I know a person who once walked with God, they spoke of Christ, they encouraged others to be filled with the Holy Spirit, though never perfect and they did sin, they were seen as a very spiritual person. The person was in Bible College. They ministered in churches and brought blessing to many because they submitted to the divine power moving through their life.
Today they have rejected everything they stood for and everything they proclaimed. It is as if they are a complete different person.
It would appear that for the Pastor writing to the community of believers they are aware that some have left. Despite the encouragement of the community to spur one another on in love and good deeds; despite making sure that each one of them were holding on to what they have believed and confessed: some have decided to reject the Christian life and return to Judaism.
“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.” (Hebrews 10 v 26-31)
This is not those of us who continue to lapse into sinful ways but it those who purposely reject Christ and they reject His death and resurrection. They once accepted it but now no longer believe, they have walked away from community, they are like the person I describe above.
The result is because there is no other substitutionary sacrifice; there is no other place other than the cross to go to; there is no other person other than Jesus Christ then all that is left to wait for is their judgment. Their actions are an insult to the ‘Spirit of grace’. Remember the words of Jesus regarding the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3)?
The author is adamant. If we turn away from all that God is, has done and offers to us then it is to turn into something that is ‘a dreadful thing’.
Use these words and warn those who are on the edge who are thinking of abandoning the faith and turning to other religions or none.
Missions Paul 