Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 3
Jesus came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”. He had flesh. But he was not born after the flesh. He was not “of the flesh”. He was not fleshly and earthy. He was not natural. He was spiritual.
1 Corinthians 15:44-50 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Salvation is not in your flesh. The New Covenant is not in your flesh.
If you are saved, you are not earthy, you are heavenly. You are not flesh: you are spirit.
Jesus said, that which is born of the Spirit, IS spirit.
Well your flesh isn’t spirit. So your FLESH isn’t saved. Not at all. No matter how you transform it… it is fleshly, it is earthy. Made of earth… made of dust.
The part of a Christian that is saved is not made of flesh. It is his SPIRIT that is saved. A saved man IS spirit. I believe he has a “spiritual body”. Not on Earth, but up in heaven, in Christ. A perfect body which does not die and fall on corruption. It is incorruptible. And it does NOT SIN at all! So it CANNOT be cut off. There IS NO “unpardonable sin” for a saved person. Because a saved person, spiritually, CANNOT sin.
But there IS an unpardonable sin, for which one is cut off FROM the New Covenant, which IS possible to sin, if one is NOT yet IN the New Covenant. If one is not yet saved, not yet born again as a SPIRIT, in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Salvation does not apply to your flesh. If it did, you would not be fleshly/earthy. You would not have flesh that gets hurt, and gets sick and dies. You would not sin.
You would not be “getting better”. You would be perfect.
You would be a new SPIRITUAL creature.
This New Covenant is completely different than the Old. The New is spiritual, the Old was NATURAL. The new things are not the same old earthly things (but now we are better at them).
But there are parallels, because the Old is a SHADOW of the New. So we can learn a lot about the New from the patterns and figures of the Old.
If you did WORK on the sabbath, you were CUT OFF (Exo 31:14) from the Old Testament.
If you refuse to rest, but continue to WORK, you are cut off from the New Testament.
There were many sins worthy of death in the flesh in the Old Testament: the natural fleshly covenant.
But there is only one reason for getting cut off from the New Testament: the spiritual, eternal, heavenly covenant.
There is only one reason that men are cut off from becoming new creatures, in the New Covenant.
There is only one sin worthy of assured eternal, spiritual death in the New Testament: That is, the spiritual sin of rejecting and/or corrupting the gospel of grace. Refusing to rest, but continuing to WORK.
We are not cut off from New Testament salvation for the same fleshly sins that the Israelites were cut off for under the Old Testament.
But people today CAN be cut off from the spiritual New Covenant, after a pattern of how they were cut off from the fleshly Old Covenant.
And we see that right here in our problem text:
Hebrews 10:28-29 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
There is a parallel, but the New Covenant is much greater. And getting cut off from the New Covenant is much worse.
To reject the Old Covenant of the law of Moses (by unbelief) was to get one cut off, in the flesh.
Today, to reject the New Covenant of the grace of Jesus Christ (by unbelief), gets one cut off, SPIRITUALLY. Not reserved unto the first death, but reserve unto the second death… the death of your soul and spirit.
This was primarily about Israel, nationally. Israel being cut off as a nation. But it has application to the individual. Individuals today can get cut off from the New Covenant. How? By despising and rejecting that New Covenant. Not already saved people, but unsaved people can get cut off… cut off from GETTING saved. Cut off from going into, and taking part of, that New Covenant.
Under the law of Moses, those that did things worthy of being cut off – they were supposed to be put to death. And if the judges of Israel did not put them to death, then God’s wrath would build up and He would cut off both the evil doers AND many others too.
Leviticus 20:1-6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: 5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. 6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Why? Why is it so important for God to cut people off?
Because if God does not cut off those that defile His holy things, and His holy people, then all those that defile themselves, will defile OTHERS. Others will learn to do what they do, and believe what they believe. It allows in an accursed thing!
