The Dreadful Danger of Stony Ground Christianity!
Hebrews 10:26-39
The Preparatory Context:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:24-30, 34-43 The Parable of the Wheat & Tares
II Timothy 2:14-22 The two sides of a great house.
Hebrews 6:1-8 So close, yet so far away!
This is the context of the Apostles and the writers of the New Testament. We have ignored this in our day to our (and our hearers) peril!
I. The willful sinner vs 26-31
A. The word--#1596 hekousios It means voluntarily, as Thayer, "is tacitly opposed to sins committed inconsiderately, or from ignorance or weakness." Zodhiates—"Voluntarily, intentionally--refers to sins committed willingly, those done designedly and deliberately in the face of better knowledge."
1. This is not a Romans 7 person! He does not say, "O wretched man that I am, knowing that in him dwells no good thing." He does not cry out, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death," and he most definitely does not immediately conclude, "I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord."
2. This is a person who, after hearing all the marvelous truth about the Perfect God/Man Mediator/High Priest, Who is the Father's Perfectly Prepared Sacrifice for the sins of His people, continues to sin with a high hand, "designedly" seeking occasion to sin!! His own will & desire governs him!!
3. Vs 35 This is a person ready to depart from the assembly, and cast away his professed confidence. In the context of Hebrews, he is ready to go back to the temple and legalism! He is the Demas' & Alexander (II Tim 4:10 & 14), the "spots on your feasts" as Jude warns. He will look good at first, but beware, the soil is corrupt!
4. In other words, this person continues to be defined by his own will in the face of the clear teaching of the Father's Will in verses 5-10. Jesus, His Blood and Righteousness, is little more than a "fail-safe" button. (Numbers 15:30)
II. The issue:
A. vs 26 There is no other sacrifice for sins! To sin willfully, to return to willful disobedience is to reject the Only Sacrifice that there is for sin, no other exists!
1. Such behavior tramples underfoot the very Son of God. All that has been stated about the Father's Perfect Sacrifice being His Son, and all the value placed upon him prior to this point is cast aside as common rubbish! Personal resolutions, penitential duties, all are accepted by this mans' god! Jesus' blood is not sufficient—he has to add his "two cents" to appease his conscience!!
` 2. Such behavior treats the blood of Jesus, the blood of the New Covenant as a common thing, i.e. no better then the blood of bulls and goats of the Old Covenant. It expresses bold unbelief in the efficacy of the Blood of the Redeemer which cleanses from all sin. "This Jesus isn't Who He said He was!"
3. Sanctify here (vs 29) means "set apart", not made holy.(see margin on vs 10) These early "believers' were set apart from the other temple worshippers by their allegiance to Jesus and the witness of the Apostles.
4. Such behavior deeply insults the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of Truth. It is declaring such High and Holy revelation of the Spirit of God to be mere words. This is like 6:4-6, they have tasted of the Spirit of Truth and have spit Him out, so to speak.
III. The Condemnation: vs 27-31
A. Deuteronomy 17:2-6, 19:15 If the punishment was so great under the shadow, how much more shall it be when the revelation of God is in full Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ? To reject the Beloved Son of God, prepared to be the Perfect sacrifice from before the foundation of the world—that is the ultimate slap in the face of the Holy God of heaven and earth. The Jealousy and Wrath of the Holy Father will surely fall on this man! Psalm 2:12 "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled byt a little!"
1. Contrast Vs 31 to vs 19 & 22! This section is all about spurning the beautiful truth of Hebrews 1:1 to10:25!! Don't go there! The Glorious Kind and Merciful God is "two parts" Justice and Judgement!!! (Exodus 34:6-7) "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God" without the covering of the blood and Righteousness of His Son and Perfect Provision, Jesus Christ.
IV. Application Today:
A. We live in a day of the "stony ground gospel".
1. The contemporary gospel is about fixing peoples' stuff, or at best "getting them saved".
The Biblical Gospel is the revelation of the Righteousness of the Holy
God of Heaven and Earth. Romans 1:16-17
2. The contemporary gospel is about convincing people they need Jesus. We harangue and cajole, trying to convince a dead man (Ephesians 2:1), one who has no capacity to seek God, (Romans 3:10-18), to come to Jesus, a Jesus who has very little definition.
The Biblical Gospel is the POWER OF GOD to salvation!
3. The contemporary gospel is about persuading a dead man to exercise his "free will", whatever that is, to choose Jesus. Salvation depends upon man's choice.
The Biblical Gospel depends upon the quickening power of God through the foolishness of preaching (I Corinthians 1:21) to bring dead men to life! (Ephesians 2:1)
4. The contemporary gospel assures people they are "saved" who have made a decision or have made some kind of choice to be "saved".
The Biblical Gospel stresses that the "justified will live by faith". Endurance and perseverance in the faith of the Righteousness of our Redeemer is the assurance of salvation. Holding fast our confession is stressed! (Hebrews 4:14, 10:23, II Peter1:10)
The contemporary gospel is deadly and dangerous because it sows defective seed into all kinds of soil and many seemingly flourishing plants spring up, but do not endure—and least not to bring forth the Biblical Fruit of Righteousness. (Romans 6:19-22, Ephesians 5:9, Hebrews 12:11) The contemporary gospel breeds willful "professors" who care little about their daily walk, but have Jesus as a safety hatch at the end. Beware
Hebrews 10:26-39
The Preparatory Context:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:24-30, 34-43 The Parable of the Wheat & Tares
II Timothy 2:14-22 The two sides of a great house.
