 it may be that the person that doesn't get this simply doesn't want to get it. Hey, smart Christians, I want to clarify a passage that's brought up often times, and I want to kind of give some backdrop, a little background on this, what's being spoken here, why this is being spoken this way, and then also a couple of definitions. And one of the passages or the passage is in question is Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26, as well as down through verse 29. So let's go to this passage, he says, if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. Now, I want to keep this in mind what he's saying here, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. We'll come back to that point in a second, but this passage is brought up because there are those that say, well see, this clearly shows that if a person is saved, that person can't lose their salvation. The person is a Christian, a born again believer, Holy Spirit residing in them. If they go on sinning willfully, then that person cannot be saved, he says, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone, notice that consume the adversaries, anyone who sets aside the law of Moses dies on the mercy, on the mercy testimony, on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant which was sanctified and has insulted the spirit of grace? So before we go there, let's go back and see really what's being spoken of. So let's go to, I want to kind of go to chapter 10, but before that I want to go to chapter nine of Hebrews as well because I wanted to get the whole picture of what's being spoken. Remember Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, even though it doesn't say it, there is no title that causes the book of Hebrews. We understand that this is written to Jews, to Jewish believers, those who have placed their faith in Christ doing so coming from Judaism. They understand the law, they understand the offerings, they understand the atonement and so for them this is sort of a new thing. Remember their history, their history, their parents history, their grandparents, all their ancestors' histories going back to Moses. Their history is Judaism and the law, that's all they know. So you've got, you've got a lot of years with that and then just a few years with this new dispensation, this new understanding, this grace and for some of them it's a little bit difficult. They're wondering, wait a second, I've done this, I've done that, I've seen, well what about this as it relates to the law? What about, do we have to keep doing these things over and over again? Keep that in mind, we're gonna come back to it. So I want to go to Leviticus chapter 17 and I want to point out something. Someone said to me, Cory, you ought to stop using the word atonement. That's an Old Testament word. Well, first of all, the word atonement is not an Old Testament word, nor is it a New Testament word, just like the word propitiation is not an Old Testament word or a New Testament word. Atonement is fairly a Hebrew word, but also its Greek corresponding would be propitiation. The reason why I bring that up is because it's not an argument worth even having, they mean the same thing. So let's go to it in Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11, it says, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement. This word atonement in the Hebrew is from the Hebrew word, I'm sorry, look at the wrong word, the Hebrew word is the Hebrew word kafar, which means to atone. Now, what I want to do is I want to bring up the the Greek Septuagint and move this over here so you all can see this. This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew text and the same word that's used for atonement is this word where we get the word helaseo, which means to to propitiate or to atone. It's the same word. So this Greek word that's used here for atonement is also used in the New Testament. This word right here is the same word that we'll find if we go to Hebrews 217. We'll see the same word in use. Therefore, he had to be made like us brother in all things so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest to things pertaining to God to make propitiation. Notice it's the same word. This same word that's used in Hebrews, helaschethi is the same, let's go back to it. It's the same word that's used here in chapter 11, helaschethi, ex-helaschethi. So it's the same word where we get the word helaseo, or we get the English word hilarious. And so in this case, the word atonement and propitiation, same thing, is making a payment. And the payment is for a purpose. This purpose is because of this, for this covering and this cancellation to bring about ultimately this reconciliation. And understand the atonement is done year after year after year. Once the atonement is done, and the people who have humbled themselves, offered themselves, their souls, in other words, they've not rested, I mean they've not eaten, they've not worked, they have fasted. And so therefore, and they understand how bad was it which they are in, they understand their condition, and that they don't stand on their own right before the Lord, but they place their faith in what's happening, that the Lord, that God accepts this atonement, that God accepts the shed, blood on the altar, that the sins are confessed on the scapegoat, God accepts that, they place their faith in that. And so they stand in right standing before the Lord. Not that they've done anything, but they stand in right standing. And so what we see here in the Old Covenant is being explained again in Hebrews to these Jews who've also placed their faith in them. They understand this. They understand exactly how this works, and there are these offerings they have to keep up with, these sacrifices, and these offerings. I'm saying it for a reason because Hebrews brings this up, and they also have to deal with this atonement this year after year. They have to have a high priest, they have to have a scapegoat, this animal, this lamb who takes away the sin, just like John tells us, and then we have a sacrificial offering, blood of a lamb. And so we're going to see that here, but let's go to, let's start in Hebrews 9 so that we can understand what's happening. He says, now even verse one, the first covenant, obviously the Old Covenant, had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary, for there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one in which, where the lamb stands in the table and the sacred bread, this is called the holy place. So we understand what's happening here. He's speaking obviously of the Old