The Obedience of the Faithful

Hebrews 10:26-39

Main Idea: A true Christian not only lives a life of obedience to God but also endures and is faithful in the midst of persecution. The one who places his faith in Christ will ultimately have reason for confidence in the promise of hope at his return.

1. A Fearful Warning (10:26-27)
2. The Judgment of God (10:28-31)
   1. Disregarding the law of Moses
   2. Three marks of apostasy
   3. In the hands of the living God
3. The Faith of Those Who Endure (10:32-39)
   1. Recall the earlier days
   2. Those who do not draw back

The Bible’s hard passages help us grasp a fuller understanding of the whole counsel of God. If we skip over challenging passages, we will become biblically impoverished. Consequently, when our Bible reading is impoverished, so too is our growth in godliness. We must seek to understand the Bible’s difficult parts by reference to its clearer parts. As the Reformers taught us, Scripture interprets Scripture. Difficult passages become clearer when we set them within the context of the entire canon. Reading Hebrews 10:26-39 requires this approach.

Hebrews 10:26-39 is one of three warning passages in Hebrews. Its admonitions are some of the most severe found in the Bible. They are sobering and haunting, and they ought to drive us toward faithfulness. As the author of Hebrews will soon show, the perils of abandoning the faith are too costly to bear.

A Fearful Warning

Hebrews 10:26-27

The writer concludes his section of assurance with a warning. The Greek word translated “deliberately” is actually at the beginning of the sentence. He uses this structure to emphasize a specific point for his readers: do not remain in sin. The warning against sinning “deliberately” does not mean that all sin we commit nullifies Jesus’s sacrifice for us. Rather, it means that if you continue in sin and definitely refuse to repent, then you essentially reject the gospel and willingly walk the path that leads to destruction. In that sense, there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins because you rejected the only valid sacrifice and turned your back on the only One who can justify you before God. There is no forgiveness for a person who has made that decision.

What does the author mean by “receiving the knowledge of the truth”? This refers to those who hear and know the gospel and still deliberately and definitely reject it, even though they understand its truthfulness. The author also has in mind those who at one time embraced the Christian faith but have since apostatized. At one time they claimed to be believers, but their profession proved false. Rather than enduring in the faith, they abandoned it to pursue sin (most likely when under persecution). There can be no forgiveness for those who apostatize.

Jesus warns about such people in Matthew 13. He spoke of the gospel seed falling in shallow soil and showing immediate signs of life but dying out when persecution came. The initial sign of life does not describe regeneration, only spiritual interest. The regenerated life, by contrast, is transformed, bears new fruit, and has a lasting eternal impact. This parable, like Hebrews 10:26, is a sobering reminder that hell is full of people who have a clear understanding of the gospel but never bowed the knee to Christ as King. The apostle John also warns us that there will be those who identify with God’s people but eventually abandon his church (1 John 2:19). We have been warned. The Bible is clear. Those who go on sinning willfully and deliberately after receiving the knowledge of truth will not find forgiveness in the end.

Verse 28 tells us what is in store for those who go on sinning deliberately. Rather than receiving merciful forgiveness for their sins, they receive justice for them. They await God’s coming judgment because they have rejected the Son. Instead of aligning with God’s people, the church, they have chosen to identify with his adversaries. The judgment here refers to God’s final judgment when he will condemn all of his enemies once and for all. The language of verse 27 also recalls Isaiah 26:11, which details the day God will judge his adversaries with fire. As we will see in a later verse, our God is a consuming fire. Those who reject Christ make themselves enemies of God and will be subject to his wrath. This is a sobering reminder.

The Judgment of God

Hebrews 10:28-31

The author of Hebrews continues his argument by appealing to the Old Testament again. In this passage he once more compares the Mosaic law with the new covenant. Additionally, he highlights the severity of falling into God’s hands on account of one’s rejection of Jesus. These are weighty warnings against apostasy. We must not treat them lightly.

Disregarding the Law of Moses

Disregarding the law of Moses primarily refers to breaking the first commandment, which forbids idolatry. The phrase is shorthand for a total rejection of the whole Old Testament law God gave to Israel through Moses. Those who disregard the law of Moses forfeit the right to become children of Israel.

Disregarding the law of Moses, then, should not be thought of in terms of merely ignoring the law. It refers to an egregious and high-handed rebellion against God himself. Thus, those who violated the law in this manner, based on the witness of two or three people, were put to death without mercy. This punishment for committing idolatry makes the words of Hebrews 10:29 that much more severe.

