WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:15.539 If it were up to us as men and women, when it 00:00:15.539 --> 00:00:19.820 came to the preaching of the Scriptures, most 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:25.179 likely we would focus on Scriptures which are 00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:29.719 fairly pleasant, Scriptures which seemingly are 00:00:29.719 --> 00:00:36.719 positive and encouraging, uplifting, at least 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:41.189 according to... how we think about those things. 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:47.030 But praise be to God that we don't have to wonder 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:54.369 what God wants us to preach on. Praise be to 00:00:54.369 --> 00:00:58.590 God that we don't have to wonder what God wants 00:00:58.590 --> 00:01:05.590 us to exposit. He's given it to us in the Word 00:01:05.590 --> 00:01:12.790 of God. All the Word of God. It is God's will 00:01:12.790 --> 00:01:21.310 that men preach and declare His judgment, His 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:29.150 wrath, and His punishment against sin. It is 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:31.689 the will of God that men and women and that sinners 00:01:31.689 --> 00:01:39.260 hear about God's hatred. God's disdain, his contempt 00:01:39.260 --> 00:01:46.819 for sin and rebellion against his own being, 00:01:47.019 --> 00:01:53.159 his own character. Today, as we consider this 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:58.379 topic in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 25 through 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:02.219 31, we're going to consider the terrifying expectation 00:02:02.219 --> 00:02:07.290 of judgment for those who forsake Christ. We're 00:02:07.290 --> 00:02:09.990 going to consider the severity of the judgment 00:02:09.990 --> 00:02:15.050 for those who forsake Christ. And we're going 00:02:15.050 --> 00:02:20.770 to consider the one who judges those who forsake 00:02:20.770 --> 00:02:27.389 Jesus Christ and the gospel. Beginning with the 00:02:27.389 --> 00:02:30.789 terrifying expectation of judgment for those 00:02:30.789 --> 00:02:37.810 who forsake Christ. Notice in verse 26, the very 00:02:37.810 --> 00:02:42.009 first word in the Nazby is the word for. The 00:02:42.009 --> 00:02:47.150 author is connecting this section with the prior 00:02:47.150 --> 00:02:52.270 section of Scripture. Most likely, he's connecting 00:02:52.270 --> 00:02:59.490 it with verses 22 through 25, where we find these 00:02:59.490 --> 00:03:02.569 exhortations that we've been considering for 00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:08.520 the last... several weeks. For if we go on sinning 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:11.560 willfully after receiving the knowledge of the 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:15.939 truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:20.219 sins. The author is dealing with those who have 00:03:20.219 --> 00:03:24.280 forsaken the assembly. The author is dealing 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:28.759 with those who have not held fast the confession 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.900 of their hope. The author is addressing and dealing 00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:36.360 with those who have forsaken the community of 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:40.340 new covenant believers. The author is addressing 00:03:40.340 --> 00:03:45.800 those that he was addressing in verses 22 through 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:50.560 25, where he was exhorting and warning, where 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:55.419 he was writing to them. Now, there's an assumption 00:03:55.419 --> 00:04:00.710 in this text. with regards to those being warned. 00:04:00.789 --> 00:04:04.449 The assumption is that those being warned have 00:04:04.449 --> 00:04:08.750 been professing believers or professing Christians 00:04:08.750 --> 00:04:15.830 at some point in time. They have publicly identified 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:20.370 with the church of the living God at some point 00:04:20.370 --> 00:04:24.810 in time. We know that because it says, after 00:04:24.810 --> 00:04:30.709 receiving, The knowledge of the truth. Those 00:04:30.709 --> 00:04:34.230 that are being warned have a knowledge of God. 00:04:35.069 --> 00:04:38.470 They know about Christ's once for all sacrifice. 00:04:39.449 --> 00:04:43.610 They know about the new covenant and the forgiveness 00:04:43.610 --> 00:04:46.629 of sins. They've heard the truth of the gospel 00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:52.209 and what Jesus Christ has done for them. There 00:04:52.209 --> 00:04:56.639 are those who are previously associated. with 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:00.680 the new covenant community. Those who previously 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:05.420 appeared to hold fast the confession of their 00:05:05.420 --> 00:05:11.139 hope. Those who once were among the faithful. 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:18.220 These are religious individuals that know the 00:05:18.220 --> 00:05:23.220 scriptures and know Christian tradition as it 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:29.379 was put forth for... at that time. It assumes 00:05:29.379 --> 00:05:34.500 that those being warned have a knowledge of God 00:05:34.500 --> 00:05:38.899 and a knowledge of the Scriptures. But then we 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:44.259 also see the reality of ongoing deliberate sin 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.199 in these individuals' lives that are being warned 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:55.339 despite this knowledge that they possess. despite 00:05:55.339 --> 00:05:59.600 this knowledge that they have supposedly received 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:06.079 at some point in time. This word deliberate carries 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:13.060 the idea of willful, volitional, conscious choice 