Covenant and how things are set. Let's go down to verse six and let's start reading again. Now, when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually, very important, continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second, only the high priest, only the high priest. Now, we have a better high priest, as he was already told us, a better high priest, but in this case, their high priest would enter once a year, every year, year after year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself, because he has to be atoned for first, then the people, so for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is assembled for the present time. Accordingly, both gifts and sacrifice are offered, which cannot make the worship perfect in consciousness. So understand this, these offerings that are given, these sacrifices that are given, they cannot make the person perfect in consciousness. Okay, let's go down to verse 11. Now, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that come, remember we have a high priest now that's not like the high priest then, a better high priest of the good things that come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands to say, not of this creation and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, big difference. So the blood is not through the animals blood, but through his own blood. He entered the holy place, not yearly like the other priests, but once for all having obtained eternal salvation. And look what he says, having obtained, this is what he's done for us, obtained what eternal salvation for the blood of bulls and goats, the ashes of heifer sprinkling those who had have been defiled, sanctified the cleansing of the flesh, how much more with the blood of Christ. In other words, if what was done in the Old Covenant was sanctified person, that is done year after year, how much more than with the blood of Christ? Would that be a temporary yearly thing? No, once was good enough. Once you're cleaned before the Lord, you are clean. That's the whole point. So verse 15, for this reason, he is a mediator of a new covenant. He is the go-between between man and God, so that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the internal inheritance. Notice what's being stated, for while a covenant is there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. In other words, we understand how a new, how a testament works, a will and testament, the person who sets the will, the beneficiaries don't get it until when, after the person has died. Okay, same thing here. So the beneficiary, the benefits accrue to the beneficiaries after the person has died. For a covenant is only valid, verse 17, when men are dead, for it is never enforced while the one who made it lives. In other words, notice what he says, the one who made it. This is also kind of speaking about who Christ is, the one who made it. So I thought this covenant was made that God the Father was one made. Well, yeah, true, but so too is Jesus. Jesus is part of this that's taking place. So this arrangement, this covenant, Jesus is God. Jesus makes this covenant. And so someone will say that God makes a covenant. Amen. Amen, God the Father, so too the God the Son. And so God makes this covenant, he says, verse 18, therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood, for when every commandment has been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves, and of goats, and water, and scarlet, and wool, and his substance. So in authority, he's talking about how the ratification of this is by the blood. Verse 20 said, this is the blood of a covenant which God commanded you. And in the same way, he sprinkled the tapernacle and all the vessels of the ministries with blood. So there must of necessity be this shedding of blood. Because look what verse 22 says, and according to the law, one may almost say all things are cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. There must be shedding of blood in order for there to be forgiveness. Now understand, remember under the old covenant law, when blood was shed and everything was accepted and things were done right, forgiveness was a crew to the people. Forgiveness for which sins, the current sins, and even going forward, because they said in right standing, but this has to be done year after year after year. So let's say the person stands in atonement on day one, day two they sin. Are they now out of right standing? No, no they are not. So let's continue. Verse 23, therefore it is necessary for the copies of one thing in heaven to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves would better sacrifice in these. That's Jesus. Christ did not, for Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Now notice this, nor was it he would offer himself often, remember just one time as a high priest would enter the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own, but Christ said with his own blood, otherwise he would need it to suffer often since the foundation. What does that mean? That means they understand that when you have to constantly have your sins atoned for, there has to constantly be atonement. There has to constantly be a sacrifice, and so if we have to take care of future sins, well then if future sins haven't been taken care of and we want to take care of these future sins, the only way to atone for these future sins is that there be a future sacrifice, but with Jesus there is no future sacrifice. It was one time and it was good for all time. So continuing. Verse, let's start in verse 28. So Christ also having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin. He's not coming back to deal with our sins. He's coming back to bring us back, but that is those who are his to those who eagerly await him. That is us. Now we get to chapter 10. He says, for the law, since it has only a shadow of good things that come and not the very form of things can never, ever, ever, ever, never by the same sacrifice which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those drawing. So the issue is making people perfect, making them not necessarily perfect, they do no wrong. Their skin is perfect. No blemishes. Their eyesight is perfect. All those things, those people who have hair, they lose their hair because obviously being bald is better than having hair. If you were man, my opinion only, but those things on the law can never make you perfect. But what can make you perfect? This one sacrifice, this is what he's speaking of. Otherwise, would they not have ceased? So if they could have made you perfect, and these are temporary sacrifices, if they could have made you perfect, then there would have been no need for Christ to come. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have had conscious of sin. But we have these conscious. And remember, when you go to think about this for a second, when you go to the doctor, somebody might have some sort of pills they have to pick up or injections or dialysis, things like that. Well, you're grateful for the treatment. You really are. You're grateful for the fact that there's a place you can go to receive treatment. You're grateful for the fact that you can go to facility even to the pharmacy and pick up your medicine. But every time you take that medicine, every time you take that shot, every time you go for dialysis, every time you go for whatever the treatment is, there's a reminder that I've got to go there. There's a reminder that there's something wrong with me. Same thing with sin. And God is not after this constant reminder. That's the problem that the Jews are having. These Jewish believers, there's a constant reminder year after year after year about their sins. And that is not what the Lord wants. As a matter of fact, he certainly didn't want some human being today telling another human being, you aren't safe or you can lose it or the threat of it. Remember, Paul says in Romans, if God has justified us, who can brand charge against us? It's God who has justified us. It's God who has made us what put us in right standing. No one can come back and take you out of right standing. And so this kind of the same point here, but in this case, it's for the Jews. So he says, but in those sacrifices, I'm sorry, repeating verse two, otherwise, would they not have been offered because of their worship? Having offered, I'm sorry, having once been cleansed would no longer have had a contents of sin. But in those sacrifices, there's a reminder of sin year by year, year after year after year, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And notice what he's talking about, about taking away sins. He's not talking about just this one time because if the Lord's sacrifice, if his blood only did the same thing where his sacrifices was temporal, then it's the same as the blood of bulls and goats. But therefore, when he comes to the world, he says, sacrifice and offerings you did not desire. Remember what I talked about before? He gave us in the past the old, under the old covenant, sacrifices and offerings. And so these people, they would have this day of atonement year after year, every year. In the meantime, they will also have these sacrifices and offerings. But that's not what God is after. He didn't want you to have to rely on that. He didn't want that to be the reason why you have a clear conscience or anything like that. But he says, sacrifice and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepare and hold and burnt offerings for your sin. You take no pleasure. Then I said, behold, I've come in the scroll of the book. It is written to me to do your will. Now we're getting closer to this, this controversial passage. So, but I want you to think about what's being stated so far. He's speaking about us having a conscience that is no longer guilty anymore and that we are being perfected by the sacrifices, one sacrifice for all time. Continue above. After saying above, sacrifice and offerings and hold burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you have not desired nor have taken pleasure in them. Then behold, he said, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first and or two steps a second. By this, look what he says, by this, we will have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So one time we will have been sanctified once for all. Very important. Every priest, now he kind of contrasts, every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. So we need a priest that instead of doing time after time, just one time that will completely, thoroughly, fully take away sins. And notice what he's saying, take away sin. So these are all of our sins past, present, and future. But he, that is Jesus, having offered one sacrifice for sin for all time. One sacrifice for sin for all time. That is for all of your sins, ladies and gentlemen, for all time. He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made his footstool for his feet. For by one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. So those of us who have been sanctified, he's perfected. So we are being, not that we actually see it, again, we're not in a perfect body. We still have issues. But in terms of what he's doing and also in terms of where we will be in our position, we are being perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us saying, this is a covenant that I make with them. After those days, says the Lord, when I put my law upon their hearts and on their minds, I will write them. He says, and their sons and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more. So remember, Jeremiah speaks of this. We see this other times of the prophets are bringing up what God is going to do, put in his heart and I'm sorry, in our heart, his spirit, particularly there, and will remember their sins no more. That's important, ladies and gentlemen. I will remember their or your sins no more. Now, even though this book is not written to us, it is written for us for our benefit because there are things that we claim from this as well, though we're not Jews, we are still believers of the same Christ. We are still followers, faithful in the same Christ. He says, now where there is forgiveness of sins, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, of these things, there is no longer any offering of sin. Remember this, there is no longer, if there is, if there has been forgiven, the sins of ours, then what do we no longer need? There's no longer an offering of sin, meaning there's no longer offering of a sin. There is no, one, there's none to be offered to, there's none to be required. We don't require an offering. And even if we did, there is going to be no more. So now as we get closer to the more controversial passage, I just want you to see what he's bringing up. Sometimes we go to 26 and 29 and forget that's part of a bigger story that's being told. Those passages don't show up by themselves. