The FORECAST For RELIGIOUS UNBELIEF-I—Hebrews 10:26-31
Attention:
Patrick Prokop is the meteorologist(weatherman) for Savannah’s WTOC Channel 11 News/He was a very good determiner of Savannah weather/A recognizable catchphrase of his was—“Today is going to be dee-lightful!” When he said that it was the way it was going to be!
His forecasts are based on observable weather patterns/These in turn, are predictable as a consequence of certain physical laws which drive our global, national & local weather systems.
Likewise, there are spiritual laws in place which drive predictable patterns of consequence.
Need:
Unbelief clothes itself with piety & religion.
I just do what everyone else does & I’m accepted—tradition is mere learned social behavior. I don’t have a good reason for it.
When it gets down to the ‘nitty-gritty,’ I am uncertain as to my future!
Most everyone else in the church seems to have an empowering experience but truthfully, I am empty.
The author of Hebrews laid out the unavoidable forecast for willful sin.
Religious unbelief(willful sin) warrants unavoidable forecast/merit(consequences).
What is the unavoidable forecast/merits(consequences) of Religious unbelief(willful sin)?
6 unavoidable forecasts/merits for Religious unbelief(willful sin) are...
1—An unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief(willful sin) is...
FORFEITED REDEMPTION(:26)
Explanation:(:26)Sacrifice/Payment
:26—“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”
CONTEXT:
Some obvious examples of “sinning willfuly”(:26) are seen in...
1)NOT “holding fast” one’s “confession(:23).” This is a statement of one’s actual lack of trust in what we have stated to be our “hope.”
2)LACK of consideration & inattention to the spiritual walk of brothers & sisters in Christ(:24).
3)DISTANCING, DESERTION & SEPARATION from the “assembly” of the saints(:25). This results in a lack of “exhortation” for both the desert-er as well as the desert-ed. It is likewise a denial of the urgency regarding The Day of the Lord.
The expression of the actions described above— Shame of confession, Inconsideration, & Desertion— are examples of “sinning wilfully.” To sin willfuly is to “sin” after having experienced a willful reception of a full “knowledge of the truth.”
Such actions are “willful” in that the person sinning has already” received the knowledge of the truth,” yet they remain uncommitted. The particular truth being that 1)Holding fast their confession, 2)Seeking & 3)Seeking assembly with ‘like-minded believers’ are mutual, necessary, & stimulatory acts.
Reception of the truth is an act of choice of the will & of one’s desire.
God’s truth is Objective truth. It is not subjective—not bound by or subject to one’s opinion or belief. In other words our personal belief about anything or anyone does not make the actual(objective) truth any less ‘the truth.’ Truth remains in the presence of unbelief & disdain of it.
The only “sacrifice for sin(s) which is acceptable to God is the sacrifice of Jesus who is the Lord’s Divine Christ. Therefore there is absolutely nothing trustworthy & eternal left behind Christ to those whose actions decry a trust in Christ’s sacrifice. It is only by Christ Jesus we are saved!
*“Willful sin” goes uncovered by Christ. Nobody has paid for it. Jesus’ sacrifice is of no avail or account or is useless & does not suffice for these who are closely associated the church. The willful sinner has effectively denied that their actions are sin since they willfully remain in it. Jesus died to pay for the sins of those who accept His singular payment for them. “Sin”2X—amartanw—V.—1) To be without a share in; 2) To miss the mark; 3) To err, be mistaken; 4) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong; 5) To wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin. Strong—properly, To miss the mark (& so not share in the prize), i.e. (figuratively) To err, especially (morally) To sin.
“Willfully”—ekousiwv—Adv.—1) Voluntarily, willingly, of one’s own accord—1a) To sin wilfully as opposed to sins committed inconsiderately, & from ignorance or from weakness. Strong—Voluntarily. Used 2X.
“After”—meta—Prep.—1) With, after, behind. Strong—properly, Denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case.
“Received”—lambanw—V.—1) To take; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—To take (in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Knowledge”—epignwsiv—1) Precise & correct knowledge. Strong—Recognition, i.e. (by implication) Full discernment, acknowledgement.
