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Psalms
142:1-7 A Contemplation Of David. A
Prayer When He Was in the Cave. I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With
my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before
Him; I declare before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a
snare for me. Look on my right
hand and see, For there is no
one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. I
cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. Attend to
my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are
stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The
righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me."
In Jesus name we pray to you Father God. Bless and guide
us as we travel through this life here on earth. Send your Spirit to us each
day to watch over us and convict us of any wrong doing so we can amend our life
and live a life modeled after yours. There is no other King but you King Jesus.
Amen!
Book of Hebrews 10:26-31
NKJV
This
chapter has been a very interesting and enlightening chapter. Again I will not
finish it because this lesson focuses on consequences, consequences of
willfully turning from God’s saving grace and there is a wealth of information
in these 6 verses. I know there are those that believe you cannot fall from
God’s Grace, but there are many verses in the Bible that supports that a person
can willfully, (the key here is willfully) turn from Gods saving Grace. We have
the parable of the seed sown in different soils and the pruning of the vine
just to mention a couple. Many times a person claims to be saved, but there is
no sign of lifestyle change, which the Bible teaches there will be, if a person
is truly saved. This lesson also pertains to those that claim to be saved because
they said a prayer without true repentance. They know the Gospel with their
mind, but not with their heart. Ephesians
4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former
conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your
mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was
created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Romans
6:6; Colossians 3:9
26 For if we
sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
For
if we sin willfully; This
phrase is often misunderstood and people think if they sin willfully they
cannot be forgiven. What this phrase is referring to is rejecting God’s gift of
salvation by deliberately turning from the knowledge of truth, the Gospel. They
ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit Who communicates to us by convicting us
when we are tempted with sin and we go ahead and sin anyway. Paul is giving
this warning to the Jewish Christians, and us, when we turn to religion for
salvation after understanding Christ's atoning work and deliberately turn away
from the Cross of Christ. Numbers
15:30-31 'But the
person who does anything presumptuously,
whether he is native-born or a
stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from
among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and
has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.' " Mark 3:28-30 "Assuredly,
I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever
blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal
condemnation"— 30 because they
said, "He has an unclean spirit." The point is there is no other acceptable sacrifice for
sin than the death of Jesus on the cross. If someone deliberately rejects the
sacrifice of Jesus after clearly understanding the Good News it teaches, then
there is no way for that person to be saved, because God has not provided any
other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there
is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
After
we have received the knowledge of the truth; This phrase of this verse tells us that Paul is referring
to saved individuals. We have to remember he is speaking to the Jewish
believers that had given their heart to Jesus and were saved by Grace through
Faith by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. They had received the knowledge
of truth by being Born Again.
There
no longer remains a sacrifice for sins; So going back to the previous phrases of willfully
sinning and knowledge of truth, and knowingly turn to something other than the
Cross of Christ for salvation, like rituals of religion, then we are saying
Jesus death and resurrection is not enough for us to place our faith in for
salvation. By us placing our faith in the doctrine of a religion, we willfully
sin and nullify what Jesus did on the Cross for us.
27 but a
certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will
devour the adversaries.
But
a certain fearful expectation of judgment; This judgment referred to here is the Great White Throne
Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This judgment is what nonbelievers and those that
willfully turn away from salvation will face one day. As human being we have an
eternal soul. This means that the soul and the spirit will never die. At the
end of the Millennial Reign, there will be a second resurrection of sinners,
when bodies made of eternal material will be given to every lost soul. With
these eternal bodies, they will all be cast into the Lake of Fire
And
fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries; “Fiery indignation” refers to God in
punishing apostates. In other words, it angers God for individuals to reject
Christ, especially considering the great price He has paid for their Salvation.
Many people don’t believe that God would do this, but there are many examples
in the Old and New Testament of people that did not live by His standards and
were struck down. Just look at all the people that were struck down by the
Israelites when they were claiming the land that God promised them. These
people were evil in God’s eyes, but I’m sure according to man’s standards there
were many kind and nice people, yet they were all killed.
28 Anyone
who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses.
What Paul is trying to
point out here is that judgment falls upon anyone that rejects God and His
statutes. Even in the Old Testament when someone rejected the laws of the Old
Covenant they were stoned to death. Deuteronomy
17:2-7 "If there is found among you,
within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman
who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has
gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of
the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 and it is
told you, and you hear of it,
then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and
certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you
shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked
thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. 6 Whoever is
deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three
witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands
of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and
afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from
among you.
