But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Willful continuance in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth leaves no further sacrifice for sins, but only dreadful anticipation of judgment and consuming fire reserved for God's adversaries. Mere belief in Christ for pardon is not enough, for the sinner must by faith and obedience abide in Him and keep the divine law, since willful commission of known sin silences the Spirit and separates the soul from God. When the Holy Spirit's reproving and sanctifying work is finally rejected, heaven's last resource of mercy is exhausted and sin is left with no remedy to cure itself. That fearful expectation will be realized when Christ appears in glory and when the guilty stand before the bar of God, where His life-giving presence to the righteous becomes death to the ungodly and forces a late acknowledgment of sin that cannot save without genuine repentance.
No More Sacrifice Remains
If sin is continued willfully after the knowledge of the truth is received, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but only a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Mere belief in Christ for pardon of sin is not enough; the sinner must by faith and obedience abide in Him. As the manslayer who left the city of refuge was abandoned to the avenger of blood, so the one who does not remain in the refuge provided in Christ is exposed to eternal death and will fall a prey to Satan the destroyer. When the Holy Spirit's work to reprove and convict is finally rejected and communication with God is cut off, the last resource of divine mercy has been employed, God has no reserved power left by which to convict and convert, and sin has no remedy to cure itself, leaving the transgressor cut off from God and alone.
Those who for years resist light and reject Christ's delegated messengers reject Christ Himself in rejecting them, cherishing opposition and hatred and contempt toward messengers of righteousness. They persistently refuse and neglect and despise the great salvation long kept before them and offered through Him, including justification by His blood and sanctification by the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a daily work, and God will not pardon and bless those who trample upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God, and whatever ecstasies of religious feeling may be felt, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law, for God will honor only those who honor Him.
The warning presses youth who have received the knowledge of the truth, who stand in a critical place where Satan is tempting them, that if they go back or give up there will be no more hope for them. They must cut loose from everything that hinders progress, lay aside idols such as tobacco and call upon God, and fly swiftly to carry the truth to hungry souls in other places because the Jubilee is coming. The same fearful judgment and fiery destruction for God's adversaries applies to the time when Christ ceases interceding, when opportunity for pardon and atonement ends and each person remains holy or sinful. The present is therefore a day of grace and repentance in which hearts must not be hardened.
Those thus warned may yet humble their hearts before God, confess their many sins, and receive forgiveness. But unless they speedily do so, continued rejection of light from heaven leaves only judgment. Going on a little longer in rejection they will be lost, and when too late will see by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, no longer unto reformation and pardon, that they have been fighting against God.
Fearful Expectation of Judgment
The verse describes the wicked's fearful expectation of judgment and fiery destruction when Christ comes in glory. His presence gives life to those who love Him, but is death to the ungodly, who will seek to hide from the face of the One who died to redeem them. That same fearful expectation will seize the guilty when they stand before the bar of God after every case has been decided for life or death. With an awful sense of condemnation and dread of consequences to themselves, they will be forced to acknowledge their sin, like Achan's late confession, but such confession drawn out by consequences without genuine repentance cannot save.
That day will be too late to be purged with sacrifice or offering forever. When the records of heaven are opened, one penetrating, convicting glance from the Judge will vividly impress every deed and transaction of life upon memory. Hidden sins will then be confessed by one's own lips without being hunted out from tribe to family, and sins concealed from fellow men will be exposed and proclaimed to the whole world.
A sense of condemnation and coming judgment forced by guilt, as when Judas confessed his betrayal, does not amount to true repentance. It is terror at consequences rather than deep grief for betraying the Son of God, sorrow for the sin itself, or abhorrence of evil. The verse is likewise reflected in the sinner's fearful uncertainty without hope of sharing in the resurrection of the blessed, gaining no comfort from the future and closing the eyes in death tormented by uncertainty.
The phrase fearful looking for also describes people who continually expect some dreadful evil and brood over trouble before it comes. This anxious anticipation distresses body and mind, dishonors God, and misrepresents Christ's religion. By contrast, hope anchored within the veil frees people from restless longing, complaint, and continual expectation of evil.
