Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

We’ve seen in the first 10 chapters of Hebrews that Jesus Christ is superior in every way:

The superior Revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12-13).

The superior Person (Hebrews 1:3-14).

The superior Man (Hebrews 1:9-13).

The superior High Priest (Hebrews 3:1-6; 4:14-16; 5:5-10; 7:23-28; 8:1-6; 9:11-28).

The superior sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-18).

The Covenant of Christ a superior covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13).

He brings the only true salvation (Hebrews 2:1-4).

We’ve also seen in these chapters that faith is absolutely necessary.

The Hebrews in the wilderness were unable to enter the promised land because of unbelief.

Unbelief was not the direct cause of their inability to enter.

It’s not that unbelief was a physical barrier at the border that prevented them from entering, while God in heaven wrung His hands in disappointment.

Rather, God took their unbelief personally; they weren’t refusing to believe facts, but God Himself.

And so, He would not permit them to enter the promised land, because they insulted His power and His character by refusing to trust Him.

Hebrews 10:19-25 pled with us for full, persevering, unapologetic faith in Jesus Christ.

Beginning next week, we are going to launch into Hebrews 11, which is a series of biographical reminders – you can think of them real world case studies – of the power and significance of faith in God and His promises.

The passage before us today, Hebrews 10:26-39, is an introduction to Hebrews 11, reminding us of what is at stake, and why faith is essential and irreplaceable.

Our passage breaks almost evenly into two sections.

In the first we see the tragic outcome of knowledge without faith.

Knowledge Without Faith

HEBREWS 10:26-31.

Knowledge of Christ is not enough.

Knowledge of the Gospel is not enough.

Knowledge of a catechism or confession is not enough.

The men and women described here are not ignorant of the teachings of the Gospel; in fact, they very likely to be church people, religious people.

But they are apostate, literally, “without faith.”

It doesn’t mean that someone once had genuine faith and then lost it, simply that they are without faith.

This is a unique sin that only be committed by people who take in the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel, but who will not or do not personally believe.

Look at what is said about them.

They go on sinning willfully.

(Hebrews 10:26)

They go on sinning willfully.

Their knowledge has not produced any sort of transformation.

They are just as dead in their sins as they always were.

They have heard the Gospel, but they willfully, happily, continue in their sin, unconcerned.

They hear sermons about holiness and repentance, and they might even nod their heads, but they won’t repent and pursue holiness.

They trample Jesus underfoot.

(Hebrews 10:29)

They trample Jesus underfoot.

Their knowledge produces no respect or honor or deference or worship for Christ.

Instead they mock Him, His death, His resurrection, His power, His holiness, His goodness.

They try to shape Him like clay to fit their desires.

They want a Jesus who will agree with their decisions, affirm their prejudices, and accommodate Himself to their sins.

They grind Him under foot until – they think – He will give in.

They regard His blood as unclean.

(Hebrews 10:29).

They regard His blood as unclean.

“Blood” is not simply a reference to the liquid that flowed in Jesus’ veins.

When the Bible tells us that Jesus’ blood was shed for our sins, it is using a figure of speech called a metonymy.

Jesus’ blood is a reference to Jesus’ death.

It’s not that if Jesus had cut Him while working as a carpenter, that blood had the power to save.

It’s His death and life that saves us.

So, regarding Jesus’ blood as unclean is the same as regarding Jesus’ life and death – Jesus Himself – as unclean and common and useless and worthless.

There are many who reduce Jesus to a good man and teacher.

They deny that His death had any genuine meaning, or accomplished salvation for sinners.

They regard Jesus Himself, and His life and death, as empty of power and meaning.

Their blasphemy should make us gasp in horror.

They insult the Holy Spirit.

(Hebrews 10:29).

They insult the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, who breaks our pride, who brings us to the understanding of our own destruction, who brings about new life, who grants us repentance and faith, who purifies us over time, who transforms us into the image of Christ, who causes us to call God ‘Father,’ who keeps us in faith in the hardest of circumstances.

Every one of these works of the Holy Spirit has been mocked and belittled by the world.

When the mock the work of the Spirit of God, they mock the Spirit Himself.

What is the outcome?

What is the outcome?

These Hebrews knew that those who set aside or ignored the Law of Moses – which they held in such high regard – were condemned to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

(Hebrews 10:28).

So the Scripture asks a question and leaves the answer hanging: How much greater punishment is deserved by those who trample Christ, call Him worthless, and insult the Spirit of grace?

These men and women have no true hope of salvation.

Oh, they presume, and they think that they are OK with God, but the Scripture tells us that all they can actually have is the terrifying expectation of judgment and the fire that devours the enemies of God.

Listen to what Jonathan Edwards said in his sermon, “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God”:

[W]hatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, until he believes in Christ, God is under no obligation to keep him from eternal destruction.

Thus it is, that natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell.

They have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked.

His anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the fierceness of his wrath in hell.

They have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger.

Neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up [for a single] moment.

The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would happily lay hold of them, and swallow them up.

The fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out.

They have no interest in any mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them.

In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of.

All that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and unpromised, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

Can God save them?

Of course.

God is the Judge.

God is the Savior.

Nothing forces Him to judge or save, and nothing prevents Him from judging or saving.

Will God save them?

Most of the time, no.

They are living this way because He has determined not to save them from their own sin.

He has given them over to it.

And if He does save them, you will see an end to the faithless, trampling, mocking, insulting rejection of Christ and the Gospel, and they will demonstrate true repentance and faith.

Praise God, the passage doesn’t end with this frightening warning.

Persevering Faith

GENUINE SALVATION PERSEVERES DURING SUFFERING.

But genuine salvation and faith persevere through trials and suffering.

The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to fight hard against the attacks and temptations that come against them.

He wants them to endure in faith, to persevere in suffering, and is confident that they will.

Now, what is endurance?