Joshua 7:10-12 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
One man sinned, and the whole people were counted accursed. This is why God CUTS OFF the branches that don’t DRINK of the VINE: the hearers that don’t believe, but REJECT the word, and “give their seed unto Molech”; unto Satan. Otherwise… they cause others to be cursed and cut off as well.
“One sinner destroyeth much good.” God can’t let sinners into His body. So they can be graffed in, as all Gentiles were, but if they refuse to be made new creatures, they have to be cut off as sinners.
Those things were written, and those things happened unto them.. for our learning. But in learning these things, we need to not look at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. The spiritual things.
This New Covenant, this spiritual commandment, which gives eternal life by the gospel of grace, it was first sent to the nation of Israel.
Acts 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The New covenant preached in Hebrews… it is the same covenant that we partake of today.
It is the same gospel… it was just sent to the Jews first!
And when that gospel was first preached to the Jews.. it came along with a warning! Paul said this… to Jews, in a Jewish synagogue:
Acts 13:38-41 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Paul preached it that way, and Peter preached it the same way!
Acts 3:22-23 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
And when Israel rejected it, it was instead sent to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:45-46 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
This is what you are dealing with in Hebrews. The Hebrews were being introduced to the true spiritual things, the heavenly things of the New Covenant, after having only ever known the carnal things, the fleshly things of the Old Covenant.
The Jews are being warned, as it was prophesied by Moses, that if they turn away from this new doctrine of Jesus Christ, away from the gospel of grace through faith, if they reject it… that they will be CUT OFF, with no hope of salvation. But… it is the SAME GOSPEL! Peter preached it. Paul preached it. All the apostles preached it. It’s the same gospel! The Jews simply got it first. They did not get a different gospel. They got the same one that we have today. But it was sent to them first! This is the gospel that you will find in Hebrews.
This book is called Hebrews, and it was written to the Jews.
I don’t know for sure WHEN it was written, or WHO wrote it. Nobody does.
But I know one thing: it was written to Jews, to Hebrews, that they might receive Christ by faith, and it was written, not only as instruction, but as a WARNING to not reject grace, and thus be CUT OFF… like they inevitably were.
That is what these difficult passage are about. Unbelievers being cut off. Not about Christians losing salvation. Not about working for salvation.
They are about the impossibility of being saved. The impossibility of salvation.
Hebrews 6:4-6 … it is impossible … to renew them again unto repentance…
Hebrews 10:26 … there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, …
If someone, an individual, or some group of people, gets cut off for refusing the gospel of grace, afterward… it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to get saved.
The Gospel of Hebrews: The Same Gospel
In order to understand these passages in Chapters 6 & 10, I actually think it is best to start near the end of the book of Hebrews, in chapter 12.
There is a very important picture that Hebrews 12 paints, that helps us understand Israel’s situation and opportunity as described in the book of Hebrews. And as we work our way to that, along the way, you will see that Hebrews is not preaching a different gospel. It is teaching the same gospel that we preach. The gospel of GRACE!
Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
In the book of Hebrews, God is giving something to Israel, something that is theirs by inheritance. Something that is not easy to receive, but if they do receive it, they profit from the Father… they get saved. They get BORN OF GOD!
What is He giving them? He is giving them CHASTISEMENT, “as unto children”.
Chastening
Remember: Hebrews is written to the nation of Israel. Not to individuals. There is some application, but you can’t take everything in it and apply it to individuals.
It is the same gospel, it is the same New Covenant… But it was written to Israel. You cannot take everything in it, especially the fleshly things, and apply them to the Gentiles. Because the Gentiles are never called sons of God. But… Israel after the flesh, is called a son of God.
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
So God often has treated Israel LIKE a son, by chastening him.
Yet still, Israel after the flesh is not a TRUE son of God… he is not a son by promise, but a son only by the flesh.
Romans 9:7-8 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
There are two types of a son of God. Israel is the first type. The natural, fleshly type.
