Judgment For Those Who Forsake Christ - Hebrews 10:26-31

If it were up to us as men and women, when it

came to the preaching of the Scriptures, most

likely we would focus on Scriptures which are

fairly pleasant, Scriptures which seemingly are

positive and encouraging, uplifting, at least

according to... how we think about those things.

But praise be to God that we don't have to wonder

what God wants us to preach on. Praise be to

God that we don't have to wonder what God wants

us to exposit. He's given it to us in the Word

of God. All the Word of God. It is God's will

that men preach and declare His judgment, His

wrath, and His punishment against sin. It is

the will of God that men and women and that sinners

hear about God's hatred. God's disdain, his contempt

for sin and rebellion against his own being,

his own character. Today, as we consider this

topic in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 25 through

Hebrews 10:25–31

31, we're going to consider the terrifying expectation

of judgment for those who forsake Christ. We're

going to consider the severity of the judgment

for those who forsake Christ. And we're going

to consider the one who judges those who forsake

Jesus Christ and the gospel. Beginning with the

terrifying expectation of judgment for those

who forsake Christ. Notice in verse 26, the very

first word in the Nazby is the word for. The

author is connecting this section with the prior

section of Scripture. Most likely, he's connecting

it with verses 22 through 25, where we find these

exhortations that we've been considering for

the last... several weeks. For if we go on sinning

willfully after receiving the knowledge of the

truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for

sins. The author is dealing with those who have

forsaken the assembly. The author is dealing

with those who have not held fast the confession

of their hope. The author is addressing and dealing

with those who have forsaken the community of

new covenant believers. The author is addressing

those that he was addressing in verses 22 through

25, where he was exhorting and warning, where

he was writing to them. Now, there's an assumption

in this text. with regards to those being warned.

The assumption is that those being warned have

been professing believers or professing Christians

at some point in time. They have publicly identified

with the church of the living God at some point

in time. We know that because it says, after

receiving, The knowledge of the truth. Those

that are being warned have a knowledge of God.

They know about Christ's once for all sacrifice.

They know about the new covenant and the forgiveness

of sins. They've heard the truth of the gospel

and what Jesus Christ has done for them. There

are those who are previously associated. with

the new covenant community. Those who previously

appeared to hold fast the confession of their

hope. Those who once were among the faithful.

These are religious individuals that know the

scriptures and know Christian tradition as it

was put forth for... at that time. It assumes

that those being warned have a knowledge of God

and a knowledge of the Scriptures. But then we

also see the reality of ongoing deliberate sin

in these individuals' lives that are being warned

despite this knowledge that they possess. despite

this knowledge that they have supposedly received

at some point in time. This word deliberate carries

the idea of willful, volitional, conscious choice

to reject, to forsake, to oppose, or to give

up. It has the idea of intentionality behind

it. The author is writing to those who are choosing

to sin against the living God. And nobody is

forcing them to do so. Now isn't that interesting

because last week we discussed the reality that

individuals were being pressured by the Jewish

community to forsake. the people of God. Yet

here we find that those same individuals are

doing so, and they're forsaking their confession

and Christ and the community willingly, deliberately,

consciously, and volitionally. Ultimately, no

matter the pressure, ultimately, no matter the...

or the trial or the struggle that comes upon

a person, when they forsake the gospel and choose

to sin against the living God, do you know whose

head that falls upon? The individual. The person

that willingly chooses to sin against God. Now,

what's the nature? of this deliberate sin. It's

elaborated on in verses 28 through 29, I believe.

Now he alludes to it in verse 28. And we read

this. As he's speaking about the law of Moses,

this is what he says. Anyone who has set aside

the law of Moses. He's correlating that in some

way with what's going on with these individuals.

There's a setting aside. There's a disregard.

There's a disassociation. There's a forsaking

that is taking place. But we also see in verse

29 very clearly the nature and character of the

sin that is being addressed in this. Section

of scripture. In verse 29. We read these words.

That he's addressing individuals. Who have trampled

underfoot. The son of God. They've walked upon

Christ. And they've put him under their feet.

