Tuesday: No Sacrifice for Sins Left
The warning of Hebrews 6:4-6 is very similar to the warning found in Hebrews 10:26-29. Paul explains that the rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice will leave the readers without any means for the forgiveness of sin because there is no other means for that forgiveness besides Jesus (Hebrews 10:1-14).
Read Hebrews 10:26-29. In what three ways does the author describe the sin for which there is no forgiveness?
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The author does not say that there is no atonement for any sin committed after receiving the knowledge of truth. God has appointed Jesus as our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Through Him we have forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9). The sin for which there is no sacrifice or atonement is described as trampling underfoot the Son of God, profaning the blood of the Covenant, and outraging the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). Let’s review the meaning of these expressions.
The expression “trampled the Son of God underfoot” (Hebrews 10:29, NKJV) describes the rejection of Jesus’ rule. The title “Son of God” reminded the audience that God has installed Jesus at His right hand and promised to make His enemies “a footstool” for His feet (Hebrews 1:13; see also Hebrews 1:5-12, Hebrews 1:14, ESV). The trampling of Jesus underfoot implies that the apostate has treated Jesus as an enemy. In the context of the argument of the epistle (Hebrews 1:13), it could be implied that, as far as the life of the apostate is concerned, Jesus has been taken off the throne (which is occupied now by the apostate himself) and set as the footstool instead. This is what Lucifer wanted to do in heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14) and what the “lawless one” would attempt to do in the future (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NRSV).
The expression “has profaned the blood of the covenant” refers to the rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 9:15-22). It implies that the blood of Jesus is devoid of cleansing power.
The expression “insulted the Spirit of grace” is very powerful. The Greek term enybrisas (“insult, outrage”) involves the manifestation of hubris, which refers to “insolence” or “arrogance.” This term stands in stark contrast to the description of the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of grace.” It implies that the apostate has responded to God’s offer of grace with an insult.
The apostate is in an untenable position. He rejects Jesus, His sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit.
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I was about 10 years old when I first heard a sermon about the unpardonable sin and it left quite an impression on my mind. It hung over me like the Sword of Damocles when I thought about being cheeky to my Mum or picking a fight with my siblings. What if in the heat of the moment, I crossed over the border and my prayers for forgiveness would go unanswered. At 10 years of age, most people and ideas are much bigger than you are and easily become threatening.
Now, in my old age, I have learned that it is a good idea not to be cheeky to my mother and not to pick fights with my brother and sister, for entirely different reasons. And they have forgiven me long ago. And, sermons about the unpardonable sin a much less threatening than they used to be.
As I grew I also learned the importance of understanding the hard texts with the balance of the easy ones. Here is one that comes to mind:
... and another:
... and in Hebrews itself:
That does not sound like a God who is waiting to surprise us with the "unpardonable sin" label.
The truth is that when we make a conscious decision to reject God's love and rebel against him and close our minds to the Holy Spirit, then we have stepped outside God's love. It is not something that you do by accident. Nor is it something that we can judge others by.
It is so sad that some people reject the essence of the Gospel that Jesus died for our sins, to enable Him to forgive our sins.
The lesson states "The expression “has profaned the blood of the covenant” refers to the rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 9:15-22). It implies that the blood of Jesus is devoid of cleansing power."
Even Jesus said Matt 26:28 "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for remission of sins."
God is love and because He loves us, but cannot ignore our transgressions, He pays the penalty on our behalf.
1John 2:1-2, 4:8-10; 1Peter 2:24, 3:18; Rom 3:23-26.
Flowing on from the idea that sins must be paid for is the similar idea that offering forgiveness also depends on sin being paid for. While this is how things often operate in our world, this is not how God's higher ways work (Isaiah 55:8-9).
If you consider it carefully, the offering* of the most pure form of forgiveness to another actually requires nothing more than our choice. True forgiveness is an offering of pure grace and therefore is not contingent upon whether the other has done anything to merit that forgiveness - including acknowledgement and acceptance of their wrong or any restitution of that wrong.
God's nature is to lavish grace and forgiveness. Therefore forgiving is not merely what God does, it is a reflection of who God is (eg Luke 23:34; Matthew 23:37 along with John 14:9 and John 12:28). It is interesting that the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) includes the reaction of the older brother to the father's lavishing forgiveness upon his son. If you think about it, there is no reason to have included the reaction of the older brother in the parable - other than to illustrate how some people believe that offering forgiveness must first be preceded by repentance and payment for sins. Because the older brother believed this, he was greatly bothered by the father's willingness to forgive so freely.
Just because God is willing to forgive so freely and graciously, does this mean that everyone will be saved? No, not at all. Sin is a lethally toxic phenomena that can only steal, kill and destroy all that it touches. Only those who authentically embrace the freely offered forgiveness and then apply the benefits of that forgiveness by willingly participate in God's offered redemption and restoration from their terminal sin condition will escape sin's 'sentence/punishment' (Romans 6:23; Galatians 6:7-8; James 1:15; Romans 8:2). As a consequence of what Satan, the slanderer, has been relentlessly doing since Genesis 3, too much of what is caused by sin has been falsely, often subtly, ascribed to God. God is 100% for us - it is sin (and Satan) that is 100% against us.
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* The offering of forgiveness by the one who has been 'wronged' and the genuine benefiting from that forgiveness by the one who has done wrong are two related but also distinctly different things.
The good news is that He will pardon all who return to Him. Isaiah 55:7. Hebrews 5:9. Romans 8:32. To those who choose to obey, He promises eternal salvation. We humble ourselves before the Lord, we will avoid being rude to God or arrogant. One of the two worshipers prayed, be merciful to me a sinner. He was humble. This comes with dying to self. Which comes with giving of our selves to Christ, and to others.
There are some points that really stood out to me in Tuesday’s study:
1) “No Sacrifice for Sins Left” is due entirely to apostasy, not to sinning.
2) The apostasy is this: combining the form of religion, that is, the sacrificial system, with a belief in the Messiah, for the remission of sin, instead of trusting only in the Messiah to do this work. (Hebrews 10:14-18.)
3) It is impossible for those who commit this apostasy to repent (turn back to the Life Giver) because they have turned their backs on him and were “crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:6 NET.)
These Hebrew Christians were in danger because they were combining the form of religion with a “belief” in the Messiah, thinking this would be sufficient to appease God and buy his favour. The writer of Hebrews uses strong quotations from Deuteronomy to equate this apostasy with idol worship, which it is. (See Hebrews 10:30 and Deuteronomy 32:35-36.)
It occurs to me that we would be deceiving ourselves if we think that we do not have tendencies similar to these Hebrews.
The author of Tuesday’s study links this apostasy to the character of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Anyone who thinks to appease God or buy his favour through the form of religion (trying to be “good” enough) is in fact opposing and exalting himself above God. He is behaving just like the Antichrist because through his words and actions he is misrepresenting God’s character and making God out to be what he is not. (This is the trademark work of the Devil. See Genesis 3:1-7.)
Anything added to the work of the Messiah for our salvation is apostasy, antichrist, idolatrous and abhorrent to God. There is no other means by which we can be saved than putting our trust in the One whose finished work has “perfected forever those being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14 TLV. See also John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.)