Galatians 4:22-30 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. … 28 Now we, brethren, [Christians – saved people] as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Abraham had two sons. Ishmael and Isaac. Likewise God had two sons… Adam and Christ. Israel after the flesh… and Israel after the Spirit – the Church. Israel after the flesh is not a true son of God. But Christians are the true sons of God.
Israel after the flesh, to whom the book of Hebrews was written, is the older, fleshly son.
1 Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
Israel is not a son after the Spirit, by promise, but only by the flesh… thus… I believe, Israel is essentially a bastard.
God tried to treat Israel as a son, but they have never truly received chastisement and obeyed the voice of God. Never in the Old Testament were they obedient or pleasing to God. They never received chastisement. Thus they were CAST OUT with the bondwoman.
Before anyone gets any ideas and thinks I’m wrong to say Israel never obeyed God…
Jeremiah 32:30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
Romans 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
So while God attempts to deal with Israel as a son, by chastening him… Israel has always refused to receive chastisement.
So… God created His own Son… His own race of sons, who do, who have, obeyed. Who have received chastisement.
While Israel (after the flesh) is cast out, being treated as a bastard.
But God gave Israel a chance… God first chastised them, as sons.
And Israel first, was told to “endure chastening”, in order to become TRUE SONS of God.
Hebrews 12:7-11 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all [all sons] are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
God chastens… but if you will not endure it, you are not a son. But if you receive it, endure it, you profit. You partake of his holiness. You get eternal life.
But this chastisement in Hebrews is not physical punishment. It is not fleshly… it is not so that you will try harder to putting away your sins and obey more often… This chastisement is not fleshly, but spiritual.
We had fathers of our flesh that chastened us after the flesh. But this chastening is Hebrews is different. It is from the Father of spirits!
If God is going to be the Father of someone’s SPIRIT, that person needs to receive spiritual chastisement. This spiritual chastisement that is in Hebrews, and which Hebrews IS, was given to Israel FIRST.
Israel (not the Gentiles) is being spoken to, AS UNTO children, to try to get them to receive chastening.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
They, ISRAEL, are not full, true children of God, but because they are FLESHLY children of God… and because salvation was first sent to Israel, God speaks to them “as unto children”, for them to receive chastening, which all sons must receive, so they can BECOME the true SPIRITUAL children of God.
Whatever chastening God gives to the Gentiles, it was first sent to, and rejected by, the Jews.
Now, what is this chastening?
I believe spiritual chastening is preaching. The chastisement is in the WORDS being spoken. The words being preached. The very words of the book of Hebrews itself.
The Lord, the Father of spirits, chastens and rebukes His children with His words.
Hebrews 12:5 … My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
That is actually a direct quote of this OT passage:
Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Spiritually, His correction is given by rebukes. By words.
Correction is given to sons by a ROD.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
And just like the fathers of our flesh chasten with a carnal rod, those spiritual chastisements are given with a spiritual ROD.
The spiritual rod of correction… is in the mouth of the Lord: it gives correction by REBUKES.
Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Proverbs 14:3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
A rod is to be used for chastening (not a belt, or a hand, or a “time-out”)… and God’s rod is His mouth.
The chastisement of Israel being discussed in Hebrews 12 is by WORDS. Not by physical beatings… but spiritual beatings, with a spiritual rod. Words, rebukes, given by the MOUTH of a preacher.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
How does one scourge spiritually? How does the Father of spirits “scourge” His sons? With words!
Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
God uses His mouth as a rod and a scourge to chasten.
2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
Physically, chastisement is given by physical “stripes”.
Spiritually, chastisement is given by spiritual stripes… that is, by WORDS: by REPROOF.
Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
God does not only chasten men with physical chastisement… He can, and He does, sometimes.
But receiving physical chastisement does not make anyone His SPIRITUAL son.
Receiving spiritual chastisement does. And spiritual chastisement is not physical fleshly punishment. It is reproof, rebuke. To receive his stripes, you must receive His reproofs.
God chastises with His mouth. With His WORDS.
