Walking Away From Jesus

Commentary

What does “deliberately go on sinning” mean in this passage? It’s important to understand what is being taught here, because though one might be saved, he or she will still sin. Those sins will sometimes be willful and planned out, like looking at pornography or telling a lie. Other sins will be things you’re not immediately aware that you did and are usually more frequent than willful sin in the life of a believer.

But the sin spoken of in this passage is not that, it is the rejection of Jesus after receiving the Gospel. This passage is framed from the standpoint of Jewish believers in Jesus who might be tempted to turn away and go back under the law of Moses. But I tell you that this can fit anyone who hears and accepts the Gospel with joy, but later decides that they will attempt to find a different way into Heaven, of which there is not.

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that there is only one sacrifice that God has accepted for salvation, and that sacrifice was Jesus on the cross. There is no other way.

Commentary

When God brought forth the Law through Moses, He instituted a system of holy living and government for the Israelites that was a reflection of His perfect moral standard. It carried with it immediate punishments for sin. Murder, adultery, homosexuality, they all carried a punishment of death; that’s how serious God is. But the Law was always meant to point a person to Jesus, either in anticipation of His coming, as promised by the prophets, or looking back to it, as we do now.

Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we’re in the age of grace, where God has chosen to withhold His immediate wrath and give opportunity for all to come to Him through faith in Christ. The ironic thing is that someone who would give up the gift Christ offers, of grace and mercy, finds themselves in a place where there is no grace or mercy — only hopelessness.

Commentary

The blood of Christ is so precious. A gift so unimaginable, a love that we can’t even begin to fully understand. Our God has given us a way out of His just wrath, though we don’t deserve any such mercy. For a religious Jew to revert back to the law of Moses or anyone to turn back to trusting themselves or some false god is a slap in the face.

In regard to the law and animal sacrifice, this equates the blood of Christ to that of sacrificial animals. It’s a complete downgrade and mockery. The sacrificial system was never intended to save anyone, but rather to show a price for one’s sin as it pointed toward Jesus — who paid the full price for our sin.

Woe to the soul who faces Jesus on judgment day, who took His gift of life and discarded it like a piece of garbage.

Commentary

God has provided a Life Boat, so to speak, who can rescue us from Hell. Those who know that yet say, “No thanks, I’ll do it a different way”, they will certainly face the judgment and wrath of God.

It’s important to understand that God doesn’t take pleasure in anyone going to Hell. He is trying to rescue all of us from the path that is already taking us there.

For those who accept the Gospel for a period of time, then go apostate, meaning to completely walk away from the faith, it sounds like they may not receive another chance to turn back to the Lord.

Note that these are not born-again believers who are backslidden for a time; these are people who never truly had belief that turned into faith, but appeared as if they did for a season.

Commentary

For the born-again believer, we’ll one day go into the loving arms of our Savior. It won’t be terrifying but will be amazing. However, for those who have died in their rejection of Jesus, that day will be miserable; truly, eternity for them will be miserable.

Imagine standing face to face with God, having not taken seriously His gift of salvation, blown it off for money, sex, or selfish gain. Those in that situation will be read the records of all their sinful deeds while on Earth and then will be sent to the Lake of Fire for eternity. That should be a sobering message.