Go Sin No More

“If we deliberately* keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”- Hebrews 10:26-27 

          The writer of Hebrews rather bluntly lays out the future a sinner can expect if they are redeemed & then continue to deliberately go on sinning in the face of God’s miraculous grace. Grace is unmerited or undeserved favor. Sin cannot exist in the presence of God, who has no falseness in Him. It is out of ignorance that people sin to begin with. It is continued ignorance once they know of their sin & continue on in it. It can be nothing short of amazing that people shun the reading of God’s word which can sustain them through the truth written within. Knowing the truth & acting on it are two very different things; just like hearing God’s word preached & immediately forgetting what was said. God is patient. He created us so He knows what He’s dealing with; a stiff-necked people with a propensity for self-destruction. 

          The beginning of chapter 10 speaks of how there is no longer any sacrifice needed, as there was in Old Testament times. Then there was a blood sacrifice required each year to cleanse each individual of their sins. Once Christ came onto the scene, the emphasis shifted off annual animal sacrifices to one sacrifice meant for all for all time. Christ’s blood was necessary to cleanse all of mankind; like bleach removes stains from a dirtied white garment. No repeated sacrifice would ever be needed again if you embrace God’s salvation. If you don’t, you’re still bound up in your sin & have no hope of being cleansed. 

          I don’t have to experience a lake of fire to know that it’s an experience I do not want to go through. I have a pretty vivid imagination, so it isn’t all that difficult for me to see in my mind’s eye a person flailing about in a fiery lake. Not a place I want to be. There is a benefit however to having this image burned in our minds. It can lead us to take more seriously the fate of those around us who don’t know Christ. We need to extend our hand as a means of showing them truth, kindness, mercy & grace. We must avoid continued sin by letting God live through us & reach outward rather than inward as we strive to be more like Christ. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Deliberate 1. done consciously and intentionally; not impulsive.