Thursday 30 September, 2021

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This passage is pretty challenging for anyone, but even more so for our modern minds that have it enculturated to respect “don’t judge me” as a norm. 

For me, verse 29 is the heart of why God needs to call us to account and call us up,  that is to deliberately keep on sinning is to “trample the Son of God underfoot”, to treat as “unholy” the most holy act of human history – Christ’s death for us, for me. It is to insult God Himself – the Spirit of grace. 

This is so important to hear – this grace for me is so wonderful, but I can forget just how dangerous and personal my sin is. To God. This passage calls my temptation to view sin casually to account. Vitally so!

Lord, I am sorry for ever seeing my sin as a casual affront to you. Grace frees me, but not to sin casually before you. I do not want to trample you underfoot, treat as unholy your magnificent sacrifice, and insult you. Forgive me, and keep me wary of any casual attitude towards sin – in me, and the world around me. Amen. 

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh