Hebrews 10

A sincere heart is a heart that has been cleansed and purified. Only the pure in heart will get to see God (Matthew 5:8). Jesus our high priest has cleansed us from a guilty conscience (see Hebrews 9:14). Our hearts have been sprinkled (verse 22); that is, our hearts have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus.

Not only our hearts have been cleansed; ourbodies, too, havebeenwashed—washed with pure water (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). This bodily or outward “washing” occurs at our baptism.¹⁹ Thus, through Christ, we have been made clean both outwardly (ceremonially) and also inwardly (spiritually).

23 Again the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess—that is, to stand firm in the faith we profess (see Hebrews 3:14). Let us not waver. God never wavers. Man’s promises may fail, but God’s promises are sure. God is faithful to fulfill His word. Therefore, since our hope is placed on the sure promises of a faithful God, we have no reason to waver.

24 If anyone begins to waver, let us be quick to encourage and strengthen him. Let us spur each other toward love and good deeds. Let us see that no one among us falls back. Together we are strong, but alone we are weak.

25 Some of these Hebrew believers had stopped meeting together. Let this not happen among us. Only by meeting together in fellowship can we encourage and strengthen one another.

There are many reasons why Christians stop meeting together. In some countries, it may be fear of government authorities that keeps Christians from meeting. Others may stop meeting because of ill feelings toward other believers. Some may refuse to meet together because of pride; they think they don’t need the fellowship and support of others. Sometimes we don’t go to church because of some sin in our lives. We know that we cannot continue in sin and at the same time have true fellowship with other believers, so we choose to give up the fellowship instead of our sin. Our conscience is unclean; we find it hard to look into our brother’s face. All these reasons for avoiding fellowship are wrong reasons, sinful reasons. Therefore, we should never give up meeting together for any of these reasons.

… but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. The Day is the day of Christ’s second coming. The Hebrews expected that Day to come quickly. They were suffering persecution; but they hoped that their suffering would not last long, and that Christ would return soon. Therefore, the writer says to them: Do not be discouraged; in a little while your suffering will end.

Let us also have that same mind. We do not know what day Christ will return; but we must remain firm in faith until He comes, so that we will not lose our inheritance in heaven (see verses 35-36).

26-27 If we deliberately keep on sinning,²⁰ Christ’s sacrifice is no longer of any benefit to us; no sacrifice for sins is left (verse 26). Because, according to verse 29, when we keep on sinning in this way without repentance, we trample the Son of God under foot; we treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant—that is, we despise His sacrifice for us; we insult the (Holy) Spirit of grace, through whom we have received all the blessings of Christ (see Mark 3:29 and comment). If we do all this, we have, in fact, completely given up our faith in Christ. And if we give up our faith in Christ, our salvation is lost. But it’s possible that anyone who does all this never had true faith to begin with (see 1 John 3:6).

The writer of Hebrews is not talking here about those sins we do from time to time, and afterwards repent of. Because this kind of sin God is ready to forgive quickly and erase from memory (see 1 John 1:9 and comment). Instead, the writer is here talking about those sins which we continue doing deliberately without repentance (see Hebrews 6:4-6 and comment). The man who sins in this way surely has no true faith.

28 According to the Old Testament, those who rejected the law of Moses (the Jewish law) received the death sentence (Deuteronomy 17:2-7). Their physical bodies were put to death.

29 But how much more severe will be the punishment of those who reject Christ after having received a knowledge of the truth! (verse 26). If after having “accepted” Christ we then reject Him, we shall receive not only physical death but also spiritual death for all eternity.

30 The writer here quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35-36. If in the course of deliberately sinning we cease to believe, our “faith” will no longer protect us. God will repay us. The Lord will judge his people. He will separate true believers from false believers. If we, having once been counted among His people, afterward fall away, we shall in no way escape God’s judgment (Hebrews 3:12).

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This verse is not written primarily for non-believers; rather, it is written primarily for those who first “believe” and then later fall away. We always like to talk about the love and mercy ofGod. But we must also keep in mind that God shows no love or mercy to those who deliberately keep sinning against Him and who persist in rejecting His Son Jesus.

32 When we first become Christians, we are usually filled with enthusiasm, zeal, and courage. If trouble comes on us because of our faith, we are ready to bear it with joy. We happily stand our ground in the great contest with Satan. These Hebrews were like that (see Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:41).

33 These Hebrews had been publicly exposed to insult and persecution. When some of them suffered, the others came and stood with them; they didn’t run away and hide. If one brother was persecuted, they were all ready to be persecuted (see 1 Corinthians 12:26).

34 In New Testament times, prisoners in jail often starved to death. They relied on the help of friends and relatives to survive. But it was very risky for a believer to go and visit another Christian in jail, because frequently the visiting believer was also put in jail. Nevertheless, these Hebrews had not abandoned their brothers in prison. They remembered the words of Jesus: “I was in prison, and you came to visit me. … I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:34-40).

Because their enemies were numerous and powerful, some ofthese Hebrew Christians had lost their land, their possessions, their family inheritance. Yet they had joyfully accepted this loss because they knew that they had better and lasting possessions in heaven (see Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

But now what had happened to these Hebrews? Their initial zeal was beginning to cool. Now they had started to run from suffering. They had begun again to love their possessions. They were no longer so willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake.

Is this situation also true in our church today? Has our initial love for Jesus cooled off? Brothers and sisters, let this not be! Listen to the words of Jesus: “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:3-5).

35 Therefore, says the writer: Remember those earlier days (verse 32). In those days you showed courage. So do not throw away your confidence.

36 God has promised to reward us. But we must persevere, and we must continue to do the will of God with perseverance until the end; otherwise, we shall lose our reward. We shall lose what he has promised.

37-38 The writer here quotes from Hab-akkuk 2:3-4. He who is coming—that is, Christ—will come and will not delay (see 2 Peter 3:8-9). In verse 38, my righteous one is the believer in Christ who remains firm in persecution, who lives by faith. But if he shrinks back, God will not be pleased with him.

39 Therefore, let us not shrink back. Because if we do, we not only will lose our reward (verse 36); we will also be destroyed (see Mark 8:35; 13:13; Luke 21:19).