Using King Saul’s life as an example, yesterday I talked about a cosmic line that God has drawn in the sand…
It’s a line that if a believer crosses due to his or her continuous sin results in the loss of salvation FOREVER.
I also said I have no idea where exactly that line is drawn.
I don’t know what specific sin, behavior, or attitude would result in the nightmare of being eternally cut off from the Lord.
It turns out I’m not the only one who is both unsure and terrified about this.
The author of the Book of Hebrews also felt the same way.
Read these verses:
“Let us continue holding fast
to the hope we acknowledge,
without wavering;
for the One who made the
promise is trustworthy.
And let us keep paying attention
to one another,
to spur each other on
to love and good deeds,
not neglecting our own
congregational meetings,
as some have made a
practice of doing, but,
rather, encouraging each other.
And let us do this all the
more as you see the Day approaching.
For if we deliberately continue
to sin after receiving the
knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains
a sacrifice for sins,
but only the terrifying prospect
of Judgment, of raging fire that
will consume the enemies.”
-Hebrews 10:23-27
Understand the author of Hebrews is directing this warning to believers.
He was talking to those who had “accepted Yeshua as their Lord and Savior”.
He wasn’t talking to pretenders of the faith.
He was talking to REAL believers.
Ya feel me?
Some of these believers may have had a very shallow and superficial faith.
Others may have possessed a deep and enduring faith.
Regardless, the author of the book of Hebrews couldn’t tell which was which because he couldn’t see into the human heart…
Only God can do that…
He had no clear idea at which point a believer’s sinning would’ve reached the point of no return.
And neither did King Saul.
Saul kept pushing things with God…
Perhaps assuming that since God’s grace and mercy were limited, there was no limit to the sin he could commit that could not be pardoned.
Unfortunately, that was a bad assumption for Saul to make.
Now, to make sure there’s no misunderstanding here, I’m not talking about losing your salvation because you broke a commandment or two.
That porno binge you went on last weekend doesn’t qualify (though it ain’t a good thing either)…
Saul’s problem was more about a defiant attitude that resulted in him raising his will above God’s will.
It was a spiritual issue.
True believers have and will continue to sin and break God’s commandments.
If you were to take a good and honest look at your life, I think you’d agree that’s true.
Nevertheless, even though we still stumble and fall flat on our faces, as long we don’t cross the line over to idolatry by exalting our will over God’s or completely renouncing Him, we do have forgiveness via Yeshua’s sacrifice.
I have often said that although no one can take our salvation away from us, we can throw it away.
However, I am somewhat confused: even though Hebrews tells us that we can destroy any chance to receive forgiveness, Yeshua says in Matthew 18 that when someone asks to be forgiven, we should forgive them 7 times 70 times, so if we are to forgive when someone continues to sin, but the writer of Hebrews says if we continually sin we will not be forgiven, which is true?
Here’s what I think is the answer: it isn’t so much crossing a line where no matter what we do, we will never again be forgiven. It isn’t so much the sin we commit, but the reason we do, and it isn’t so much the forgiveness we seek, but the honesty of our redemption.
In other words, God’s grace can overcome any sin (Romans 5:20), but I don’t believe it is the sin that prevents us from being forgiven- it is the honesty of our repentance.
If someone who is spiritually and emotionally weak, who sins because they have no power over themselves, but they are truly sorry for their condition and after sinning, repent completely in their heart, I believe that God will forgive them, on a case-by-case basis. Just as if someone continually sins against us, because they are weak, we should forgive them, but we don’t have to live with them or allow them the opportunity to sin against us again.
God will forgive a repentant sinner, but not one who repents in order to receive forgiveness, i.e., one who sins because they want to sin and whose repentance is not heartfelt.
Ah! There’s the rub! It isn’t that we sin, it is why we sin, and if we do so from weakness of spirit, when we genuinely repent, we will be forgiven, but if we sin because we like to sin, then there won’t be a true repentance, and in that case, God won’t even give you the time of day.
Good point. I agree. I think it’s a matter of attitude. Do you sin because you want to and you’re counting on some get-out-of-jail-free card to bail you out? Or did you just fall into sin because you were weak and fell into temptation?
I’m reminded of Kepha and how he denied Yeshua 3 times in a moment of weakness. We all know that Kepha was forgiven. In fact, Yeshua said this would happen:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”