So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
Devotional Text
Deliberate sin brings dreadful punishment. Think of the beautiful things of God that sin tramples. First, deliberate sin “trampled on the Son of God” (Hebrews 10:29). The corporate sin and individual sins of all mankind were responsible for putting Jesus on the cross. Imagine punishing Christ all over again with your own hands and then simply walking over His precious body. Paul stated that when we commit willful sin, we are in effect “nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to public shame” (Hebrews 6:6). Second, those who engage in willful sin have “treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people” (Hebrews 10:29). Jesus’ blood is the purest, most holy thing in the universe, and it has sealed an eternal pact with God. To deliberately sin is to act as if that blood were worthless. Finally, deliberate sin insults the Spirit of grace. The Holy Spirit is so precious, forgiving, and long-suffering. To deliberately sin against the Lord is to offend, insult, and take advantage of the Spirit’s goodness. Judas acted in this way, and his judgment and that of others like him is recorded in Psalm 109:1-20. Run from sin, not just for your own sake, but also because of the horrible shame and pain it will cause the God who gave His life in your place.