The Terrifying Consequence of Willful Unbelief

Transcript

GR 1705
10/27/2013
The Terrifying Consequences of Willful Unbelief
Hebrews 10:26-31
Gil Rugh

We're going to be in Hebrews 10. We come to what we would call the exhortation portion of Hebrews as he has unfolded through most of the first ten chapters, the great truths concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ and His superiority to the system that God had revealed in the Mosaic Law. The priestly system, the sacrificial system has all been superseded and replaced now with the coming of Christ as God's final high priest offering His own body as the final sacrifice for sin. You remember the book of Hebrews is written to a congregation of Jewish believers. They have professed as Jews to have placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah and their Savior. The time passes and difficulties come and sometimes they ebb and flow, times are more difficult, times are less difficult. And this is a congregation that has been through tough times. And there are more tough times coming. And some of these professing believers are contemplating the possibility of returning to the Mosaic system, Judaism as a safe environment. In their present condition as Jewish believers they have opposition from fellow Jews, rejection from family and friends because they have come to believe in Christ as their Messiah. They also have persecution coming from the Gentiles. Remember Christianity is not a recognized religion in the Roman Empire, so it is viewed as a threat to Rome's rule. So they have problems all around. They are contemplating perhaps going back to Judaism, they would be welcomed there by family and friends as Jews. And besides we have a priestly system, we have sacrifices. The writer has been demonstrating the finality of the work of God in His Son. And to return to Judaism is not a possibility.

Christ has superseded everything that He had revealed concerning His will for His people, as far as their practice and their worship system. Christ is superior, He has demonstrated, to the prophets to whom the Old Testament was revealed; the angels who were messengers that were involved in the revealing of the Mosaic Law on Sinai. He is superior to Moses who was the key instrument that God revealed the truths of the Mosaic covenant, the Mosaic Law. And most importantly of all, Christ was demonstrated to be superior to the high priest after the order of Levi and the sacrifices that were offered there. And having worked through the details of that and particularly clearly in detail showing that Christ both in His person as high priest and in His sacrifice as high priest has superseded and done away with all that had been practiced under the Mosaic Law.

We looked in verses 19-25 which formed the transition from unfolding the details of that doctrinal truth concerning the person and work of Christ to now exhorting them regarding the required conduct based on those truths. So in verse 19 he said, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the new and living way which was inaugurated by the sacrifice of Christ. Then verse 21, “and since we have a great high priest over the house of God” there are things we must do. And he gave them three exhortations—“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” in verse 22; then verse 23, “let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering;” then the third exhortation, “let us continue how to stimulate one another, provoke one another to love and good deeds.” Those three exhortations denoted something they were to be continually doing. We could translate it let us continually draw near, be continually drawing near before the throne of God. Let us continue to hold fast to the confession that we have made. Let us be continually considering how to provoke and stir one another up to love and good deeds.

And then the negative side of that. That means not “forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some.” And we do this all in light of the day is drawing near when we will stand in the presence of Christ. And that verse 25, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” transitions further into a warning to those who may have stopped short of true saving faith in Christ. They have already seen some abandoning the fellowship of believers and going back to Jewish practices. Verse 25 said, “not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some.” That is serious. They have been believers, and this is a congregation of believers, long enough to see casualties. We have had that experience as a local church, too. Not to return to Judaism but people decide following Christ, in spite of their profession, in spite of their attempt to conform to what would be expected of a believer over time, they have decided it is not for them. I could share experience of people who come into my office and told me flat out, it's not for me. I have decided I'm not going to pursue a life of following Christ.

That's what he's dealing with here for these Jews. And through the book of Hebrews as he has given this instruction on the person and work of Christ, the finality of what God has done in Christ, he has woven in what we have called the warning passages in Hebrews. He is addressing this church as a church of believers, but recognizing there are some sitting in this congregation that he is writing to who have not truly believed in Christ. That is reflected by the fact some have turned away. John wrote about this situation in his first epistle, 1 John 2:19, “they have gone out from among us because they were not really part of us. For if they had really been part of us, true believers, they would have remained with us.” He's not talking about one believer moving to another believing church, he's talking about those who have decided not to be identified with the fellowship of believers any longer.

