Will you please turn to the book of
Hebrews, chapter 10.
Hebrews, chapter 10, we'll read from verse 19
to verse 31.
Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 19.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the
holy of holies, by the blood of Jesus,
the new and living way, which he has
dedicated for us through the veil, that is
his flesh, and having a great priest over
the house of God, let us approach with
a true heart, in full assurance of faith,
sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked
conscience, and washed as to our body with
pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of the
hope, unwavering, for he is faithful who has
promised.
And let us consider one another for provoking
to love and good works, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the custom is
with some, but encouraging one another, and by
so much the more, as ye see the
day drawing near.
For where we sing willfully, after receiving the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains
any sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and heat of fire about
to devour the adversaries.
Anyone that has disregarded Moses' law, dies without
mercy, on the testimony of two or three
witnesses, of how much worse punishment they give,
shall he be judged worthy, who has trodden
underfoot the Son of God, and has seen
the blood of the covenant, whereby he has
been sanctified commonly, and has insulted the Spirit
of grace.
For we know him that said, to me
belongs vengeance, I will recompense, said the Lord.
And again, the Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing, falling into the
hands of the living God.
Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we do thank Thee for
Thy precious Word.
We ask, O Lord, that Thou will breathe
upon Thy Word, and make it living to
us.
We pray that as we go into Thy
Word, we may hear Thy voice speaking to
us directly, and to Thee be all the
glory, in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.
It has been some time that we have
been on this book of Hebrews, and I'm
a little bit fearful that probably you have
forgotten what we have mentioned before.
So I have to use maybe five minutes
to roughly bring you to this point that
we are going to share this morning.
The book of Hebrews is a letter of
exhortation.
You find that in Hebrews 13, verse 22.
The writer said he write this letter as
a letter of exhortation.
Now, exhortation in the Scripture means calling attention
to, warning against, and encouraging unto.
And in this letter to the Hebrews, we
find five distinctive exhortations.
And all these exhortations are centered upon one
or some important theme.
Because of the importance of what the author
is presenting to us.
Therefore, on the one hand, he encourages us,
and on the other hand, he warns us.
Now, the first exhortation is found in Hebrews
chapter one and chapter two.
The theme is so great salvation.
Salvation is not a little thing.
Salvation is so great.
Why?
Because it is concerned with glory.
One day, the Son of God will lead
many sons into glory.
And because of the importance of this theme,
the writer encourages that we should pay special
attention to what we have heard.
Lest it slips away from us through negligence.
Now, the second exhortation is found in chapters
three and four.
And it is centered upon this matter of
the heavenly calling.
We are called with a heavenly calling.
We are called to be the house of
God.
We are called to be the companions of
Christ.
We are called to enter into His rest.
And because of such a calling, a heavenly
calling, we are encouraged to consider, to consider
Jesus, the apostle of our faith.
We are encouraged to encourage one another daily
as long as it is today.
We need to encourage one another.
Lest we are deceived by sin.
Lest we fall away.
And this is the exhortation.
Now, the third exhortation is found in chapters
five, six, and seven.
And this is centered upon the theme of
perfection.
We need to grow into full growth.
It is not the will of God that
we should remain as babes.
Having the foundation laid, we should build on
it.
And in connection with that, we are encouraged
to press on.
We are to consider Jesus as the high
priest of our confession.
Because He is able to succor us, to
support us.
He ever lived making intercession for us.
And He is well able to save us
to the uttermost.
And in view of that, we are warned
against being sluggish.
Because by faith and patience, we shall inherit
our promises.
Now, this morning we will enter into the
fourth exhortation.
The fourth exhortation is found from chapter eight
through chapter ten.
And here, in chapter ten, we said, having,
therefore, brothering.
Now, therefore, we know, is a word that
shows us it is a continuation of what
has already been said.
So we may say that, if you read
from chapter eight through chapter ten, you will
find a number of things there.
And these things are for the sake of
enabling us to enter into the Holy of
Holies.
I wonder how much we understand about this
matter of entering into the Holy of Holies.
You know, in the Old Testament, God wanted
to dwell among His people.
And to do that, He commended Moses to
build Him a tabernacle.
And a tabernacle has an outer court, a
holy place, and the Holy of Holies.
