Hebrews 10:26-27 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.
After reaching the heights of full salvation, the author shifts to giving a strong warning against sin. The key word in the opening phrase is “deliberately.” This word shows a willingness (1 Peter 5:2) to engage in an activity. This is not accidental sins of omission but involves a turning away from the salvation of Jesus. The word for “sinning” is a present active participle, which implies on-going involvement in sin. This is not the occasional times we give in to temptation but more of the lifestyle of sinning. The author may wonder, why anyone would turn away from the salvation offered in Jesus? If a person has received, understood, and believed in the knowledge of the truth of the gospel, then why reject it and turn to the darkness of sin? There are several responses to this. Certain people would interpret this to mean that they were never saved in the first place. That position cannot be supported by this verse. Another position is that there is never any opportunity to be “saved” again. God’s grace is bigger than any sin (Romans 5:20), so I believe there is always hope. I suggest that we look first at the intention of this verse: it serves as a strong warning against the very real danger of following the path of sin. If a person is walking away from Jesus, there is no hope. This is similar to the author’s strong warning in ch. 6. Verse 27 explains the danger of following this path: judgment and fire. Basically, hell is the outcome for those who turn from Jesus. There have been several people in the news lately who have come out in rejecting the gospel. This is so sad. We must wonder what is really going on in their hearts and minds for this to happen. And then I think of the people with whom I have associated over the years who were followers and then drifted away and back to their old lives. This is a strong warning not only to those people but gives an urgency to the church to disciple all people so that they are firm in their faith. That is the whole purpose of this letter: to strengthen the faith of the readers and help them be deeply connected to Jesus.
For older posts, click here.