“Truth”—alhyeia—N. f.—1) objectively—1a) What is true in any matter under consideration—1a1) Truly, in truth, according to truth, 1a2) Of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly, 1b) What is true in things appertaining to God & the duties of man, moral & religious truth—1b1) In the greatest latitude, 1b2) The true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention, 1c) The truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God & the execution of his purposes through Christ, & respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles & the inventions of the Jews, & the corrupt opinions & precepts of false teachers even among Christians; 2) subjectively—2a) Truth as a personal excellence—2a1) That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit.
“No longer”—ouketi—Adv.—1) No longer, no more, no further. Strong—Not yet, no longer.
“Remains”—apoleipw—1) To leave, to leave behind; 2) To desert or forsake. Strong—To leave behind (passively, remain); by implication, To forsake. Used 6X.
“Sacrifice”—yusia—N.F.—1) A sacrifice, victim. Strong—Sacrifice (the act or the victim, literally or figuratively).
“Sins”(See above)— amartanwn—Plural
Argumentation:
Heb 6:4-6—“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame.”
Isa. 44:6—““Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First & I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”
Isa. 44:22—“I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.””
Isa. 44:24-28—“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness; Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places; Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’”
*Isa. 50:2-3—“Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.””
*Gal. 3:13-14—“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Titus 2:11-15—“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, & rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”
1Pet. 1:17-21—“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish & without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead & gave Him glory, so that your faith & hope are in God.”
Rom. 3:21-26—“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Illustration:
Tax time/Many tax laws—some providing relief & others committing you to the tax!/To own a business & neglect the tax options you have is foolish/The funding you &/or your business could have had is Forfeited by your choice/FORFEITED REDEMPTION
Couponers/They scrimp & save coupons & time their visits to certain stores so they can take advantage of their buying power/Some have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of goods for mere pennies on the dollar/BUT...They must Redeem those coupons or t is of no effect!/FORFEITED REDEMPTION
Application:
?What is the Forecast for Your REDEMPTION?
?What is the merit of Willful Sin for you?
2—An unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief(willful sin) is...
ULTIMATE FEAR(:27)
Explanation: (:27)...Hell is real!
:27—“but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, & fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”
Since the payment(sacrifice) is unpaid, there remains the certainty of the expectation of negative judgment upon the religious unbeliever for that sin. This expectation/anticipation of negative judgment terrifies us.
Along with the “terrifying expectation of judgment,” we can “expect” the fury of a fire. This fire is the same as consumes the “adversaries” of God. God’s judgment will consume/destroy all that runs counter/contrary to Him(His...Love, Intent, Design, Plan, Purpose, Provision, Truth, Salvation, etc.
“Certain”(See :28—“Anyone”)— tiv—Pronoun—1) A certain, a certain one; 2) Some, some time, a while. Strong—an enclitic indefinite pronoun; Some or any person or object.
“Fearful”(See :31)—foberov—Adj.—1) Inspiring fear, terrible, formidable; 2) Affected with fear, timid. Used in a good or bad sense. Strong—Frightful, i.e. (objectively) Formidable. Used 3X.
“Expectation”—ekdoch—N. f.—1) The act or manner of receiving from—1a) Reception, 1b) Succession, 1c) Interpretation, 1d) Expectation, waiting. Used 1X.
“Judgment”—krisiv—1) A separating, sundering, separation—1a) A trial, contest; 2) Selection; 3) Judgment—3a) Opinion or decision given concerning anything—3a1) esp. Concerning justice & injustice, right or wrong, 3b) Sentence of condemnation, damnatory judgment, condemnation & punishment; 4) The college of judges (a tribunal of seven men in the several cities of Palestine; as distinguished from the Sanhedrin, which had its seat at Jerusalem); 5) Right, justice. Strong—Decision (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, A tribunal; by implication, justice (especially, divine law).
“Fiery”—pur—N. Gen. Sing. Neut.—1) Fire. Strong—a primary word; "Fire" (literally or figuratively, specifically, lightning).
“Fury/Raging/Indignation”—zhlov—N. Nom. Sing. Neut.— 1) Excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit. Strong—properly, Heat, i.e. (figuratively) "Zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively, of God], or an enemy, malice).
