What does it mean to “sin willfully”? (Hebrews 10:26)
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. (Hebrews 10:26)
Sounds pretty simple and straightforward.
A simple if/then statement. If I continue to sin “willfully”, then I am out of luck. There is no sacrifice for my sins. I will be lost. The key then must be to stop sinning “willfully”. This must be avoided, and if only I can avoid this, then there will remain a sacrifice for my sins, and I can be saved. I’ll be okay.
Easy. Right?
Maybe you’ve heard this verse taught this way. Maybe your church or your denomination teaches just such a doctrine. Maybe you’ve wrestled with this verse because it sounds very straightforward, but let me assure you, the above interpretation is a devilish notion, and we ought to confront it and crucify it with Christ.
First Things
I’d like to remind you, as we seek to interpret this verse, of three principals to guide our interpretation.
1. The Gospel removes burdens. Jesus, our great Savior, is in the business of lifting the burdens of men. Any teaching that places a burden back on the man is not from God. It is from the devil. The only biblical burden I see is a burden for the lost.
2. Our Father is a good Father who loves His children and gives good gifts to His children. We are called to “fear” Him in a biblical manner, meaning to revere, respect, to stand in awe of Him. May the Lord forgive us for our casual view of God. At the same time, any teaching that brings a fear of Him as in a “terror” is likewise, not from God. It is from the devil.
3. Context rules, as always.
Context: To Whom
Hebrews is a letter with an audience, and here it is, well, Hebrews, that is, Jewish converts to Christianity.
We must ask ourselves, what is the typical struggle for a Jewish Christian as recorded in Scripture? It’s law-keeping, plain and simple.
The Jews had the Law and the prophets and were steeped in the requirement to keep every jot and tittle of the Law from their youngest days. Those who most fervently and zealously kept the Law were considered especially righteous, i.e. the Pharisees. Even after receiving Christ, after redemption, they were tempted to return to their self-righteousness, their law-keeping.
Paul rebukes the churches in Galatia for just such a thing, for putting the yoke of law-keeping, specifically circumcision, upon the back of the Gentile converts. In fact, this is some of Paul’s most scathing rebuke, astonished that they so quickly return to that which Christ rescued them from, attempting to attain righteousness through law-keeping. He declares it a false gospel and any man preaching this “he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9) If even an angel comes preaching this false gospel, he is likewise to be accursed. (v. 8)
They eventually hold the first Church council, the Jerusalem council, to address the matter of the Judaizers, those seeking to put the burden of the Law upon the backs of the Gentiles. These were believers, from the sect of the Pharisees, but they announced in the assembly, speaking of Gentile converts, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5) The Council uniformly rejects this notion. Peter asks, “why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” (v.10)
These Hebrews, the recipients of Epistle, are of the same mindset, the same tendency, tempted to return to law-keeping for righteousness, despite being justified by faith in Christ alone.
Context: For What Reason
We only need to read the surrounding chapter to get a clearer picture.
In verse 1, the author speaks of the Law as having “only a shadow of the good things to come”. In speaking of the sacrificial system, he writes, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (v. 4) God abolishes the old and establishes the new and “by this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all [emphasis mine].” (v.10) As the author affirms, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time [emphasis mine] those who are sanctified.” (v.14)
What a glorious pronouncement!
The single offering of Christ has perfected me, past tense, forever, once for all, for all time. You pick the modifier, but it’s good. What blessed assurance we have in this precious and very great promise of God!
Nothing else needs to be done. The author confirms this. “Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.” (v. 18) There doesn’t need to be another offering. His death is more than enough!
Now, we ought to do things because of this great truth. We ought to: have confidence (v.19), draw near (v.22), hold fast (v.23), gather (v.24-25), but these are the grateful responses of a people redeemed.
Then we come to our verse. What is it to willfully sin? It is to reject the sufficiency of the death of Christ and to return to that which He redeemed us from, law-keeping, attaining righteousness by our own conduct, that for which Scripture reserves its harshest judgement.
As we read on, the author speaks of he who “trampled under foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified.” (v. 29) And who are these people? Those who abandon faith in Christ and return to law-keeping.
Once I abandon faith in Christ and return to law-keeping, the author of Hebrews nails it, “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” (v.26) There is nothing better or more efficacious than the shed blood of Christ, and if I abandon that and that alone and seek to inject myself and my own works back into the process, I can only have one expectation, “a terrifying expectation of judgment.” (v.27) How much severer will be my judgment? I have insulted the very “Spirit of grace.” (v.29)
This verse, verse 26 is meant to be an encouragement to us, to remain in Christ, to resist the desire to return to works-based righteousness, to law-keeping. Christ is enough, forever! Rest in this truth.
But, because we are all legalists in our hearts, works-based righteousness is a tough yoke to break which is why the author gives us this loving warning.
Our Father
I cannot imagine a condition whereby my sons, all of them adopted, would cower in fear that I would tear up their adoption certificate upon the basis of their conduct.
Have you forgotten the love of the Father? Our Father loves us so much that He shed the blood of His only begotten Son on behalf of all who would believe. Have you forgotten the imputed righteousness of Christ? Forever, as the Father looks upon me, He sees nothing less than the righteousness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Have you forgotten that God’s standard is perfection: perfect, perpetual, and personal obedience? Thank God for the active obedience of Christ, that He lived it all for me.
This is a truth worth proclaiming! This is a truth that runs contrary to every other system of the world, the varied meritocracies of human existence. This is a God worth loving, serving, and obeying. Now, read Hebrews 10:26 and rejoice and rest in Christ, just like the author intended!
