It is my point of view that Bible teachers who refuse to acknowledge that such warnings as Hebrews 10:26,27 apply to Christians are lacking in intellectual integrity. Furthermore, they will be held responsible for the tragic plight of millions of American Christians who are living in spiritual death because they believe they will not be held accountable for their lawlessness and disobedience to God. They are not keeping the commandments of Christ and His Apostles because of the false teaching they are receiving. The watchmen are not sounding the alarm!

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"  and again, "The Lord will judge his people."  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:29-31)

"The Lord will judge His people"! Who are the Lord's people? Those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ, whether they are Jewish or Gentile by race; those who have been sanctified by the blood of the new covenant.

On what basis would it be anyone else?

The writer, having told us previously that "by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy," is warning us that this does not mean we can continue in sin; for to do so is to count the blood of the covenant by which we were sanctified as being unholy, and to insult the Spirit of grace.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Hebrews 10:35-39)

This passage seems to sum up what we have been saying. Our sins have been forgiven, and now we believe the Lord will come and completely deliver us from all the bondages of sin, culminating in the raising of our body from the dead and clothing it with eternal life.

In the meanwhile, we are living by faith. We are not shrinking back from the dealings of the Lord with us, for to do so is to invite destruction.

We "believe and are saved." The next chapter of the Book of Hebrews reveals what is meant by faith and belief. The faith and belief of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews have nothing to do with a doctrinal position. Rather they are the faith and belief of obedience to the leading of the Spirit of God in our life.

To be continued.