00:06:13.060 --> 00:06:20.819 to reject, to forsake, to oppose, or to give 00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:25.810 up. It has the idea of intentionality behind 00:06:25.810 --> 00:06:29.389 it. The author is writing to those who are choosing 00:06:29.389 --> 00:06:36.430 to sin against the living God. And nobody is 00:06:36.430 --> 00:06:41.949 forcing them to do so. Now isn't that interesting 00:06:41.949 --> 00:06:45.889 because last week we discussed the reality that 00:06:45.889 --> 00:06:48.889 individuals were being pressured by the Jewish 00:06:48.889 --> 00:06:54.319 community to forsake. the people of God. Yet 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:57.079 here we find that those same individuals are 00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:59.740 doing so, and they're forsaking their confession 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:06.120 and Christ and the community willingly, deliberately, 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:13.759 consciously, and volitionally. Ultimately, no 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:20.019 matter the pressure, ultimately, no matter the... 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.319 or the trial or the struggle that comes upon 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:29.180 a person, when they forsake the gospel and choose 00:07:29.180 --> 00:07:32.199 to sin against the living God, do you know whose 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:41.240 head that falls upon? The individual. The person 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:48.480 that willingly chooses to sin against God. Now, 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:55.529 what's the nature? of this deliberate sin. It's 00:07:55.529 --> 00:07:59.829 elaborated on in verses 28 through 29, I believe. 00:08:00.870 --> 00:08:05.649 Now he alludes to it in verse 28. And we read 00:08:05.649 --> 00:08:09.449 this. As he's speaking about the law of Moses, 00:08:09.509 --> 00:08:12.689 this is what he says. Anyone who has set aside 00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:19.100 the law of Moses. He's correlating that in some 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:22.079 way with what's going on with these individuals. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:26.339 There's a setting aside. There's a disregard. 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:32.440 There's a disassociation. There's a forsaking 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:36.220 that is taking place. But we also see in verse 00:08:36.220 --> 00:08:41.500 29 very clearly the nature and character of the 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:46.279 sin that is being addressed in this. Section 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:49.720 of scripture. In verse 29. We read these words. 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:54.940 That he's addressing individuals. Who have trampled 00:08:54.940 --> 00:09:02.220 underfoot. The son of God. They've walked upon 00:09:02.220 --> 00:09:05.940 Christ. And they've put him under their feet. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.379 They've regarded as unclean. The blood of the 00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:15.120 covenant. By which that he was sanctified. They've 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:19.679 spurned the means by which the new covenant is 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:23.820 consecrated and brought about by which they are 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:27.120 enabled to worship or participate and identify 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:31.720 with the new covenant people of God and the worship 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:37.759 of that people. And it's those who have insulted 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:43.460 the spirit of grace. The one who effectually 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:49.460 applies all the work of Christ. The one who effectually 00:09:49.460 --> 00:09:54.039 transforms and changes and calls and regenerates 00:09:54.039 --> 00:10:01.639 the lost sinner. So this sin is not besetting 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:06.340 sin in the life of a believer. The sin that is 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:09.320 being addressed is something much more severe. 00:10:10.539 --> 00:10:13.620 something much more detrimental, something much 00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:19.399 more dangerous. It's full -blown apostasy from 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:22.100 the Christian religion where there is contempt 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:33.779 and reviling for Christ and his sacrifice. That's 00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:40.750 the nature of this sin. For true believers, there's 00:10:40.750 --> 00:10:45.669 always reconciliation in their life. For true 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:49.730 believers, there's always forgiveness of sins 00:10:49.730 --> 00:10:54.049 with Christ. For true, genuine believers who 00:10:54.049 --> 00:10:58.070 are engrafted into the body of Christ spiritually, 00:10:58.149 --> 00:11:00.629 for true believers who are filled with the Spirit 00:11:00.629 --> 00:11:04.179 of God, brothers and sisters, There is always 00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:07.820 pardon to be had with the living God. There's 00:11:07.820 --> 00:11:12.320 always a sacrifice that remains for those truly, 00:11:12.419 --> 00:11:18.360 genuinely in Christ. There's always repentance 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:22.200 to be enjoyed for those individuals in Christ. 