I believe the book of Hebrews, the very WORDS of the book, was a chastening of the nation of Israel.
The goal of chastisement is to get the son… to HEAR and obey the VOICE of the Father.
Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: [… then he was stoned]
Remember the theme of Hebrews… Hear the gospel, and BEWARE of getting cut off for unbelief! Don’t rebel against the WORDS of the New Covenant.
That is what Israel after the flesh is. A stubborn and rebellious son. So God chastened them to try to get them to obey His voice. He wrote them their own book: the book of Hebrews, to chastise them.
Proverbs 3:11-13 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
The purpose of chastisement is to give wisdom and understanding to man so that man can get SAVED.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Fleshly chastisement is helpful. But spiritual chastisement excels it greatly: it gives ETERNAL LIFE.
That is why you need to receive spiritual chastisement. Not to get better in this life… but to get saved in the Spirit!
Chastisement is for the purpose of TEACHING knowledge so that man can get eternal life.
Psalms 94:10-12 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
This chastening is the teaching and preaching of the gospel.
The chastisement and teaching of the New Covenant in Hebrews is given so that Israel would REPENT of their works, and rest in Christ. A man must REPENT at the chastening!
The correct response to chastening… is repentance! To repent is to receive chastisement!
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
To NOT receive chastisement, that is, to be a bastard and not a son… is to REFUSE TO REPENT at the correction of God.
To rebel against His WORDS, against the reproofs and rebukes of someone preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, is to NOT ENDURE chastisement.
And if you don’t endure chastisement, if you don’t REPENT, and get saved… then God is deal with you, not as with a son, but as with a bastard. How? He is going to take it chastisement away from you, so you cannot learn, cannot understand, and in so doing, take away your ABILITY to get saved. He will CUT YOU OFF!
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
When we REPENT of dead works and have faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1), we receive chastisement, as sons, and thus He deals with us as with sons. We truthfully become SONS of God, by faith.
Dec 25 2024
Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 3
Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 3
Jesus came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”. He had flesh. But he was not born after the flesh. He was not “of the flesh”. He was not fleshly and earthy. He was not natural. He was spiritual.
1 Corinthians 15:44-50 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Salvation is not in your flesh. The New Covenant is not in your flesh.
If you are saved, you are not earthy, you are heavenly. You are not flesh: you are spirit.
Jesus said, that which is born of the Spirit, IS spirit.
Well your flesh isn’t spirit. So your FLESH isn’t saved. Not at all. No matter how you transform it… it is fleshly, it is earthy. Made of earth… made of dust.
The part of a Christian that is saved is not made of flesh. It is his SPIRIT that is saved. A saved man IS spirit. I believe he has a “spiritual body”. Not on Earth, but up in heaven, in Christ. A perfect body which does not die and fall on corruption. It is incorruptible. And it does NOT SIN at all! So it CANNOT be cut off. There IS NO “unpardonable sin” for a saved person. Because a saved person, spiritually, CANNOT sin.
But there IS an unpardonable sin, for which one is cut off FROM the New Covenant, which IS possible to sin, if one is NOT yet IN the New Covenant. If one is not yet saved, not yet born again as a SPIRIT, in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Salvation does not apply to your flesh. If it did, you would not be fleshly/earthy. You would not have flesh that gets hurt, and gets sick and dies. You would not sin.
You would not be “getting better”. You would be perfect.
You would be a new SPIRITUAL creature.
This New Covenant is completely different than the Old. The New is spiritual, the Old was NATURAL. The new things are not the same old earthly things (but now we are better at them).
But there are parallels, because the Old is a SHADOW of the New. So we can learn a lot about the New from the patterns and figures of the Old.
If you did WORK on the sabbath, you were CUT OFF (Exo 31:14) from the Old Testament.
If you refuse to rest, but continue to WORK, you are cut off from the New Testament.
There were many sins worthy of death in the flesh in the Old Testament: the natural fleshly covenant.
