Apostates’ Doom Heb. 10:28-31. (127)
““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?”
- If I have been favored with a knowledge of the Gospel, if I have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, if I profess to have received Christ as my Savior and have praised Him for His redeeming grace,—what punishment can fitly meet my crimes if I now despise His lordship, flout His authority, break His commandments, walk with His enemies, and go on sinning presumptuously, till I end by committing the “great transgression?” This verse have brought before us the awful aggravations of the sin of apostasy, showing what is implied and involved in this un-pardoned transgression. Three things are specified, at each of which we shall briefly glance.
- First, “who hath trodden under foot the Son of God.” Here, it is not “Jesus,” or “Christ,” but the “Son of God,” and that, because His purpose is to emphasize the infinite dignity of the One slighted. It is not a mere man, nor even an angel, but none less than the second person of the Holy Trinity who is so grievously insulted! Apostasy is treating the Lord of glory with the utmost contempt. What could be worse? To “tread under foot” signifies a scornful spurning of an object as a thing that is worthless and is applied to swine trampling pearls under their feet Matt. 7:6, 2Kg. 9:33, Lam. 1:15, Eze. 16:6, Mi. 7:10.
- Second, “and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified, an unholy thing.” As, J. Owen rightly pointed out, “The second aggravation of the sin spoken of, is its opposition to the office of Christ, especially His priestly office, and the sacrifice He offered thereby, called ‘the blood of the covenant’ ” The new covenant and testament was confirmed and made effectual unto all its grace by it, to those who believe; being the foundation of all God’s actings toward Christ in His resurrection, exaltation and intercession—cf. Heb. Heb. 9:20; 13:20, Je. 1:5, Jno. 10:36; 17:19. Now the apostate does, by his conduct, treat that precious blood as though it were a worthless thing. Whenever we give rein to our lusts and are not constrained by the love of Christ to render Him that devotion and obedience which are His due, we are, in fact, despising the blood of the covenant.
- Third, “and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” This is the greatest of all: “whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven him” Lk 12:10. “It is by the Spirit the Christian was regenerated, enlightened, convicted, and brought to Christ. It is by the Spirit the Christian is led and fed, taught and sanctified. What reverence is due to Him as a Divine person! What gratitude as a Divine benefactor! How dreadful the sin then which treats Him with insolence, which scorns to attend unto His winsome voice, which despises His gracious entreaties! While the grossest form of the sin here referred to is, malignantly imputing unto Satan the works of the Spirit. O, let us earnestly endeavor to keep from grieving Him Eph. 4:30, and more completely yield ourselves to be “led” Rom. 8:14 by Him along the highway of practical holiness. “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor in spirit, and of a contrite heart, and trembleth at My Word” Is. 66:2. Surely if there is a passage anywhere in Holy Writ which should cause each of us to “tremble,” it is the one now before us! Tremble lest we should begin a course of backsliding, which, if un-arrested, would certainly lead thereto. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall” 1Cor. 10:12. O God, “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Ps. 17:5). Pink Arthur W.
- “For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense…” (v. 30), Deut. 32:35, Is. 59:17; 63:4, Na. 1:2. Ro. 12:19. Further confirmation is supplied of the awful severity and the absolute certainty of the punishment of apostates. He established this point by quoting from Holy Scriptures. “For we know Him that hath said.” “Here our attention is directed unto the Divine character, what God is in Himself. Our conception of the Divine character plays an important part in molding our hearts and regulating our conduct; therefore it is that… the saints may be “increasing in the knowledge of God” Col. 1:10. It is a most profitable exercise for the soul to be often engaged in contemplating the Divine attributes, pondering God’s all-mighty power, ineffable holiness, unimpeachable veracity, exact justice, absolute faithfulness and terrible severity. Christ Himself has bidden us Matt 10:28. The better God’s character be known, the more we heed that exhortation of Christ’s, the clearer shall we perceive that there is nothing unsuited to the holiness of God in what Scripture affirms concerning His dealings with the wicked. It is because the true nature of sin is, so little viewed in the light of God’s awful holiness, that so many fail to recognize its infinite demerits.” Pink Arthur W.
