Verse 26 says that “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” for those who sin willfully. If the Hebrew believers had forsaken the church and returned to Judaism, there would have remained no sacrifice for sin in the economy of God, for all the sacrifices of the old covenant have been altogether replaced by the one sacrifice of Christ. Since Christ has once for all offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 7:27; 10:10, 12), the sacrifice for sin has ceased (Heb. 10:2), having been taken away by Christ (Heb. 10:9).

We should not misinterpret Hebrews 10:26, thinking that if we sin willfully after being saved our sins cannot be forgiven because there is no more sacrifice for sin. The willful sin mentioned in this verse is forsaking the church and shrinking back to the old covenant after knowing that God had annulled it and established a new one. Forsaking the church to return to Judaism to offer the sacrifice for sin when there was no longer any such thing was, in the eyes of God, a willful sin.

Hebrews 10:29 says, “By how much do you think he shall be thought worthy of worse punishment who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” In the new covenant the Son of God replaces all the sacrifices of the old covenant. If the Hebrew believers would still return to Judaism to offer any of the old sacrifices, they would in effect be trampling underfoot the Son of God. They would be despising Him, disregarding Him, and putting Him under their feet.

Verse 29 speaks of regarding the blood of the covenant a common thing. If the Hebrew believers would have returned to Judaism to offer the old sacrifices and rely on the blood of the slain animals, they would in effect have regarded the precious blood of Christ a common thing. That would have been a serious disregard of the unique redemptive work of Christ. Since animal blood was common, it could be offered again and again. If, after receiving Christ, the Hebrew believers returned to Judaism to offer again the sacrifices for sin, they would have been making the blood of Christ the same as animal blood. This is an insult to Christ.

Hebrews 10:29 also speaks of insulting the Spirit of grace. Under the new covenant, through the redeeming blood of Christ, the Hebrew believers had become partakers of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 6:4), the Spirit of grace. If they had returned to Judaism to offer the sacrifices for sin, this would have been against the work of the Spirit of grace who was indwelling them and working in them and who would have been insulted by their willful sin.

To backslide to Judaism is to neglect God’s New Testament salvation. Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Salvation here refers back to what is mentioned in 1:14. It is God’s full salvation, from the forgiveness of sin to the sharing of the coming kingdom with glory. It not only refers to what Christ has done and will do for us but also to Himself, who is able to save us to the uttermost (7:25). He, the Son of God and the Son of Man, is our salvation. His wonderful person plus His splendid work is so great a salvation, a salvation which none of us should neglect. Our negligence will cause us to miss this so great a salvation’s most precious part-enjoying Christ as our saving life and rest in this age-and most glorious part-inheriting Christ’s kingdom with glory in the coming age. Therefore, we should not neglect so great a salvation. If we neglect it, we shall receive a just recompense regarding it (Heb. 2:2).
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