SINNING DELIBERATELY! Now therefore what does ““26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” mean? Again one must consider the context of such a statement. Let’s look at it. What is Hebrews 10 about? If you read the whole chapter carefully, you would note that the writer of Hebrews is addressing the Hebrews (not Gentiles) in relation of temple worship also known as the worship by way of the blood of bulls and goats as compared to a new and living way of worship offered by the blood of Jesus. The writer stresses that while the blood of bulls and goats secure forgiveness year after year. The blood of Jesus offers forgiveness once and for all. It is here, the writer of Hebrews tells the Jews to believe in Jesus rather than the worship of the blood of bulls and goats. Today many believers think the reason the veil of the temple is torn is to allow Christians to enter into the Holy of Holies of the temple of Solomon. It is not. The reason the veil was torn because God does not want the worship to continue in that temple. He wants us to worship in His temple. The temple of eternity. That is why there is a new veil. It is the body of Jesus. See: Hebrews 10: 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God… Note the new and living way is the new curtain, the body of Jesus. Now look at the purpose why the veil of Solomon’s temple is removed. See Hebrews 9: 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. Notice there is a difference between the Most Holy Place and the first tabernacle.The first tabernacle refers to the temple of Solomon where as the Most Holy Place is the very seat in heaven. So long as the Temple of Solomon stands, the Holy Spirit will not disclose the way to the Most Holy Place of heaven. God wants to rid the temple practices because God does not live in the temple of Solomon anymore but in everyone of us who has placed their belief in the Son. This is because the system of bulls and goats doesn’t work. The offering of His Son did. Hence there is a new curtain, a new veil, a new and living way. The body of Jesus! So the writer writes about a fiery indignation. A few years after Hebrews is written, the Romans burn the temple of Solomon down. See: 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. The following is probably the text that confused many Christians. This is the passage which speaks about “Sinning Willfully” which presupposes that the blood of Jesus only clean your past sins. Here is the passage from the Jewish New Testament. 26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies.[f] 28 Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.[g]29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant[h] which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God’s grace! Notice this sin is a singular sin. It is the same sin mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. One sin. That sin is only possible “after receiving the knowledge of the truth”. Before receiving the knowledge of the truth, you cannot perform this “sin” and the damage only comes when you do it “willfully”. Thus it cannot mean your every day “sins” because all your daily sins are willful. What then is this “sin”? If you read about this “sin” in Hebrews 12, it is also the sin that entangle “us”. By now you should know the word “us” mean the Jews. What is the cure for this “sin” then? The writer of Hebrews says to look at Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. So what then is this “sin” that only be cured by fixing our eyes upon Jesus? It is found a few verses thereafter. It is to treat the blood of Jesus like common blood. Look at the context of Hebrews 10. We do not treat Jesus blood like common blood when we sin. We treat the blood of Jesus like common blood if we treat it like the blood of bulls and goats. How? Well the blood of bulls and goats give you annual and temporal forgiveness. Jesus’ blood cleanses you forever because your sins are taken away (yes even the ones which you have not done) once and for all. Some of you here would argue your future sins are not taken away. But let me ask you something, when Jesus died were your born yet? Were the sins you committed before you came to Jesus future sins the moment Jesus died? Of course. So are the sins you will commit from the point of the cross. As such “the knowledge of the truth” is to know the sacrifice provided the law, the Torah i. e. the blood of bulls and goats (common blood) cannot save you. Only the blood of Jesus can. Thus this “sin” simply means not believing Jesus but reverting to believing to that the religious system of the blood of bulls and goats saves you. Simply said going back to worship provided by the temple of Solomon. In short, going back to the Torah to obtain your salvation. Going back to confession and feeling guilty for your sins. By the way this is what Peter spoke about as “deny Him AFTER having escaped the pollutions of this world through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and your latter end can become worse than before you knew Him. 2Pet 2:20-22. What he then called “ a dog going back to his vomit”. So then after they have this knowledge and you go back to the law there is no more sacrifice for them. This is because they have rejected the one and only way for [absolute] forgiveness for sins. The fiery indignation here is not a reference to hell. The context of Hebrews 10 is about the ritualistic forgiveness via the temple. 7 years from the writing of the book of Hebrews, the temple was burned down by the Romans, and temple worship and the offering of bulls and goats was finally eradicated. That is why it means by “but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God”. The judgment and raging fire, is the burning down of the temple.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 07:45:13 +0000
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