But a Fearful Expectation of Judgment

Hebrews 10:26-31 ESV

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

Do you know what this passage of Scripture follows directly after? It is that famous Scripture that so many people love to quote out of context in order to guilt-trip professing Christians into attending “church” services in their institutional and/or market-driven “churches.” The part they like to quote is “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” But the context of that is this:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

But prior to that we are instructed to draw near to God with a true (honest) heart in full assurance of (God-persuaded, God-given) faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. So this is talking about dying with Christ to sin and living to God and to his righteousness and leaving our sins behind us to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. This is talking about holy living. 

And then it is instructing us to gather together with other believers in Jesus Christ for the sole purpose that we might encourage and provoke and urge one another to love God and one another with agape love which prefers what God prefers, which is what is righteous and morally pure and honest, etc., and that we might stir up one another to good works, which are the good works God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (see Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14). 

So this has nothing to do with us attending an institutional and/or market-driven and flesh-driven gathering on a Sunday morning in a building called “church” so that we can say that we “went to church.” We, the people of God, ARE THE CHURCH! And we can gather together any day of the week and any time of day and in any location, and yes, even on the internet if that is the only place we can gather to fulfill what this is talking about. For we are not called to sit in a “church” service as spectators.

And why is that distinction so critical that we understand that? Because so much of what is called “church” is not operating at all as God intended. But they have become businesses being marketed to the people of the world and for the entertainment and enjoyment of the flesh of humans. And so most of them have altered the character of God/Christ and his gospel and his church to fit their marketing schemes. And so, in most of these gatherings, this encouraging (exhorting, provoking) of one another is not taking place at all.

And, again, why is that so critical that we get this? Because of this passage quoted above which follows directly after this exhortation to not give up meeting together, but to gather together so that we, the body of Christ, might exhort one another to walk in love (agape love) and to do the works God prepared for us to do and so that we encourage (exhort, provoke, urge) one another to forsake our sins and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. For so many are not teaching that today.

And so what we have in much of what is called “church” today are masses of people who have bought into an altered gospel which is telling them that all their sins are forgiven and they are on their way to heaven and nothing can take that away from them, but regardless of how they live. And so many of them are convinced that they can be Christians and be on their way to heaven while they still walk in sin. And the most predominant and egregious sin permeating the church today is sexual immorality and sexual addiction.

But how many preachers do you know who are actually teaching Hebrews 10:26-31? I have heard many preachers’ sermons, and very few, if any, are teaching this passage of Scripture. And do you take seriously what it says? For Jesus taught the same thing. So did Paul and the other NT apostles. OSAS is not taught in the Scriptures, not if you read them in context. We need to be gathering together with other Christians so that we, the body of Christ, can be urging one another to cut these sinful practices out of their lives and to warn them of the consequences if they do not.

So, what’s this saying? It is saying that if we keep on sinning, in practice, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, meaning we have accepted it, and we have embraced it, then Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins doesn’t apply to our lives. We are not saved. We are not on our way to heaven. Hell is our destiny, to put it bluntly! We are the same as though we never made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at all. We don’t have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of judgment.

So we need to take this seriously! This is an emergency situation! For so many professing Christians are still living in addiction (slavery) to sin, and sexual addiction is running rampant in the church in America at large. And many preachers are engaged in this, too, and not many preachers are teaching that if you walk in sin, if sin is your practice, that you will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what profession of faith you have made with your lips. But we need to read the Scriptures!!!

For God is going to judge all of us on the basis of what we do. We will be judged by our works, regardless of what others may tell you to the contrary. And I will give you a list of Scriptures to look up and for you to read them in their context which say essentially the same thing as what it says here. So don’t play games with God and with eternity. If sin is your habit, your practice, your addiction, you will die in your sins and you will not have eternal life with God. 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

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