 10:26–27 ESV

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

***Parallel with Hebrews 6:4-8***

***Hebrews 10:19-39 is a discourse unit***

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

For

Conjunction connecting vss. 19-25 (the Day) with this passage

If we

“If” condition

Author includes himself once again in the warning...

Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Hebrews 6:1 ESV

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Go on sinning deliberately

Go on sinning reveals a patterned, ongoing-present lifestyle rather than a single instance - specifically abandoning Christ and the gathering of the saints not failure to fulfill the old covenant

Deliberately/willfully/intentionally - reveals a heart that is opposed to God

Hebrews 5:2 ESV

2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.

Hebrews 9:7 ESV

7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

Numbers 15:30–31 ESV

30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”

After receiving the knowledge of the truth

Conversion - embracing Christ, repenting of sin

There is no longer remains a sacrifice for sins

They’ve abandoned the only sacrifice that could save them from the wrath of God on “the Day”

But a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

But a fearful expectation of judgment

And a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries

Isaiah 26:11 LES2

11 Lord, your arm is high, and they have not seen it; but when they know it, they will be ashamed. Zeal will take hold of an undisciplined people, and now fire will consume the opponents.

Future judgment of “the Day”

Adversaries, those who abandon Christ/the fellowship, prove they are those who are opponents of God

Hebrews 10:28-29 - Punishment Guaranteed for the Rebellious

Hebrews 10:28–29 ESV

28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 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?

***Lesser to Greater than argument - Physical death for rejecting the Mosaic Covenant to Final Judgment for rejecting the Christ/New Covenant***

Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Deuteronomy 17:2–7 ESV

2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, 4 and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. 6 On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God,

Trampled underfoot the Son of God

An act of utter contempt against Jesus mocking the giver of grace and mercy

God promised to put all things under Christ’s feet, but these individual has sought to put Christ under their feet

And has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

Profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified

This refers to the blood of Christ that inaugurates the new covenant

Hebrews 8:13 ESV

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Has outraged the Spirit of grace

Outraged

The person’s outrageous behavior driven by hubris/pride

Spirit of grace

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Divine judgment that will be issued at “the Day” is not driven by an abusive God, but human pride

Hebrews 10:30-31 - Vengeance Belongs to God

Hebrews 10:30–31 ESV

30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

For we know him who said,

We know him

They are fully aware of the grace of God AND God’s negative attitude towards those who reject Him and live in sin

“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”

Deuteronomy 32:35 ESV

35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’

A warning is given by the author from the Song of Moses

And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

Deuteronomy 32:36 LES2

36 For the Lord will judge his people, and he will relent on his slaves. For he saw them exhausted and failing, in misery and weakened.

God will bring judgment upon His own

Notice, once again as the other warnings, these individuals HAVE NOT FALLEN AWAY - this is a warning issued encouraging them to persevere in truth faith!

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

In context here, falling into God’s hands is one of judgment

Those who reject salvation will receive their due judgment - eternal death

Matthew 13:40–43 ESV

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Application

Heed the warning - run from deliberate sin of abandoning Christ, repent, and find forgiveness in Him

Warn others if they are abandoning Christ

Main Point

A vivid warning is given to the congregation not to abandon Christ and persevere in true faith because judgment belongs to the Lord