Trampling The Son Of God

Trampling The Son Of God

If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. –Hebrews 10:26, 29

When you walk along a sidewalk and you look down and spot a quarter, you pick it up because you see it as something of value. But when you see a discarded gum wrapper or a used ticket stub, you don’t pick it up; you just walk over it or step on it, because it is worthless to you. This is the picture the writer of Hebrews draws as he calls us to persevere in living out what we’ve already learned. He explains what we are doing when there is a sin in our lives that we refuse to relinquish. When we keep on deliberately sinning, it is as if we look and see Christ on the cross and then just walk right over the cross, trampling it, because we see it as worthless to us.

It’s a painful picture, isn’t it? Perhaps most painful because we know we’ve done it. We’ve held on to destructive habits, we’ve justified our resentment, we’ve indulged our sexual curiosity, and we’ve convinced ourselves that our actions harm no one. We’ve excused ourselves as a work in progress rather than exposing ourselves to Christ’s cleansing blood.

Does this mean that if we are believers we will never sin? Of course not! But it does mean that if we say, “I know it is sin but I am going to do it anyway,” we’re basically rejecting the sacrifice of Christ, saying, “I don’t need you or your holiness. I want to live my way, not your way.” If we do this, we are, in effect, rejecting Christ. We can’t fool ourselves into thinking that after knowing and experiencing the truth we can keep walking toward sin, trampling underfoot the Son of God. We can’t act as if God owes us and will save us from judgment because we prayed a prayer or walked down an aisle one day. As a believer you will sin, but if you find that you sin repeatedly and deliberately with no sense of conviction or sadness over your sin, then you need to question if you have really placed your faith in Christ. He welcomes even those who have trampled on him, and he gives the grace and power we need to persevere in our battle with sin.

Son of God, now I see my deliberate sin as a personal offense toward you and a rejection of your sacrifice. Forgive me for belittling the gift you bought with your blood, and give me your grace and power to relinquish sin.

DIGGING DEEPER