Anchored In Belief By Pete BriscoeSample

Love That Calls Out

When you walk by faith, you will claim all that God has for you, but unbelief is always content to settle for something less than God’s best. — Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong

Many of us avoid difficult passages in Scripture because the interpretation requires so much study. It’s easier to steer clear of the controversy rather than wrestle with the intricacies of salvation. 

Yes, I agree the wrestling is difficult, but I also believe it’s worth the grind! So let’s wrestle with Hebrews 10:29-30. 

How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 

This is condemnation language! The original audience needed to know that deliberate sin put them in grave conflict with God as they trampled, disdained, and insulted Him. How did they do these three things? Through the deliberate sin of unbelief, which means the intended audience of this passage was any unbeliever who was part of the Hebrew congregation. (Yes, it is possible to be a churchgoer and not know Christ.) 

But there’s another reason this passage is written for unbelievers. We’re told in Romans 8:1, There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Nada. Zero. None. It would be true, then, that there is no condemning passage of Scripture directed toward believers. 

Now that we’ve determined that Hebrews 10:26-30 was written for the unbelieving toe dipper, we must ask ourselves, Why would God speak so strongly? Why the intense descriptions of fire and judgment and being enemies of God? Why call them out for trampling, disdaining, and insulting Christ? 

Because He loves! These harsh words are a warning to all eavesdropping toe dippers. “Hey, wake up! If you’ve heard the Gospel without believing, then I’ve spelled out your future for you. And it’s not pretty.” God loves us enough to tell us what’s coming. He loves us enough to challenge us to choose faith. He wants everyone to know that a decision delayed is a decision made. 

Lord, I can’t explain what it does to my soul to know I’m safe from condemnation. But others are missing it. Birth Your urgent plea into my life so that my own existence becomes an extension of Your invitation into faith. Amen.