“done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” (Hebrews 10:29)
A born again believer minds the things of the Spirit of God, but an unbeliever minds the things of the flesh.
Romans 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."
Just like people who are physically alive need physical food to keep them alive physically, people who are spiritually alive also need spiritual food to keep them alive spiritually. A Christian who sins wilfully does not fear God and his commandments, because the things of the Spirit of God are not important to him, and neither does he regard them. Compare him to someone who trembleth at God’s word:
Isaiah 66:2-3 "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol…"
Notice in verse 2 "… but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. " That would be a born again believer who trembles at God's commandments. What is the great commandment of the law?
Matthew 22:36-40 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
This passage of scripture was Jesus summarizing the ten commandments given to Moses in the Old Testament, into two. The first five commandments was summarized as "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and the second five was summarized as "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Prophet Isaiah continues in:
Isaiah 66:3 "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol…"
Notice the fear of the LORD in someone of a poor and contrite spirit? Though he did no sin, yet he did it as if he sinned against God. That is the heart of a born again believer, someone who trembleth at God's word.
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Indeed, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Compare a born again believer to Christians who think they deserve the kingdom of heaven just because they have confessed to believe in Jesus Christ at some point.
Isaiah 66:3 "… Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations."
Notice the last part in verse 3 "… Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations?" Those would be the Christians who think that they could sin without repercussions from God, and that their sins have already been forgiven when they confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Isaiah continues…
Isaiah 66:4 "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
Verse 4 tells us that God will choose their delusions because "when I spake, they did not hear." Those would be the Christians whose little regard for the things of the Spirit of God have been extinguished in their lives by the false doctrines taught to them, that empower them to think that they could sin without repentance, and there would be no repercussions from God.
There is no fear of God in these Christians, and they sin freely without regard for the commandments of the LORD (Exodus 20:1-17), whatsoever, all the while living with the delusion that their sins have been put away by God. Unlike a born again believer, God’s commandments have little bearing on their actions:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
Isaiah continues "they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not." Notice how those Christians have little regard for the things that God hates? No doubt they already know the ten commandments, yet they delight in those things that God hates. Those would be the Christians, according to Hebrews 10:26-29, which says:
Hebrews 10:26-29 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 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?"
They will sin wilfully, even after they have received the knowledge of the truth. According to verse 26-27 "… there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." God even calls those Christians his "adversaries." Indeed, for Christians who despise God's commandments, there remaineth nothing to atone for their sins, and they shall likewise perish in God's judgment and fiery indignition.
Luke 13:23-24 "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
Hebrews 10:28 tells us how those Christians despised the ten commandments which God has given to Moses, which Jesus has summarized into two for us, namely:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Verse 29 tells us how those Christians have "done despite unto the Spirit of grace" by trampling the Son of God under foot. I myself was with the largest charismatic church in Singapore for 4 years and I am familiar with their teachings on the grace of God, which basically says that the Ten Commandments are not for the church because we are “under grace” (not “under law”) the moment we prayed the sinner’s prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and so God sees us as though he sees Jesus so that our sins are covered no matter what. Well, Christians who believe in this doctrine never believed in the Bible on the first place, for if they have truly believed, they would not have “done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” (Hebrews 10:29
Fantastic!