They've regarded as unclean. The blood of the

covenant. By which that he was sanctified. They've

spurned the means by which the new covenant is

consecrated and brought about by which they are

enabled to worship or participate and identify

with the new covenant people of God and the worship

of that people. And it's those who have insulted

the spirit of grace. The one who effectually

applies all the work of Christ. The one who effectually

transforms and changes and calls and regenerates

the lost sinner. So this sin is not besetting

sin in the life of a believer. The sin that is

being addressed is something much more severe.

something much more detrimental, something much

more dangerous. It's full -blown apostasy from

the Christian religion where there is contempt

and reviling for Christ and his sacrifice. That's

the nature of this sin. For true believers, there's

always reconciliation in their life. For true

believers, there's always forgiveness of sins

with Christ. For true, genuine believers who

are engrafted into the body of Christ spiritually,

for true believers who are filled with the Spirit

of God, brothers and sisters, There is always

pardon to be had with the living God. There's

always a sacrifice that remains for those truly,

genuinely in Christ. There's always repentance

to be enjoyed for those individuals in Christ.

There's perseverance. There's always comfort

and strength by the Spirit of God and from Christ

and His throne. There's always help and aid from

the throne of grace for those individuals genuinely

and truly in Christ. But these individuals have

apostatized from the Christian religion. These

individuals have deserted Christianity. These

individuals have forsaken the living God. They've

forsaken their confession. There are certain

inevitable consequences that come with forsaking

Jesus Christ and his once for all sacrifice on

the cross. The first inevitable consequence of

forsaking Christ is that there no longer remains

a sacrifice for sin. Now when we consider what

a person forsakes when they renounce the gospel,

when they reject Jesus Christ and the gospel

which he has accomplished, what is it that they

are forsaking? What is it that they are setting

themselves in opposition to? They are forsaking

atonement of sin. They are forsaking forgiveness

and pardon. Brothers and sisters, they are forsaking

the only ordained means of God by which a man,

woman, or child can be reconciled to the living

God. So when an individual does this, when they

reject Christ and the gospel, they are rejecting

their only hope for salvation. They are rejecting

the singular means by which God has ordained

that a person be saved. There's no other path.

There's no other way. Except through the gospel

of Jesus Christ. His life, his death, his resurrection,

and in particular in the book of Hebrews, his

once for all effective sacrifice. which covers

all the sins of all God's people. So when an

individual rejects that, there no longer remains

a sacrifice for sins. There's nothing else that

can save them, brothers and sisters. There is

no other hope of salvation. There's no other

means that God has appointed by which their sin

can be atoned for. It's almost as though the

author is saying this. If you give up Christ,

don't expect the Jewish sacrifices of the ceremonial

law to cleanse you from your sin. There are no

other sacrifices that save. It's only the sacrifice

of Christ and the gospel. They forsake their

hope. They forsake deliverance and freedom. They

forsake the hope of glory, the blessings of salvation.

When they forsake the Lord Jesus Christ. There's

another inevitable consequence. To forsaking

the gospel. And denying the once for all. Sacrifice

of Christ. Which atones for one's sins. And that

consequence. And all that remains for that individual.

is the fearful expectation of judgment. Divine,

holy, eternal, just, equitable judgment from

the living God. That's a logical expectation,

isn't it? That the author of Hebrews is putting

forward? God says, if you want to be saved, you

go through Christ, my son, and his sacrifice.

If you want to have eternal life, if you want

to be reconciled to me, if you want to be pardoned,

if you want to be free from condemnation and

wrath, then this is how you do it. You turn from

your sin and you trust in Christ and his word.

Now if you reject that, what's the logical thing

that follows? What remains? What's left? The

wrath of God. The judgment of the living God.

That's all that remains because you've cast off

and you've denied and you've rejected what he

has given to you to be saved through and by.

The author tells us that when such an individual

does this, That they're awaiting judgment that's

like a consuming fire. Fire is oftentimes used

in the Bible to represent judgment. There's many

reasons for that. But if we just think about

fire and its power, its force, its dread. The

consuming nature of it. That gives us a good

idea of what the wrath of God is like. It's consuming.

It's dreadful. It's fearful. And why is that?

Because God is perfectly holy. God is perfectly

just. God is omniscient. He knows everything.

God is everywhere all the time. God knows our

hearts. He knows our motives. He knows our thoughts.

He knows our longings. He knows events. He knows

circumstances. He knows everything, brothers

and sisters. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

And His judgment is perfectly equitable. with

regards to repayment and retribution for sins

and transgressions, whether they be in heart,

thought, word, deed, or action. Nothing will

escape him. Nothing will be overlooked, and nothing

will be left out. When a person rejects the gospel

in Christ, they are making themselves an enemy

of the living God who will consume all his enemies

with eternal wrath and judgment. He will bring

inevitable punishment upon every single enemy

that stands against him when he returns. or when

they die. So there's a terrifying expectation

of judgment for all those who forsake Christ.

But we also have to consider the severity of

the judgment for those who forsake Christ and

the Gospel. We see this in verses 28 through

29. In verses 28 -29, the author uses a distinct

argument. A lesser to greater argument. And we've

seen this already throughout the book of Hebrews.

But I want to illustrate this, this argument,

in Hebrews chapter 2. Where the author does the

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

same thing. In Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1 -4,

Hebrews 2:1–4

for this reason we must pay much closer attention

to what we have heard, so that we do not drift

away from it. For if the word spoken through

angels proved unalterable, and every transgression

and disobedience received a just penalty, How

will we, meaning New Covenant believers or New

Covenant professing believers, escape if we neglect

so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken

through the Lord and it was confirmed to us by

those who heard, God also testifying with them

both by signs and wonders and by various miracles

and by gifts. and the Holy Spirit according to

His own will. The author is saying this, if there

was just penalty received and given out by God

for a word that came through angels, how much

more severe and how much stronger and how much

more will it be a reality for those who have

heard the gospel as witnessed by the apostles

and miracles. As the revelation is revealed and

made known in the Son of God, the full and final

revelation, how much more severe, how much more

great will that be than the lesser reality in

that argument? The author uses the same kind

of reality, the same kind of argument, I apologize,

Hebrews chapter 10, verses 28 through 29. The

Hebrews 10:28–29

lesser part of the argument, he's referring to

the Old Testament law. Specifically, Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:2–6

chapter 17, verses 2 through 6. Where an Israelite

would disregard the law of God. And if they intentionally

did so, that Israelite would be taken outside

the camp and stoned to death without mercy whatsoever.

Because they intentionally set aside the law

of God. They proved they were an apostate among

the people. The author says that this is the

lesser part of this argument. The greater part...

Of this argument. Is the new covenant realities

in Christ. That are listed. In verse 29. Those

realities where the individual tramples underfoot

the son of God. Where they regard as unclean

or common or ordinary. The blood of Christ that

consecrates the new covenant. And the insulting

of the spirit. of grace. Now think about the

two elements, the two parts of that argument.

There's transgression in the old covenant law

of the civil law, ceremonial law in particular.

And it deserves just penalty, death without mercy

for breaking God's law. Physical capital punishment,

death. How much more severe and how much greater

The severity and the judgment and the punishment

for those who sin against the Son of God Himself.

Who trample underfoot Christ, who took on flesh

and dwelt among us. How much greater the punishment

and the judgment, how much greater severity is

there for those who insult the Spirit of Grace.

Who have claimed to be a part of the community.

Who have claimed to worship God. Who have claimed

to know God Himself. And then they spit in His

face. And they renounce it and they reject it

and they deny it all. How much greater is what

the author goes on to ask. He's implying clearly

that those individuals deserve a far greater,

and they will receive a far greater judgment

than capital punishment without mercy by stoning.

Think about all the judgments of physical nature

in the Old Covenant. We can think about God bringing

the waters down on the heads of the Egyptian

soldiers who were pursuing the Israelites. That

terrible experience of suffocation and death

by the pressure and weight of the waves and drowning.

Those who are pursuing the people of God. And

the judgment of God consumes them physically.

How much greater. The one who forsakes Christ.

We could think about in the Old Covenant where

the ground opens up and swallows the rebellion

that the sons of Korah or the followers of Korah

were leading against Moses and Aaron because

of a haughty and arrogant and a prideful spirit

where they despised the authority of God. And

it swallows them up and all of their belongings

and all of their household and all of their followers.

How much greater. How much more severe. Those

who spit in the face of Christ and reject the

beauty of the gospel and the dignity of the work

that he has accomplished. We could think of so

many more. But we understand what the author.

is conveying. We understand what the author is

saying, don't we brothers and sisters? That new

covenant realities have a greater dignity to

them. So rejecting those realities brings with

it greater, more severe culpability and accountability

for that rejection and for sinning against those

things. That's the principle that we see present

in this text. We see this principle of greater

realities which have greater dignity. Christ,

the Spirit, the blood of Christ, the incarnate

Son of God, the new covenant sacrifice. the new

covenant realities, and thus we see greater transgression.