00:11:22.980 --> 00:11:26.779 There's perseverance. There's always comfort 00:11:26.779 --> 00:11:30.120 and strength by the Spirit of God and from Christ 00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:33.740 and His throne. There's always help and aid from 00:11:33.740 --> 00:11:37.240 the throne of grace for those individuals genuinely 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:42.960 and truly in Christ. But these individuals have 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:47.340 apostatized from the Christian religion. These 00:11:47.340 --> 00:11:51.019 individuals have deserted Christianity. These 00:11:51.019 --> 00:11:54.659 individuals have forsaken the living God. They've 00:11:54.659 --> 00:12:01.480 forsaken their confession. There are certain 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:08.460 inevitable consequences that come with forsaking 00:12:08.460 --> 00:12:14.200 Jesus Christ and his once for all sacrifice on 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:20.100 the cross. The first inevitable consequence of 00:12:20.100 --> 00:12:29.009 forsaking Christ is that there no longer remains 00:12:29.009 --> 00:12:34.610 a sacrifice for sin. Now when we consider what 00:12:34.610 --> 00:12:38.409 a person forsakes when they renounce the gospel, 00:12:38.629 --> 00:12:42.090 when they reject Jesus Christ and the gospel 00:12:42.090 --> 00:12:44.830 which he has accomplished, what is it that they 00:12:44.830 --> 00:12:48.370 are forsaking? What is it that they are setting 00:12:48.370 --> 00:12:51.909 themselves in opposition to? They are forsaking 00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:59.179 atonement of sin. They are forsaking forgiveness 00:12:59.179 --> 00:13:03.519 and pardon. Brothers and sisters, they are forsaking 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:08.460 the only ordained means of God by which a man, 00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:11.740 woman, or child can be reconciled to the living 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:16.659 God. So when an individual does this, when they 00:13:16.659 --> 00:13:19.480 reject Christ and the gospel, they are rejecting 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:25.419 their only hope for salvation. They are rejecting 00:13:25.419 --> 00:13:29.059 the singular means by which God has ordained 00:13:29.059 --> 00:13:34.840 that a person be saved. There's no other path. 00:13:35.019 --> 00:13:41.879 There's no other way. Except through the gospel 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:46.620 of Jesus Christ. His life, his death, his resurrection, 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.539 and in particular in the book of Hebrews, his 00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:56.110 once for all effective sacrifice. which covers 00:13:56.110 --> 00:14:02.090 all the sins of all God's people. So when an 00:14:02.090 --> 00:14:08.529 individual rejects that, there no longer remains 00:14:08.529 --> 00:14:13.990 a sacrifice for sins. There's nothing else that 00:14:13.990 --> 00:14:18.230 can save them, brothers and sisters. There is 00:14:18.230 --> 00:14:21.970 no other hope of salvation. There's no other 00:14:21.970 --> 00:14:25.649 means that God has appointed by which their sin 00:14:25.649 --> 00:14:30.870 can be atoned for. It's almost as though the 00:14:30.870 --> 00:14:34.690 author is saying this. If you give up Christ, 00:14:35.049 --> 00:14:42.210 don't expect the Jewish sacrifices of the ceremonial 00:14:42.210 --> 00:14:47.820 law to cleanse you from your sin. There are no 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:53.779 other sacrifices that save. It's only the sacrifice 00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:59.779 of Christ and the gospel. They forsake their 00:14:59.779 --> 00:15:06.320 hope. They forsake deliverance and freedom. They 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:10.720 forsake the hope of glory, the blessings of salvation. 00:15:12.809 --> 00:15:19.590 When they forsake the Lord Jesus Christ. There's 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:23.929 another inevitable consequence. To forsaking 00:15:23.929 --> 00:15:30.149 the gospel. And denying the once for all. Sacrifice 00:15:30.149 --> 00:15:35.610 of Christ. Which atones for one's sins. And that 00:15:35.610 --> 00:15:40.090 consequence. And all that remains for that individual. 00:15:41.419 --> 00:15:48.539 is the fearful expectation of judgment. Divine, 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:58.019 holy, eternal, just, equitable judgment from 00:15:58.019 --> 00:16:05.039 the living God. That's a logical expectation, 00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:08.580 isn't it? That the author of Hebrews is putting 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:14.379 forward? God says, if you want to be saved, you 00:16:14.379 --> 00:16:17.580 go through Christ, my son, and his sacrifice. 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.039 If you want to have eternal life, if you want 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:25.220 to be reconciled to me, if you want to be pardoned, 00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:29.419 if you want to be free from condemnation and 00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:34.580 wrath, then this is how you do it. You turn from 00:16:34.580 --> 00:16:37.480 your sin and you trust in Christ and his word. 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:42.100 Now if you reject that, what's the logical thing 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:47.659 that follows? What remains? What's left? The 00:16:47.659 --> 00:16:51.940 wrath of God. The judgment of the living God. 00:16:52.539 --> 00:16:55.320 That's all that remains because you've cast off 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:58.159 and you've denied and you've rejected what he 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:02.639 has given to you to be saved through and by. 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:07.140 The author tells us that when such an individual 00:17:07.140 --> 00:17:11.529 does this, That they're awaiting judgment that's 00:17:11.529 --> 00:17:17.430 like a consuming fire. Fire is oftentimes used 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:24.029 in the Bible to represent judgment. There's many 00:17:24.029 --> 00:17:27.609 reasons for that. But if we just think about 00:17:27.609 --> 00:17:37.359 fire and its power, its force, its dread. The 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:41.960 consuming nature of it. That gives us a good 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:48.740 idea of what the wrath of God is like. It's consuming. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:54.759 It's dreadful. It's fearful. And why is that? 00:17:56.059 --> 00:18:00.960 Because God is perfectly holy. God is perfectly 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:04.920 just. God is omniscient. He knows everything. 00:18:06.089 --> 00:18:10.529 God is everywhere all the time. God knows our 00:18:10.529 --> 00:18:15.690 hearts. He knows our motives. He knows our thoughts. 00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:20.829 He knows our longings. He knows events. He knows 00:18:20.829 --> 00:18:23.509 circumstances. He knows everything, brothers 00:18:23.509 --> 00:18:28.210 and sisters. Nothing is hidden from His sight. 00:18:29.670 --> 00:18:36.119 And His judgment is perfectly equitable. with 00:18:36.119 --> 00:18:41.380 regards to repayment and retribution for sins 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:44.880 and transgressions, whether they be in heart, 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:53.519 thought, word, deed, or action. Nothing will 00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:00.859 escape him. Nothing will be overlooked, and nothing 00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:08.180 will be left out. When a person rejects the gospel 00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:12.160 in Christ, they are making themselves an enemy 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:18.640 of the living God who will consume all his enemies 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:23.799 with eternal wrath and judgment. He will bring 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:29.079 inevitable punishment upon every single enemy 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:34.849 that stands against him when he returns. or when 00:19:34.849 --> 00:19:39.329 they die. So there's a terrifying expectation 00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:44.410 of judgment for all those who forsake Christ. 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:50.990 But we also have to consider the severity of 00:19:50.990 --> 00:19:55.329 the judgment for those who forsake Christ and 00:19:55.329 --> 00:19:59.109 the Gospel. We see this in verses 28 through 00:19:59.109 --> 00:20:05.859 29. In verses 28 -29, the author uses a distinct 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:11.380 argument. A lesser to greater argument. And we've 00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:13.640 seen this already throughout the book of Hebrews. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:18.640 But I want to illustrate this, this argument, 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:27.420 in Hebrews chapter 2. Where the author does the 00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:32.039 same thing. In Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1 -4, 00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:38.400 for this reason we must pay much closer attention 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:45.180 to what we have heard, so that we do not drift 00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:49.099 away from it. For if the word spoken through 00:20:49.099 --> 00:20:53.980 angels proved unalterable, and every transgression 00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:59.960 and disobedience received a just penalty, How 00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:04.900 will we, meaning New Covenant believers or New 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:10.039 Covenant professing believers, escape if we neglect 00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:16.259 so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:19.319 through the Lord and it was confirmed to us by 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:22.779 those who heard, God also testifying with them 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:26.460 both by signs and wonders and by various miracles 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:30.170 and by gifts. and the Holy Spirit according to 00:21:30.170 --> 00:21:35.130 His own will. The author is saying this, if there 00:21:35.130 --> 00:21:39.390 was just penalty received and given out by God 00:21:39.390 --> 00:21:44.289 for a word that came through angels, how much 00:21:44.289 --> 00:21:48.230 more severe and how much stronger and how much 00:21:48.230 --> 00:21:50.970 more will it be a reality for those who have 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:55.009 heard the gospel as witnessed by the apostles 00:21:55.009 --> 00:22:00.339 and miracles. As the revelation is revealed and 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:03.619 made known in the Son of God, the full and final 00:22:03.619 --> 00:22:07.259 revelation, how much more severe, how much more 00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:14.380 great will that be than the lesser reality in 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:18.599 that argument? The author uses the same kind 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:21.799 of reality, the same kind of argument, I apologize, 00:22:24.539 --> 00:22:29.039 Hebrews chapter 10, verses 28 through 29. The 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.180 lesser part of the argument, he's referring to 00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:39.779 the Old Testament law. Specifically, Deuteronomy 00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:45.400 chapter 17, verses 2 through 6. Where an Israelite 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:50.130 would disregard the law of God. And if they intentionally 00:22:50.130 --> 00:22:53.329 did so, that Israelite would be taken outside 00:22:53.329 --> 00:22:58.690 the camp and stoned to death without mercy whatsoever. 