Now, the Holy of Holies, or the holiest,
is actually the place where the glory of
God abides.
So entering into the Holy of Holies simply
means to enter into the very presence of
God.
To live in the very presence of God.
To behold His face.
To commune with Him.
To have fellowship with Him.
To abide in Him.
And this is a privilege that people did
not have in the Old Testament time.
Why?
Because in the Old Testament time you find
people had to worship God far away.
They could enter into the outer court to
offer sacrifices to God.
But they were not allowed even to enter
into the holy place.
Only a few people, the priesthood, they could
enter into the holy place to serve God.
But they were not allowed to enter into
the Holy of Holies.
Only the high priest, one man, in all
the nation of Israel, he was allowed to
enter into the Holy of Holies once a
year.
With blood and smoke of incense to cover
him.
To go behind the veil.
To offer blood, atonement for the whole nation
and just for a little while.
And according to the interpretation of the Holy
Spirit, in Hebrews we find that it simply
means the way to the holiest has not
been opened.
In other words, no one can see the
face of God.
No one can enter into His presence.
Not to say, no one is able to
live in His presence.
That was a privilege never granted in the
Old Testament time.
But thank God, today we find we are
able to enter into the Holy of Holies.
Why?
Because as you read chapter eight, you find
that under the Old Covenant of Law, the
Old Covenant of Law, the Ten Commandments, thou
shalt and thou shalt not.
These are the demands of God.
And yet no one can fulfill such demand.
Under the Law, everyone was condemned.
But thank God, God has covenanted with us
with a new covenant.
And in that new covenant, it is a
covenant of grace.
In other words, it is no longer thou
shalt and thou shalt not, putting all the
responsibility on man.
It is, I will and I will.
It is a covenant of grace.
God said, I will do everything for you.
I will forgive your sins, or I will
forget your iniquities.
I will dwell in you.
I will give you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation that you may know me.
I will give you my own life that
you may have the power to obey me.
In other words, you find God promised that
He will do everything for us.
And this has been sealed by the blood
of our Lord Jesus.
In other words, it is a covenant that
cannot be broken.
In the old covenant, because the responsibility is
upon man, and when men fail to fulfill
their responsibility, God abolished the covenant, because it
didn't work.
But in the new covenant, God put all
the responsibility upon Himself.
And thank God, it never failed.
And therefore, this covenant can never be broken.
Under the new covenant of grace, we can
enter into the Holy of Holies.
And then if you read on to chapter
nine, you will find that under the old
covenant, there will be sacrifices.
Why?
Because without the shedding of blood, there is
no remission of sin.
And that's the reason why you find the
children of Israel, they have to offer sacrifices
again and again, day after day, month after
month, year after year.
But, the Bible tells us, the blood of
bulls and goats really cannot wash our sins
away.
In other words, they serve as a type,
as a shadow.
All the blood of the bulls and the
goats only cover, as it were, our sins
before God for a time.
But the next year, the blood of bulls
and goats had to be offered and brought
within the veil to make atonement before God
again.
In other words, the sins had not before
forgiven.
They were just covered for a time until
one day, the blood of our Lord Jesus,
He offered Himself by the eternal Spirit, spotless
to God, and once for all, He cleansed
us from all our sins.
So dear brothers and sisters, we find that
it is the blood of the Lord Jesus
that washed all our sins away, and forever,
once and for all.
It is finished.
In the Old Testament time, there should be
many sacrifices.
But here we find, in the New Testament,
through the offering of our Lord Jesus, just
once, and it is perfected.
He has perfected eternal redemption for us.
Under the Old Covenant, you find you need
priests.
Priests, human beings, just as we are.
They are weak too.
But they were priests according to the order
of Levitical order.
And then they will help the people to
offer sacrifices.
But, their priesthood often was interrupted by death.
But here you'll find, in the New Covenant,
we have a priest, Jesus Christ.
He is after the order of Melchizedek.
In other words, after the life order of
the indissoluble life.
He lives forever, making intercession for us, that
He may save us to the uttermost.
In the Old Testament time, you'll find, when
they offer sacrifices, and, once a year, the
high priests enter into the Holy of Holies.
But, now you'll find, the shadow has passed
away.
It is the reality now.
Why?
Because our Lord Jesus has taken His blood,
His own blood, not into a man-made
tent, but He brought His own blood, even
into Heaven itself.
