“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said,
‘I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.’
He also said,
‘The Lord will judge his own people.’
It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Proverbs 9:10 says, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Today’s passage reminds me of that verse because we often fail to maintain a healthy fear of God. It is certainly a privilege that God has chosen to call us “friend” (John 15:15), but when we take that for granted we diminish the reality of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. “Friend” didn’t come for free.
In light of Jesus’ sacrifice, why would we want to keep on sinning deliberately? Romans 6:1-3 says, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Grace is a gift that we cannot take for granted.
Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Sin harms you, robs you, entangles you, and owns you. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that you could keep on living like that. He died and then conquered death to give you a way out. He died to set you free. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be in the hands of God on judgment day if I have spent my life knowing the freedom of Jesus while doing whatever I want regardless of God’s standards. If you think that sinning means getting to do whatever you want while following Jesus means living by a bunch of rules, you don’t understand the Gospel. God’s ways bring freedom, and sin will always disappoint. Are you living a spiritually free life today, or are you ignoring God for a while to do your own thing? I guarantee that “doing your own thing” is simply letting Satan own you just a little longer. Get out now!