Willful continuance in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth leaves no further sacrifice for sins, but only dreadful anticipation of judgment and consuming fire reserved for God's adversaries. Mere belief in Christ for pardon is not enough, for the sinner must by faith and obedience abide in Him and keep the divine law, since willful commission of known sin silences the Spirit and separates the soul from God. When the Holy Spirit's reproving and sanctifying work is finally rejected, heaven's last resource of mercy is exhausted and sin is left with no remedy to cure itself. That fearful expectation will be realized when Christ appears in glory and when the guilty stand before the bar of God, where His life-giving presence to the righteous becomes death to the ungodly and forces a late acknowledgment of sin that cannot save without genuine repentance.
No More Sacrifice Remains
If sin is continued willfully after the knowledge of the truth is received, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but only a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Mere belief in Christ for pardon of sin is not enough; the sinner must by faith and obedience abide in Him. As the manslayer who left the city of refuge was abandoned to the avenger of blood, so the one who does not remain in the refuge provided in Christ is exposed to eternal death and will fall a prey to Satan the destroyer. When the Holy Spirit's work to reprove and convict is finally rejected and communication with God is cut off, the last resource of divine mercy has been employed, God has no reserved power left by which to convict and convert, and sin has no remedy to cure itself, leaving the transgressor cut off from God and alone.
Those who for years resist light and reject Christ's delegated messengers reject Christ Himself in rejecting them, cherishing opposition and hatred and contempt toward messengers of righteousness. They persistently refuse and neglect and despise the great salvation long kept before them and offered through Him, including justification by His blood and sanctification by the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a daily work, and God will not pardon and bless those who trample upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God, and whatever ecstasies of religious feeling may be felt, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law, for God will honor only those who honor Him.
The warning presses youth who have received the knowledge of the truth, who stand in a critical place where Satan is tempting them, that if they go back or give up there will be no more hope for them. They must cut loose from everything that hinders progress, lay aside idols such as tobacco and call upon God, and fly swiftly to carry the truth to hungry souls in other places because the Jubilee is coming. The same fearful judgment and fiery destruction for God's adversaries applies to the time when Christ ceases interceding, when opportunity for pardon and atonement ends and each person remains holy or sinful. The present is therefore a day of grace and repentance in which hearts must not be hardened.
Those thus warned may yet humble their hearts before God, confess their many sins, and receive forgiveness. But unless they speedily do so, continued rejection of light from heaven leaves only judgment. Going on a little longer in rejection they will be lost, and when too late will see by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, no longer unto reformation and pardon, that they have been fighting against God.
Fearful Expectation of Judgment
The verse describes the wicked's fearful expectation of judgment and fiery destruction when Christ comes in glory. His presence gives life to those who love Him, but is death to the ungodly, who will seek to hide from the face of the One who died to redeem them. That same fearful expectation will seize the guilty when they stand before the bar of God after every case has been decided for life or death. With an awful sense of condemnation and dread of consequences to themselves, they will be forced to acknowledge their sin, like Achan's late confession, but such confession drawn out by consequences without genuine repentance cannot save.
That day will be too late to be purged with sacrifice or offering forever. When the records of heaven are opened, one penetrating, convicting glance from the Judge will vividly impress every deed and transaction of life upon memory. Hidden sins will then be confessed by one's own lips without being hunted out from tribe to family, and sins concealed from fellow men will be exposed and proclaimed to the whole world.
A sense of condemnation and coming judgment forced by guilt, as when Judas confessed his betrayal, does not amount to true repentance. It is terror at consequences rather than deep grief for betraying the Son of God, sorrow for the sin itself, or abhorrence of evil. The verse is likewise reflected in the sinner's fearful uncertainty without hope of sharing in the resurrection of the blessed, gaining no comfort from the future and closing the eyes in death tormented by uncertainty.
The phrase fearful looking for also describes people who continually expect some dreadful evil and brood over trouble before it comes. This anxious anticipation distresses body and mind, dishonors God, and misrepresents Christ's religion. By contrast, hope anchored within the veil frees people from restless longing, complaint, and continual expectation of evil.