SOAP Devotional 2014-01-09
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Scripture:
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. (Hebrews 10:26-29 NLT)
Observation:
The writer uses the fact that those who disobeyed the law of Moses would be put to death with no mercy to show that the punishment would be much worse for those who disobey and continue in sin after they received the knowledge of the truth of the gospel. For those who know and confess Jesus as Lord and then habitually continue to live an ungodly life is an insult to the work that Jesus and the Holy Spirit have done for believers and the mercy that was shown through the sacrifice The Lord endured for our salvation.
Application:
You cannot continue to live however you want to live once you make Jesus The Lord of your life. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for your sins and gave us the gift of eternal life through no works of our own. We in turn, commit our lives to him as our Lord. We are his disciples now and must turn our backs on a life of sin. To not do this and to continue to live a purposely sinful life is to spit in the face of our redeemer and the comforter that was sent to strengthen us. Punishment for that once we know the truth will be severe. The scripture puts those who do such things in the category of his enemies that he will give the terrible expectation of his judgment and consume them with a raging fire.
Prayer:
Father, help me to walk in your ways as you expect all believers to do. Forgive me of my failures and continue to teach me how to overcome temptation so that I can walk upright in your sight. Your mercy covers a multitude of sin, but help me to not to deliberately walk away from your ways and to test the limits of your mercy.