He started these warning passages back in Hebrews 2. He opened up by showing the greatness of Christ and His superiority to the Old Testament prophets and to the angels who had been instruments in God revealing the truths that we have in the Old Testament. Then he says in Hebrews 2:1,” for this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.” This is that first warning in the first four verses here. Remember the exhortation in our previous study? “Be continually holding fast to your confession,” in light of what he has already warned them of—don't drift away from Christ. Verse 3, “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” The question that has no answer. There is no escape. If you neglect the salvation that is provided in Christ, how will you escape coming judgment? You won't.

Turn over to Hebrews 3. He picks up the second warning passage in Hebrews. As he exhorted them at the end of verse 6, “if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end.” Then he starts the warning passage. “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.” He gives the Old Testament example. Verse 12, “take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” Verse 14, “for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm unto the end.” Then he repeats that Old Testament warning, “today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me.” And then he reminds them as he moved into Hebrews 4 and still in this same warning passage, “therefore let us fear.” We have the promise of the rest that God has promised to His children. If any of you come short of it. We have had the good news preached to us as they did to them, but it didn't profit them. Why? The end of verse 2, “it was united by faith in those who heard.” Not enough to hear the Word of God, it's not enough to be part of a group of people who hear and believe the Word of God. If you don't believe it, there will be no escape from judgment.

Then the third warning passage began in Hebrews 5:11. And he had told them in verse 9, “He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” The he speaks of the high priestly ministry of Christ. He has much to say about that high priestly ministry. But down in Hebrews 6:4, “for in the case of those who have once been enlightened, have tasted of the heavenly gift, have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, have tasted the good word of God, the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.” Strong warning. They are destined for the fires of destruction, as he goes on to say.

Then we come to the fourth warning passage in Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 26. And this is the most serious of all, in fact it is one of the most serious passages in all the Word of God speaking to the consequences of hearing the truth of God, even professing faith in Christ. Perhaps being baptized, perhaps having a ministry among the people of God, but having persistently failed to have truly placed your faith in Him and His finished work. The consequences of that are more awful than we really can grasp. And that's the warning he gives.

It's not popular to talk about hell today. We want to have some kind of acceptable, soft, easy Christianity and people think if you talk about hell, that's not the kind of God I believe in. I believe in a God who is kind and loving and forgiving. And those are all things that are true of God but not in the way that these people are saying. They like to make Him some kind of warm, comfortable grandparent. I'm a grandparent, it's much better than being a parent. We joke about that. If there was a way God had made we could have skipped being parents and jumped right to being grandparents, that would have been ideal. I enjoy the grandkids, they are great. They are perfect. My kids were a problem, my grandkids aren't. I just think they are fine. Their parents sometimes have problems with them, but I don't. They are just super. And people like to think of God that way. He always understands, He is never critical, He just accepts me like I am and whatever I do, He finds a way to say good things about me. That's not the God of the Bible. He's a God to be feared, He is a terrifying God.

The consequences of not obeying Him are worse than anything we can imagine—eternal burning in the fires of hell forever. We say, I don't like to think about that. You can talk about God and heaven and the love of God endlessly and people think that is wonderful. Then you say to them the other side of the story is God says there is an eternal hell. I don't believe that, I don't believe God would do that.