00:22:59.990 --> 00:23:03.390 Because they intentionally set aside the law 00:23:03.390 --> 00:23:07.630 of God. They proved they were an apostate among 00:23:07.630 --> 00:23:13.009 the people. The author says that this is the 00:23:13.009 --> 00:23:17.970 lesser part of this argument. The greater part... 00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:22.480 Of this argument. Is the new covenant realities 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:29.480 in Christ. That are listed. In verse 29. Those 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:32.579 realities where the individual tramples underfoot 00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:37.099 the son of God. Where they regard as unclean 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:41.960 or common or ordinary. The blood of Christ that 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:46.859 consecrates the new covenant. And the insulting 00:23:46.859 --> 00:23:52.099 of the spirit. of grace. Now think about the 00:23:52.099 --> 00:23:54.180 two elements, the two parts of that argument. 00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:59.119 There's transgression in the old covenant law 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:02.599 of the civil law, ceremonial law in particular. 00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:08.299 And it deserves just penalty, death without mercy 00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:12.019 for breaking God's law. Physical capital punishment, 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:17.700 death. How much more severe and how much greater 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:22.059 The severity and the judgment and the punishment 00:24:22.059 --> 00:24:26.140 for those who sin against the Son of God Himself. 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:33.720 Who trample underfoot Christ, who took on flesh 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:38.519 and dwelt among us. How much greater the punishment 00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:41.559 and the judgment, how much greater severity is 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:44.519 there for those who insult the Spirit of Grace. 00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:48.109 Who have claimed to be a part of the community. 00:24:48.329 --> 00:24:50.789 Who have claimed to worship God. Who have claimed 00:24:50.789 --> 00:24:53.250 to know God Himself. And then they spit in His 00:24:53.250 --> 00:24:57.809 face. And they renounce it and they reject it 00:24:57.809 --> 00:25:04.750 and they deny it all. How much greater is what 00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:10.789 the author goes on to ask. He's implying clearly 00:25:10.789 --> 00:25:16.480 that those individuals deserve a far greater, 00:25:16.660 --> 00:25:20.380 and they will receive a far greater judgment 00:25:20.380 --> 00:25:27.160 than capital punishment without mercy by stoning. 00:25:30.180 --> 00:25:37.559 Think about all the judgments of physical nature 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:43.279 in the Old Covenant. We can think about God bringing 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:47.579 the waters down on the heads of the Egyptian 00:25:47.579 --> 00:25:52.940 soldiers who were pursuing the Israelites. That 00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:55.559 terrible experience of suffocation and death 00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:59.000 by the pressure and weight of the waves and drowning. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:04.559 Those who are pursuing the people of God. And 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:06.819 the judgment of God consumes them physically. 00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:13.559 How much greater. The one who forsakes Christ. 00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:18.960 We could think about in the Old Covenant where 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:26.200 the ground opens up and swallows the rebellion 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:30.119 that the sons of Korah or the followers of Korah 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:34.279 were leading against Moses and Aaron because 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:37.099 of a haughty and arrogant and a prideful spirit 00:26:37.099 --> 00:26:41.420 where they despised the authority of God. And 00:26:41.420 --> 00:26:43.640 it swallows them up and all of their belongings 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:46.559 and all of their household and all of their followers. 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:55.420 How much greater. How much more severe. Those 00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:59.079 who spit in the face of Christ and reject the 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:01.900 beauty of the gospel and the dignity of the work 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:06.059 that he has accomplished. We could think of so 00:27:06.059 --> 00:27:09.759 many more. But we understand what the author. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:14.640 is conveying. We understand what the author is 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:19.119 saying, don't we brothers and sisters? That new 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:24.900 covenant realities have a greater dignity to 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:28.720 them. So rejecting those realities brings with 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:34.339 it greater, more severe culpability and accountability 00:27:34.339 --> 00:27:39.500 for that rejection and for sinning against those 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:43.900 things. That's the principle that we see present 00:27:43.900 --> 00:27:51.799 in this text. We see this principle of greater 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:57.640 realities which have greater dignity. Christ, 00:27:57.740 --> 00:28:02.680 the Spirit, the blood of Christ, the incarnate 00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:10.220 Son of God, the new covenant sacrifice. the new 00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:18.119 covenant realities, and thus we see greater transgression. 