Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
From: The Life Application Study Bible
26 “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of GOD’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume HIS enemies.” ~ Hebrews 10:26-27
When people deliberately reject Christ’s offer of salvation, they reject GOD’s most precious gift. They ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit, the one who communicates to us GOD’s saving love. This warning was given to Jewish Christians who were tempted to reject Christ for Judaism, but it applies to anyone who rejects Christ for another religion or, having understood Christ’s atoning work, deliberately turns away from it. – 30 “But those who brazenly violate the LORD’s will, whether native Israelites or foreigners, blaspheme the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. 31 Since they have treated the LORD’s Word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed HIS commands, they must be completely cut off and suffer the consequences of their guilt.” – Numbers 15:30-31 – GOD is willing to forgive those who made unintentional errors if they realized their mistakes quickly and corrected them. However, those who brazenly and deliberately sinned received a harsher judgment. Intentional sin grows out of an improper attitude toward GOD. A child who knowingly disobeys his parents challenges their authority and dares them to respond. Both the act and the attitude have to be dealt with.
28 “I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; 29 but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.” 30 He told them this because they were saying He had an evil spirit.” – Mark 3:28-30 – Christians sometimes wonder if they have committed this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Christians need not worry because this sin is attributing to the devil, the work of the Holy Spirit. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentance. Deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy because it is rejecting GOD HIMSELF. The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, but ironically they were the guilty ones when they looked Jesus in the face and accused Him of being possessed by Satan.
The point is that there is no other acceptable sacrifice for sin than the death of Christ on the cross. If someone deliberately rejects the sacrifice of Christ after clearly understanding the Good News teaching about it, then there is no way for that person to be saved, because GOD has not provided any other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. – “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.” – Acts 4:12 – If GOD designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be His equal. Christians are to be open-minded on many issues but not on how we are saved from sin. Many people react negatively to the fact that there is no other name than that of Jesus to call on for salvation. Yet this is not something the church decided; it is the specific teaching of Jesus Himself. – “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6 – Jesus is the way because He is both GOD and man. By uniting our lives with His, we are united with GOD. Jesus says He is the only way to GOD the Father. Some people may argue that this way is too narrow. In reality, it is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying, “Thank you, GOD, for providing a sure way to get to YOU!” As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, He is the reality of all GOD’s promises. As the life, He joins His divine life to ours, both now and eternally. Trust Jesus to take you to the Father, and all the benefits of being GOD’s child will be yours. No other religious teacher could die for our sins; no other religious teacher came to earth as GOD’s only Son; no other religious teacher rose from the dead. Our focus should be on Jesus, whom GOD provided as the way to have an eternal relationship with HIMSELF. There is no other way!
Father, help those who are confused about the way to an eternal relationship with YOU, be confused no more. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no one else. There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. No one can come to YOU, Father except through YOUR Son, Jesus Christ. Thank YOU, LORD for providing a sure way to get to YOU.
Photo: Cades Cove (Tennessee)
Photo By: Lisa K Gonzales
Click on the photo to enlarge
