FHII said:
Yes, you did: the important verses that you don't think are important! The verses that tell you that faith is what God wrote in their minds. Also, the verse that identifies what sinning willfully is. In other words, you skipped every verse that proves you wrong and deemed it as unimportant!
Please read by far the most important verse in the bible about understanding the bible: Mat 4:4!
By the way... yes, god gave the 10 commandments, but what did he do after that? He gave Moses a whole bunch more! The 10 commandments are part of the law, and they aren't part of the new covenant.
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Here are the first eight verses. I would have thought that it is fairly obvious that, under the old system, the sacrifices offered were temporary...isn't that what these verses are about?
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Unlike the sacrifices of bulls, goats, lambs, doves, etc, which were temporary, and needed to be repeated over and over again, Jesus' sacrifice is permanent. By this once-for-all offering, He has "perfected for ever them that are sanctified"...i.e., those who believe in Him, and who have trusted Him.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Because He has given Himself for us, we may boldly come to the Throne of God, Who will hear our prayers.
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Our hearts must be sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water...why do you think these are required, FHII, if it is not because of sin? And, as we have seen, sin is transgression of the law. There cannot be sin unless there is a law to transgress.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
As we are also to hold fast to our faith, without wavering. We need to be sure of what it is we believe, and hold tight to it, believing in His promise.
We are to provoke one another to love and to good works. Good works? Yes, that is what it says...good works. How 'bout that. But we know that faith without works is dead...
We are to assemble ourselves together, and exhort one another. There is strength in numbers, and we are going to need that strength as the Last Days approach. (I'm not someone who thinks she knows exactly when that's going to be...but I suspect it won't be long now.)
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Yeah. There are a few differences between the Ten Commandments and Moses' law. For one thing, the big Ten were written by God, Himself. Moses wrote the rest. Under God's inspiration, of course, but it doesn't look as if God actually dictated to Moses. For another, the Ten were written on stone, which indicates permanence, while the rest was written on paper...papyrus, or whatever they were using to write on back then. The Ten were placed within the Ark of the Covenant...inside of it...along with Aaron's rod and the golden pot of manna, showing that they were sacred. Moses' law was placed beside the Ark, as a witness against the people.
Surely, you guys, who are scholars, know these things. If you do not, they are written for you in your Bible.
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot 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?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Vengeance? Recompense? Trodding the Son of God underfoot? Counting His precious blood as an "unholy thing"?
Not good! This doesn't sound an awful lot like "faith alone" type verses to me...
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Here we have some personal words from the writer of Hebrews, which may or may not be Paul. He speaks of the afflictions suffered by the early Christians.
He is pleased that they took compassion on him in his bonds, and were not concerned with worldly things, but gave freely.
They are to continue in their confidence, they will need to be patient...
And they are to continue to do the will of God.
What do you think the will of God is, FHII, if it is not to obey Him? Are we not to abstain from sin? I can't seem to repeat it often enough...sin is transgression of the law. There cannot be a transgression of the law unless there is a law to transgress.
Out on the country roads, I may drive as fast as safety allows, because there is no speed limit.
However, in town, I must slow down to 30 mph, otherwise I will transgress the law...and I will have to pay a fine.
The just shall live by faith. Yes, but as James tells us, faith without works is dead. And dead faith cannot save anyone.
We are not to draw back unto perdition...
KJV Dictionary Definition: perdition
perdition
PERDI'TION, n.
L. perditio, from perdo, to lose, to ruin.
1. Entire loss or ruin; utter destruction; as the perdition of the Turkish fleet.
In this sense, the word is now nearly or wholly obsolete.
2. The utter loss of the soul or of final happiness in a future state; future misery or eternal death. The impenitent sinner is condemned to final perdition.
If we reject the truth, we seal our own perdition.
3. Loss.
Not used.
A question for you FHII, since you know so much more about these things than I do. How does one lose his or her soul, or their final happiness? How do they wind up in misery, or eternal death? It says the impenitent sinner is condemned to final perdition. Do you agree with that statement?
And what is a sinner? Isn't it someone who has transgressed the law?
I know you're probably getting tired of me asking you this question...but how can one sin...if there is no law to transgress?
And there you have it. The entire chapter, FHII.
I'm scratching my head here...
Okay, kids. Let's all (yes, including this old hack writer from Alabama) remember what it is that goeth before destruction...