But there is only one reason for getting cut off from the New Testament: the spiritual, eternal, heavenly covenant.
There is only one reason that men are cut off from becoming new creatures, in the New Covenant.
There is only one sin worthy of assured eternal, spiritual death in the New Testament: That is, the spiritual sin of rejecting and/or corrupting the gospel of grace. Refusing to rest, but continuing to WORK.
We are not cut off from New Testament salvation for the same fleshly sins that the Israelites were cut off for under the Old Testament.
But people today CAN be cut off from the spiritual New Covenant, after a pattern of how they were cut off from the fleshly Old Covenant.
And we see that right here in our problem text:
Hebrews 10:28-29 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
There is a parallel, but the New Covenant is much greater. And getting cut off from the New Covenant is much worse.
To reject the Old Covenant of the law of Moses (by unbelief) was to get one cut off, in the flesh.
Today, to reject the New Covenant of the grace of Jesus Christ (by unbelief), gets one cut off, SPIRITUALLY. Not reserved unto the first death, but reserve unto the second death… the death of your soul and spirit.
This was primarily about Israel, nationally. Israel being cut off as a nation. But it has application to the individual. Individuals today can get cut off from the New Covenant. How? By despising and rejecting that New Covenant. Not already saved people, but unsaved people can get cut off… cut off from GETTING saved. Cut off from going into, and taking part of, that New Covenant.
Under the law of Moses, those that did things worthy of being cut off – they were supposed to be put to death. And if the judges of Israel did not put them to death, then God’s wrath would build up and He would cut off both the evil doers AND many others too.
Leviticus 20:1-6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: 5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. 6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Why? Why is it so important for God to cut people off?
Because if God does not cut off those that defile His holy things, and His holy people, then all those that defile themselves, will defile OTHERS. Others will learn to do what they do, and believe what they believe. It allows in an accursed thing!
Joshua 7:10-12 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
One man sinned, and the whole people were counted accursed. This is why God CUTS OFF the branches that don’t DRINK of the VINE: the hearers that don’t believe, but REJECT the word, and “give their seed unto Molech”; unto Satan. Otherwise… they cause others to be cursed and cut off as well.
“One sinner destroyeth much good.” God can’t let sinners into His body. So they can be graffed in, as all Gentiles were, but if they refuse to be made new creatures, they have to be cut off as sinners.
Those things were written, and those things happened unto them.. for our learning. But in learning these things, we need to not look at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. The spiritual things.
This New Covenant, this spiritual commandment, which gives eternal life by the gospel of grace, it was first sent to the nation of Israel.
Acts 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The New covenant preached in Hebrews… it is the same covenant that we partake of today.
It is the same gospel… it was just sent to the Jews first!
And when that gospel was first preached to the Jews.. it came along with a warning! Paul said this… to Jews, in a Jewish synagogue:
Acts 13:38-41 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Paul preached it that way, and Peter preached it the same way!
Acts 3:22-23 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
And when Israel rejected it, it was instead sent to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:45-46 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
This is what you are dealing with in Hebrews. The Hebrews were being introduced to the true spiritual things, the heavenly things of the New Covenant, after having only ever known the carnal things, the fleshly things of the Old Covenant.
The Jews are being warned, as it was prophesied by Moses, that if they turn away from this new doctrine of Jesus Christ, away from the gospel of grace through faith, if they reject it… that they will be CUT OFF, with no hope of salvation. But… it is the SAME GOSPEL! Peter preached it. Paul preached it. All the apostles preached it. It’s the same gospel! The Jews simply got it first. They did not get a different gospel. They got the same one that we have today. But it was sent to them first! This is the gospel that you will find in Hebrews.
This book is called Hebrews, and it was written to the Jews.
I don’t know for sure WHEN it was written, or WHO wrote it. Nobody does.
But I know one thing: it was written to Jews, to Hebrews, that they might receive Christ by faith, and it was written, not only as instruction, but as a WARNING to not reject grace, and thus be CUT OFF… like they inevitably were.