00:28:19.319 --> 00:28:24.839 With greater light and knowledge comes greater 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:33.900 condemnation and judgment for those who despise 00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:41.930 those realities. This judgment, which will be 00:28:41.930 --> 00:28:47.970 more severe, will be perfectly equitable and 00:28:47.970 --> 00:28:53.309 just and righteous because God is the one who 00:28:53.309 --> 00:28:57.430 administers it. There are some similarities and 00:28:57.430 --> 00:29:00.990 some dissimilarities between the lesser part 00:29:00.990 --> 00:29:02.750 of that argument and the greater part of that 00:29:02.750 --> 00:29:08.619 argument. The similarity is this, and this is 00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:11.619 something that John Calvin points out, the similarity 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:19.720 is this, that in both those realities, the capital 00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:23.539 punishment by stoning for intentionally breaking 00:29:23.539 --> 00:29:28.759 God's law and trampling underfoot Christ and 00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:31.599 new covenant realities, the similarity is this, 00:29:31.720 --> 00:29:41.039 both will be without mercy. Both will be without 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:47.960 pity on the sake of the living God. Meaning when 00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:52.099 God brings judgment upon sinners, when He either 00:29:52.099 --> 00:29:54.200 brings them down to the grave and brings them 00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:58.460 into judgment, or when He returns and He judges 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:02.819 those who are in rebellion against Him. Brothers 00:30:02.819 --> 00:30:07.410 and sisters, When he administers that judgment 00:30:07.410 --> 00:30:11.430 upon his enemies, his adversaries, he will do 00:30:11.430 --> 00:30:17.490 so completely without mercy or pity. Meaning 00:30:17.490 --> 00:30:23.009 he will never lift his hand because of your discomfort, 00:30:23.230 --> 00:30:30.269 because of your pain, your anguish. He will never 00:30:30.269 --> 00:30:34.900 give you relief. Because judgment is based on 00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:40.140 justice. Judgment is based on His holy character. 00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:45.140 It doesn't have to do with His mercy, which is 00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:50.319 only in Christ. And when an individual rejects 00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:54.819 that, they reject the mercy that is found only 00:30:54.819 --> 00:31:04.059 in the Lord Jesus Christ. So there's this terrifying 00:31:04.059 --> 00:31:09.160 expectation of judgment. And the judgment is 00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:16.359 far more severe than the judgment of apostates 00:31:16.359 --> 00:31:20.299 in the old covenant. But we also have to consider 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:25.079 the one who judges those who forsake Christ. 00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:30.940 We see this in the last two verses, 30 through 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:39.730 31. For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine. 00:31:40.289 --> 00:31:46.490 I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:50.849 his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall 00:31:50.849 --> 00:31:57.589 into the hands of the living God. Judgment and 00:31:57.589 --> 00:32:04.569 punishment is carried out by God himself. It's 00:32:04.569 --> 00:32:10.329 not some existential principle that exists in 00:32:10.329 --> 00:32:13.970 the universe and somehow makes its way back to 00:32:13.970 --> 00:32:17.150 the head of those who were bad and did bad things 00:32:17.150 --> 00:32:23.349 in this life. Judgment is the punishment of the 00:32:23.349 --> 00:32:29.130 living God for transgressing His character, for 00:32:29.130 --> 00:32:37.119 profaning His Son, and for profaning and mocking 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:45.640 his people. This is something that the Lord alone 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:55.200 claims responsibility for. God says, I am the 00:32:55.200 --> 00:33:02.380 judge. God says, I will bring about vengeance. 00:33:03.529 --> 00:33:08.829 I will repay. Paul actually uses this same quotation 00:33:08.829 --> 00:33:14.210 here in this text he's quoting from Deuteronomy 00:33:14.210 --> 00:33:18.950 32, 35. And Paul uses that same reference in 00:33:18.950 --> 00:33:21.990 Romans chapter 12. And he says, leave vengeance 00:33:21.990 --> 00:33:26.369 to God. Give room for the vengeance of God, the 00:33:26.369 --> 00:33:30.430 retribution of God. Do you know why? Because 00:33:30.430 --> 00:33:33.630 he can judge better than any of us ever can. 00:33:34.990 --> 00:33:39.089 Because he has claimed that office and that function 00:33:39.089 --> 00:33:44.650 solely and singularly for himself. He will bring 00:33:44.650 --> 00:33:49.410 full and final, perfect, holy, righteous retribution 00:33:49.410 --> 00:33:53.589 to all his enemies and all his adversaries as 00:33:53.589 --> 00:33:59.230 he pleases. And he Alone will do this brothers 00:33:59.230 --> 00:34:02.230 and sisters. I'm reminded of Hebrews chapter 00:34:02.230 --> 00:34:11.769 4. Verse 13. Or verses 12 through 13. Where the 00:34:11.769 --> 00:34:14.690 author says this. For the word of God is living. 00:34:15.349 --> 00:34:19.349 And active. And sharper than any two edged sword. 00:34:19.530 --> 00:34:22.409 And piercing as far as the division of soul and 00:34:22.409 --> 00:34:27.480 spirit. Of both joints and marrow. and able to 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.019 judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:34.420 And listen to verse 13. And there is no creature 00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:38.860 hidden from his sight, but all things are open 00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:44.400 and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:55.730 have to do. God will bring retribution. and justice 00:34:55.730 --> 00:35:04.210 to every enemy that is against him. To everyone 00:35:04.210 --> 00:35:10.469 who has blasphemed his name and brought disrepute 00:35:10.469 --> 00:35:15.389 to his character. And he will do so perfectly. 