Well we come to verse 26 to pick up this warning passage. “For if we go on,” and you'll note the first word there in our English Bible is for. And verse 19 we had therefore. What he has done is he has laid the foundation in the teaching of the truths regarding Jesus Christ the Son of God, who has been appointed high priest by God and offered a sacrifice ordained by God, provided by God, His own body to pay the penalty for sin. So verse 19 as we transitioned out of that teaching and doctrinal section—therefore, brethren, on this basis we are to continually do these things. And we are to continually do these things, and then verse 25, “not forsaking fellowshipping together as God's people, for if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” But a terrifying expectation of judgment, the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

“If we go on sinning willfully.” As we've talked about every language has its own characteristics. In English we put our sentences in a certain word order and we don't mix up the words because then we would be confused. But in Greek like other language the individual words have their own form so you know whether this is the subject or the verb or the object or a modifier. And you can just arrange your words according to emphasis you want to give, for example. So here in verse 26 the first word in this sentence in the Greek Bible is the word willfully. It was to emphasize that. I'm talking about a willful, deliberate continuing in sin. And the sin he is talking about the context makes clear, is that deliberate willing sin of not believing in Christ, which will manifest itself in not persisting, in turning away from faithfulness to Him, fellowshipping with believers and so on. It's a turning away in unbelief. It's like we read in the first warning passage in Hebrews 2. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Be careful, brethren,” in Hebrews 3:12, “that there is not found in you an evil, unbelieving heart.” And then in Hebrews 6 we are warned about the impossibility of being restored to repentance if you turn away from Christ.

So that's the context here—if we continue to persist in that deliberate sin of unbelief after receiving the knowledge of the truth. And that clarifies what the sin is he is talking about—the receiving the knowledge of the truth. That expression is used in the New Testament of salvation, of the message of Christ and faith in Him. These are people who have heard the message and professed a belief in the message. They may have had ministry in that congregation. But they are not genuine.

Back up to 1 Timothy 2:4, talking about God “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” That's the same expression we have in Hebrews— if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth. God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Being saved and coming to the knowledge of the truth, that's what we're talking about. These are people that at least have professed faith in Christ. In that sense they have received the knowledge of the truth, it has been explained to them. But they persist in their deliberate sin, they have not truly believed in it and are about to turn away from it altogether.

Go to 2 Timothy 2:25, “perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” Now the knowledge of the truth is an expression regarding salvation in Christ. And you'll note God has to grant that repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. That helps to explain why in Hebrews 6 part of the warning passage there is it is impossible to renew them to repentance because God withdraws that grace without which man will not respond.

These are serious matters. The idea that it all depends on man and some day I will. I have people tell me, I'm not going to trust Christ today. I'll give it thought, maybe some day I will. But in all probability some day you won't, with that kind of attitude. I have shared examples of that, could think of a number even from people who have sat in this congregation. One man I sat with after he had attended here for over a year, and we sat and talked. And he said, Gil, I'm not going to believe it. Maybe another day. He has since passed away. That day never came. He decided it was not for him. Example after example. Understand, God is in charge, not us. We like to say, I have other things. Serious matters. That is what he is talking about here.

Come back to Hebrews 10. These are people who have heard the truth, even made a response to the truth but it is superficial. That is revealed by the fact that if you turn away and go back, you never truly were saved. One of the characteristics of a genuine believer is they persist. That's why we are exhorted to continue to hold fast. Recognize genuine believers will, we just need that encouragement. We're not saying we don't need encouragement, genuine believers don't walk away.

Back in Hebrews 10. “If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” That's pretty strong. There is only one sacrifice for sins. These Jews who have professed faith in Christ but with the difficulty in the situation and time going by, they think they will go back to Judaism, the sacrifices, the priesthood under the Mosaic Law. You understand they could never take away sin. There is only one sacrifice for sin, the sacrifice of Christ; there is only one way of salvation, recognizing your sin and guilt and placing your faith in Him and the sacrifice He offered.

