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DEALING WITH SIN

Hebrews 10:26-29a

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    The cause of all this discussion is sin.

 

B.      Hebrews 10 has a lot to say about sin. 

1.      We have entitled this chapter:  “Dealing with Sin.”

2.      Keep in mind that the writer is dealing with Jewish believers returning to Judaism.  There fore, he continues to make contrasts between the system of Judaism and the system of Christianity.

 

C.     In this chapter, the writer will end the doctrinal details of his discussion (See vs 18-19, 22-24) and begin to make some very practical admonitions to his readers.

 

D.    Outline:

 

i.                    SINS REMAINED (Heb. 10:1-4)  Remembrance of sins

ii.                  SINS ARE REMITTED (Heb. 10:5-14)  Remittance from sins

iii.                SINS REMEMBERED NO MORE (Heb. 10:15-18)  Remembered no more sins

iv.                NO SINS BRING RESPONSIBILITY (Heb. 10:19-25)  Responsibility after sins

v.                  SINS ARE RECOMPENSED (Heb. 10:26-31)  Recompense for sins

vi.                SIN:  NO RETURN (Heb. 10:32-39)  Resolution against sin

 

I.                   SINS REMAINED (Heb. 10:1-4)

 

II.                SINS ARE REMITTED (Heb. 10:5-14)

 

III.             SINS REMEMBERED NO MORE (Heb. 10:15-18)

 

IV.             NO SINS BRING RESPONSIBILITY (Heb. 10:19-25).

 

V.                SINS ARE RECOMPENSED (Heb. 10:26-31)

 

A.    Cancelled Sacrifice (Heb. 10:26)

 

For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

 

1.      Jesus came to cleanse us from our sins.

2.      That sacrifice can be cancelled, however.

a.      We receive the knowledge of the truth.

b.      We sin willfully.

c.       There remains no more sacrifice for sins.

3.      The knowledge of the truth is the means whereby we are cleansed of our transgressions initially (John 8:32; 17:17; Rom. 2:8; Eph. 1:13; I Thess. 2:13; II Thess. 2:13; I Tim. 2:4; James 1:18; I Pet. 2:21).

 

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

4.      Christians can sin after becoming children of God.

a.      John tells us that if we say we do not have any sin, we have deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us (I John 1:8).

b.      The inspired writer, however, specifies a sin for which “there remaineth no sacrifice for sins.”  He called it “wilfull.”

1)      This is concerning because we all have sinned willfully from time to time in our lives.  Can we not be forgiven? 

2)      Wilfully

a)      Strong (1596):  voluntarily

b)      Thayer:  voluntarily, willfully, of one’s own accord, to sin wilfully as opposed to sins committed inconsiderately, and from ignorance or from weakness

c)      Vine:  voluntarily, willingly

d)     Vincent:  of free will

3)      We must keep the passage in its historical context.  The writer has reference to a specific action that his readers could commit.

a)      Vincent: (e-sword)

-          The willful sin is the abandonment of Christianity for Judaism.

-          Of course not (meaning there is no sacrifice for sins).  For the Levitical sacrifices are abolished. It is Christ's sacrifice or none.

b)      Remember Hebrews 6:4-6.  “For it is impossible…if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance…”

5.      LESSON:  There are similar scenarios that exists today.

a.      A person leaves the world in order to obey the truth.

1)      That person willfully chooses to leave the way of truth and return to the world.

2)      The world offers no sacrifice for sin.  Only Christianity provides the sacrifice of Christ to mankind. 

b.      A person leaves a false religion to obey the truth.

1)      That person willfully chooses to leave the way of truth and return to the false religion.

2)      The false religion offers no sacrifice for sin. 

 

B.      Certain Suffering (Heb. 10:27)

 

But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

 

1.      The person who went back into Judaism, turning from the sacrifice of Christ, has only one thing he can expect:  certain, fearful judgment and fiery indignation.

a.      Fearful

1)      Strong (5398):  frightful, formidable

2)      Thayer:  inspiring fear, terrible, formidable

3)      Vine:  causing fear

b.      Judgment

1)      Strong (2920): justice (specifically divine law)

2)      Thayer:  sentence of condemnation, damnatory judgment, condemnation and punishment

3)      Vine:  divine judgment, condemnation

c.       Fiery indignation

1)      Strong (2205):  heat, zeal, indignation

2)      Thayer:  the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal

3)      Vine:  jealousy

2.      This retribution will “devour the adversaries.”

a.      Devour:

1)      Strong (2068):  literally, to eat, devour

2)      Thayer:  to eat, consume, devour

3)      Vine:  eat, to eat up, devour

b.      Adversaries

1)      Strong (5227):  contrary to, opposed to, opponent

2)      Thayer:  set over against, opposed to, contrary to, an adversary

3)      Vine:  set against, contrary, oppose

3.      LESSONS

a.      A Christian can turn from Christianity and become an enemy of God again and

be lost.  (NOTE:  They had received the knowledge of the truth, v. 26).

b.      There will be a day of judgment to come.

c.       There is a place of condemnation where God’s adversaries will ultimately go.

 

C.     Critical Sapience (Heb. 10:28-29)

1.      The past (Heb. 10:28)

 

He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.

 

a.      Remember, it is Moses’ law to which some were wanting to go back.

b.      The law demanded the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 17:6; 19:15).

 

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth:  at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

 

c.       If two or three witnesses were found, there was death without mercy upon the transgressor.

1)      The man picking up sticks on the Sabbath Day (Num. 15:32-36)

2)      The individual who turns from God to idols (Deut. 17:2-7)

3)      Achan and his family (Josh. 7:24-25)

2.      The present (Heb. 10:29)

a.      Sorer punishment (Heb. 10:29a)

 

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy…

 

1)      Sorer

a)      Strong (5501):  more evil or aggravated

b)      Thayer:  worse

c)      Vine:  worse (in a comparative degree)

2)      Punishment

a)      Strong (5098):  penalty

b)      Thayer:  vengeance, punishment, penalty

c)      Vincent:  purely retributive

3)      Worthy

a)      Strong (515):  to deem entitled or fit

b)      Thayer:  judge worthy, deem deserving

4)      Why is the Christian more deserving of more severe punishment?

a)      He has violated a superior covenant.

b)      The transgressions one commits under the New Testament involve the Son of God, the Spirit of grace and the blood of the covenant.

 

5)      Lessons:

a)      This punishment must involve punishment in the afterlife because death would be the worst punishment one could suffer in this physical world, but that punishment was meted out under the Old Law.

b)      There are degrees of punishment taught in the pages of God’s word.

1)      More tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt. 10:14-15)

2)      Few stripes versus many stripes (Luke 12:47-48)

3)      The latter end is worse with them than the beginning (II Pet. 2:20-22).

c)      Sin involves much, much more than either doing something or not doing something that violates the will of God.

d)     When we violate the Word of God, we are “worthy” of punishment.  It is something of which we are deserving.

b.      Serious implications (Heb. 10:29b)