As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order. Today’s devotion included Hebrews 10:26-31.
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said: “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31.
I think this Scripture applies to Arminians who steadfastly continue to hang on to Arminianism despite receiving knowledge of the truth of Calvinism. They hang on to the false doctrine that Jesus died for everyone (“Universal Atonement” – The Third Point of Arminianism) and they love to speak about the power in Christ’s blood. But, Arminians realize that their doctrine forces them to conclude that Christ’s blood (as they claim, shed for everyone) by itself did not save, “purchase”, or “redeem” anyone, because they admit that most people are not saved. Arminians claim that it is up to man to generate his own faith through his own free will in order to make Christ’s blood effective to save. They claim that the only difference between the saved and the unsaved is not Christ’s blood, because everyone gets the blood, but rather the only difference is whether or not a certain individual will generate his own faith through his own free will to make the blood effective. According to this logic of these Arminians, man’s faith, not Christ’s blood, is the determining factor as to whether or not one will be saved.
Because Arminians talk about the blood all the time, it is true that in a sense they are trampling it, not in the sense of being hateful to it but in the sense of treating it as ineffective by itself, like the description in Matthew 5: 13: “…if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”
This Hebrews 10:26-31 Scripture does not apply to the person who steadfastly rejects Christ. That person did not receive the knowledge of truth as stated in Hebrews 10:26. That person is not sanctified, so to speak, as is stated in Hebrews 10:29. That person does not talk about the blood of Christ. Rather, this Hebrews 10:26-31 Scripture speaks about those received or were exposed to knowledge of the truth and were sanctified so to speak but nevertheless denied the power of the blood and insulted the Spirit of grace. Rather, this Scripture applies to Arminians who love to talk about Christ’s blood all the time, but who really treat Christ’s blood as ineffective by itself , that it does not actually “save”, “purchase”, nor “redeem” anyone, because they teach that most people are not saved and that it is up to man to generate his own faith through his own free will in order to make Christ’s blood effective to save.
Likewise, the Arminian can be compared to the one who insults the Spirit of Grace as is mentioned above in Hebrews 10:29. Think of a situation in which your father took you out to a very expensive dinner and even left the tip in addition. However, you did not think that the tip was sufficient so you add your $5 to the tip. Wouldn’t your father be insulted that you thought that what he did was not enough? Likewise, Arminians insult God by their doctrine that believes that the blood of Christ is not enough, they feel that they must add their own tip of faith. The Calvinist thinks of faith as a gift of God; the Arminian thinks that faith is their own gift to God which is necessary to secure salvation.
In any event, we must remember that salvation is not ultimately dependent on our “free will” attitude or actions, even how we regard Christ’s blood. Hebrews 9:15 confirms so many Scripture passages that it is those who have been called who may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Even though we should be wise and careful (even trembling in fear) as to how we regard Christ’s blood, ultimately salvation is given to those who have been called which are the elect. “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:15 (Emphasis added).
In conclusion, let us carefully consider and heed the severe warning in Hebrews 10:26-31. Let us trust the Holy Spirit and follow the Holy Spirit who guides us, the elect, into all truth, particularly as to how we view Christ’s blood. John 16: 13 describes the work of the Holy Spirit in the saved: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; …”
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 