Three Marks of Apostasy

Verse 29 shows that those who trample the Son of God, regard as profane the blood of the covenant, and outrage the Holy Spirit will have an even more severe punishment than that found in the Old Testament. Those who disregarded the law of Moses received an earthly punishment; those who disregard the revelation of Jesus Christ receive a worse punishment. The author of Hebrews employs a rhetorical question to demonstrate just how seriously apostasy will be judged. The offense is threefold: (1) trampling underfoot the Son of God, (2) regarding as profane the blood of the covenant, and (3) insulting the Holy Spirit.

The first offense, trampling underfoot the Son of God, describes those who reject the identity of Christ. Jesus extrapolates this idea in John 14 when he says that if a person rejects the Son, he rejects the Father. This is a crucial point. Those who reject the divinity of Christ and his sonship reject the Father and no longer have a sacrifice for sins.

The second offense, regarding as profane the blood of the covenant, evokes the Old Testament and the respect for holy things in the tabernacle and the temple. To touch any holy object without being purified was to invite instant destruction. Hebrews 10:29 shows treating the blood of the covenant—that is, the blood of the covenant sacrifice, Jesus Christ—like it was profane is even more egregious than denigrating or belittling the holy objects in the temple (see 1 Sam 2:17). To treat the blood of the covenant as profane essentially means not to believe that the blood of Christ can effect purification for sins. We have already seen the centrality and power of his blood throughout the letter (9:12,14,25-26; 10:19), and verse 29 is no different. We are told that the blood of the covenant sanctifies us. To disregard Christ’s blood is to spurn the purification it accomplishes.

The third offense, insulting the Spirit of grace, refers to disparaging the Holy Spirit, which is the equivalent of blaspheming the Spirit (Matt 12:31-32). Because the Father gives the Holy Spirit through Jesus to comfort and help believers (John 16:7), those who reject Jesus also reject the Spirit. Those who apostatize essentially make themselves an enemy of the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is insulted by those who transgress against Christ.

In the Hands of the Living God

The author quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35-36 in verse 30. Moses spoke these words just before the Israelites entered the promised land. The author uses these citations to anchor his argument that those who sin deliberately deserve worse punishment. The quotations leave little doubt that God will indeed judge those who reject him. His divine vengeance and justice await those who trample the Son, regard his blood as profane, and insult the Spirit. Earthly justice is often inadequate, but the Lord’s justice will be perfectly administered. We must not fall into his hands the way Israel did.

This should strike real fear into the hearts of those who disregard Christ. God’s final judgment is a matter of eternal horror. We must not trifle with God. Apostasy is no game to be played. It truly is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, the very God who is a “consuming fire” (12:29). Those who reject the Son have every reason to fear the Father.

The Faith of Those Who Endure

Hebrews 10:32-39

This passage continues to encourage readers to persevere. The author has encouraged them, warned them, and now exhorts them to endure whatever comes their way. Here the author essentially echoes the words of Jesus in John 16:33. Troubles will come for Christians in this world, but we must take heart; Jesus has overcome the world.

Recall the Earlier Days

In verses 32-34, the author calls these believers to remember the earlier days, which most likely means the years just after their conversion. They should remember their strong zeal for the Lord and how they handled the difficulties they experienced on account of following Christ in a world opposed to him. They endured sufferings for their faith then, so they can endure suffering in their present situation.

The specifics of their sufferings in the earlier days are identified in verses 33 and 34. They were publicly exposed to reproach and affliction. This means that they were not ashamed to make their faith in Jesus public and were insulted and mistreated when they did. They chose to identify with Christ in a fallen world, so society shamed them. Not only did they receive this kind of abuse themselves, but they also chose to identify with others bearing this reproach.

As Christians, we must be willing to endure the same persecution. Identifying with Jesus in a world that does not want him as King will mean becoming victims of verbal abuse, mockery, and shame in the public square. Nevertheless, those who stand with Christ cannot be those who assimilate with the winds of culture.

Verse 34 further develops the experience of these Christians in their earlier days. They had sympathy on those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of their property. “Those in prison” refers to Christians who had been incarcerated for their faith. In the early days of their faith, these Christians showed tender compassion to their brothers and sisters in chains. Though they were not in prison themselves, they chose to identify with those who were persecuted in that way.

Additionally, they endured the plundering of their property with joy. What is remarkable is not that they lost their possessions because they identified with Jesus, but that they responded “with joy” to such persecution. Why were they able to respond in such a remarkable way? Because they knew they had “a better and enduring possession.” They knew a heavenly kingdom with heavenly possessions awaited those who rejoiced when persecuted (Matt 5:12). These believers understood that “better” possessions were in store for those who persevered in the midst of persecution, so they continued to align with Christ—even when it cost them in earthly matters. Moreover, they knew the possession that awaited them was “enduring.” They knew their possession in heaven was an everlasting possession that would not be taken away from them and would never expire. This knowledge helped them endure early in their faith, so the author exhorts his readers to recall those days to help them endure in their present circumstances.

