“For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’”

We will keep in mind that the writer is addressing people who have tasted the good things of the new covenant and accepted the gift of grace from God. This entire treatise has been to warn against leaving the grace of God’s new covenant for the old covenant’s rules and laws. Even early on in the life of the church, there were those who thought that they could disobey God and still be saved. Today, many still believe that once they become a Christian, they can be disobedient and fail to walk in the light and still be saved because of grace.  This verse is a reminder that the God of the new covenant is the same God that gave the old covenant. You can’t turn away from God and expect Him to save you anyway. There is a judgment, and God will repay those who despise His Son’s death even though once they accepted it.

Sometimes we use this verse to remind ourselves that we, as humans, do not have the right of vengeance, which, of course, is true. But in so doing, let’s not lose sight of the real impact of this verse. The reminder that God is a God of vengeance and that He will bring sure and awful vengeance on those who count the cross as naught and reject Him as God.

Task for Today: Think twice before you give up the promises in Christ. Make sure you are totally tuned in on the Savior of the new covenant. Today is a good day to think about this verse and to realize that Jesus died for you so that you would never see this awful judgment.