Fearful, but Not Afraid

The Fearful Thing: Understanding Willful Sin and Our Relationship with God
In Hebrews chapter 10, we find a powerful message about what it means to be the church and the serious consequences of willful sin. The church isn't just a building, it's the body of Christ. If we aren't actively participating as members of this body, we're willfully sinning against God.

What Does It Mean to Tread Underfoot the Son of God?
Hebrews 10:28-29 presents a sobering comparison: "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot 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?"

This passage speaks directly to believers, those who have been sanctified (set apart to be holy) by Christ's blood. When we choose to sin willfully, we're essentially treating Christ's sacrifice as worthless. We're not living in the holiness given to us.

Do We Consider Christ's Sacrifice Before We Sin?
Before we choose to do what we want instead of what God wants, do we pause to consider what Jesus endured for us? He suffered torture, mockery, and crucifixion to pay for our sins. If we truly contemplated this sacrifice in the moment of temptation, we might step away from sin and return to pursuing Christ.

Being tempted isn't sin, giving in to temptation is. God always provides a way out, but we don't always take it. And when we've sinned, we often avoid returning to God because we feel unworthy. But the truth is, we were never worthy. Our relationship with God has never been about what we deserve.

Why Is It a Fearful Thing to Fall into God's Hands?
Hebrews 10:31 reminds us: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Many of us grow up with a distorted view of God, seeing Him as someone waiting to punish us when we mess up. We might even adopt a reckless attitude: "All sins are forgiven anyway, so I'll just take the punishment."

But this misunderstands God's nature. Romans 2:4 tells us it's the goodness of the Lord that leads to repentance. The "fear of the Lord" isn't about being afraid of punishment, it's about fearing the loss of fellowship with Him.

Understanding the True Fear of God
Think about a loving marriage relationship. A husband doesn't avoid hurting his wife because he's afraid she'll physically harm him. He avoids it because he fears losing intimacy with her. Similarly, we shouldn't fear God throwing lightning bolts, we should fear Him not speaking to us through His Word, not hearing our prayers, or not giving us those gentle tugs on our hearts because sin has come between us.

How Do We Maintain Our Faith Through Difficulties?
Hebrews 10:32-33 encourages us to remember our early days as believers when we "endured a great fight of afflictions" and became "companions of them that were so used." When we first come to Christ, victory over sin is still being learned. We need a community of believers who understand what we're experiencing and can help strengthen our faith.
The passage warns us not to let fleshly desires take us off track or make missing church a normal thing. Being part of the body of Christ should be so important that we plan our lives around it, not the other way around.

What Does It Mean That "The Just Shall Live By Faith"?
Hebrews 10:38-39 states: "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

Our salvation isn't complete until God gives us our sanctified bodies. Until then, we're "working out our salvation" (Philippians 2:12). Faith is like a muscle that needs to be exercised through tests and trials. When God says "one more rep" and we feel we have no strength left, He's there spotting us, providing the strength we need.

How Does God Provoke Us to Love and Good Works?
As members of Christ's body, we're called to "provoke one another unto love and to good works" (Hebrews 10:24). That nagging voice asking, "Who's going to do this?" is often God calling you to action.

God's standard of love is clear: if we allow who someone is or what they've done to cause us to treat them with anything less than Christ's love, we're in sin. And the good works we're provoked to do might be anything from helping with church activities to assisting a stranger at a gas station to sharing Jesus with a neighbor.

Should We Expect Rewards for Our Faith in This Life?
We cannot do good works expecting immediate rewards. Jesus told His disciples they would all forsake Him, yet He still went to the cross. That's our example. We do what the Holy Spirit provokes us to do without looking for quid pro quo.
This life isn't about this life. It's to be given as a willing sacrifice on the altar of subjection to God's will, knowing our reward is eternal. God takes pleasure in our faith and has no pleasure in the lack of it.

Life Application
This week, consider how you view your relationship with God. Are you avoiding sin because you fear punishment, or because you value intimacy with Him? When you feel that nagging voice prompting you to serve or love others, how do you respond?

Challenge yourself to:
  1. Before giving in to temptation, pause and reflect on Christ's sacrifice for you.
  2. View your church attendance and participation as essential, not optional.
  3. Respond to God's promptings to serve others without expecting immediate rewards.
  4. When you sin, return quickly to God rather than avoiding Him out of shame.

Ask yourself: Am I treating Christ's blood as precious or am I treading it underfoot through willful sin? Am I living in the holiness God has given me? Do I fear losing fellowship with God more than I fear His punishment?

Remember, God takes pleasure in you taking pleasure in Him. When you're serving and it seems no one notices, don't throw away your faith. God sees, and He's pleased. Let that be enough.

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