We may lose everything for the sake of Christ, but, in an eternal sense, we lose nothing. We may lose possessions, friends, family, and the comforts of this life, but we have a better and abiding possession waiting for us in our heavenly city. As with the believers in the book of Hebrews, what we gain when we endure persecution can never be taken away from us.

Those Who Do Not Draw Back

Verses 35-39 remind these believers of the confidence they now possess in Christ and of the eschatological reward that belongs to them, so long as they continue to endure. The boldness that believers now have on account of their union with Christ is a central theme in the letter. The author again highlights this reality in verse 35. To abandon the faith is to throw away the confidence that belongs to Christians to approach the throne of God. If the readers apostatize, they will lose that confidence and the great reward of eternal life that comes with it.

Verse 36 tells us of our need for endurance and of the promised inheritance that awaits those who persevere. We demonstrate our endurance in the faith if we do the will of God. As long as we obey the Lord and faithfully do his will, we will receive the eternal inheritance he has promised to believers (9:15). This promise may not be fulfilled in our lifetimes, but it will be fulfilled soon, as the next verses indicate. Our inheritance is not an earthly inheritance; it is a heavenly inheritance, a promise fulfilled eschatologically.

The author quotes from Habakkuk 2:3-4 to support this reality. Habakkuk speaks of God’s coming judgment on Judah for refusing to do the will of God. The author of Hebrews picks this up typologically to point to the final judgment that is coming at Christ’s return. In other words, Habakkuk speaks of God’s coming, which the author of Hebrews sees fulfilled in the future coming of Christ. His coming is soon, so we must continue to do the will of God and not draw back in our faith. As verse 38 indicates, the Lord will find no pleasure in us when he returns if we do not go on living by faith.

In verse 39 the author expresses his utmost confidence in his readers by reminding them of their identity and strength as God’s people. He proclaims that they will not draw back in their faith and thus will prove their allegiance to Christ until the very end. Destruction awaits those who do draw back, but not those who press on and preserve their souls. They will obtain the life promised to those who endure. In every sense of the word, they will be saved. This is what it means to be a follower of Christ.

These warning passages keep the believer from spiritual complacency. Before learning from and appreciating the faithful examples the author identifies in Hebrews 11, these believers must be reminded to persevere in the faith. Before they can associate themselves with those listed in the following chapter, they must make every effort not to draw away from Christ. It is with this final warning that the author reminds all believers to hold true to the faith and thus to associate with the saints throughout the centuries.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What does the author mean by sinning “deliberately”? How does this kind of sin in particular nullify the sacrifice for sins? How should we think of those who sin deliberately “after receiving the knowledge of the truth”? What does the author mean by this phrase?
2. How does the writer use the law of Moses to anchor his argument against falling away? What does it mean to “disregard” the law of Moses? How does this compare to disregarding the new covenant? How does the punishment for disregarding the Mosaic law compare to the punishment for disregarding the new covenant?
3. To what does “trampl[ing] on the Son of God” refer? What is so shocking/ironic about rejecting the Son of God? How is rejecting Christ’s identity related to a rejection of the Father?
4. What does it mean to regard the blood of the covenant as profane? What is so significant about the blood of the new covenant? Consider the many times Jesus’s blood is referenced throughout the book of Hebrews to help you form your answer. How do these verses/passages help inform your understanding of this offense?
5. What does it mean to insult the Spirit? In what way is insulting the Spirit equivalent to insulting the Father and the Son? How do those who apostatize make themselves enemies of the Holy Spirit?
6. How does the author use the two Old Testament quotations in verse 30 in relation to the three marks of apostasy? How does the warning of verses 30-31 discourage you from apostasy and spur you on toward faithful obedience?
7. Recall the early days of your Christianity. What were they like? How was your zeal different then from what it is now? What specific sufferings have you experienced in the past that can help you endure in your present trials?
8. In what ways do you see culture mistreating and misrepresenting Christians in the public square? In what situations have you seen Christians being shamed for identifying with Christ in a fallen world? How have you experienced that?
9. Why were the Christians referenced in the book of Hebrews able to endure their sufferings? Why were they able to respond joyfully at the plundering of their property? What can we learn from their response to such persecution?
10. What is our confidence, especially in the midst of persecution and suffering? How does Christ’s impending return charge this confidence? What is the reward for remaining confident? How is our confidence related to our endurance?
11. How are we “saved” by our endurance in the faith? What does the author mean by this? How does this particular warning passage keep you from spiritual complacency?