We have the reality now.
So dear brothers and sisters, the time of
shadow is past.
Now, Christ has brought us into reality.
And the reality is, we are able today,
not only to enter into the very presence
of God, but by His grace, we are
able to dwell in His presence.
Now dear brothers and sisters, this is the
highest privilege that man can ever enjoy.
And thank God, it is ours.
So the writer of the Hebrew said, we
may approach, we may enter into the Holy
of Holies, boldly, with boldness, no longer with
fear and trembling, far, far away, but now
we can draw near to the very presence
of God with holy boldness.
Now this boldness is not based upon ourselves.
If it is based upon ourselves, it will
be presumptuous.
And you know, in the Old Testament times,
even to peace, at the very beginning, you
will find two sons of Aaron.
They presumptuously try to enter in the tent
of meeting to offer incense to God with
strange fire.
And they were burned to death.
So brothers and sisters, it is not by
any boldness in ourselves, because in ourselves there
is no good.
We are not worthy.
We cannot stand under that impenetrable light.
We cannot stand the light of God, the
holiness of God.
It is something that we couldn't.
But thank God our boldness is in Christ
Jesus.
So here you'll find we have the boldness
to enter into the holy of holies by
three things.
Number one, by the blood of the Lamb.
We are able to enter into the very
presence of God and stand before Him with
boldness.
Why?
Only because the blood of the Lord Jesus
has been shed.
His blood has washed all our sins away.
So when we stand before God, God can
see no iniquity in us.
It is all washed away by the blood
of our Lord Jesus.
That's where our boldness is.
And secondly you'll find it is by His
opening for us a new and living way.
Through the veil, His own flesh.
In other words, you'll find that when our
Lord Jesus was crucified on Calvary's cross, at
the moment when He died, something happened in
the city of Jerusalem, in the temple.
There the veil has separated the holiest of
all from the holy place was rent from
top to bottom into two.
In other words, through the breaking of the
body of our Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross,
the veil that stood between the holiest of
all and the holy place was rent in
two.
The way to the presence of God is
being opened.
And this is through the broken body of
our Lord Jesus.
He was broken on Calvary's cross to open
the new and living way for all of
us to enter in and to live in
the presence of God.
And thirdly you'll find today we have Him,
our Lord Jesus, as a high priest of
the house of God.
He is now seated at the right hand
of God making intercession for us, praying for
us, supplying us with His own life, with
His Spirit, with His power, that we may
live a life that will be pleasing to
God.
So, brothers and sisters, how we do thank
God that through our Lord Jesus, by His
blood, through His broken body, and His being
now living forever for us as our high
priest, we have the boldness to enter into
the Holy of Holies.
Today it is a reality that we can
live, not only enter, we do not need
to enter in in a few minutes to
withdraw.
No, we can live, dwell, abide, make our
home in God, in His very presence, and
have loving fellowship with Him day by day,
moment by moment.
And this is what the Lord has done
for us.
Dear brothers and sisters, isn't this a marvelous
privilege?
Today we do not need to worship God
from afar off.
We do not need to be in fear
and trembling when we think about God.
Today we can come into God, dwelling Him,
holding communion, fellowship with Him, love Him, worship
Him, and gaze upon Him, and be transformed
by the Spirit of God that we may
be conformed to the image of Christ.
And this is our portion, our privilege.
Now, seeing such a tremendous privilege, here you'll
find the writer of Hebrews encourage us, encourage
us to approach.
Now, since we have such a privilege, why
do you stay out?
I think it will be, it cannot be
imagined that having such a privilege, that we
can live daily in the presence of God,
with God, holding communion with Him, in sweet
fellowship with Him, and yet we stay away
from Him.
It cannot be imagined.
So the writers encourage us to approach.
Let us approach.
Let us draw near.
Let us draw near with a true heart.
Brothers and sisters, it is a matter of
heart.
It is not a matter of outward appearance.
You know, you remember the Lord Jesus said,
the hour has come, and it now is,
that you do not worship God either at
Mount Gerasing or in the temple in Jerusalem,
because you worship God in spirit and in
truth.
In other words, today it is not a
matter of outward appearance.
Where?
How?
No.
It is a matter of heart.
Today we approach God with a true heart.
