Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 24 Hebrews 10:26 – 39 Should There Be Second-Class Saints?

I. Introduction A.Clyde Riddell – my high school teacher B.This is one of the “tough texts” in Hebrews. C.The argument of Hebrews Christ’s superior sacrifice (10:1-18) 2. Exhortation (10:19-25) 3. Warning (10:26-31) 4. Encouragement and exhortation(10:32-39) D.The structure of our text: 1. Strong warning (10:26-31) 2. Words of encouragement (10:32-39)

II. Words of Warning (10: 26-31) A.“For” links vss with vss B.Note the use of the pronoun “we” – the author links himself and others with the warning. C.“Deliberately keep on sinning” (See Numbers 15:27-31) 1. The sin is willful, deliberate, and persistent. 2. The sin is further clarified in verse 29: a.“Has contempt for the Son of God” b.“Profanes the blood of the covenant” c.“Insults the Spirit of grace” (see 1 Corinthians 12:3)

D.The consequences of this kind of sin. 1. “Fiery fury on God’s enemies” (v. 27; see Isaiah 26:11; 33:14) 2. Judgment worse than death under the law (vss ; see Deuteronomy 17:2-7). 3. God’s vengeance and judgment on His people (v. 30; see Deut. 32:5, 35-36). 4. The terror of falling into the hands of the living God (v. 31).

III. Words of Encouragement (10:32-39) A.Note the change in pronouns from “we” to “you.” B.“After you were enlightened” (See 6:4) C.The nature of their earlier persecution, successfully endured (vss ): 1. Personal abuse – public ridicule 2. Sharing in the sufferings of others a.Showing sympathy to prisoners b.Having property confiscated D.The basis for their perseverance: assurance that true riches awaited them in heaven (compare 1 Peter 1:3-9).

E.Exhortations (10:35-39): 1. Don’t throw away your confidence, which has great reward (v. 35). 2. You need endurance to do God’s will and receive His promised blessings (v. 36). 3. It won’t be long before Christ returns to judge His enemies and reward His own (v. 37). 4. You must endure by faith, for God is not pleased with those who shrink back in fear (v. 38). F.Final word of encouragement: Look whom we are among (v. 39).

IV. How do I resolve the tensions in the text? A.There is a tension. I believe those being warned are believers, and that the judgment described is mainly eternal judgment that is executed when Christ returns. B.The worth of Christ’s work & His work is to be measured by benefits and consequences. C.Believers can learn from God’s dealings with the lost (see Proverbs 19:25). D.There are two choices as to how one will respond to Christ’s sacrifice, and the author spells out both, and their consequences. Compare Romans 6.

V. Conclusion A.These conclusions are those that nearly all should agree with, regardless of our differences in the solution to the problems of this text. B.Principles, implications and applications. 1. A deeper understanding of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ is the ground and basis for our faith. (No wonder the author persisted in dealing with the deeper, poorly grasped truths of our Lord’s priesthood.) 2. Greater knowledge brings greater responsibility (see Luke 12:45-48). 3. Suffering is no excuse for silence. Our identification with Christ and His church must be public – no secret believers.

4. Our identification with Christ includes and necessitates identification with His church, specifically with suffering saints. 5. If you are not drawing near you are drifting (and drifting is dangerous). 6. Carnal Christianity is not acceptable. 7. Moving forward in our faith sometimes require us to look back. 8. The greatness of Christ’s saving work must not be viewed as a pretext for sin (see Romans 6 as well). 9. The Christian life is not a solo – once again the body of Christ is emphasized.

Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 24 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for January 25, Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.