Can a Christian Insult God’s Grace?

To find the answer lets read a portion of Hebrews chapter 10

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged (INSULTED AND MOCKED) 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 fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The first thing we have to know is the writer of these words are not saying them to the world, but to Christians, those that have believed in God and have been sanctified by the sacrificial lifeblood of Jesus Christ. He is writing to Christians.

He tells us to stir one another in the local body of faith unto love and good works for the glory of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Out of that love for each other and good works that come from a heart of faith in God, we have this great urge fellowship with each other.

We need each other in the body of Christ and to miss coming together and using the gifts that have been granted to each one for the edifying of the whole church is not even an option because we love each other in the family of God.

Then the writer of Hebrews gives us more reason to come together and that is the expectation of the return of Jesus Christ. This is called the great Day in the bible, when we as his people will give an account of what we did with the extravagant grace and mercy we received through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Then there is this warning to those that claim to know God as Father and Jesus as Lord. If you continue to live and practice the very thing that is hostile against the God you claim to know, then you better stop and understand something.

When you live in sin willfully and with full knowledge and understanding of that sin, then what you are doing is insulting God’s grace. You are not only insulting and mocking the grace of God, but you are literally stepping on and treading the son of God with contempt and neglect.

You are profaning the blood of Christ as meaningless and dirty. The word profane literally means that by living in willful sin you consider the lifeblood of Jesus who granted you the forgiveness of your sin, dirty, unclean, common and of no special meaning.

On top of that the writer of Hebrews says you are insulting the grace that was showered upon you, even when you were a filthy sinner, and had mercy and saved you from being a slave to sin and freely gave you the Holy Spirit of grace to become a slave to righteousness. By the Holy Spirit of grace, through faith, you were given the right to become a child of God and be saved from the power of sin and death.

But now, like a dog returning to his vomit, a pig to the mud, you are willingly and knowingly living in what God calls sin and unrighteous for his children to live in.

By living and practicing known sin you are treating Jesus with contempt, you are making the blood of Christ meaningless and common and you are insulting God’s grace all at the same time.

So what does Hebrews then tell us about these kinds of people who identify as Christian? There is coming a time when the fire of God, the judgment of God will literally consume those that live their earthly lives as an adversary of Jesus Christ instead of a witness of Jesus Christ.

The writer of Hebrews doesn’t mince words as he says in Hebrews 10 verse 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 fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Again, this warning isn’t for those who live outside of the family of God, this is a warning to the people of God who insist on living and practicing what they know is against the God they claim to love and know. It says the Lord will judge HIS PEOPLE.

God is love and his grace is extravagant and freely given as a gift through faith in Christ, but just as extravagant is his judgment. That is why the writer of Hebrews says, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

You might ask, how long do I have to continue living in and practicing known sin in my life? Well, I have no clue. It is written in the bible that God gives men room to repent, but how much room you and I will get is something only the Father knows.

The message is this, don’t try and out maneuver God. Don’t bank on him understanding your willful sin. His mercies are new every morning, but take it from me, you do not want to stretch that rubber band of God’s grace too far until it breaks.  Remember, God said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” All I can do is warn and ask you to consider your ways, to test yourself, and judge yourself before God does.

Like it says in Hebrews 10 verses 32 – But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings…do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…