00:35:17.050 --> 00:35:21.469 This judgment of God has to do with vindication, 00:35:21.489 --> 00:35:30.610 brothers and sisters. repay. The Lord will judge 00:35:30.610 --> 00:35:37.230 his people. What does God vindicate in judgment? 00:35:38.449 --> 00:35:44.250 He vindicates his holy character. He vindicates 00:35:44.250 --> 00:35:50.590 his word. He vindicates his son. He vindicates 00:35:50.590 --> 00:35:55.690 his people. And he will do so fully and finally. 00:35:56.679 --> 00:36:04.539 One day. Because God and God alone is judge. 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:10.260 Judgment is an inescapable reality for those 00:36:10.260 --> 00:36:15.960 who are outside of Christ. The text says it is 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:20.840 a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of 00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:29.139 the living God. Every single individual who falls 00:36:29.139 --> 00:36:34.920 away from God, every single individual who forsakes 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:39.500 the living God, every single individual who rejects 00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:45.119 the Son of God, every individual who denies the 00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:49.719 gospel will fall into the hands of the living 00:36:49.719 --> 00:36:57.239 God one day. either in their death or at His 00:36:57.239 --> 00:37:05.380 return. It's inescapable. How can you avoid that 00:37:05.380 --> 00:37:11.179 reality without Jesus Christ? How can you avoid 00:37:11.179 --> 00:37:16.980 judgment and death without Jesus Christ and the 00:37:16.980 --> 00:37:20.659 cross and His once for all sacrifice? You can't, 00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:26.110 brothers and sisters. There's only one way. Through 00:37:26.110 --> 00:37:33.329 the Lord Jesus Christ. The God who judges is 00:37:33.329 --> 00:37:39.550 not some little idol. Like the idol worshippers 00:37:39.550 --> 00:37:42.190 and the pagans and the Old Testament that we 00:37:42.190 --> 00:37:46.010 see so often. When the Bible uses the terminology 00:37:46.010 --> 00:37:50.409 the living God. It's speaking of Yahweh in distinction 00:37:50.409 --> 00:37:53.789 from the idol worshippers and the idols of the 00:37:53.789 --> 00:37:56.289 Old Covenant and the New Covenant where the people 00:37:56.289 --> 00:38:00.969 are worshipping false gods and demons. People 00:38:00.969 --> 00:38:06.190 can escape the judgment of their idol because 00:38:06.190 --> 00:38:11.590 it's an idol and a piece of wood. It has no power. 00:38:11.769 --> 00:38:16.559 It has no authority. It has no sovereignty. But 00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:20.539 the God we have to do with is the creator of 00:38:20.539 --> 00:38:24.000 the world, brothers and sisters. The reason that 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:27.280 we breathe and the reason that we exist, the 00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:29.480 reason the world functions and the reason the 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:33.139 earth spins is because there's a maker in heaven 00:38:33.139 --> 00:38:37.960 who created everything and he sustains everything 00:38:37.960 --> 00:38:41.880 by the word of his power. And that same God who 00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:46.219 is maker and creator Demands an answer for his 00:38:46.219 --> 00:38:53.480 moral creatures. And he will have it. Every one 00:38:53.480 --> 00:39:00.739 of his image bearers. Will give an account. They 00:39:00.739 --> 00:39:04.440 will fall into his hands. Either his gracious 00:39:04.440 --> 00:39:08.599 hands because they are in Christ. Or into his 00:39:08.599 --> 00:39:14.139 hand of judgment. Because they've forsaken the 00:39:14.139 --> 00:39:19.260 gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if 00:39:19.260 --> 00:39:23.920 there's any among us who have a knowledge of 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:30.480 God, yet they have contempt in their heart for 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:34.519 the living God and the gospel which He has accomplished 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:39.840 in the Lord Jesus. I wonder if there's any in 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:44.690 this room. Who have professed to know the Lord 00:39:44.690 --> 00:39:49.949 Jesus Christ by faith and repentance. Yet they 00:39:49.949 --> 00:39:55.469 deny Him in their hearts with their lives. And 00:39:55.469 --> 00:40:00.670 ultimately they hate Him in their hearts. Their 00:40:00.670 --> 00:40:04.789 minds are darkened. I wonder if there's any here 00:40:04.789 --> 00:40:11.610 now. Any present among us now. For that. Is the 00:40:11.610 --> 00:40:19.989 case. If so. According to this text. It is explicitly 00:40:19.989 --> 00:40:24.530 clear. What God's attitude. Towards you. And 00:40:24.530 --> 00:40:30.809 towards your sin. Is. It's an attitude of judgment. 00:40:31.349 --> 00:40:36.110 And hatred. Of that wicked evil. That's in rebellion. 00:40:36.349 --> 00:40:40.590 Against him. Don't buy the lies of the world. 00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:43.820 of the culture, of the flesh, or liberal Christianity, 00:40:43.980 --> 00:40:46.340 brothers and sisters, that says that's only the 00:40:46.340 --> 00:40:48.699 God of the Old Testament, God of the New Covenant, 00:40:48.820 --> 00:40:51.840 He's loving, He's accepting. We're talking about 00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:56.880 New Covenant realities. There's greater severity. 00:40:57.980 --> 00:41:06.039 It's stronger. It's more dangerous. Don't believe 00:41:06.039 --> 00:41:13.510 those lies. God is opposed to those outside of 00:41:13.510 --> 00:41:18.269 Christ. He is against you. You are an enemy of 00:41:18.269 --> 00:41:24.090 the living God who sustains the world. Without 00:41:24.090 --> 00:41:33.289 Jesus Christ, you have a terrible fate ahead 00:41:33.289 --> 00:41:40.139 of you. Without Jesus Christ, you have an eternal 00:41:40.139 --> 00:41:45.340 future of suffering and torment under the wrath 00:41:45.340 --> 00:41:50.860 of the living God. These are not metaphorical 00:41:50.860 --> 00:41:56.000 realities. These are true realities according 00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:03.039 to the Word of God. Without Christ, hell awaits 00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:10.269 every single sinner. It will not be a place of 00:42:10.269 --> 00:42:14.789 pleasantries. It will not be a place of enjoyment. 