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This verse has messed up so many believers it is just not funny! I trust this will be liberating to those who have been bible bashed with it in the past. Let’s start with the verse first:
Heb 10:26-27 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. (NKJV)
This verse is usually thrown at believers to condemn and coerce them into holy living, holding the fear of judgment over their heads as the motivator. Just based on that and since the Word says we have not been given a spirit of fear, I conclude that if fear is your motivation to get out of sin, you are being deceived. But that is not really what I want to get into now, I want to explain what is meant by “if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” for there is much confusion over this.
The first thing people do wrong here is to assume that a person who has received the knowledge of the truth is automatically a saved person. I don’t agree. Think back to the day you got saved. Did you get saved before hearing the truth or after hearing the truth? After hearing right! That means you received the knowledge of truth but remained unsaved until you made the choice to believe it. Imagine 2 unbelievers going to a meeting. Both hear the truth of the gospel (If the gospel is actually preached and not humanistic psychology as per usual) so technically both unbelievers have received the knowledge of the truth. If one of the two then makes the choice (willful…) to accept Christ, that one gets saved. His sins are blotted out and he is forgiven because the sacrifice of the Lamb now covers him always. If the other one decides not to accept Jesus after having heard the same knowledge of the truth, then his sins do not get blotted out, he does not get covered by the Jesus’ blood and his sin keeps pilling up against him day after day until judgment day comes. Both received the knowledge of the truth and faith comes by hearing. Once you hear the gospel the faith is there to enter into it. We chose to enter or stay out. If you enter, your faith is made alive. If you don’t, your faith is dead. The person who chooses not to accept Jesus after having heard the gospel is the one who willfully sins after having received the knowledge of the truth, not the one who got saved. The one who chose Jesus stopped sinning because he got re-born out of God’s Seed and he was taken out from under the law. For the one who didn’t choose Jesus, there remains NO OTHER sacrifice for sins because he rejected the Lamb, the only sacrifice there is.
Now that doesn’t mean you only get one chance either. Jesus will keep bringing the knowledge of truth to you in various ways and times as long as you live because He doesn’t want any to perish but all to come to the knowledge of the truth. He will give you the choice to accept Him over and over and over. You can choose to reject Him over and over and over and keep on willfully sinning, willfully living under the law. Imagine life as driving down a highway. The end destination of that highway is judgment and eternal damnation. You can’t just do a U-turn (repent) on a highway, it’s illegal. You need an off ramp. Every time you hear the gospel, it is like a road sign telling you to get off at the next off-ramp (That is where you receive the knowledge of the truth, before you get saved). Once you take that off-ramp, you have made the choice to accept Christ and you have repented because you have now turned around. If you take the Christ off-ramp, you get diverted onto the Highway of Righteousness which is the Way the Truth and the Life through Jesus Christ. The sacrifice for your sins has been made. If you choose to keep passing by those off-ramps, you willfully choose to drive straight on into judgment. That is what Hebrews 10:26 means.
Start thinking logically about things and it will clear up so much confusion!
You are free, now live FREE!
Cornel
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14 Responses to Hebrews 10:26
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Added conclusion to clear up any misunderstanding: Hebrews 10:26-27 does not apply to believers!
Wow, every day I ask God to brainwash me with the TRUTH. You must know how hard it is since you wrote a whole book about it
Thanks Cornel for daring to lighten up these verses that some people want to condemn us with. The GOSPEL means “Good News” right?
Hey mate, maybe you can help with Heb 4:12 “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
And also, what is grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit??? If sin is no longer being counted against us then how is it that we can grieve and quench???
I think I would disagree to the conclusions you came to. After I read this, I went and read these verse in the context of the whole chapter 10, and what I found is that that “we” at the beginning of verse 26 is referring to the author and the people he is writing to, who are believers (most likely Jewish believers). Another reason for this view is that in 2 Timothy 2:25-26, Paul makes some really interesting remarks on receiving the knowledge of the truth. In the verse, he is talking about how Timothy should always answer the opponents of the gospel (I believe these people are non-Christians), and he say, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
Here, Paul clearly says that repentance leads to a knowledge of the truth. In my mind, the idea of having a knowledge of the truth is the same as receiving the knowledge of the truth. Since receiving is an action by a person, if you reject the gospel, you have rejected the knowledge of the truth. It’s like if you reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you reject Him, you don’t have Him; if you receive Him, you have Him. If you reject the knowledge of the truth by not repenting when you hear the gospel, then you are not saved. If you have received the knowledge of the truth, then you have already repented and are saved.
So in the end, I would say that this verse is the Hebrews version of Romans 6, wherein Paul says stuff like: “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:2-4). It’s not as much that we can lose our salvation, but really asking whether or not it is possible for someone to continuously keep on sinning once they have been saved. (Another example: 1 John 3:9- No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.)
interesting take on it. I just listened to curry teaching on this last night.
