Keep sharing good news without ads.
Bro. Otis Fisher
Hebrews 10, 26 really, because I want to pick up a word there. For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice or sin. The Greek word translated willfully.
27 says, but a certain fearful looking for the judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. This Greek word willfully is a very strong word. It means deliberately. In other words, the person has thought it through, weighed it, settled his mind.
The language here does not signify a sudden impulse, but settled intentions after thorough thought. The word is used only twice in the entire New Testament here and in 1 Peter 5 too. Willful sinning is the sin of apostasy.
Can a committed born-again believer commit apostasy? Verge, Greg, what do you think? Can a sinner, or can a believer commit apostasy? Well, all right, all right. There are those who argue that this refers to a person, that this refers to a person who has been genuinely born again, but receiving the knowledge of the truth is quite different from receiving the finished work of Christ in faith and thus being born of his spirit.
To receive the knowledge of the truth is simply to have a mental apprehension of the doctrine of the Christian faith, not necessarily to practice these doctrines, but to know them through the mental and from a mental standpoint.
The Hebrews who professed to embrace Christianity openly renounced the Levitical sacrifices that had been offered under the Mosaic economy. Now, if they turned from the possessed faith, they automatically renounced the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.
And since he died and now lives to die no more, they could never claim his sacrifice again. In other words, a born-again believer cannot commit apostasy, but those that know the truth, know about the truth, can.
That's right. That's right. You can carry it right up to believing. You won't believe unless you're called, but you can do everything else, not believe. You can sin. You can, as Bill was saying, do everything except you didn't believe in the heart.
There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. This is clear to all who are willing to compare Scripture with Scripture and spiritual things with spiritual. Those who do not understand it either do not want to understand it or are married to a religion that has no respect for their denominational leaders, has more respect for their denominational leaders than they do for the word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Here is clearly set forth a dreadful alternative awaiting those who have come to see the light of truth but refuse to walk in it. That's right. If you put anything ahead of God. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
Again, Paul brings the law of Moses to the witness stand. To doubt, he refers here to Deuteronomy 17 .2 -7. Turn over to that, if you will, please. Deuteronomy 17 .2 -7. Bill, you read it when you arrive.
It's an awful thing to pretend to be a Christian. It's worse to not know. I mean, it's worse than not knowing. Then Paul cries out that awful warning of verse 29. How much sore punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
God hates sin just as much today as he ever did. He hates sin as much as he did during Moses' time. The difference is that the sin question was settled in Jesus. And God can be just and just and yet justify the sinner.
We find in the Bible that the Son, capital S-O-N, was known as the Son of Man. We find him known as the Son of God. For next week, I want you to search out where it says that God's Son is born. You understand?
Fine. Well, I want you to find it no matter how it's worded that the Son, capital S-O-N, is born of Mary. Any argument about the misunderstanding of what I want? All right, 29. Of how much sore 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, being Jesus, was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the grace of God.
Wherein he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace. I'm a little confused. Of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he, meaning Jesus, was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace.
How much punishment do you think is necessary for someone that says Jesus' blood had nothing to do with it? You have trodden it underfoot. You've spit in the face of the spirit. John 17, 19,. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
This is proof that the reading was correct. For we know him that hath said vengeance but longeth unto me. I will recompense, saith the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.
Man cannot rebel against God and despise God's government without judicial and righteous judgment falling upon him. That's right. But let him do the judging. That's right. You can no longer say God will get you for that.
That's right. Only those that believe it will see it. You cannot say God will get you for that. Well, I know, but we say that so often and we cannot say that. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.
Man cannot rebel against God and despise God's government without judicial and righteous judgment falling upon him. Sometime, I don't know when, but it'll come. No man has ever rebelled against God and gotten away with it.
He may think he has. All will meet a holy God. All of these so-called... And they use the name God. I wish they wouldn't, but they are. And to them, it is the God, but it isn't. For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.
David, does that mean everybody? What does it mean, every knee will bow to me? I asked that question in class a long time ago in Garland English, which few of you know. I asked him what that means, and he said, that means both of them.
Yes, absolutely. But his righteous wrath will fall in due season upon all who reject his shed blood of his beloved son, woe unto all who count the blood of the covenant as an unholy thing, a common thing.
Woe unto all who do despite unto the Spirit of grace. Thirty-two. But call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of affliction. What does this mean, after you were illuminated, Greg?
All right. Illuminated means it was done to you. They were enlightened for the truth as it becomes real in their heart. We don't know all of the truth yet. You can study all of the time, and you won't know all of the truth.
The Christian's present conflict may be sharp, but will be over soon. You can withstand anything if you know there's an end, if you know that it won't be long until it lets up. Our Lord never is pleased with the formal profession and outward duties and services of such as do not persevere.
But he beholds them with great displeasure, and those who have been kept faithful in great trials are repeated. The Christian's present conflict may be difficult. How many of you think it's difficult?
But it'll be over soon. Those who have been kept faithful in great trials for the time past have reason to hope for the same grace to help them still to live by faith till they receive the end of their faith and patience, even the salvation of their souls.