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new living way, which he had inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh, and since we have great high priests that is Jesus over the house of God, let us draw near with sincere heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil contents and our bodies washed with pure water. The same thing that Jesus brought up in John 3, the same thing that Ezekiel brings up in chapter 36, these two elements, water and spirit. We see those here, 23, as holds fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promises faithful. He's, we might not always be faithful, but he certainly is, and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love a good deed. And let's drop down to verse 26, four, if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but I thought there is no more sacrifice for sin. Well, if you are willfully sinning after receiving the what, the knowledge of the truth. So here's what he's saying, this not, and at notice every time when the Bible talks about in the New Testament, a potential believer or with some of the things that believers, not a believer, but someone falling away or a prophecy, they're moving away from what? The truth, the faith, the knowledge, the understanding, the tenants of the faith, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, not after receiving the spirit, after receiving the knowledge of the truth. So these particular people know the truth, know what was done, and still go on willfully sinning. These are not people that have been brought into the body. How do we know? We're going to find out in just a second, but these people, there no longer remains a sacrifice. So you mean to tell me if a person were to, if this is what we think is a regular person, an actual believer who walks away, you mean to tell me if that particular person says, you know what I was wrong, I was messed up. I don't know what I was thinking. I was beating an atheist, whatever. You mean to me that person can't be saved? That person can't matter of fact, but what he's speaking of is someone who intentionally rejects that understanding. We're going to see that in just a second because the same word that's being used here, this willfully sinning is used in a participle. We're going to see this again because we're going to describe the same person in just a couple of verses. But what they can expect is a terrifying judgment, I'm sorry, a terrifying expectation of a judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Here we go. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve? Who has trampled underfoot, the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the Covenant, which he was sanctified and has insulted the spirit of grace? So now, notice this person has been described again. Verse 29 is describing the same person in verse 26. And we know so because one, this is also in the participle, not necessarily meaning thing, but clearly if we just look at the passage, the person that's willfully sinning is the same thing as the person who has, who has trampled underfoot, the Son of God. It's not two different people. So now, here's your question. What does this mean, verse 29, who has trampled underfoot, the Son of God? Well, let's look at this word. This word, let me pull up on the screen. This is the Greek word, kattapatase, which as a matter of fact, let's put it, let's put it here. I want you all to see what this is. Now, this word here, we look at the B-dag. I want you to drop down, we're going to number two. And because we can see which passage is referring to, to look on with scorn, to trample underfoot, to treat with disdain. This is someone that has contempt for what Christ has done. That's what this person is. And this person that is, this is what they do. They're in a state of this. Do you think this is a person who was once a believer and then has left the faith, who was maybe because of sin, whatever reason, maybe, maybe doubt? Do you think that this passage, remember, let's go, let's go to a year. Back to verse 29. And put it back on the screen again. Do you think that this person, how much more severe do you think who has trampled underfoot, the Son of God and has regarded as unclean? Do you think that's a person? He's speaking of a person who has started doubting, lost from faith. There's an addiction. There's this sin in their life that they haven't gotten rid of and sometimes maybe even an indulgent. Do you think that's what he's speaking of? No. This is a person who views with scorn and disdain what Christ has done. In other words, knowledge of the truth. You receive that and you reject it. I can't stand it. I don't like it. I hate it. I disagree with it. That's why he says, for if we go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth. Now, how does a writer finish this up? He says that those who shrink back, no, but we're not like those people. So, in other words, this is not speaking of a person who is safe, has a spirit of God in them, and has decided to depart. No, this is a person who knows the truth, or at least heard it, knows it intellectually and regarded as a cheap thing to contempt, disdain, scorn. They do not like it. And so in this passion, I know we took a while to kind of get to the understanding, but we had to see one because we're not Jewish, most of us. And so we might not understand how the law was and how they thought about the rumor. You bring up something brand new for them. It's going to be hard for them to kind of get the old out of their system. They still think that way, even though they kept violating the old. But the point is, that's how they were thinking. And so he says, if you are the kind of person that after hearing what Christ has done and you regard that and a disdainful, almost a hatred, then that person has a fearful expectation that is this fiery consumption by God. That's not us. That's not a person who has in a sin who is a believer. That's not a person who is struggling in some sort of way. So, I hope this helps. For some people, it will not because there are those that simply want to not reject the message, but reject the understanding that I'm bringing to this message. That's fine. That's fine. But if you can find a better definition using the words, because words matter, using what's happening because this context matters. That's why I think a literal grammatical interpretation helps. And so, if a person, I would say that a person that would reject this, probably somebody that just simply wants to hold to the fact that you could probably lose your salvation. Not they, because they've never lost theirs. They have theirs, but you could. But again, the text, I think, is pretty clear. We're speaking to Jews who have placed their faith in Christ, not Gentiles, but Jews. And this is why the constant reminder of what's happening with the law. Amen.