Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. The Apostle, through these scriptures, starting
back to chapter 1, has set forth Christ as the Son of God, as the Creator. as the heir of all things, as the high priest over the house
of God, as the one sacrifice that has made us perfect in Him. His blood is the blood
of atonement. He's the fulfillment of all the
types and all the pictures. He now comes to verse 23 in chapter
10. And in consideration of all that
I've just said, he says this, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering. He exhorts them and us to hold
fast, to get a grip, a firm grip on the gospel, on Christ, and
don't let it go. That's what he's saying. You
say, that's not possible. Well, there are some that's left. There are some that have left.
As Paul says later on in this chapter, he says, the just shall
live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have
no pleasure in him. The true believer will not draw
back. The true believer can stumble,
and he will. he or she will. Sooner or later
you're going to stumble. You're going to have times of
spiritual lows. But he writes this to the church,
and on down here he says, if we, he includes himself, He didn't
say you. He's not so cocksure. He says
you, not me. I don't want to talk about me.
He says we. We. So he says get a firm grip on
the gospel and don't let it go. Don't loosen your grip because
of trials. Testings, hardships, hard times,
and I'm telling you what, they suffered. They suffered some
real hard times over the gospel. They gave up a lot compared to
what we've given up. I don't feel like we've given
up anything. But they lost their homes, jobs, families, and some
of their lives over the gospel. And he's saying, hold fast. Hold
fast. Don't loosen your grip. You ever
have someone say to you, get a grip on it? Kind of starting
to lose it a little bit. You say, just get a grip on it.
If you see somebody, you see a believer starting to waver,
you tell him, get a grip on it. Don't loosen. Don't loosen your
grip. Don't let temptations loosen
your grip. Embrace them even tighter when trials come. Embrace the
promises of God even more when hardships come. And especially as we grow older,
as we grow older, let's cling more to Him, more to Him. And
do this without wavering or without doubting. Wavering is dangerous. It opens the door to unbelief,
which was the very reason why the children of Israel could
not enter the promised land. The same group that went through
the sea, that was under the cloud, that drank from the rock, as
it says over in 1 Corinthians, did not enter the promised land
because they did not believe God. They did not believe. And he says, do this without
wavering, without doubting. And here's our motive. He is
faithful that hath promised. What God has promised, he will
do. He will do it. I mean, the day
it may be, it may, the trial may be so dark and so heavy and
you begin to wonder where, Lord, where are you? Where are you? Why is this going on? Why is
this? You know, read the book of Job. But there's one thing
that you hold on to. God is faithful. He will do just
as he said he would. You hold on to that without wavering,
without wavering. He is faithful. God has given
his word. and will fulfill it to every
one of his children. He's given his word on it. You
give your word to your children, you want to do it. You want to
do what you say you're going to do. God's faithfulness is
our greatest motive to keep going forward. He's faithful. You can hold on to that now.
That's a gospel promise. You can hold on to that. And here's one of the means that
will keep us from leaving, that will keep from apostasy. And he gives some means here,
but here's one of them in verse 24. And let us consider one another
to provoke us to love and good works. One of the greatest means
to use against apostasy, against falling away, is each other. It's each other. Our fellowship
with each other. Encouraging one another. Consider
one another. Look after one another. If one
of these young kids was about to step off a cliff or make a
misstep, would not any of us adults step in and stop it? Would we not say, watch out? I cannot tell you, when I take,
you know, my grandkids, I take them out fishing, and I'm saying,
watch, don't get too close, I ain't, my fishing trip is fun and it's
not fun. I'm telling you, it's fun and
it's not fun. It's a paradox. I'm a paradox standing there.
You're watching them, you're trying to have fun, but at the
same time, you're constantly saying, watch out. Be careful. I say that, I wear myself out
doing that. Well, as believers, we need to
do that. If you see somebody starting
to stumble or going down a path that shouldn't be going down,
don't hesitate. Say, now watch out. You know,
we live in a country where people are free to live like they want.
Well, you and I don't live in it. This is secondary country. This is part of the journey home.
Our life is in the kingdom of God. We seek a better country. A city which has foundations,
whose builder, maker is God. And our concern is for that citizenship
and those people. And that's what he's saying here.
Let us consider one another to provoke, and if you're going
to provoke somebody, if you're going to provoke somebody, here's
the best way to do it. Provoke unto love and good works. And then listen, in verse 25,
here's another one. Here's another, and this is strong,
this is so important, a means that works against apostasy.
Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together. This is so
important for our spiritual maturity and growth. How important is
this gathering? Like the commercials say, priceless. Parents, you would not keep your
children at home from going to school. When the school year
starts in August, you are going to get up and you're going to
make sure that they have a good attendance, aren't you? You're
going to do it. You're going to stay on top of that. This
is far, far more important than that. It's far more important. The gathering, this gathering
together, hearing the gospel, hearing the Word taught as we
heard this morning, sitting under the Word of God, the preaching
of the gospel. There's nothing to be compared
to that. Nothing. We can't compare anything to
it. It's so important to our spiritual maturity. Henry told
this story one time. I don't know if I can remember
it verbatim, but he was telling of a man who had quit going to
the assembly, to the services, years ago. It's way back there.
And the pastor came over to his house, walked in, sat down beside
of him, never said a word, reached over, took a coal out of the
fire and set it down there in front of the hearth and watched
it go out. It's important to be here. To
the believer. To the believer. It's important
for everybody to be here, but for the believer, you sit under
the gospel, you constantly be instructed by your father. There
is a special blessing on this that you cannot get listening
to a tape or the radio or anything else. There is a special blessing
on this. And that special blessing is
this. God's presence. God's presence. And he says here, as the manner
of some is. Here's what happened, I believe.
Trials ran some of them off. There is always terrorism among
the weak. And so the trials separated them. And some of them who made
a profession, made a good show for a while, I mean, there are
some people that make a really good show for a long time. But
for one reason or another, they quit coming to the service. It
could have been this or that. It may have broke a fingernail
or something. After a while, it doesn't take anything. And
they quit coming. Then they show back up. Then
they quit. Then they quit. And the next
thing you know, they're gone. They're gone. as the manner of
some is. Some began, even in Paul's day,
forsaking the assembly. After the emotionalism of it
wore off, that Christ hadn't come back yet, and they're, you
know, years have gone by, and they're waiting, and they're
like, you know, they just got interested in other things and
they didn't believe it. They didn't believe it, and they
left. But exhort one another. It comes back to this. Here's
one of the means. Exhort one another. Look after
one another. Encourage one another. Warn one
another. Remind each other that this is
all perishing. Remind each other of what we
have in Christ. Of what's coming. Help one another
to set their affections on things above where Christ sits. We help
one another to do that, exhort one another. And so much
more, listen, as you see the day approaching, and that was
two thousand years ago, our redemption is nearer than when we believed,
isn't it? The day of our death is nearer
than when we were born. You say, well, that's obvious,
Mr. Obvious. But then we need to live like
it's obvious. I'm 55 years closer to it than
when I started this journey. So whatever time God has allotted
me on this earth, 55 years of it is gone. And I'm much closer
now to the end of it than when I started. And so much the more,
as you see the day approaching, the day of our death is near,
the end of all things is near, the Word of God tells us that
Christ came when? In the end of the world. This is near. It's near. Now that we have looked at the
means to help keep us focused from falling away, he now turns
to the consequences to those who fall away. Now it says in verse 26, Has that ever scared you? If we sin willfully, after that
we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no
more sacrifice for sins. All our sins have a degree of
willfulness in it. Now, we can be tempted and you
say, Your conscience is screaming at you, don't do that. And you
do it. Is that what it's talking about? Every sin that we know of, every
sin that we do, there's a measure of willfulness in it. It is sinful. It is wretched.
But that's not what it's talking about. Here's what he's talking
about. If you keep it in its context.
Here's what it's talking about. Willfully. If we willfully, after
hearing the gospel, even making a profession of being saved,
if we willfully turn our backs on it, if we willfully reject
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as it's revealed in the
scriptures, If we willfully leave the gospel, willfully leave the
gospel, as Paul said, as the manner of some is, they left
the gospel. There are some who, he said,
draw back. They don't believe it. They reject it. They hear the gospel of Christ.