Some may claim that since
we are living in the day of Grace that these admonitions don’t apply; but one
must remember that judgment unto Grace is much more severe than it was under
Law. Paul said: Acts
17:30-31 Truly,
these times of ignorance (Old Testament times) God
overlooked, but now (during this day of Grace)
commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will
judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." And then the Apostle said, Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness. While God is long-suffering and merciful, if men continue
to reject His way, the ultimate result can be nothing but judgment.
29 Of how
much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has
trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Let’s rephrase this verse
to better understand it. “Just think how
much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of
God, and have treated His shed blood unholy and common, that saved us, and have
insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us.” Just
think of it this way; you are a dedicated worker at your place of employment,
always going the extra mile to get things done and done right, but when a
monetary raise or promotion comes along you are passed by. How do you feel? This
is what this verse is saying, someone that was saved but turns away from God’s
Grace, will suffer greater punishment.
Of
how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has
trampled the Son of God underfoot; Being
overlooked at work for a raise or promotion is nothing compared to God giving
His only Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Does God have a right to
be angry and send people to the Lake of Fire especially when they know the
truth, but still reject the message of the Cross; when they still practice
things of a religion that are not in God’s Holy Word the Bible.
Counted
the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing; When a believer knows the truth and experiences
God’s saving Grace through repentance, and then turns their faith to something
other than Jesus sacrifice on the Cross for them, God has a right to be angry
with them for rejecting His Son. Because of this they will suffer a fiery
judgment, unless they repent and come back to faith in Jesus.
And
insulted the Spirit of grace? Through
this rejection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is insulted, because it was by the
power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus endured the suffering of the Cross and also
rose from the dead. If one rejects Jesus, they are also saying the Holy Spirit
does not exist!
30 For we
know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."
For
we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord;
This phrase is often
used in the context of God dealing with someone that has offended you. Let’s
look at this from a little different angle. Let’s put the emphasis on, “I WILL
REPAY”. Let’s stop and think about what we are studying in this lesson so far,
and that is unfaithfulness of a nonbeliever and/or turning from God after
knowing and experiencing the truth of God. This puts a whole new light on this
well used phrase, when we think about us sinning and the judgment God will
place on us some day. A wrongdoer cannot hope to go unpunished when our
judgment is in the hands of the Lord. The one that the Christian Jews were
repudiating, that being Jesus, will be their judge and our judge one day.
And
again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE; His people, is referring to the Christian Jews that
placed their faith in Jesus, along with present day people that are Born Again.
We always have to keep in mind what this Book of Hebrews is all about and what
it is that Paul is trying to get the Hebrew people to understand, and that is
to stay firm in the faith of what Jesus did on the Cross for them and not go
back to their old ways of law and religious rituals. We also are just as guilty
of practicing law and religious rituals.
Of course, every believing
sinner who comes to Jesus wipes the slate clean of their sins. In other words,
his sins were judged at the foot of the Cross and will never again be brought
against him. It is the same with Believers who sin, and dutifully take that sin
to the Lord. He has promised to forgive, cleanse, and forget, and that He does.
1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we
make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
We also have to remember
that God is all knowing, meaning that He has the knowledge of all we say,
think, and do. God doesn’t judge us by what He sees or hears us doing, but with
the righteousness His holy standards and how our heart compares to His righteousness.
Every single thing that man does, he will ultimately answer to God. This is a
very solemn statement, but it happens to be true. Isaiah 11:1-4 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of
Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit
of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The
Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
LORD. 3
His delight is in the fear of
the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the
hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth
with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the
wicked.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.
God's power is awesome,
and his punishment terrible. These words give us a glimpse into the holiness of
God. He is sovereign; his power is unlimited; he will do as he promises. This
judgment is for those who have once known the Lord, but have rejected Him and
placed their faith is something other than the Cross of Christ. For them,
falling into God's hands will be a dreadful experience. They will have no more
excuses. They will discover that they were wrong, but it will be too late. For
those who accept Christ's love and his salvation before they pass from this
earth, they have nothing to fear. 1
John 4:15-19 Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we
have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who
abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in
this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so
are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts
out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made
perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All
things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God."
Bill
Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners
Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my
sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my
sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” (John 3:16,17;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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