Thank God, we can, or we do have
a true heart today.
Why?
Because our heart has been sprinkled by the
blood from an evil conscience.
Now formerly, you know, in our heart there
is an evil conscience there.
Whenever we think of God, our conscience accuses
us, and we flee from God.
We are afraid of God.
But thank God our conscience has been cleansed.
We have a conscience without offense before God.
So today we can approach God with a
pure heart, with a true heart, a heart
that really desires God, a heart that really
loves God, and we can approach God with
our full assurance of faith.
Three things.
This life within the veil, this life in
the holiest of all, this life with God,
in the presence of God, actually is a
life of faith, of hope, and of love.
Therefore you find in Hebrews chapter ten, first
of all, verse twenty-two, let us approach
with a true heart in full assurance of
faith.
Let us approach in full assurance of faith.
Now, there is a little bit, we need
to add some little strength to that translation,
because according to the original, it is not
the full assurance of faith.
It is the fullness of faith.
Now, there is a vast difference between full
assurance of faith and fullness of faith.
I don't have time to explain it today,
because we have a baptism later on.
But anyway you find that it is the
fullness of faith.
Now, what is the fullness of faith?
The fullness of faith means all that God
has done in Christ, objectively for us.
And all that we trust and believe, subjectively,
in all that He has done for us.
In other words, fullness of faith means whatever
the Lord has done for us, we believe,
and we appropriate.
That is fullness of faith.
Faith, as we find in Hebrews chapter eleven,
faith, verse one.
Now, faith is, I am reading for a
new translation, faith is the substantiating of things
hopeful, the conviction of things not seen.
Now, what is faith?
Faith is the substantiating of things hopeful.
In other words, faith looks forward.
It is something that we hope for.
But even if it is something that we
hope for, it is being brought to us
now, by faith.
So, it is called the substantiating of things
hopeful.
Now, let me use an illustration.
We have a beautiful picture here.
Now, the picture is hanged on the wall.
How is it that it becomes something that
you can enjoy personally?
When you see that picture, your eyes substantiate.
Now, the picture is a substance.
Your eyes substantiate that picture within you.
In other words, it brings that beautiful scenery
into your mind, and because it brings it
into your mind, it gives you such enjoyment.
Now, that is what faith is.
Faith substantiates all the promises of God.
Faith brings all that Christ has done for
us into our very life and make them
our experience, so that we can enjoy them.
Now, that is faith.
Brothers and sisters, what is the life within
the veil?
The life in the presence of God?
The life in the presence of God is
not a life by sight.
It is a life by faith.
In other words, today we live a life
by sight.
And if you live a life by sight,
you live externally.
In other words, you live by the circumstances
around you.
Know what you see around you.
You know?
And, as a matter of fact, what you
see around you today will not give you
much enjoyment.
It is a sad sight.
But dear brothers and sisters, we do not
live by sight.
If you live by sight, you are outside
the veil.
We all live by faith.
Why can we live by faith?
Because we see Him.
We do not see other things.
We see Him.
Or, may I put it this way, we
see all things through Him.
And that makes all the difference.
All the difference.
A life in the presence of God is
a life of faith.
A life that sees God continuously.
Looking off unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith.
The more you look at Him, the more
your faith increases.
And dear brothers and sisters, the more you
are able to appropriate all that God has
done for us in Christ Jesus.
It is a life of faith.
And secondly, this life in the presence of
God is a life of hope.
So here it said, in Hebrews chapter 10,
verse 23, Let us hold fast the confession
of the hope unwavering for His faithful who
has promised.
It is Robert Govett who makes a distinction
between profession and confession.
There is a difference between profession and confession.
Profession is made among people who are friendly.
Confession renders in the presence of the enemy.
In other words, what is confession?
Confession is you confess something, you acknowledge something,
you declare something among people who are not
friendly.
That's confession.
And the confession of hope unwavering.
Now, what is the confession of hope that
we have?
We have hope.
Now, the world does not have hope.
In Ephesians chapter 2 we find they have
no hope, no God.
But we have a blessed hope.
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We have hope.
And what is our hope?
Our hope is that we may gain Him.
We may know Him.
We may know the power of His resurrection.
We may be conformed to His death.
And we may arrive at our resurrection from
among the dead.