With greater light and knowledge comes greater

condemnation and judgment for those who despise

those realities. This judgment, which will be

more severe, will be perfectly equitable and

just and righteous because God is the one who

administers it. There are some similarities and

some dissimilarities between the lesser part

of that argument and the greater part of that

argument. The similarity is this, and this is

something that John Calvin points out, the similarity

is this, that in both those realities, the capital

punishment by stoning for intentionally breaking

God's law and trampling underfoot Christ and

new covenant realities, the similarity is this,

both will be without mercy. Both will be without

pity on the sake of the living God. Meaning when

God brings judgment upon sinners, when He either

brings them down to the grave and brings them

into judgment, or when He returns and He judges

those who are in rebellion against Him. Brothers

and sisters, When he administers that judgment

upon his enemies, his adversaries, he will do

so completely without mercy or pity. Meaning

he will never lift his hand because of your discomfort,

because of your pain, your anguish. He will never

give you relief. Because judgment is based on

justice. Judgment is based on His holy character.

It doesn't have to do with His mercy, which is

only in Christ. And when an individual rejects

that, they reject the mercy that is found only

in the Lord Jesus Christ. So there's this terrifying

expectation of judgment. And the judgment is

far more severe than the judgment of apostates

in the old covenant. But we also have to consider

the one who judges those who forsake Christ.

We see this in the last two verses, 30 through

31. For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine.

I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge

his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall

into the hands of the living God. Judgment and

punishment is carried out by God himself. It's

not some existential principle that exists in

the universe and somehow makes its way back to

the head of those who were bad and did bad things

in this life. Judgment is the punishment of the

living God for transgressing His character, for

profaning His Son, and for profaning and mocking

his people. This is something that the Lord alone

claims responsibility for. God says, I am the

judge. God says, I will bring about vengeance.

I will repay. Paul actually uses this same quotation

here in this text he's quoting from Deuteronomy

32, 35. And Paul uses that same reference in

Romans chapter 12. And he says, leave vengeance

Romans 12 · chapter mention

to God. Give room for the vengeance of God, the

retribution of God. Do you know why? Because

he can judge better than any of us ever can.

Because he has claimed that office and that function

solely and singularly for himself. He will bring

full and final, perfect, holy, righteous retribution

to all his enemies and all his adversaries as

he pleases. And he Alone will do this brothers

and sisters. I'm reminded of Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

4. Verse 13. Or verses 12 through 13. Where the

author says this. For the word of God is living.

And active. And sharper than any two edged sword.

And piercing as far as the division of soul and

spirit. Of both joints and marrow. and able to

judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And listen to verse 13. And there is no creature

hidden from his sight, but all things are open

and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we

have to do. God will bring retribution. and justice

to every enemy that is against him. To everyone

who has blasphemed his name and brought disrepute

to his character. And he will do so perfectly.

This judgment of God has to do with vindication,

brothers and sisters. repay. The Lord will judge

his people. What does God vindicate in judgment?

He vindicates his holy character. He vindicates

his word. He vindicates his son. He vindicates

his people. And he will do so fully and finally.

One day. Because God and God alone is judge.

Judgment is an inescapable reality for those

who are outside of Christ. The text says it is

a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of

the living God. Every single individual who falls

away from God, every single individual who forsakes

the living God, every single individual who rejects

the Son of God, every individual who denies the

gospel will fall into the hands of the living

God one day. either in their death or at His

return. It's inescapable. How can you avoid that

reality without Jesus Christ? How can you avoid

judgment and death without Jesus Christ and the

cross and His once for all sacrifice? You can't,

brothers and sisters. There's only one way. Through

the Lord Jesus Christ. The God who judges is

not some little idol. Like the idol worshippers

and the pagans and the Old Testament that we

see so often. When the Bible uses the terminology

the living God. It's speaking of Yahweh in distinction

from the idol worshippers and the idols of the

Old Covenant and the New Covenant where the people

are worshipping false gods and demons. People

can escape the judgment of their idol because

it's an idol and a piece of wood. It has no power.