Hebrews 6:1-8 So close, yet so far away!
This is the context of the Apostles and the writers of the New Testament. We have ignored this in our day to our (and our hearers) peril!
I. The willful sinner vs 26-31
A. The word--#1596 hekousios It means voluntarily, as Thayer, "is tacitly opposed to sins committed inconsiderately, or from ignorance or weakness." Zodhiates—"Voluntarily, intentionally--refers to sins committed willingly, those done designedly and deliberately in the face of better knowledge."
1. This is not a Romans 7 person! He does not say, "O wretched man that I am, knowing that in him dwells no good thing." He does not cry out, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death," and he most definitely does not immediately conclude, "I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord."
2. This is a person who, after hearing all the marvelous truth about the Perfect God/Man Mediator/High Priest, Who is the Father's Perfectly Prepared Sacrifice for the sins of His people, continues to sin with a high hand, "designedly" seeking occasion to sin!! His own will & desire governs him!!
3. Vs 35 This is a person ready to depart from the assembly, and cast away his professed confidence. In the context of Hebrews, he is ready to go back to the temple and legalism! He is the Demas' & Alexander (II Tim 4:10 & 14), the "spots on your feasts" as Jude warns. He will look good at first, but beware, the soil is corrupt!
4. In other words, this person continues to be defined by his own will in the face of the clear teaching of the Father's Will in verses 5-10. Jesus, His Blood and Righteousness, is little more than a "fail-safe" button. (Numbers 15:30)
II. The issue:
A. vs 26 There is no other sacrifice for sins! To sin willfully, to return to willful disobedience is to reject the Only Sacrifice that there is for sin, no other exists!
1. Such behavior tramples underfoot the very Son of God. All that has been stated about the Father's Perfect Sacrifice being His Son, and all the value placed upon him prior to this point is cast aside as common rubbish! Personal resolutions, penitential duties, all are accepted by this mans' god! Jesus' blood is not sufficient—he has to add his "two cents" to appease his conscience!!
` 2. Such behavior treats the blood of Jesus, the blood of the New Covenant as a common thing, i.e. no better then the blood of bulls and goats of the Old Covenant. It expresses bold unbelief in the efficacy of the Blood of the Redeemer which cleanses from all sin. "This Jesus isn't Who He said He was!"
3. Sanctify here (vs 29) means "set apart", not made holy.(see margin on vs 10) These early "believers' were set apart from the other temple worshippers by their allegiance to Jesus and the witness of the Apostles.
4. Such behavior deeply insults the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of Truth. It is declaring such High and Holy revelation of the Spirit of God to be mere words. This is like 6:4-6, they have tasted of the Spirit of Truth and have spit Him out, so to speak.
III. The Condemnation: vs 27-31
A. Deuteronomy 17:2-6, 19:15 If the punishment was so great under the shadow, how much more shall it be when the revelation of God is in full Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ? To reject the Beloved Son of God, prepared to be the Perfect sacrifice from before the foundation of the world—that is the ultimate slap in the face of the Holy God of heaven and earth. The Jealousy and Wrath of the Holy Father will surely fall on this man! Psalm 2:12 "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled byt a little!"
1. Contrast Vs 31 to vs 19 & 22! This section is all about spurning the beautiful truth of Hebrews 1:1 to10:25!! Don't go there! The Glorious Kind and Merciful God is "two parts" Justice and Judgement!!! (Exodus 34:6-7) "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God" without the covering of the blood and Righteousness of His Son and Perfect Provision, Jesus Christ.
IV. Application Today:
A. We live in a day of the "stony ground gospel".
1. The contemporary gospel is about fixing peoples' stuff, or at best "getting them saved".
The Biblical Gospel is the revelation of the Righteousness of the Holy
God of Heaven and Earth. Romans 1:16-17
2. The contemporary gospel is about convincing people they need Jesus. We harangue and cajole, trying to convince a dead man (Ephesians 2:1), one who has no capacity to seek God, (Romans 3:10-18), to come to Jesus, a Jesus who has very little definition.
The Biblical Gospel is the POWER OF GOD to salvation!
3. The contemporary gospel is about persuading a dead man to exercise his "free will", whatever that is, to choose Jesus. Salvation depends upon man's choice.
The Biblical Gospel depends upon the quickening power of God through the foolishness of preaching (I Corinthians 1:21) to bring dead men to life! (Ephesians 2:1)
4. The contemporary gospel assures people they are "saved" who have made a decision or have made some kind of choice to be "saved".
The Biblical Gospel stresses that the "justified will live by faith". Endurance and perseverance in the faith of the Righteousness of our Redeemer is the assurance of salvation. Holding fast our confession is stressed! (Hebrews 4:14, 10:23, II Peter1:10)
The contemporary gospel is deadly and dangerous because it sows defective seed into all kinds of soil and many seemingly flourishing plants spring up, but do not endure—and least not to bring forth the Biblical Fruit of Righteousness. (Romans 6:19-22, Ephesians 5:9, Hebrews 12:11) The contemporary gospel breeds willful "professors" who care little about their daily walk, but have Jesus as a safety hatch at the end. Beware