00:42:16.690 --> 00:42:20.829 Brothers and sisters, it will be a place of terrible, 00:42:20.889 --> 00:42:27.929 conscious, eternal torment. Don't think lightly 00:42:27.929 --> 00:42:31.869 of the riches of His kindness, His tolerance, 00:42:32.130 --> 00:42:37.679 and His patience in Christ. The gospel is still 00:42:37.679 --> 00:42:43.760 being preached. Today is the day of salvation. 00:42:45.179 --> 00:42:49.039 There is still opportunity for you to believe 00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:51.780 upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There 00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:54.280 is still opportunity for you to forsake your 00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:58.280 sins and not forsake the living God. There is 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:00.559 still time for you to believe. There is still 00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:03.039 time for you to humble yourself. there is still 00:43:03.039 --> 00:43:05.699 time for you to run for the refuge that is in 00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:09.639 Jesus Christ. You can still avoid His wrath. 00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:12.760 You can still avoid the consuming fire that will 00:43:12.760 --> 00:43:15.579 drink you down and consume you and swallow you 00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:20.980 up in His holy wrath. But it's only found in 00:43:20.980 --> 00:43:25.639 Christ. And Christ is extending His arms to you, 00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:29.039 brothers and sisters. Friends, He is here right 00:43:29.039 --> 00:43:33.460 now through His Spirit pleading with you. The 00:43:33.460 --> 00:43:36.800 Word of God commands you to repent of your sins 00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:41.659 and to trust in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation. 00:43:42.179 --> 00:43:46.260 Don't think lightly of His kindness and His tolerance 00:43:46.260 --> 00:43:48.699 and His patience. You may not have tomorrow. 00:43:51.420 --> 00:43:53.940 You may not be able to wait until you're a teenager. 00:43:56.400 --> 00:43:58.860 You may not be able to wait until you're in college. 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:04.420 His judgment and His wrath is upon you and He 00:44:04.420 --> 00:44:08.360 is free to bring you into hell anytime He pleases. 00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:18.019 Don't think lightly of the time that He has given 00:44:18.019 --> 00:44:23.940 to you to repent of your sins. Consider your 00:44:23.940 --> 00:44:30.380 life. Consider your heart. Consider whether you, 00:44:31.130 --> 00:44:35.630 are rejecting the gospel. Don't think lightly 00:44:35.630 --> 00:44:40.849 of the time that He has given to you to hear 00:44:40.849 --> 00:44:45.030 the gospel preached that you might repent and 00:44:45.030 --> 00:44:48.989 believe on Christ. Now is the time to believe 00:44:48.989 --> 00:44:53.130 the reality and the truth that the Son of God 00:44:53.130 --> 00:44:57.760 took on flesh and dwelt among us. Now is the 00:44:57.760 --> 00:45:00.639 time to believe the reality that the Son of God 00:45:00.639 --> 00:45:03.059 took on flesh and dwelt among us and lived a 00:45:03.059 --> 00:45:06.179 perfect life unto the law of God, obtaining righteousness 00:45:06.179 --> 00:45:10.719 for His people. Now is the time to believe the 00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:14.260 reality that Jesus Christ went to the cross to 00:45:14.260 --> 00:45:17.699 suffer in the place of sinners who deserved that 00:45:17.699 --> 00:45:23.150 wrath. He went as a substitute. Believe the reality 00:45:23.150 --> 00:45:26.869 that He rose again, that He ascended to the Father, 00:45:27.050 --> 00:45:30.849 and that one day He's returning. Believe the 00:45:30.849 --> 00:45:38.650 Gospel and turn from your sins today. Now, don't 00:45:38.650 --> 00:45:43.809 think lightly of the fact that you have tomorrow. 00:45:45.070 --> 00:45:54.860 Run to Christ now. Run to Christ. Today. Don't 00:45:54.860 --> 00:46:00.320 put it off. Believer, true believer, regenerate 00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:07.239 believer, praise God. Praise the living God because 00:46:07.239 --> 00:46:10.599 of His grace and His mercy and the Lord Jesus 00:46:10.599 --> 00:46:14.519 Christ. Do you know, believer, that you will 00:46:14.519 --> 00:46:22.000 never, ever spend one second in hell? You will 00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:26.199 never spend one moment under the wrath of God. 00:46:26.519 --> 00:46:29.980 Because you are in Christ. One more moment in 00:46:29.980 --> 00:46:37.679 Christ. You will never be subject to God as judge 00:46:37.679 --> 00:46:42.840 again. He is your Father. There will be times 00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:46.139 when He disciplines you. When He corrects you 00:46:46.139 --> 00:46:50.820 as a loving, legitimate son or daughter. But 00:46:50.820 --> 00:46:54.880 brothers and sisters, that's from His love. That's 00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:59.860 not from His wrath. The believer is safe and 00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:06.420 secure. They have eternal life. Heaven, the new 00:47:06.420 --> 00:47:10.699 heavens and the new earth, and all their eternal 00:47:10.699 --> 00:47:15.860 future ahead of them. Praise God. Continue to 00:47:15.860 --> 00:47:19.420 put your trust in Christ over and over and over. 00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:22.980 Continue to repent of your sin over and over 00:47:22.980 --> 00:47:27.679 and over. And praise Him for His mercy and His 00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:33.820 grace which is only found in the Gospel of Jesus 00:47:33.820 --> 00:47:34.280 Christ.