“Devour”—esyiw—1) To eat; 2) To eat (consume) a thing—2a) to take food, eat a meal; 3) metaph. to devour, consume. Strong—Strengthened for a primary edw(to eat); used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by fagw; To eat (usually literal).
“Adversaries”—upenantiov—Adj.—1) Opposite to—1a) Set over against: meeting one another; 2) Opposed to, contrary to, an adversary. Strong—Under (covertly) contrary to, i.e. Opposed or (as noun) an opponent. Used 2X.
Argumentation:
DEATH:
*Heb. 2:14-15—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
HELL(Ultimate Fear):
*Lk. 16:19-31—““There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple & fine linen & fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came & licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, & was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died & was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes & saw Abraham afar off, & Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried & said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, & send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water & cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, & likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted & you are tormented. ‘And besides all this, between us & you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses & the prophets; let them hear them.’ “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses & the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’””
2Thess. 1:6-9—“.....it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, & to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, & on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord & from the glory of His power,”
Jn. 5:21-29—““For as the Father raises the dead & gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word & believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, & shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, & now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; & those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, & has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice & come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, & those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
Mat. 25:31-46—““When the Son of Man comes in His glory, & all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, & He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me food; I was thirsty & you gave Me drink; I was a stranger & you took Me in; ‘I was naked & you clothed Me; I was sick & you visited Me; I was in prison & you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry & feed You, or thirsty & give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger & take You in, or naked & clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, & come to You?’ “And the King will answer & say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil & his angels: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me no food; I was thirsty & you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger & you did not take Me in, naked & you did not clothe Me, sick & in prison & you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Dan. 12:2—“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame & everlasting contempt.”
Rev. 19:20 & 20:10—“Then the beast was captured, & with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast & those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”.....“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire & brimstone where the beast & the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day & night forever & ever.”
Rev. 20:11-15—“Then I saw a great white throne & Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth & the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small & great, standing before God, & books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, & Death & Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death & Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
The Lake of Fire is the 2nd(spiritual) Death & corresponds to the 2nd(spiritual) Birth(Jn. 3:3-7)!—Heaven is the destination of the 2nd Birth!
Rev. 21:7-8—““He who overcomes shall inherit all things, & I will be his God & he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, & all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire & brimstone, which is the second death.””
Rev. 14:9-12—“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast & his image, & receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire & brimstone in the presence of the holy angels & in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever & ever; & they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast & his image, & whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God & the faith of Jesus.”
POSSESSIONS:
Mk. 9:47-48—[Hand, Foot, & Eye]““And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire-- “where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’”
1Cor. 3:15— “If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”
The ‘fire’ will take every possession of the religious unbeliever!
Mat. 13:12—““For whoever has, to him more will be given, & he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
RESURRECTION:
Job 33:23-30—““If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, Then He is gracious to him, & says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray to God, & He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness. Then he looks at men & says, ‘I have sinned, & perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’ He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see the light. “Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.”
Mat. 22:31-32—““But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.””
*1Cor. 15:53-58—“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, & this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, & this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, & the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Because no one on this earth has ever personally been resurrected—apart from Christ Jesus—does not make its existence less real!
If you could speak to someone who had been resurrected would you believe them? NO! It would still not be first-hand experience.
Because no one on this earth has ever personally seen hell—apart from Christ Jesus— does not make its existence less real!
The Master ’behind the door’ is there whether we choose to believe it or not!
Illustration:
I am a P.A.D.I. certified scuba diver/The major focus of dive training is to keep oneself & others from drowning!/A trainer’s ULTIMATE FEAR is to lose a diving trinee
The true existence of hell is finally realized too late!...Everyone’s Ultimate Fear!
Application:
?What is the Forecast for Your ULTIMATE FEAR?
?What is the merit of Willful Sin for you?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Patrick Prokop ‘s weather forecast—“Today is going to be dee-lightful!” When he said that phrase, it was the way it was going to be!
Action:
An unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief(willful sin) is...
1. FORFEITED REDEMPTION(:26)
2. ULTIMATE FEAR(:27)
Presented 01/15/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
