What is Hebrews 10:26 about? Can wilful sin be forgiven?

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Nov 4, 2021
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#1
The question is the question above in the title. Or is it about apostasy?
 
O

Omegatime

Guest
#2
Here is an example tho this man continued in his sins he was saved by grace.

1 Cor 5:5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3 For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus
 

Gideon300

Well-known member
Mar 18, 2021
5,441
3,222
113
#3
The question is the question above in the title. Or is it about apostasy?
The gospel is not only about going to heaven when we die. It is the gospel of the Kingdom. It is possible to be born again and going to heaven yet miss out on entering God's kingdom. This may seem odd, but it can be explained. I may have to post something to explain it.
 

Charlie24

Well-known member
Oct 31, 2021
998
270
63
#4
The question is the question above in the title. Or is it about apostasy?
It is indeed apostasy! The book of Hebrews was written as a case for Christ.

The 1st century Jews that had converted to Christianity were facing pressure from the Judaists in their faith in Christ.

Some began turning from the faith and began going back to temple worship, thereby denying Christ and putting to shame His work on the Cross for us.

This is "the willful sin" the author is speaking of. They are willfully turning from Christ therefore putting Christ to shame.

It's plain to see in that the verse says, "after that we have received the knowledge of the truth."

"There remains no more sacrifice for sins" is saying that they have turned from the only source of forgiveness, and there is no other way to receive forgiveness. The author is telling them they have fallen from grace and have lost salvation!
 

Charlie24

Well-known member
Oct 31, 2021
998
270
63
#5
It is indeed apostasy! The book of Hebrews was written as a case for Christ.

The 1st century Jews that had converted to Christianity were facing pressure from the Judaists in their faith in Christ.

Some began turning from the faith and began going back to temple worship, thereby denying Christ and putting to shame His work on the Cross for us.

This is "the willful sin" the author is speaking of. They are willfully turning from Christ therefore putting Christ to shame.

It's plain to see in that the verse says, "after that we have received the knowledge of the truth."

"There remains no more sacrifice for sins" is saying that they have turned from the only source of forgiveness, and there is no other way to receive forgiveness. The author is telling them they have fallen from grace and have lost salvation!
I would add that this is not what we refer to as "backsliding." What they have done is to deny Christ, no longer believing in Him as their Saviour. They have returned to the Law and working for their salvation.
 
Oct 9, 2021
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#6
The question is the question above in the title. Or is it about apostasy?
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

When we repent of our sins and confess Jesus we should have the understanding that God wants us to abstain from sin and be Christlike led by the Spirit.

If we sin we can be forgiven of that sin but we have to mean it to get rid of it for if we only repent but do not turn away from that sin then it is not repentance for repentance is not living in sin for you really do not give up the sin.

If we live in sin not wanting to give up that sin then there is no more sacrifice for that sin which means the blood of Christ cannot wash away that sin for God will not take away a sin we hold on to.

The sacrifice of Jesus does not apply to sins that we do wilfully not wanting to get rid of that sin but enjoying that sin on a regular basis.
 

justbyfaith

Well-known member
Sep 16, 2021
4,707
462
83
#7
Heb 10:26, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29, 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?
Heb 10:30, For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


We must understand this passage by certain biblical knowledge.

First, we find that according to scripture, Christians are not under the law (Romans 6:14), are dead to the law (Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:19) and are delivered from the law (Romans 7:6). Where no law is (where it does not apply), there is no transgression (Romans 4:15); sin is not imputed where there is no law (where it does not apply) (Romans 5:13).

We find in holy scripture, therefore, that "all things are lawful for me" (1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23).

Now, sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4); so I conclude that as a believer under grace, I cannot sin in the eyes of the Father (1 John 3:9); who looks down on me from heaven and sees the shed blood of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So, looking at the passage, how is it possible to sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth? All of the things that I have mentioned above are obtained by faith in Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross.

So, I would sin willfully by failing to place my faith in Jesus and what He did for me on the Cross. In such a situation, the sin of transgressing the law would not be covered and I would be sinning against the Lord.

To sin willfully, I think that it would have to be a situation where I am not tempted to sin and a situation where I do not sin out of weakness. It is written,

Psa 37:23, The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psa 37:24, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.


I may fall into some temptation; but if I sin out of weakness then there is the possibility that I have not sinned willfully against the Lord; and I ought to look up in my faith and believe that there is indeed forgiveness for me, even in light of this passage.

If I keep faith in Jesus and what He did for me, then I am blessed according to the following scripture.

Rom 4:7, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.


As long as sin is not imputed to me, I cannot sin willfully against the Lord, in the Lord's sight.

