I think that the scariest paragraph in the Bible is found in Hebrews 10:26-31. It talks about the wrath of God that will come upon those who deliberately keep sinning against him. It speaks of vengeance, judgment and raging fire. The paragraph concludes with this chilling statement—“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Many people have convinced themselves that a loving God would never throw anyone into hell for all of eternity, so they live in rebellion against him. They reason that since there will be no consequences for their actions, they might as well live as they please.

These people are wrong…dead wrong. The Bible continually warns about the wrath of God that will be poured out on all who oppose him. The God who is supremely loving and forgiving is also completely just, therefore he cannot reward those who reject him; he has deemed that they must be punished.

What triggers this message of doom in Hebrews 10? What heinous sin is the writer talking about that leads him to warn about God’s judgment in such frightening terms? Is it murder? Greed? Sexual immorality? Child abuse? What sin is it that compels him to write such a scary paragraph?

The answer is in the text. Always look at the context when you are reading. The verse that precedes this scary paragraph is v.25—“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I’ll see you in church this Sunday!