So when you turn away from Christ, you are turning away from the only sacrifice that is acceptable by God as payment for your sin. There is no other sacrifice for sin. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. You have rejected the only one there is. No matter where you turn now, it is a road to hell. That's narrow. People say, that's so narrow, you think you are right, you think your way is the only way. No, I don't think I am right, I don't think my way is the only way, but I do firmly believe that God is right and the way that He says is the only way. As though you have your opinion, I have my opinion, we all have opinions. It is not worth anything, our opinions are nothing. It is only what God says that matters. There is no other sacrifice for sin. That's it. If you don't believe in Christ, you are going to hell; if you don't believe in His finished work and the finality of His sacrifice plus nothing, minus nothing, you will spend eternity in hell. There is not one possible alternative, there is not one doubt. There are people who have sat here like you are sitting here who will spend eternity in hell. Not because I say so, not because I am the judge of their hearts, but because in light of what God has said. Their statement is clear. The individual I mentioned would be one of those. Do I say that mean-spirited? No, it is the reality.

We often use the illustration, you don't go to a doctor and say, only tell me good things. I don't want any bad news, I have enough bad news in my life. I only want to hear good things. Well you look good today. Thank you. But he knows you have a serious disease that could be cured if he told you the treatment and you would take it. But I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear I have to have an operation, I don't want to hear I have a disease, I don't want to hear . . . You only tell me what I want to hear or I'll go to another doctor. That's the way people are spiritually. Don't tell me I'll go to hell, don't tell me there is only one way, don't tell me I'm a sinner and my good works won't get me there. Do you think if I don't tell you it will change your situation before God?

This is true. There is no other sacrifice for sins. Now you understand he is writing this to a church comprised primarily of believers. In that sense a church similar to our church. Do you know what happens? Even believers, if they are not careful, fail to appreciate the seriousness of the matter. I don't want to look dogmatic, I don't want to look narrow, I don't want people to think I'm always right. I represent, as a believer, the living God. I can only tell you what He has said. That may make you angry. I'm sorry, it's the truth. And sometimes, as we say, the truth hurts. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. Well what does remain?

Verse 27, “a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.” And you'll note the last part of verse 27 is in capital letters which means it is being cited from the Old Testament, Isaiah 26:11. These are people who think they can go back. I mean, God had revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai the Mosaic Law, given instructions for the priestly ministry and the sacrifices. It can't be bad to go back to that. It is worse than bad, it is eternally fatal. What awaits if you don't avail yourself of the sacrifice of Christ is terrifying, and he's going to use that word again at the close of his warning, “a terrifying, fearful expectation of judgment.” What does that judgment involve? “The fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.” We're talking about hell.

Back up to 2 Thessalonians 1:7, talking about for believers some day Christ will come and deliver them from the problems and afflictions and trials and persecution that they face in an unbelieving world. Verse 7, we'll pick up in the middle, “when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day.” You see the vast chasm and difference there is. There are people for whom the coming of Christ will bring ultimate salvation and glory and blessing. And there are people for whom that means ultimate condemnation and judgment and the fires of hell.

Come over to Revelation 14. Here he is describing the punishment of a certain group of unbelievers, but the destiny for unbelievers is the same, whatever period of time we're talking about unbelievers. And in Revelation 14, talking about individuals here who are unbelievers, who have not truly believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. An individual like that, Revelation 14:10, “he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger.” We'll be talking more about this and we'll refer back to this passage. You see what it is, the picture drawn here, the cup containing God's anger, and it is full strength. There is nothing mixed in to dilute the anger of God. This is pure anger, no mercy mixed in, no grace mixed in, no kindness mixed in. This is full strength wrath of God. What does that mean? He will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb. “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night.” That is more awful than we can conceive. People say, I can't believe that a loving God would do that. I don't like to believe it either, but it is true.

You know not believing something that is true doesn't change anything. If I have cancer eating away at a portion of my body and I say, I don't believe it. That doesn't change the reality of it. People get under the influence of drugs and believe they can fly off tall buildings. They believe it enough to jump off the building. Doesn't change their landing. Truth doesn't change by a false belief. This is terrible beyond belief. Even some who are true believers have become soft on hell. The reason, I just can't believe in such a terrible place. What can we say? Do you believe in such a wonderful place as heaven? Do you believe it will be a place of perfection, populated with people like us? It's amazing, but it is true.