They hear the gospel of election, of a particular redemption. They
hear these truths of the gospel and they say, no, no, that's
not the way it is. And they willfully turn their
back on the gospel and they leave it. For those people, he says,
there is no more sacrifice for sin. They just left the only
one there is. Jesus Christ is the only sacrifice
for our sins. Now, if you leave him, If you
leave the gospel, which is Christ, you're a goner. That is apostasy. That's what apostasy is. Apostasy
is not having a bad day. Apostasy is turning your back
on Christ and leaving him after being enlightened. Over here,
let me see if I can find this. He says this in Hebrews more
than once. I want you to look up in chapter
6, verse 4. Evidently, the way this has been
dealt with through this epistle, this was a problem. Verse 4,
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers
of the world to come, if they shall fall away. It's impossible
to renew them again to repentance. Seeing they crucified themselves
as son of God afresh and put them to an open shame. He said
if they can do that, it's impossible to renew them again to repentance
because they left the only savior, they left the only sacrifice,
they left the only substitute. They left it. If we sin willfully,
if we turn our backs on Christ, if we leave There's no more sacrifice for
sin. There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. If we leave
Him, if we leave Christ as He set forth in the Word of God,
where are you going to go? God recognizes no other name.
He recognizes no other sacrifice, no other atonement. He does not
recognize. This is my beloved Son whom I
will please. Christ is the only Savior. He's
the only sacrifice. He's the only Messiah. Don't
look for another one. He's the only ark. He's the only
atonement. He's the only mediator. He's
the only high priest. He's the only substitute. Now,
if you leave that, you're gone. You're gone. And here's the only thing that
person can look for who leaves Christ after being enlightened. but a fearful looking forward
of judgment and the fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary's
judgment." Who can describe that? Who can describe that? He that despised Moses' law, he was disobedient. He didn't
obey the law. He's a lawbreaker. That law was given to Moses.
That man died without mercy under two or three witnesses. If he broke the law and the law
commanded death, like that adulterous woman when they brought her before
the Lord and they threw her down at His feet. They fully expected
our Lord to condemn her according to the law of Moses and adultery.
and have her stoned and put to death right there without mercy. That's the law. How much? How much? Sore punishment. Suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy How much more punishment is that person thought worthy
who turns his back on Christ? But now here's what this person
is doing, who hears the gospel, makes a profession, and then
one day just leaves it, denies it, has nothing to do with it. Here is how serious this is,
and he gives some reasons here in verse 29. of how much sorer
punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, first of
all, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, who stepped on
the Son of God, walked on him." That's his thoughts. He's walked
on him. That's how he thinks of Christ.
Make nothing of him. Here's the second thing. And
he's counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified.
An unholy thing, no more than swine's blood. This is what he's doing. This
is what this person is doing. He's trodden underfoot the Son
of God. He's counting the blood of the covenant, that blood that
ratified the covenant. He's counting it an unholy thing. Useless. Absolutely useless. And then he hath done despite
unto the Spirit of grace." He's insulted the Holy Spirit. That's someone you don't want
to insult. He's insulted, listen, the Spirit
of grace. The gospel of grace was preached.
A person confessed to believe it and then turned and left. How much sore punishment shall he be thought worthy of?
I'm telling you this. The worst place to perish from
is right here. Right here. I wouldn't like to drown. I would
not want to do that. But the last place I would want
to drown from was beside the ark. I would not want to have been
beside of that ark. Maybe on the other side of the
earth. I mean, that would be bad enough. But to have been
right there and heard Noah, the preacher of righteousness, and
to turn your back on it. How much sorer punishment. How
much? For we know, in verse 30, we
know him that hath said," said this over in Psalm, I think,
94, "'Vengeance belongeth unto me.'" There is a day when God
will execute vindictive justice, and he'll be right. I know this
is a sobering message, but we need these. Or it wouldn't be
in the Word of God if we didn't need it. Vengeance belongs unto
me. I will recompense, saith the
Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. He will separate
the sheep from the goats, the tares from the wheat, the just
from the unjust. He'll do it. He'll separate them. It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. And let me add this. Let me say this. is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God without Christ. With Christ, my, my, my. What comforting hands. What strong
hands. But apart from Christ, you don't
want to fall there. But then he says here, he encourages
them. Now he's going to encourage them. After saying this, he's
going to... The Word of God is full of warnings
as well as promises. It gives us promises, but it
gives warnings, so we won't be presumptuous. But now, call to
remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated,
after you were enlightened, after God gave you life, you endured