So then, the willful sin that is being spoken of in the passage has to do primarily with rejecting faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,661
5,908
113
#8
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

When we repent of our sins and confess Jesus we should have the understanding that God wants us to abstain from sin and be Christlike led by the Spirit.

If we sin we can be forgiven of that sin but we have to mean it to get rid of it for if we only repent but do not turn away from that sin then it is not repentance for repentance is not living in sin for you really do not give up the sin.

If we live in sin not wanting to give up that sin then there is no more sacrifice for that sin which means the blood of Christ cannot wash away that sin for God will not take away a sin we hold on to.

The sacrifice of Jesus does not apply to sins that we do wilfully not wanting to get rid of that sin but enjoying that sin on a regular basis.
Amen willful sin is when we know it’s sin and act as if it’s not and continue in it willfully
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
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#9
Here is an example tho this man continued in his sins he was saved by grace.

1 Cor 5:5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3 For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus
i do not believe in once saved always saved, therefore i believe that this man described was at great risk of losing his salvation. however i do not deny the fact that it is possible that he may have been brought back to faith later on and have been chastised by the Lord. for Hebrews 12:4-11 talks about God disciplining His children. i believe if this man didn't come to repentance, he may have lost salvation and become apostate
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
8
8
#10
The gospel is not only about going to heaven when we die. It is the gospel of the Kingdom. It is possible to be born again and going to heaven yet miss out on entering God's kingdom. This may seem odd, but it can be explained. I may have to post something to explain it.
perhaps elaborate more? since i do not really understand :)
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
8
8
#11
It is indeed apostasy! The book of Hebrews was written as a case for Christ.

The 1st century Jews that had converted to Christianity were facing pressure from the Judaists in their faith in Christ.

Some began turning from the faith and began going back to temple worship, thereby denying Christ and putting to shame His work on the Cross for us.

This is "the willful sin" the author is speaking of. They are willfully turning from Christ therefore putting Christ to shame.

It's plain to see in that the verse says, "after that we have received the knowledge of the truth."

"There remains no more sacrifice for sins" is saying that they have turned from the only source of forgiveness, and there is no other way to receive forgiveness. The author is telling them they have fallen from grace and have lost salvation!
yes, this was my understanding. however i think today, that wilful sin (not ignorant/accidental) is still a dangerous place to be in and can lead to apostasy in the end
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
8
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#12
I would add that this is not what we refer to as "backsliding." What they have done is to deny Christ, no longer believing in Him as their Saviour. They have returned to the Law and working for their salvation.
and yes, i see backsliding as returning to wilful sin. but this is what i mean by wilful sin, if not repented of, may lead to apostasy. would you agree?
 
Nov 4, 2021
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#13
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

When we repent of our sins and confess Jesus we should have the understanding that God wants us to abstain from sin and be Christlike led by the Spirit.

If we sin we can be forgiven of that sin but we have to mean it to get rid of it for if we only repent but do not turn away from that sin then it is not repentance for repentance is not living in sin for you really do not give up the sin.

If we live in sin not wanting to give up that sin then there is no more sacrifice for that sin which means the blood of Christ cannot wash away that sin for God will not take away a sin we hold on to.

The sacrifice of Jesus does not apply to sins that we do wilfully not wanting to get rid of that sin but enjoying that sin on a regular basis.
yes, i also agree with this. yet i do think that if a true christian wilfully sins - whether be just a one time occurrence or leads to backsliding - that this is a dangerous place to be in
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
8
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#14
Heb 10:26, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29, 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?
Heb 10:30, For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


We must understand this passage by certain biblical knowledge.

First, we find that according to scripture, Christians are not under the law (Romans 6:14), are dead to the law (Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:19) and are delivered from the law (Romans 7:6). Where no law is (where it does not apply), there is no transgression (Romans 4:15); sin is not imputed where there is no law (where it does not apply) (Romans 5:13).

We find in holy scripture, therefore, that "all things are lawful for me" (1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23).

Now, sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4); so I conclude that as a believer under grace, I cannot sin in the eyes of the Father (1 John 3:9); who looks down on me from heaven and sees the shed blood of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So, looking at the passage, how is it possible to sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth? All of the things that I have mentioned above are obtained by faith in Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross.

So, I would sin willfully by failing to place my faith in Jesus and what He did for me on the Cross. In such a situation, the sin of transgressing the law would not be covered and I would be sinning against the Lord.

To sin willfully, I think that it would have to be a situation where I am not tempted to sin and a situation where I do not sin out of weakness. It is written,

Psa 37:23, The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psa 37:24, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.


I may fall into some temptation; but if I sin out of weakness then there is the possibility that I have not sinned willfully against the Lord; and I ought to look up in my faith and believe that there is indeed forgiveness for me, even in light of this passage.

If I keep faith in Jesus and what He did for me, then I am blessed according to the following scripture.