Living by faith and dying in faith, our souls are safe forever. Are you saved right now? Are you as saved as you will be tomorrow? When will you realize full salvation? We won't realize it until we're there.
Now, we're saved forever, no doubt about it. But we're not as saved as we will be in his presence. When all of us, our total being, is saved, we'll be saved from the presence of sin. It won't be around us.
None of us know what that is. Partly whilst you were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst you became companions of them that were so used. That is, even when they had not themselves been subjected to these trials, they had sympathy with those who were.
Some Christians are subjected more than others. For ye had compassion of me and my bonds, this is Paul speaking, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance.
They were deprived of their inheritance, earthly inheritance. They were turned out of their homes. They were plundered of their goods. They wandered about in sheepskins, goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented.
To suffer such persecution patiently was great. To endure without a murmur was greater. Do you think that ever come to this country? And this land? I hope not, but it may. To rejoice in it was greatest of all.
How could they do all of this? The next clause tells us, knowing in yourselves that they had the fullest evidence that they were the children of God, the Spirit itself bearing this witness to their spirits, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus the Christ.
What's the difference between joint heir and co-heir, Greg? We're not co-heirs. We're joint heirs. We each have that that belongs to us. In Romans 8, 17, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, if it so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
They knew that heaven was their portion, and that to it they had a sure and right title by Jesus Christ. This accounts, and this alone can account, for their taking joyfully the spoiling of their goods.
They had Christ in their hearts. They knew that they were his children, that they had a kingdom, but that kingdom was not of this world. They had the support they needed, and they had it in the time in which they needed it most.
We can put ourselves right there. We have it in a time when we need it most, individually. 35, cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
When will the will of God, ask that differently, how long will you do the will of God, urge? In this life, there's the temptation to sin. We follow the flesh once in a while. In the other life, we'll follow him totally.
So, his will is done in our lives according to his will, even though we do not realize that it is his will. I cannot explain that very well, but it is not sin to him. Sin is on our part, or the flesh part.
Patience and faith are wedded in scripture. After exercising faith in the midst of trials, then they are to display patience with the future hope of fulfillment of faith. Will there be faith in heaven, Bill?
Will we have faith in heaven? We won't need it. We do need it now. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. It seems as though Christ is just waiting and waiting and waiting, waiting for one more to be saved, waiting for me to get right.
Is that true? No. It may seem like it, and you may hear that, but God's not waiting on anything. He's not waiting on the opportunity in any area. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and not tarry.
I hear the expression many times, I'll see you next time, Brother Otis, Lord Tarry. Is he tarry? He is not tarry. Yes. Yes, the Lord tarry. I've got news for those people who say that. The Lord is not going to tarry.
Some folks act as though he'll keep putting off his coming, that he is tarrying. He is not going to tarry. It is on his calendar to come. Somebody asked, when is he coming? Well, I don't know. He hasn't let me look at his calendar.
But I think that there are people that claim to have seen his calendar and know when he's coming. But my Bible tells me nobody knows. However, we can be sure that Jesus Christ will come on the day appointed.
Does Christ know yet when he's coming? But that's all we know. Yes. He may know now. That's right. Do the angels know? That's right. Well, it's the people that are there. As far as we know, no one knows.
No one knows when he's coming. We can't go beyond that. We can't suppose this or that. But it's just as certain as his first visitor, 38. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
There have been several references to the living God, and this epistle tells of a living intercessor. He is the same one who died on the cross for us and come back from the dead. The emphasis is upon his resurrection and his being the living Christ at God's right hand.
Therefore, since we know we are his own and have a living with God and a living Savior at God's right hand, we shall live by faith. It has to be by faith. I have faith in him. As I have said before, our faith is not a leap in the dark.
It rests upon the word of God. The just shall live by faith. Now in this epistle to the Galatians, Paul emphasizes faith. The just shall live by faith. If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure.
Draw back means to take in the sale. It's a nautical term to lower your sale. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. We also believe. The writer to the Hebrews did not consider that they had drawn back.
But he is speaking of the danger of doing so, and he is giving them this warning. Since draw back means to take in the sale, the believer is like a sailor who should let out all of the sale. That is what the writer has been telling us.
These folks, let us go on. Let us trust. Let us have faith. His thought is that a believer could bar his sails, become stranded because of discouragement, because of persecution, because of hardship, because of depression.
But since we have a living sailor, Savior, we go on. Let's open up all of the sale. Let's move on for God. Do you remember the story of the French Huguenots? Anybody remember that from history? They were persecuted.
They were betrayed. When France destroyed them, it destroyed the best of French manhood and womanhood. The French Huguenots went into battle knowing they were facing certain death. Their motto was, if God be for us, who can be against us?
The nation of France has never since been the nation it was before they were destroyed. We believers today need a motto like this, like the Huguenots. There is a lot of booing today about Christians. There is a lot of emotional.
There is a lot of complaining and criticism. There are a bunch of crybabies and babies that need to be birthed. My Christian friend, the whole tenor of this marvelous epistle is, let us go on. So let us go on.
All right, does anyone have anything to add? No, we didn't finish 11. Well, let's stand and verge dismissal, please. What? Yes. No, it's not the beginning. Then we'll start with 16. Verge.