a great fight of afflictions. Was that for nothing? Was that
for nothing? No, you endure these things because
you believe God. God enables you to endure these
things. You know, if we endure a trial, it's because God enables
us to. He says, remember these things. My accountant I had a few years
ago was business. He was telling me, He said, I've seen a lot of businesses
go under right before they're ready to make it, right before
they make it. He said, they're just ready to make it, but the
owner runs out of gas. He just runs out of steam. He
just throws it up and says, forget it. And he says, right when they're
almost there, just almost there. And Paul's saying here, remember,
just Remember the former days. Look
what you've endured. Look what you've come through. After you were illuminated, you
endured a great fight of afflictions, and that's going to happen if
you believe the gospel. All those who shall live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You're going to
suffer it if you're His, one way or another, in one form,
one fashion or another. And part of that affliction,
he says here, while you were made a gauging stock both by
reproaches and afflictions, and partly because you were companions
of those, you became companions of them that were so used. You
were afflicted. And then partly because the people
you were associated with were afflicted. You see, you cannot
be a part of the body of Christ and not feel the pain of another
part of the body hurting. You can't do it. You know, when
I hurt, it doesn't matter what part of my body hurts, my heart,
and I feel it. He said, you know, you were afflicted,
but also the people you are associated with have been under affliction
and you've suffered with them. Or you had compassion of me in
my bond, which means part of their affliction had to do with
their connection to Paul or whoever wrote this. And you took joyfully
the spoils of your goods, knowing in yourselves, having this assurance
of salvation in you, of your union to Christ, knowing in yourselves
that you have. Do you know this? Do you know
this in yourself? Is this real to you? Is this
lively? Is this lively? that you have
in heaven a better and an enduring substance. You know what substance
means? It means it's real. If it's not real, it has no substance.
A shadow has no substance. Knowing in yourselves, because
of the witness of the Holy Spirit that's in you, that you have
in heaven A better. Better than what you've given
up. Better than what you've lost. Better than what's been taken
from you. You know, they lost, like I said, they lost a lot.
They lost their homes and jobs. Some of them ran out of town.
But here's what you know. You have a better. You know this. And you know how you know it?
By faith. Faith is a substance. things hoped for, you know it
by faith. Knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
and an enduring substance. They can't take this. This cannot
be taken from you. What you and I have in Christ
and that inheritance that is laid up for us cannot be destroyed. It cannot be taken. It's enduring. That's not a way. You remember these afflictions
and these trials and these troubles you've come through, and knowing
that in yourself you have a better, in heaven you have a better and
enduring substance. Now, cast not away, therefore, your confidence,
your hope, your expectation of these things.
Don't cast that away. Don't let trials and heartaches
and trouble and darkness cause you to throw it away. Cast not away, therefore, your
confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. Oh, what we are about to receive
is going to be something. For you have need of patience.
Wait on the Lord, wait on His time. You have need of patience. Boy, do we need that. That after
you've done the will of God, and I thought about this as I
read this. You have need of patience after
you've spent your life in the service of the Lord, seeking
after Him to do His will, and then you grow old. One day I'm getting old, but
I'll really get old if I live long enough. After you've done the will of
God, the service of God, there'll be a day if I live long enough,
there'll be a day I won't even be able to stand in this pulpit.
What am I going to do? I'm going to wait on Him. I'm going to wait on Him. You have
needed patience, and after you have done the will of God, you
might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come.
God's faithful. He'll do just as He said. And
He'll not tarry. He'll be on time. He won't be
late. Now, the just shall live by faith,
believing Him, waiting on Him. This is how we pass through this
life by faith, doing the Lord's will, waiting for His return. We are waiting for Him to come. And I ain't going to put a date
on it. For He that will come, He that shall come, will come.
And listen, He will not tarry. And that's all I need to know.
That is enough. Now the just shall live by faith,
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him." Now I'm not going to have fellowship and communion with
him who draws back and leaves. But now here's verse 39. This
is to the church. But we are not of them who draw
back. The believer will not draw back and leave. The believer
will not apostatize. We are not of them who draw back
unto perdition. but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. We are of them who continue to
follow after Christ until He finally takes us home. I titled this message, Hold Fast.
Hold Fast. Get a firm grip on it and don't
you let it go. Don't you waver. Anything outside the gospel,
any doctor that calls you to waver, calls you to stumble and
fall and leave, or get a grip on it. Lay hold of eternal life. That's what Scripture tells us.
Lay hold. Hold fast. Steady as she goes.