Sinning Willfully.
Do you believe that you can lose the gift of righteousness by sinning? Some Christians believe this because of a verse in Hebrews 10 which has been misinterpreted in many Christian circles, bringing great insecurity to believers.
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31)1
Many people have lived in fear of judgment because of wrong interpretations of Hebrews 10:26. The reason is that they have been taught that there is a line in sinning that we can cross that will cause us to lose our salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The whole theme of the the book of Hebrews is that the blood of Jesus is eternal! It has forever removed our sins from us.
The misinterpretation of “willfully sinning” is the reason for the fear of judgment that some believers are tormented with. Haven’t we all sinned willfully? In fact, isn’t most sin willful? In the context of the entire book of Hebrews, it is clear that to “sin willfully” was to continue to believe that the blood of bulls and goats could atone for sins after the blood of Jesus had been shed. At its basic core, “sinning willfully” is the rejection of the blood of Jesus to save us and cleanse us.
The warnings Hebrews 10 are for those who continually reject Jesus and never receive the free gift of righteousness. For them, it is impossible to renew them to repentance.
Today if we are in Christ, we are forever in Him. However, if we believe lies about the gift of righteousness and the eternal efficacy of the blood of Jesus, we will fall prey to erroneous teachings that will lead us to self-righteous acts that frustrate the grace of God in our lives.
We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, washed in the blood, raised to new life and seated in Him, never need to fear judgment. We do not need to fear Judgment Day or any day of judgment when fiery darts of condemnation from the enemy pummel our minds. ALL OUR JUDGMENT was received by our Lord. It is finished.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)
However, for those who consistently and persistently reject the blood of Jesus their entire lives, there no longer remains a sacrifice for them. Jesus was our one sacrifice for sins forever. The sin of unbelief is no less than trampling underfoot the Son of God, counting His precious blood as common as the blood of bulls and goats, and insulting to the Spirit of grace. Yes, there is judgment for those who reject Jesus.
However, never forget this enduring truth about our Father’s heart towards the world:
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NASB)2
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
(from pages 320-322 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
