Careful with Being Lukewarm, Because You Know" (Part 2)

FROM: DECEMBER 18 @ 24, 2018

Topic: "Careful with Being Lukewarm, Because You Know" Hebrews 10:26-31 Part 2 We should know according to the biblical story what happened to Israel, the chosen people of God, when they had the opportunity to enter the Promised Land. They left God and for that reason, those who had received the promise to enter and participate in that land that flowed milk and honey DID NOT ARRIVE! Only those who were less than twenty years old arrived. The others had rebelled against God and died on the way; they left God and got lost, obtaining for themselves a torturous eternity. We have to be careful because these men and women let lukewarmness and apostasy divert them from the faith and love of God.

I. What happened to the transgressor of the Law in those times (Vs. 28 "Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died irremissibly on the testimony of two or three witnesses.")

A. So it happened with those who became an apostate of the Law (who became defiant, rebellious and abandoned the faith).

1. He who violated the Law of Moses, becoming an idolater, died without compassion!

2. The fault of the transgressor was certified by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:2-6).

3. Irremissibly, it means that it can't be forgiven for being very serious, something unforgivable!

4. God is not something else! HE IS THE I AM, THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE!

B. (Vs.29 "How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?") To be rebellious in these times, the one who rebels against Christ after he knows, will be considered worthy of much greater punishment! The reason: that the privilege has been much greater!

1. The enormity of the sin of the apostate is seen in the three charges that are brought against him (Vs. 29):

a. First charge: HAS TRAMPLED (stamped, humiliated) THE SON OF GOD. After professing to be a follower of Jesus, now the apostate blatantly declares that he does not want to have anything else to do with Him. He denies needing Christ as Savior and rejects Him as his Lord!

b. It is said that in Japan, at a time of great persecution towards Christians, they had a crucifix that they used to test whether people were believers or not. They would place the crucifix on the ground with the face of Christ facing up and everyone should step on that figure's face. Non-Christians did not hesitate to step on the face of Christ; the true Christians refused to do it and those were executed! It is said that Jesus' face was worn out and ruined by so many footprints.

c. Second charge: WHO HAS TREATED AS AN UNHOLY THING THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT THAT SANCTIFIED HIM. The apostate has as useless (he considers it impure) the blood of Christ with which the New Covenant was ratified (approved, validated, accepted). The blood of Christ is what makes the New Covenant valid. When

the apostate believed, he had been separated by the blood of the Lord to a privileged position as part of the Body of Christ. He had been sanctified through his association with the Christian people in the same way that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his believing wife (1 Corinthians 7:14). (Although that does not mean that the husband is saved, but separated.)

d. Third charge: AND WHO HAS INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE. The Spirit of God had enlightened him (the apostate) about the Good News, convinced him of sin and had pointed to Christ as the only Refuge of the soul. But he has outraged (offended, despised) the Spirit of grace by under-estimating it in an absolute way, to Him and to the salvation he was offered.

2. (Vs. 30) The voluntary repudiation (rejection) of the Beloved Son of God is a sin of enormous magnitude. God will sit in judgment against all who are guilty of such a sin. He has said: "It is mine to avenge, I will repay..." (Deuteronomy 32:35). Revenge through a complete justice (pure, faultless). It is simply the application of what the person really deserves. Knowing the character of God, we can be sure that He will do as He has said, compensating (paying) the apostate with the just measure.

3. "The Lord will judge His people." This means that those who are sanctified, (1 Corinthians 7:14) as the wife sanctifies the husband, those who sanctify themselves with the people of God, BUT LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE, God will take revenge on them, He will vindicate Himself with a just judgment like the bad ones.

4. (Vs. 31) "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" We are not among those who will fall into the hands of the living God for judgment, because such a thing is HORRENDOUS! Careful not to become lukewarm!

5. If you are faithful and have remained in Him, nothing can touch you!

6. These biblical passages are for all who profess the name of Christ to be warned of the terrible consequences of turning away from Him! Amen.