That is what these difficult passage are about. Unbelievers being cut off. Not about Christians losing salvation. Not about working for salvation.
They are about the impossibility of being saved. The impossibility of salvation.
Hebrews 6:4-6 … it is impossible … to renew them again unto repentance…
Hebrews 10:26 … there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, …
If someone, an individual, or some group of people, gets cut off for refusing the gospel of grace, afterward… it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to get saved.
The Gospel of Hebrews: The Same Gospel
In order to understand these passages in Chapters 6 & 10, I actually think it is best to start near the end of the book of Hebrews, in chapter 12.
There is a very important picture that Hebrews 12 paints, that helps us understand Israel’s situation and opportunity as described in the book of Hebrews. And as we work our way to that, along the way, you will see that Hebrews is not preaching a different gospel. It is teaching the same gospel that we preach. The gospel of GRACE!
Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
In the book of Hebrews, God is giving something to Israel, something that is theirs by inheritance. Something that is not easy to receive, but if they do receive it, they profit from the Father… they get saved. They get BORN OF GOD!
What is He giving them? He is giving them CHASTISEMENT, “as unto children”.
Chastening
Remember: Hebrews is written to the nation of Israel. Not to individuals. There is some application, but you can’t take everything in it and apply it to individuals.
It is the same gospel, it is the same New Covenant… But it was written to Israel. You cannot take everything in it, especially the fleshly things, and apply them to the Gentiles. Because the Gentiles are never called sons of God. But… Israel after the flesh, is called a son of God.
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
So God often has treated Israel LIKE a son, by chastening him.
Yet still, Israel after the flesh is not a TRUE son of God… he is not a son by promise, but a son only by the flesh.
Romans 9:7-8 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
There are two types of a son of God. Israel is the first type. The natural, fleshly type.
Galatians 4:22-30 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. … 28 Now we, brethren, [Christians – saved people] as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Abraham had two sons. Ishmael and Isaac. Likewise God had two sons… Adam and Christ. Israel after the flesh… and Israel after the Spirit – the Church. Israel after the flesh is not a true son of God. But Christians are the true sons of God.
Israel after the flesh, to whom the book of Hebrews was written, is the older, fleshly son.
1 Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
Israel is not a son after the Spirit, by promise, but only by the flesh… thus… I believe, Israel is essentially a bastard.
God tried to treat Israel as a son, but they have never truly received chastisement and obeyed the voice of God. Never in the Old Testament were they obedient or pleasing to God. They never received chastisement. Thus they were CAST OUT with the bondwoman.
Before anyone gets any ideas and thinks I’m wrong to say Israel never obeyed God…
Jeremiah 32:30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
Romans 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
So while God attempts to deal with Israel as a son, by chastening him… Israel has always refused to receive chastisement.
So… God created His own Son… His own race of sons, who do, who have, obeyed. Who have received chastisement.
While Israel (after the flesh) is cast out, being treated as a bastard.
But God gave Israel a chance… God first chastised them, as sons.
And Israel first, was told to “endure chastening”, in order to become TRUE SONS of God.
Hebrews 12:7-11 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all [all sons] are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
God chastens… but if you will not endure it, you are not a son. But if you receive it, endure it, you profit. You partake of his holiness. You get eternal life.
But this chastisement in Hebrews is not physical punishment. It is not fleshly… it is not so that you will try harder to putting away your sins and obey more often… This chastisement is not fleshly, but spiritual.
We had fathers of our flesh that chastened us after the flesh. But this chastening is Hebrews is different. It is from the Father of spirits!
If God is going to be the Father of someone’s SPIRIT, that person needs to receive spiritual chastisement. This spiritual chastisement that is in Hebrews, and which Hebrews IS, was given to Israel FIRST.