That we may be apprehended as we are
being apprehended.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have tremendous hope
before us.
We have the hope to be transformed and
conformed according to His image.
We have the hope to rule and reign
with Christ.
We have the hope to be joined with
Him eternally, to be one with Him.
We have tremendous hope before Him.
And this is the hope that we confess
even today in this world.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is true.
We have to hold fast the hope, the
confession of our hope unwaveringly.
Why?
Because we are surrounded by adverse situations.
The whole world, everything around us is trying
to destroy our hope, is trying to shake
our hope.
But thank God we shall hold fast the
confession of our hope unwavering.
Why?
Because our God is faithful.
We know that He will bring us to
the end.
And actually you'll find that in chapter twelve
of the book of Hebrews.
You know we are on an obstacle course.
What our brother has found in the beginning,
just passing through these obstacles is nothing.
But our life is such a big obstacle
course.
There are so many obstacles we have to
overcome.
But let us run with patience.
Leave aside every weight and the thing that
easily entangles us.
Looking off unto Jesus and run with patience
knowing that our Lord Jesus has already run
that race and He has won.
And even if we have to suffer a
little bit for it, it's worth it.
And do not forget that God in His
wisdom is child training us that we may
be made partakers of His divine nature.
Now think of that blessed hope that is
before us.
So brothers and sisters, a life in the
presence of God is a life of hope.
And then, of course, the third thing is
in twenty-fourth.
And let us consider one another for provoking
to love and good works.
It is a life of love.
A life in God is a life of
love.
Not only in the sense of loving God,
but also loving one another.
And that's what you find in Hebrews chapter
thirteen.
That we need to love one another, the
hospital to one another, and to remember those
who are in bonds, and to, you know,
submit ourselves to the leaders, and to go
outside of the camp to join with Christ,
and so on and so forth.
So, here you'll find it is a life
of love.
A life of love.
And these are the things we are encouraged
to do.
So brothers and sisters, just remember, we are
to approach, draw near to God, and live
this life of faith, of hope, and of
love.
And because of the greatness of the privilege,
you'll find it brings to us also a
tremendous responsibility.
And if we fail in our responsibility, then
of course we are warned that there will
be a serious disciplinary action waiting for us.
So, here you'll find the rite of the
Hebrews not only encourages us to approach with
pure heart, in fullness of faith, confession of
faith, of hope, and love, provoking to love
and good works, but immediately following, you'll find
He begins to warn us.
Knowing that we have such a privilege, and
if we should abuse the grace of God,
if we should despise the grace of God,
then what will happen?
And He says, verse twenty-six, For where
we sing willfully after receiving the knowledge of
the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice
for sins.
But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and
heat of fire are about to devour the
adversaries.
Here is the warning.
If we abuse the grace of God, if
we despise what Christ has done for us,
if we sing willfully, now here you'll find
the sin is sin willfully.
Well, maybe, first of all, I would say,
what follows, sometimes people say, what you read
from Hebrew chapter ten, verse twenty-six, to
verse thirty-one, refers to unbelievers.
Now, whenever we read something that becomes serious,
we are thinking that it refers to other
people.
But if you read very carefully the context,
you'll find that the writer of the Hebrews
is not talking to unbelievers.
He is talking to believers.
Why?
You'll find he said, For where we sing
willfully.
We.
And we, not only the Hebrews who received
the letter, but even the writer of the
Hebrews.
We.
If we sing willfully.
And then you'll find after receiving the knowledge
of the truth.
Now, the word knowledge in Greek is ethynosis,
which is full knowledge, experiential knowledge.
It is not just surface mental knowledge.
It is an experiential knowledge.
In other words, you have experienced already the
truth.
Now, having received the full knowledge of truth.
Now, an unbeliever doesn't have such knowledge.
He's a believer.
And then if you read verse 29.
Whereby he has been sanctified.
In other words, he has been sanctified by
the blood of the covenant.
He was forgiven.
His sin was washed away.
He had an experience of what we call
salvation.
He has been sanctified by the covenant of
the blood.
And verse 30.
The Lord shall judge his people.
You are his people.
So, you find that these words are not
spoken to unbelievers.
They are spoken to believers.
Oh, brothers and sisters, because we have such
high privilege, therefore we need to be severely
warned.
