26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

We return to the topic that causes not a little controversy, what is often called eternal security. Hebrews 4:1-2, 3:12-19 and 6: 4-8 have already raised this a few times. Are these passages talking about believers who fall from the faith and lose their salvation or, are these people who’ve come so close to believing but in their heart reject the truth and never believe unto salvation? As I stated previously, I won’t take a position here since there are respectable Christians, even theologians, who believe and have plenty of biblical evidence for each opinion. What I’d rather do today and tomorrow is look at the practical side of this.

For today, let us look at v26, “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”. Regardless of what position is taken on eternal security, this is a sobering truth, one that has already been hammered home in this letter. But now the author explains the real consequences of not believing it – falling into the hands of the living God. That should be terrifying. There is only one sacrifice for sin, there is no other. If this one is rejected, there is no hope but only a guarantee of judgement from God. For me, as a believer, I don’t worry about losing my salvation. The application for me is to consider the lost around me. There is no other way for them to be reconciled to God, no other sacrifice. That motivates me to pray, live a life worthy of Him and share the gospel with my words and actions.