Come over to Revelation 20, come to that final judgment before the throne of Christ. And everyone is judged here and then verse 14, “death and hades.” That means all those who had died and been raised to appear at this judgment, all those who have been in hades, described in Luke 16 as “a place of fire and suffering, awaiting final sentencing were thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the second death. Final separation from God for eternity, the lake of fire. “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” People say, do you believe hell is fire? I really do. If it's not it is something worse and the closest thing that could be done to describe it to us is fire and burning in fire. People say, you burn in fire and you'll be burned up. Don't try to make a fool out of God. These are people whose bodies have been prepared for eternity. We will live for eternity as believers in the glory of God's presence in heaven. You can't do that, everybody dies. Not then. There will be no more death, and people who are sentenced to hell, just like we will be prepared to enjoy all the blessings that God provides for His children, they will be prepared to endure all the suffering of those who do not belong to God.

Down in Revelation 21:8, “but for the cowardly and unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral persons, sorcerers, idolaters, all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” I mean, how many times does God have to say it? We don't have to believe it, but we have to bear the consequences of our unbelief.

Come back to Hebrews 10. If we go on persisting in our deliberate sin of unbelief having received the knowledge of the truth,”there is no other sacrifice for sin.” What do we have to look forward to then? A certain terrifying, fearful expectation of judgment, the fury of fire which will consume the adversary. Doesn't mean they will no longer exist. We saw in the passages we just read, they are tormented day and night in this consuming fire.

He gives a parallel for these Jews who think they can place their confidence in the Mosaic Law and its provisions, an example. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. The Mosaic Law required death for disobedience, Deuteronomy 17:1-6. That was the requirement. Now the parallel—if the Mosaic Law required such a serious punishment, death for disobedience, this is a serious matter. Do you know what the Mosaic Law said? If you have a child who becomes uncontrollable and won't obey you, you take him to the elders. And the penalty for that is being stoned to death. Can you imagine taking your child out to be executed by stoning? Stoning is an unpleasant way to die any way. They just kept throwing stones at you until you were dead. It wasn't one shot to the head, it wasn't being decapitated. You take them out and stone them, one stone after another until their body is so beat they die. You say, that's terrible. That was required under the Mosaic Law.

If that was required under the law of Moses and he has already demonstrated the superiority of the new covenant and high priestly ministry and sacrifice of Christ in connection with that covenant, how much severer punishment do you think he will deserve. I mean, if you had that kind of maximum penalty, death, under the Mosaic Law, how much more severe will the penalty be now under what is provided in the Son of God and His work.

He is going to use three parallel statements here which show the seriousness and what is involved really in sinning willfully. Verse 26, “if we go on sinning” willfully what kind of more severe punishment will come. And then he describes this person as God sees them. First, this person “has trampled underfoot the Son of God.” That's what God says they are doing when they persist in their unbelief and in turning away from Him. They are trampling underfoot the Son of God. We understand that picture. Sometimes you watch a program on TV and the police stop a car and give the person a ticket. They are so upset, of course no one ever deserves a ticket. They throw it on the ground and stomp on it. What are they showing? Contempt, total disregard as though they could make it go away, the consequences. Sometimes the policeman will say, you know that doesn't change anything. This is true, this is what God says. Do you know what God says they are doing to His Son? It's just like they are showing total contempt for Him, total disregard for Him. I mean, this is not something, well, let's not make a bigger deal than it is. I'm just going back to Judaism, I'm going back to the old system. God says what that means is you are showing contempt for My Son, you are treating Him with utter and complete disrespect.

