Introduction:

This past week the Journal of America College of Cardiology researchers say e-cigarette flavors can cause blood vessel dysfunction and increase risk of heart disease. They claim when exposing the cells to six different flavors of e-liquid it can result in significate damage. The debate is not over on the subject but we all know that smoking is bad for you. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths. In 2017, 14 of every 100 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older currently smoked cigarettes. This means an estimated 34.3 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes. More than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease. The consequences don’t change; many will die from the negative effects no matter how much information they have received because they never really assimilate the truth to the point of changing. This principle is sort of what is happening in this chapter.

We saw that the new covenant was presented to Israel, to this community of Jews. The writer of Hebrews is presenting the facts that Christianity is their answer, that the new covenant far outshines the old, that it’s a better priesthood with a better priest who is a better mediator who made a better sacrifice, which sealed a better covenant. And he urges them to respond to the new covenant in faith. But even with all the facts…they can’t handle the truth.

They have only two choices. The first one he talks about in verse 19 to 25 where he tells them, be positive. Respond to the new covenant by coming to Christ. The second is negative…if you don’t, here’s what happens. If you falls back, it’s a negative response and …

I. People will die in their sins (10:26-31).
If we habitually continue to sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (10:26).

1. If a person knows what Christ has done on the cross, understands it, and deliberately continues to sin, that person has rejected the only sacrifice that can save them. The writer is exhorting don’t give up your hope in Christ, because He is your only hope of avoiding God’s judgment. Besides Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, there is no other sacrifice for deliberate sin. This verse doesn’t refer to believers losing their salva¬tion.

a) All Christians sin (1 Jn 1:8), but sin is the exception, not the rule. It has nothing to do with backsliders in our common use of that term. A man may be overtaken in a fault, or he may deliberately go into sin, and yet neither renounce the Gospel, nor deny the Lord that bought him. His case is dreary and dangerous, but it is not hopeless.” (Clarke)

Note in verse 27 the word adversaries? Adversary is a name for Satan. Notice he lumps the apostates in the same case with Satan and gives them the same name because, you know, Satan is the classic apostate. Satan, once that beautiful angel but he apostatized, didn’t he?…

Israel never got over the past. Israel got out in the wilderness and which way did they look…toward Cana?…toward Egypt. The problem with people is they never get over the past; past sorrow, grieve and guilt. The success of one’s life is to overcome and move on but these Jews were living in the past and even knowing the undebatable truth desire to go backwards.

2. Anyone who rejected Moses’ law died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses (10:28; Deut. 17:2-7). If the penalty for rejecting the Law was physical death, how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing (10: 29a-d)? Deliberately rejecting Christ after accepting His offer of salvation is like putting your foot on His neck, treating His blood as worthless, and insulting His grace. You can’t do that without repercussions!

3. Refusing to accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins is the same as to have trodden underfoot the Son of God and treated His blood as unholy. What does it mean to “tread under foot. It is like showing contempt for our national flag by walking on it.

4. Someone who rejects the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the forgive¬ness of their sins is committing the unpardonable sin. (10:29e). The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and the truth of the Bible (Jn. 16:8).

II Only genuine faith saves (10:32-39).

1. After a harsh warning, the writer reminds his readers that their past actions prove they have genuine faith: But call to remembrance the former days. Here is positive encouragement not to go back if you know the truth…two things. Number one is remembrance. The first thing you do is remember. Verse 32: “But call to remembrance the former days…” Hey, do you remember when you first came to Christ and how it was…you came to the fellowship of believers and you heard about Christ. I’m not talking about being saved yet, but just the facts.
Partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflic¬tions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

34For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance (10:32-34). It is impossible for an unbeliever or a fake believer to have that kind of faith. If you ever doubt your salvation, look back at changes Jesus Christ made in your life when you first be¬lieved. Why, according to verse 35?

We all have need of patience so we will continue to do the will of God and receive the promise (10:36). To persevere in the faith, we need to look back at the changes Christ has made in our lives. We will be encouraged by this and receive fresh power from God to persevere now.

2. The second one is reward. Verse 35: “…which hath great recompense of reward.” Hey, remember that if you really come to Christ and you stick in there, God’s got some wonderful things in store for you. So he says, look back and then what? … look forward. And there’s a very good point here. The one place he didn’t want them to look was right where they were at because that’s when they got hassled. Quit looking at your problems. Quit looking at the persecution and all the junk that’s cluttering up your mind. Look back and remember how wonderful it once was and look ahead and remember how wonderful it’s gonna be. Reward.

Quoting Habakkuk 2:3-4, the writer next reminds us Christ is coming soon and will not tarry. In the meantime, the just shall live by faith (10:37-38). True believers are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (10:39). True believers persevere to the end and have the promise in Jude 24?

Conclusion:
We are saved by God’s power and grace and also kept by His power and grace.
As Christians, we should approach God with confidence, associate with other believers, alienate sin from our lives, and anticipate reward for endurance.

Jesus makes this statement, in Matthew cp. 12 verse 31. “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven against men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the age to come.