Unbelievers: there is no way to escape judgment
Of course, I must make the typical comment that we do not know for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews. The first recipients knew this, and the church has traditionally accepted the book as somehow apostolic and in every way authoritative. We will refer to the author as … the author.
Another note. This is a treatise that sets out to prove the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant. It was not written to address our current problem. But when you approach it, there is no question about the intention. The trial is coming.
Hebrews 2: 3. The author refers to a non-existent escape for those who neglect their salvation. Escape from what?
Hebrews 3: 6. We are the House of Christ. YES. If we stand firm, firm until the end. If not?
Hebrews 3: 12-19, 4:11. Serious warning here. Serious comparison. Israel tested the Lord. He passed the test, they didn’t. The disobedient did not enter. The wicked unbelieving hearts of today will also be rejected. No exceptions are mentioned. Nor will you change your mind in future eons.
Hebrews 6: 2. The doctrine of eternal judgment is listed here as one of the foundations of faith. That is why Universalism must be treated as a major disease in the Body. It must be treated severely, like cancer spreading its death slowly and surely everywhere. A trial is coming. It is eternal.
In the universalist book of doctrines, assuming that even false teachers have a system for their theology, the page that should describe eternal judgments is blank.
Hebrews 6: 4-8. Thorns and thistles that grow in otherwise blessed land will be cursed and, in the end, burned. Pretty clear language.
Hebrews 8: 10-11. Here’s a message for Israel, straight from the original Israel Bible. A new pact is coming. The old written covenant needs to be replaced. In the days of the old covenant, it was possible to live in the Kingdom and not even know the Lord. Prophets arose to call people to obedience and knowledge of the Holy One.
Not so in the new covenant. All who are part of that covenant, by definition, will know the Lord. No one has to say to a born-again Jew or Gentile, “Meet Jesus.” He already knows it. That was how he qualified to be part of the pact to begin with.
Carried still further, in that coming world Kingdom, the government that will be on His shoulders, the same principle will apply. The people of the Kingdom will obviously know who the King is!
So no, this is not a passage that promises endless salvation for everyone who ever lived. This is an announcement of the New Agreement between God and His own special people.
Hebrews 9:15. Only those who are called receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:28. Jesus will come again. (Only once, by the way!) He will come to greet those who are eagerly awaiting him. I wonder how many people in the world today could respond to such a description, “eagerly waiting for Jesus.”
Hebrews 10: 26-39. This is perhaps the scariest passage in Hebrews. Universalists should pay close attention to it. Non-universalists should do the same.
If someone has come to Christ but continues in their sin, as Paul allowed it to be possible in Romans 6, they can expect nothing but judgment. Burning outrage. God is not in a “good mood” – oh, definitely not!
Why are you so angry, Lord God?
- They have trampled on the Son of God.
- They have counted the blood of Jesus as a mere common thing.
- They have insulted the Spirit of grace who was trying to convince them and lead them to repentance.
Revenge.
A God to be feared.
Why have all these teachings about our God been removed from the discussion, not only by universalists but also by most of the rest of us?
Hebrews 12: 8-11. Punishment. There, you see, all this talk about the trial is just a temporary remedy. No, the discussion of punishment is directed at true children, and it is about the here and now.
There is another group mentioned. Sounds bastard. Here and now, they do not receive correction. Spoiled. And ready for the trial graphically described in the rest of the book. Punishment and judgment are two separate issues.
Hebrews 12:14. Without holiness, without vision of God, never.
Hebrews 12:17. Esau is used as an example of the immutability of God’s judgment. Isaac, the figure of God in the story, cannot bless his own son because he broke the rules. Man can be forgiven all sin. But there is a sin against the Holy Spirit that cannot be forgiven. Those who despise the works of the Spirit in their lives will be banished forever from the blessing. “Get away from me,” Jesus will say. “I never knew you.”
We must not confuse the mercy and grace of God activated at Calvary for repentant sinners with the continual works of the Spirit in the lives of His children. The writer of Hebrews is especially emphatic about this.
Hebrews 12: 25-29. Did I say this book is not about eternal judgment? However, in 8 of its 13 chapters we mentioned this terrifying topic. Here’s one last look.
Israel rejected Moses. They did not escape the trial. Much less will we escape if we reject Jesus. Israel witnessed the shaking of the earth. We will see the shaking of heaven and earth. In the final shaking, only the Kingdom will survive.
There is a kingdom. There is a no kingdom. Our God, the consuming fire, will completely destroy what is not His Kingdom.
“Sweet Jesus, meek and peaceful.” Yes, in the manger. Yes, at his first coming. “I’ll give you the rest.” Yes.
It will also give judgment to the world. To misunderstand this aspect of Who He is is fatal.