If we sing willfully.
Now, the word willfully means deliberate, determined, sustained,
continued.
Now, if we sing deliberately, decidedly, determinately, and
continuously, after we have known the Lord, after
we are saved, after we know the truth,
after we are sanctified, and if we sing
willfully against all that we have already known
and experienced of the Lord, then it is
a serious thing.
Now, of course the sin does not refer
to sometimes through temptation we fall.
It doesn't refer to that.
Or, nor does it refer to some sin
that often entangles you.
In other words, there may be some sin
in your life you are fighting against all
the time, and yet you fail again and
again.
Now, it doesn't refer even to that.
It only refers to having received the full
knowledge of God, and yet you sing willfully
against it.
Now, that's the thing that is mentioned there.
Now, if you want to know what kind
of sin it is, if you read on,
you will find it is described a little
bit in verse 29.
Think ye, shall he be judged worthy who
hath trodden underfoot the Son of God?
In other words, he has known the Son
of God, and yet he began to tread
the Son of God under his feet.
Think of that.
And esteem the blood of the covenant whereby
he has been sanctified common.
He has been sanctified by the blood, and
the blood is holy, and yet he turned
around and said it's common, it's nothing.
And also insulted the Spirit of Grace.
The Holy Spirit has wrought in his life
and bring grace to him, and yet he
insulted the Spirit of Grace, and just despised
the Spirit of God.
Now, brothers and sisters, what is it?
It is apostasy.
Apostasy.
Now, in the Bible you will find warning
against apostasy.
Apostasy is a possibility.
You will read 2 Peter, you will read
Jude, and you will find warnings against apostasy.
In other words, people may have come to
the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and yet
can turn around completely, and against in such
a way that is blasphemous.
They misuse the grace of God for a
dissolute life.
And they even deny their only Master and
Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, in history you will find such cases.
But thank God, not too many.
But anyway you will find apostasy is possible.
So we are warned against it.
Warned against apostasy.
Now, if such things should happen, it is
that there no longer remains any sacrifice for
sins.
No more sacrifice of sins, but a certain
fearful expectation of judgment, and heat of fire
about to devour the adversaries.
And the writer used a comparison.
He said, now, if you disregard Moses' law,
on the testimony of two or three, you
will die without mercy.
Now, that's true.
Because if you read that in the Old
Testament, you'll find it is true.
When a person sins, and he knows about
it, he can bring a sacrifice to God
and ask for forgiveness.
And his sins will be covered.
But there are certain sins people committed in
the Old Testament time under the law of
Moses that cannot be sacrificed.
No sacrifice for such sins.
For instance, murder.
Leviticus chapter 21 verse 12 to 14.
You'll find that if a person should kill
another person deliberately, there is no sacrifice for
him.
Even if he should flee to the city
of refuge, he has to be taken out
and bestowed to death.
Or adultery.
Deuteronomy 22nd chapter to 22nd verse.
There is no sacrifice for sin.
In other words, there are certain sins that
are done deliberately against the law of Moses,
and on the testimony of two or three,
will be punished with death.
Now, if this is true in the Old
Testament time, how much more severe it will
be.
In the New Testament time, under grace, with
such tremendous privilege, and people should turn around
and dragon Christ, Son of God, under their
feet.
How much more severe the punishment will be.
The writer used that as a comparison.
In other words, it is even more serious
than death.
Thank God.
Those who believe in the Lord Jesus, and
has their sins forgiven, and has received eternal
life, God will never go back and take
away his eternal life.
God will never again throw him into the
lake of fire, as if he has never
believed.
No.
Because the calling and the gift of God
knows no repentance.
That is true.
But it is equally true.
Even if God does not take away the
eternal life, the gift that has given to
you for eternity, but, if we willfully sin,
and do not repent, a severe disciplinary action
is waiting.
And what is described there is fearful expectation
of judgment.
And as a matter of fact, that judgment
is grace.
Through judgment, God will correct us.
Discipline.
Use an illustration.
David.
David committed adultery and murder.
You remember the story.
And after he committed that sin, God sent
the prophet Nathan to him, pointed out to
him what he had done.
And as a matter of fact, you know,
David, a man at God's own heart, his
conscience has smitten him all the time.
Even before the prophet pointed it out.