Rom 4:7, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.


As long as sin is not imputed to me, I cannot sin willfully against the Lord, in the Lord's sight.

So then, the willful sin that is being spoken of in the passage has to do primarily with rejecting faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross.
i'm not sure i quite agree with your interpretation, but it is good to hear how you interpret it! :) i'm not sure it is quite biblical though
 
Nov 4, 2021
34
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#15
Amen willful sin is when we know it’s sin and act as if it’s not and continue in it willfully
yes amen i agree. we do have to abstain from wilful sin. i believe that if we do sin wilfully, we may recover but it is a dangerous place to be in, particularly if it ends up being long-term backsliding. i believe this can lead to apostasy
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#16
If willful sin is unforgivable or lead to loss of salvation then no one could get saved. We all sin willfully
let’s nit be Pharisees and claim we do not sin and we keep the law. They did not and we do not
The law cursed us if we sinned willfully or unwillfully. Jesus removed the curse of the law
 
Nov 4, 2021
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#17
If willful sin is unforgivable or lead to loss of salvation then no one could get saved. We all sin willfully
let’s nit be Pharisees and claim we do not sin and we keep the law. They did not and we do not
The law cursed us if we sinned willfully or unwillfully. Jesus removed the curse of the law
i see what you are saying. however i tell you honestly, i too have sinned wilfully after i have been saved. however, i do believe that if i had carried on in my wilful sin thinking, 'well God will forgive me anyway', or not even tried to get out of it, then i would once again be entangling myself with the filth of the world. 2 peter 2:20:"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
when i had backslid and fell into an old sin wilfully, i felt sorrow and repented straight away. i admit, i have struggled with condemnation before, and that is not of God. however he chastises/disciplines those that He loves, and that sense of danger and knowing it is wrong is there to protect us. i truly believe if i had not had this discipline from the Lord, i would have gone back into the habitual ways of my old sin. thank God that He warned me and helped me receive the fear of God, that allows me to hate sin. backsliding can lead to falling away if not dealt with :)
 
Nov 4, 2021
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#18
i see what you are saying. however i tell you honestly, i too have sinned wilfully after i have been saved. however, i do believe that if i had carried on in my wilful sin thinking, 'well God will forgive me anyway', or not even tried to get out of it, then i would once again be entangling myself with the filth of the world. 2 peter 2:20:"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
when i had backslid and fell into an old sin wilfully, i felt sorrow and repented straight away. i admit, i have struggled with condemnation before, and that is not of God. however he chastises/disciplines those that He loves, and that sense of danger and knowing it is wrong is there to protect us. i truly believe if i had not had this discipline from the Lord, i would have gone back into the habitual ways of my old sin. thank God that He warned me and helped me receive the fear of God, that allows me to hate sin. backsliding can lead to falling away if not dealt with :)
as we see in 2 peter 2:20, it is dangerous to be in wilful sin. however, he adds "and overcome". if you still want to repent, i believe you need to despite the feeling of condemnation. do not be overcome!
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#19
i see what you are saying. however i tell you honestly, i too have sinned wilfully after i have been saved. however, i do believe that if i had carried on in my wilful sin thinking, 'well God will forgive me anyway', or not even tried to get out of it, then i would once again be entangling myself with the filth of the world. 2 peter 2:20:"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
when i had backslid and fell into an old sin wilfully, i felt sorrow and repented straight away. i admit, i have struggled with condemnation before, and that is not of God. however he chastises/disciplines those that He loves, and that sense of danger and knowing it is wrong is there to protect us. i truly believe if i had not had this discipline from the Lord, i would have gone back into the habitual ways of my old sin. thank God that He warned me and helped me receive the fear of God, that allows me to hate sin. backsliding can lead to falling away if not dealt with :)
For one the people in 2 Peter 2 had knowledge not experience

Secondly. I to have fallen into sin but something broke me of it. God chastens those who are his and the guit and knowing it was wrong was so overwhelming i coul Not continue. As John said he who sins has never seen it known God whoever is born of God does not sin
of course he is talking about habitual willful sin, the sin only the world does because they are without God and seeking to fill that hole that only God
Can fill

.
 
Nov 4, 2021
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#20
For one the people in 2 Peter 2 had knowledge not experience

Secondly. I to have fallen into sin but something broke me of it. God chastens those who are his and the guit and knowing it was wrong was so overwhelming i coul Not continue. As John said he who sins has never seen it known God whoever is born of God does not sin
of course he is talking about habitual willful sin, the sin only the world does because they are without God and seeking to fill that hole that only God
Can fill

.
i do personally believe that 2 peter 2:20 refers to believers, especially regarding verse 21. yet, amen to what you have said! God chastises those that He loves, i'm glad that He has kept you away from wilful and habitual sin