Israel (not the Gentiles) is being spoken to, AS UNTO children, to try to get them to receive chastening.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
They, ISRAEL, are not full, true children of God, but because they are FLESHLY children of God… and because salvation was first sent to Israel, God speaks to them “as unto children”, for them to receive chastening, which all sons must receive, so they can BECOME the true SPIRITUAL children of God.
Whatever chastening God gives to the Gentiles, it was first sent to, and rejected by, the Jews.
Now, what is this chastening?
I believe spiritual chastening is preaching. The chastisement is in the WORDS being spoken. The words being preached. The very words of the book of Hebrews itself.
The Lord, the Father of spirits, chastens and rebukes His children with His words.
Hebrews 12:5 … My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
That is actually a direct quote of this OT passage:
Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Spiritually, His correction is given by rebukes. By words.
Correction is given to sons by a ROD.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
And just like the fathers of our flesh chasten with a carnal rod, those spiritual chastisements are given with a spiritual ROD.
The spiritual rod of correction… is in the mouth of the Lord: it gives correction by REBUKES.
Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Proverbs 14:3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
A rod is to be used for chastening (not a belt, or a hand, or a “time-out”)… and God’s rod is His mouth.
The chastisement of Israel being discussed in Hebrews 12 is by WORDS. Not by physical beatings… but spiritual beatings, with a spiritual rod. Words, rebukes, given by the MOUTH of a preacher.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
How does one scourge spiritually? How does the Father of spirits “scourge” His sons? With words!
Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
God uses His mouth as a rod and a scourge to chasten.
2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
Physically, chastisement is given by physical “stripes”.
Spiritually, chastisement is given by spiritual stripes… that is, by WORDS: by REPROOF.
Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
God does not only chasten men with physical chastisement… He can, and He does, sometimes.
But receiving physical chastisement does not make anyone His SPIRITUAL son.
Receiving spiritual chastisement does. And spiritual chastisement is not physical fleshly punishment. It is reproof, rebuke. To receive his stripes, you must receive His reproofs.
God chastises with His mouth. With His WORDS.
I believe the book of Hebrews, the very WORDS of the book, was a chastening of the nation of Israel.
The goal of chastisement is to get the son… to HEAR and obey the VOICE of the Father.
Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: [… then he was stoned]
Remember the theme of Hebrews… Hear the gospel, and BEWARE of getting cut off for unbelief! Don’t rebel against the WORDS of the New Covenant.
That is what Israel after the flesh is. A stubborn and rebellious son. So God chastened them to try to get them to obey His voice. He wrote them their own book: the book of Hebrews, to chastise them.
Proverbs 3:11-13 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
The purpose of chastisement is to give wisdom and understanding to man so that man can get SAVED.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Fleshly chastisement is helpful. But spiritual chastisement excels it greatly: it gives ETERNAL LIFE.
That is why you need to receive spiritual chastisement. Not to get better in this life… but to get saved in the Spirit!
Chastisement is for the purpose of TEACHING knowledge so that man can get eternal life.
Psalms 94:10-12 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
This chastening is the teaching and preaching of the gospel.
The chastisement and teaching of the New Covenant in Hebrews is given so that Israel would REPENT of their works, and rest in Christ. A man must REPENT at the chastening!
The correct response to chastening… is repentance! To repent is to receive chastisement!
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
To NOT receive chastisement, that is, to be a bastard and not a son… is to REFUSE TO REPENT at the correction of God.
To rebel against His WORDS, against the reproofs and rebukes of someone preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, is to NOT ENDURE chastisement.
And if you don’t endure chastisement, if you don’t REPENT, and get saved… then God is deal with you, not as with a son, but as with a bastard. How? He is going to take it chastisement away from you, so you cannot learn, cannot understand, and in so doing, take away your ABILITY to get saved. He will CUT YOU OFF!
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
When we REPENT of dead works and have faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1), we receive chastisement, as sons, and thus He deals with us as with sons. We truthfully become SONS of God, by faith.
By Pastor • Christian Doctrine, Problem Texts • 0