Second thing doing in this rejection of Christ. They have “regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified.” Here the person had the truth of the Gospel brought to them, they have claimed, yes, I believe in Him. Now further consideration, further events, I'm going back to my old system. That's considering as unclean, worthless the blood of Christ which was shed for His sanctification, His holiness. This was God's way of providing for him to be holy in the sight of God, as God said, “you shall be holy for I am holy.” Sanctify, saint, holy all come from the same basic Greek word. This is God's provision for our holiness, our sanctification. And now this person is saying he regards that as unclean. The Jew would understand that from the Mosaic covenant. Those things were unclean, were defiling. I mean, the very thing that God says will make you clean, holy before Me, you are treating as unholy, as defiling. All they are doing is going back to Judaism, the Mosaic Law. They are not even saying, I don't believe anything in the Bible, I'm going back to the Mosaic system. Moses, he was a great man of God. Moses was given this revelation on Mt. Sinai and angels were there as mediaries. This is what God says you are doing when you turn away from His Son and don't believe in Him. You are regarding as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified.

And thirdly, he has insulted the Spirit of grace. Insulted the Spirit of grace. You know, the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are involved in our salvation. We saw that in Hebrews 10 where God the Father prepared a body for God the Son. We see it in Hebrews, the ministry of the Spirit of God. Come back to Hebrews 2. And when you reject the salvation that is in Christ, you are rejecting the work of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Not just rejecting it, treating it with contempt, insulting and disregarding them. Hebrews 2:3 where we had that question, “how will we escape so great a salvation?” And then God testified to them both “by signs, wonders, various miracles, by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” The sovereignty of the Holy Spirit and the ministry He had in the context of Christ's salvation, the proclamation of that salvation.

Come over to Hebrews 3:7, we start that warning passage. We noted therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.” The Holy Spirit is speaking. When we are giving out the Word of God, when we are presenting the truth of the Gospel of Christ, it is our physical mouth but it is the Holy Spirit who is behind that truth and carries it to the heart and mind where it may be rejected, turned away as we disregard Him.

Come to Hebrews 6:4 and this third warning passage. “For in the case of those who have been once enlightened, have tasted of the heavenly gift, have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Everyone sitting in this auditorium has been. You have heard the word concerning Christ given by the Holy Spirit who moved men to write it, who convey and convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment.

I've shared with you a man who was here with some friends who had invited him again. He had attended here in previous days. At the end of the sermon on a Sunday morning he walked out, filled with anger over what I had said. He wasn't angry with me, he was angry with the Spirit of God who convicted him of his sinful condition, his rejection of the truth that he heard. It was a carrying out of the very things that we talk about here.

Come back to Hebrews 10. These reflect the attitude of the apostate. Particularly here he is focused on a certain individual, those who have heard the Word of God, those who have made a response to the Word of God. You know greater light brings greater responsibility. Jesus said the cities in which He ministered would have a more severe judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah, proverbial, for their sinful and deviant behavior. Those sitting here will have a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. You have heard the truth more clearly and fully and finally presented with the finished work of Christ than the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah ever did. They experienced the presence of angels, but they did not sit and hear the full presentation of the finality of the work of Christ. Serious matter. Now these Jews here are talking about turning away. You see how God describes their condition. We think, they have good intentions, it's just not something . . . Sometimes people aren't so upset.

I had a man share with me, another individual, he said, ”I understand what you are telling me. I appreciate that. I think you are passionate and committed to it. I have just decided it is not for me.” He was not angry in that sense, I wish he would have been stirred up. This is serious.

Then he is going to bring us back to the Old Testament, the old covenant so these Jews understand the God they are dealing with. Verse 30, “for we know Him who said, vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “the Lord will judge His people.” These two passages come from the same chapter, Deuteronomy 32. And they are adjoining verses. But he only takes the first part of verse 35 and the first part of verse 36. So he breaks them apart. Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. There is not a slight chance that anyone who does not place their faith in Christ and manifest that faith by perseverance in faithfulness to Him will escape the punishment of hell. You might do it if I were the judge, if you were the judge, if there were a court of supreme judges. But God is the judge and He guarantees vengeance belongs to Him, He will mete it out. I will repay. People have no fear of God. The Old Testament speaks about the condition people had come to—they were not ashamed, they did not blush. Like our people today, they are proud of their sin, they think nothing of promoting it, encouraging it, incorporating it into the law. And God does nothing. People challenge God, He does nothing. People who walk away and nothing happens because the day hasn't come. You can't provoke God into acting ahead of time, but you cannot delay God when the time has come.

Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And further He says, ”the Lord will judge His people.” And for Israel and the Old Testament there was a mixture in there of true believers and unbelievers. We see that in the previous warning passages that use them as an example. Not nearly so naive to think that every single person sitting in every seat here, sits here perhaps every Sunday, has truly trusted Christ. That's why I present the Gospel every week, not just for a new person who comes in but the person who may sit here, may have grown up in this church, been baptized here, carried out certain ministries here. But it's all a veneer. Some day they may walk away.

I've shared with you, we had those who have taught the Word of God in our adult Sunday School class. Walked in and said, I finally realized I don't believe any of it. Forty-some years later they have not turned back. I don't think they ever will. It is impossible to return them to repentance. There is a finality.

So verse 31 concludes, “it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Terrifying. It was used up in verse 27, “a terrifying expectation of judgment.” Fearful, means to cause fear. We talk about God in His loving and merciful and gracious demeanor, and He is beyond our understanding. But you understand to come under the judgment of God as one without an acceptable sacrifice, that is more terrifying and fearful than you can imagine. We read something of the description of hell—tormented night and day, they have no rest night and day. How do you describe this? You say, I don't even want to think about it, I don't want to be told about it. But it's real. What a world of despair we would be living in if it were not for the mercy and grace of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” What's the rest of it? “In order that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3 goes on and you get to verse 36, “he that has the Son has life, he that does not have the Son of God will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Do you know what that means? We read it in Revelation 14, the wrath of God “stirred in full strength in the cup of His anger.”

This is a day of grace, this is a day of mercy, this is a day of God displaying His love. This is the great demonstration of God's love in that while we were sinners Christ died for us. That's it. There are no other alternatives, there are no other options. You either place your faith in Christ and Him alone, and when you do that will change your life. One of the characteristics will be, now you live your life in obedience to Him. Jesus said, “if you truly love Me, you will keep My commandments.” You will maintain the fellowship of believers. And I always have to qualify because people go out and say, Gil Rugh thinks the only people who will be saved are those who go to Indian Hills. I don't even think everybody who goes to Indian Hills will be saved. And you may leave Indian Hills and be led of the Lord to fellowship in another church of believers. But, if you turn and walk away from the Lord and go to one of the pagan systems, Protestant, Catholic or otherwise, you are revealing your true condition.

We can't see each other's hearts, but God does and He is not fooled. He sees those who are persisting in their sin, who continue with the rebellious attitude of contempt and disregard for what the triune God has done to provide our salvation. But it's not necessary. So we would close, the emphasis is this is a day of grace, this is a day of salvation, particularly focused on us Gentiles. But if you are a Jew you can be saved, the same way the Gentiles have to be saved. This is the day of opportunity. When you see these things, why would anybody say no? What kind of irrational fool would say, no, I choose hell. Thank you. We need to examine our hearts to see if we are in the faith and then rejoice that the grace of God has brought us our salvation.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your love, your mercy, your kindness. Lord, how amazing it is that you would provide your Son to be our Savior, to have Him make the sacrifice of His body on the cross so that we through faith in Him could know what it is to be clean, to be pure, to be holy, to be righteous in Him. Lord, thank you that you have made a way, the only way for salvation but a way that you in mercy and grace have offered to all. For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Lord, we praise you for your grace and pray even at the revelation you've given of the awful alternative of hell, for those who are without a sacrifice might stir us to greater appreciation of the Savior we have and might convict those who may be sitting here who have never truly placed their faith in Christ, the One in whose name we pray. Amen.