It has no authority. It has no sovereignty. But

the God we have to do with is the creator of

the world, brothers and sisters. The reason that

we breathe and the reason that we exist, the

reason the world functions and the reason the

earth spins is because there's a maker in heaven

who created everything and he sustains everything

by the word of his power. And that same God who

is maker and creator Demands an answer for his

moral creatures. And he will have it. Every one

of his image bearers. Will give an account. They

will fall into his hands. Either his gracious

hands because they are in Christ. Or into his

hand of judgment. Because they've forsaken the

gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if

there's any among us who have a knowledge of

God, yet they have contempt in their heart for

the living God and the gospel which He has accomplished

in the Lord Jesus. I wonder if there's any in

this room. Who have professed to know the Lord

Jesus Christ by faith and repentance. Yet they

deny Him in their hearts with their lives. And

ultimately they hate Him in their hearts. Their

minds are darkened. I wonder if there's any here

now. Any present among us now. For that. Is the

case. If so. According to this text. It is explicitly

clear. What God's attitude. Towards you. And

towards your sin. Is. It's an attitude of judgment.

And hatred. Of that wicked evil. That's in rebellion.

Against him. Don't buy the lies of the world.

of the culture, of the flesh, or liberal Christianity,

brothers and sisters, that says that's only the

God of the Old Testament, God of the New Covenant,

He's loving, He's accepting. We're talking about

New Covenant realities. There's greater severity.

It's stronger. It's more dangerous. Don't believe

those lies. God is opposed to those outside of

Christ. He is against you. You are an enemy of

the living God who sustains the world. Without

Jesus Christ, you have a terrible fate ahead

of you. Without Jesus Christ, you have an eternal

future of suffering and torment under the wrath

of the living God. These are not metaphorical

realities. These are true realities according

to the Word of God. Without Christ, hell awaits

every single sinner. It will not be a place of

pleasantries. It will not be a place of enjoyment.

Brothers and sisters, it will be a place of terrible,

conscious, eternal torment. Don't think lightly

of the riches of His kindness, His tolerance,

and His patience in Christ. The gospel is still

being preached. Today is the day of salvation.

There is still opportunity for you to believe

upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There

is still opportunity for you to forsake your

sins and not forsake the living God. There is

still time for you to believe. There is still

time for you to humble yourself. there is still

time for you to run for the refuge that is in

Jesus Christ. You can still avoid His wrath.

You can still avoid the consuming fire that will

drink you down and consume you and swallow you

up in His holy wrath. But it's only found in

Christ. And Christ is extending His arms to you,

brothers and sisters. Friends, He is here right

now through His Spirit pleading with you. The

Word of God commands you to repent of your sins

and to trust in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.

Don't think lightly of His kindness and His tolerance

and His patience. You may not have tomorrow.

You may not be able to wait until you're a teenager.

You may not be able to wait until you're in college.

His judgment and His wrath is upon you and He

is free to bring you into hell anytime He pleases.

Don't think lightly of the time that He has given

to you to repent of your sins. Consider your

life. Consider your heart. Consider whether you,

are rejecting the gospel. Don't think lightly

of the time that He has given to you to hear

the gospel preached that you might repent and

believe on Christ. Now is the time to believe

the reality and the truth that the Son of God

took on flesh and dwelt among us. Now is the

time to believe the reality that the Son of God

took on flesh and dwelt among us and lived a

perfect life unto the law of God, obtaining righteousness

for His people. Now is the time to believe the

reality that Jesus Christ went to the cross to

suffer in the place of sinners who deserved that

wrath. He went as a substitute. Believe the reality

that He rose again, that He ascended to the Father,

and that one day He's returning. Believe the

Gospel and turn from your sins today. Now, don't

think lightly of the fact that you have tomorrow.

Run to Christ now. Run to Christ. Today. Don't

put it off. Believer, true believer, regenerate

believer, praise God. Praise the living God because

of His grace and His mercy and the Lord Jesus

Christ. Do you know, believer, that you will

never, ever spend one second in hell? You will

never spend one moment under the wrath of God.

Because you are in Christ. One more moment in

Christ. You will never be subject to God as judge

again. He is your Father. There will be times

when He disciplines you. When He corrects you

as a loving, legitimate son or daughter. But

brothers and sisters, that's from His love. That's

not from His wrath. The believer is safe and

secure. They have eternal life. Heaven, the new

heavens and the new earth, and all their eternal

future ahead of them. Praise God. Continue to

put your trust in Christ over and over and over.

Continue to repent of your sin over and over

and over. And praise Him for His mercy and His

grace which is only found in the Gospel of Jesus

Christ.