Priesthood of Melchizedek

Hebrews 10:26–39 

  C.      Exhortation (vv. 26–39).

This is the fourth of the five exhortations (see outline). It warns against willful sin. Please remember that this exhortation is to believers, not unsaved people and that it is related to the previous three exhortations. Careless Christians start to drift through neglect; then they doubt the Word; then they grow dull toward the Word; and the next step is deliberately sinning and despising their spiritual heritage. Note the important facts about this particular sin. It is not one sin committed once; “sin willfully” in v. 26 should read “willingly go on sinning.” It is the same continuous tense of the verb as in 1 John 3:4–10—“Whosoever continually and habitually sins is not born of God.” So, this passage is not dealing with an “unpardonable sin”; it is talking about an attitude toward the Word that God calls willful rebellion. There were no sacrifices in the OT for deliberate, presumptuous sins (see Ex. 21:14; Num. 15:30). Sins of ignorance (Lev. 4) and of sudden passion were covered; but willful sins merited only punishment.

Verse 29 reminds us that our salvation (and the shed blood that purchased it) are held in high regard by God. The Father values His Son; the Son shed His blood; the Spirit applies the merits of   p 706  the cross to the believer. For us to sin willfully is to sin against the Father and the Son and the Spirit. The writer quotes Deut. 32:35–36 to show that God, in the OT, saw to it that His people (not unbelievers) reaped what they sowed and were judged when they disobeyed willfully. The fact that they were His covenant people made their obligations that much greater (Amos 3:2). God judges His people; see Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 11:31–32; and 1 Peter 1:17. Of course, this is not eternal judgment, but rather His chastening in this life and the loss of reward in the next. Note vv. 34–35, where the writer emphasizes reward for faithfulness, not salvation. See also 1 Cor. 3:14–15, 5:5, 9:27, and 11:30.

In vv. 32–39 (as in 6:9–12), he gives a wonderful assurance to these believers that their lives had proven they were truly born again. They were among those who had put faith in Christ (Hab. 2:3–4) and therefore could not “draw back” as those did who were not truly saved (1 John 2:19). Their destiny is perfection, not perdition because they have Christ in their hearts and look for His return.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992. Print.