“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27 ESV).
This reference to willful or deliberate sin represents another aspect of this passage that is worthy of exploration. In one sense, we can say that all sinful behaviors are willful, for “All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one” (Romans 3:12 GW). In a similar manner, the New Testament epistle of 1 John tells us, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).
Nevertheless, this passage has undoubtedly created a great deal of anxiety among those who have willfully engaged in sinful behaviors during moments of temptation or weakness. For those who fall into this category, the observations made by the following commentators may prove helpful…
“The tense of the word indicates immediately that this is not a single act of folly or weakness. This is not something one can stumble into suddenly. It is not the normal falterings of a Christian who is still learning how to walk in the Spirit. None of these is in view at all. The continuous present tense of this word, ‘sin deliberately,’ marks a long-continued attitude of resistance.” (1)
“The willful sin here referred to does not consist in isolated acts, but in a determined course of action, persisted in until the very desire for a better life wanes and dies out of the soul.” (2)
“Sinning willfully carries with it the idea of sinning continually and deliberately. Such a person does not sin because of ignorance, nor is he carried away by momentary temptations he is too weak to resist. The willful sinner sins because of an established way of thinking and acting which he has no desire to give up.” (3)
“This passage is not teaching that true Christians can lose their salvation; rather, it is a warning for believers to persevere and for those who profess faith without possessing it to trust in Christ alone (cf. Heb. 6:4–12 and notes; 10:32).” (4)
We will find some identifying features of deliberate sin later in Hebrews 10:29. But before we get to that portion of Scripture, we will next take a look at someone who served as a living embodiment of this warning concerning those who “…go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth.”
(1) Excerpted with permission from Triumph or Tragedy © 1965 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to [email protected]
(2) Meyer, Frederick Brotherton. “Commentary on Hebrews 10”. “F. B. Meyer’s ‘Through the Bible’ Commentary”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/fbm/hebrews-10.html. 1914.
(3) GotQuestions.org, What significance is there to sinning willfully (Hebrews 10:26)? Retrieved 14 November, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/sinning-willfully.html
(4) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2214). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.