Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my life. Hebrews 10.26 says, For if we
sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. This
scripture is often misconstrued to mean that if a child of God
is found guilty of a sin which he openly knows is sin and voluntarily
commits it anyway, then he no longer has any forgiveness which
could be applied to him. If that is true, then no man
would ever be saved because every man who is born of Adam's race
is continually and willfully embracing sin of one type or
another on a constant basis. The man who thinks that he refrains
from sin is either unacquainted with the depravity of his own
heart or has no understanding of what constitutes sin. As John
says, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. We are certain that there is
now no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ. Christ
has paid in full the complete sin-debt of His elect, and they
cannot be separated from Him, nor can any be plucked out of
His hand. He has obtained their eternal redemption, and they
shall never perish. The point that the writer of
Hebrews is making is that if a man disregards the complete
work which Christ has performed, then he has absolutely no grounds
upon that which might be found justified before a holy God.
The willful sin of which he speaks is defined as the antithesis
to the declaration and ground of faith which is found in all
of those whom the Lord is pleased to call. The very livelihood
of the saints is found in Christ, apart from whom they know they
would surely perish. The sands of time are littered
with the carcasses of multitudes who have made professions of
faith, been baptized, and given some outward indications of becoming
the followers of the Lamb, but who have at some point in time
taken up some alternative or additional means whereby they
might seek acceptance with God other than the finished work
of Christ alone. Religion is the burial ground of many who
do not enter into His rest. Ever since the days that Christ
began to preach upon the earth, there have been many who, while
making a fair show in the flesh of being His followers, have
nonetheless turned aside and walked no more with Him. Just
like that seed which fell on the stony ground, they flourished
for a season, but in time they returned to the dead works of
religion and continued about to establish their own righteousness.
This is an awful place to be found. They would have been better
off had they never had any knowledge of the truth than to turn from
it and embrace that beggarly way from which they at one time
professed to be delivered. Those who are the true believers
in Christ have one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. The complete
grounds upon which they expect to be justified before the face
of a holy God is that which Jesus Christ has performed and established
in His work as their Redeemer. They have a conscience which
is purged from the dead works of the law, and hate the garment
which is stained by the flesh. The only garment which they desire
is the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness. False disciples
may have a regard to Christ in some measure, but they also have
a regard unto the dead works of their religion, and are content
to profess a dual confidence in what they do and what Christ
has done. This is to disregard the work
of Christ, and is to be found among those whom Paul said he
was in doubt of. O foolish Galatians, who have
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. Are ye so foolish,
having begun in the Spirit? Are ye now made perfect by the
flesh? There can be no mixture of that which a man has confidence
in, for he will cleave to one and despise the other. A double-minded
man is unstable, and true faith must have a clear object. The
object of saving faith is nothing more or less than Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. To cling to any other hope is
to surely perish, and to be found among those who voluntarily fall
away from grace, and to embrace the dead works which Christ has
fulfilled and purged. The warnings that are given in
the scripture serve to cause the sons of God to examine themselves
and the basis of their faith. Examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates? They are certain that there is
no acceptable righteousness other than that of Christ, and they
desire to be clothed upon in his righteousness alone. The
reprobate, on the other hand, is not stirred by such warnings,
but is content to have confidence in his flesh. All of the disciples,
except Judas, were fearful as they asked the Lord if they would
be his betrayer. Judas, on the other hand, embraced
his role and was content. So too are those who are satisfied
with their religion in this world.