In other words, David really repented of what
he had done.
And God told Nathan that God has forgiven
him.
But do you think he got off that
easily?
If you read Psalm 51, you find there
is something there.
Verse 16.
Psalm 51, verse 16.
For thou desireth not sacrifice, else would I
give it.
Thou has no pleasure in burning.
You know, David knew for the sin of
murder and adultery there is no sacrifice of
sins.
David knew that.
Then he said, if you still desire sacrifice,
I will offer it.
But David knew that is no use.
No use, no sacrifice for sin.
But does it mean there is nothing that
you can do?
Thank God.
Even though there remains no sacrifice for sins.
And yet, David said, the sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit.
A broken and uncontrived heart.
O God, thou will not despise.
David offered the sacrifices of a broken spirit.
A contrived and broken heart.
And because of this, God does not despise
him.
God said, I will forgive you.
But discipline, judgment, will follow
him and his house.
And you find how terrible things happened to
David's house.
Forgiven, and yet severely punished.
Severely disciplined.
And brothers and sisters, it is the grace
of God.
It is still the grace of God.
The sin of apostasy is a most serious
sin.
We do not know who has gone to
the point of no return.
We only hope that even those who have
apostatized may still repent and come to God
with a broken and contrived heart.
And they will still be forgiven, even though
they had to be severely disciplined.
But, it is possible that in this life
some people may go to the point of
no return.
And if that is the case, then in
the age to come they will be severely
disciplined.
A very famous case on this matter of
apostasy happened at the turning of the century.
There was a very brilliant man by the
name of F.
W.
Newman.
He was Carter the Newman's brother.
He was a brilliant man.
And in his early days he was in
constant company with such great men of God
like Jan Darby, Anthony Bruce, and these great
men of God.
And he was in constant company with them.
He was really saved.
And he seemed to love the Lord.
But then, at a certain period of his
life, he suddenly completely changed.
For a number of years, twenty years or
so, he became escapist.
He began to oppose the truth of God.
And he polluted, deceived many young people in
the university.
He became an apostate.
But thank God, before he died, he repented.
And he asked that on his tombstone it
is written that he died trusting in the
blood of the Lord Jesus.
So we feel that even though it is
such a serious thing, but God is so
merciful that there is still opportunity for such
people to return.
But anyway, you'll find the writer of the
Hebrew said, we haven't read that portion because
we don't have the time, but now we
can read it.
Verse 32.
But call to mind the earlier days, in
which having been enlightened, he endured much conflict
of suffering.
On the one hand, when he was made
a spectacle, both in reproaches and affliction, and
on the other, when he became partakers with
them, with those who were passing through them.
For he both sympathized with prisoners and accepted
with joy the plunder of your goods, knowing
that you have for yourself a better substance
than abiding one.
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has
great recompense.
For ye have need of endurance in order
that, having done the will of God, ye
may receive the promise.
For yet a very little while, he that
comes will come and will not delay.
But the just shall live by faith, and
if he draw back, my soul does not
take pleasure in him.
But we are not glorious back to perdition,
but of faith to saving the soul.
So dear brothers and sisters, it is a
real comfort, even though we find the warning
is so serious.
But we do not need to be afraid.
Because by the grace of God, he has
supported us, he has supplied us, that we
may continue on, endure with faith, and do
not draw back.
And brothers and sisters, just a little while,
it will not be long, even though it
is difficult.
But just a little while, and he that
comes will come, and the just shall live
by faith.
So may the Lord.
Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank
Thee, that Thou has given us such high
privilege.
Privilege that people in the old days could
never have.
But thank God that it is now our
portion, that we may dwell in Thy very
presence, and have sweet communion with Thee daily.
Our Father, we pray that having such privilege,
through the blood of the Lamb, and the
new and living way Christ has opened for
us, with Him as our High Priest, we
pray that truly we may draw near with
fullness, with true heart, in fullness of faith,
and with hope unwavering, and provoking one another
to love and good works, as long as
it is today.
Lord, we pray that this may be true
with all of us.
Do deliver us from willfully sin against Thee,
to turn our back against Thee, Lord.
We pray that we cannot keep ourselves, but
we commit ourselves to Thee, knowing that Thou
art able to keep us until that day.
And to Thee be all the praise and
glory, in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.