@Adam: Will look into it buddy!
@Brandon: What did Curry say?
@Trey : I think you misunderstood what I said. What you are saying is exactly what I am saying. But the knowledge of the truth doesn’t automatically save. We have to choose to accept it. We can only do that once the knowledge of the truth has been revealed to us, after we have received it. When you tell me the gospel, I have heard and received the knowledge of the truth, now I have to decide if I want to accept it or reject it. Jesus Himself knew this and warned his disciples:
Luk 9:5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.
The can only reject you once they have heard what you have to say.
Luk 10:11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
The kingdom came close, but in the end was rejected.
Act 13:49-51 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The Word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. They heard what the disciples had to say. The chose to reject it. They could only do that after having heard the knowledge of the truth, otherwise why would Jews reject other Jews?
The whole point of my article is that you can’t go on willfully sinning because you got saved. Willful sin means to stay under the law instead of coming into grace. Hope that clears up the misunderstanding.
Cornel
I don’t think that the Greek agrees with you here Cornel
In the entire book of Hebrews the author (personally I think it’s Paul) identifies himself with and as one of the people receiving the letter. Jewish believers. Anytime we see this word received in the Greek it is a strong usage of actually accepting or taking a hold of what is presented not just hearing alone, unless the context of the sentence clearly indicates otherwise. I am hard pressed to find any use of this word receive ever used in the bible the way you are describing it here. The only time it may come close is when it’s used as a contrary to fact statement which only re-affirms its root in being a solid true acceptance. I think the misunderstanding comes from the English usage.
I think it’s clear that the audience of the book of Hebrews were Jewish believers.
Now don’t misunderstand me I don’t think we can lose a completed justification portion of salvation. Without writing a book on this chapter alone I’ll point out that part of what he is talking about is Christians returning to the temple which would suffer judgment yet to come (we know that happened in 70AD) And if these believers returned there they would be destroyed, continue reading on, he makes this very clear in vs 30.
You also brought out a good point that I wish to expand upon and helps clarify my previous statements. There will be no longer or no other sacrifice for sin, that’s because it’s all done. AKA don’t go back to the temple sacrifices that’s been done away with. That however does not mean there are not earthly consequences for sin. Just like in the time of the law by 2 or 3 witnesses you could be stoned so also you can lose your physical earthly life for a willful intentional sinning. Possibly a reason for Sapphira and Ananias? It sure fits, I don’t think they lost their salvation but they certainly lost their earthly life, and probably their heavenly rewards but they kept their salvation or justification to be more precise.
Concluding and sorry if it’s not clearer I’m writing this at 5am way past my bedtime. There is no way to escape the fact that the author completely identifies himself with the reader and would therefore be in the same state, and the word even for “received” is used exclusively to mean actually receiving not “just hearing” – there is no loss of justification but possible loss of physical life as illustrated by reading on, and possible loss of heavenly rewards if you read on to the end of the chapter.
Thanks for you time love to hear your thoughts,
Micah
thanks for the interpretation very well answered…i actually just had someone throw that scripture at me…and to be honest was caught off gaurd… but now i read this it all makes sense..and especially when i add john 16:9 to this to sin is to not believe in HIM…so to willfully not believe in HIM after hearing the TRUTH which is CHRIST there no longer remains a sacrifice for ur sins…awesome stuff thanks!!!
Hi Micah,
I am South African and I identify with South African’s. Does that mean all South African’s are saved just because I am? Also, If you think I am saying there is no consequences for sins we commit here on earth, then you haven’t read some of my other articles. If I commit adultery, my wife will divorce me. If I steal or murder, I will go to jail. Never the less, some will hear the gospel and reject it. If you don’t reject it, you become justified, sanctified, perfected for ever, the righteousness of God in Christ irrespective of your sin because you are forgiven and your sins are punished in Christ. Sinning after you have become saved doesn’t disqualify you from any of the inheritance. It didn’t disqualify you before you got saved, it won’t disqualify you after you get saved. Your life on earth will be a mess if you stay in sin, but is not God’s fault. He freed you from sin when He saved you. You staying in it is your own choice.
God bless
Cornel
Cornel said “He freed you from sin when He saved you. You staying in it is your own choice.”
I would agree but I didn’t think you would, because it seemed to me you explained that habitual sinners are not Christians and that habitual sin is mutually exclusive to being a Christian. Now certainly I don’t think Christians should be in that situation and if they are Christians they probably won’t be in it for years and years because of the conviction they will be in from the one who IS their life. -maybe you could clarify this a little more for me
Okay, more on point, the analogy you are using does not correlate. When the author of Hebrews says “we have received the knowledge of the truth” in vs 26 there it is declaring that as much as the writer of Hebrews has received (that is accepted not heard – which there was no counter argument too) then also the audience is. So unless you’re saying the writer was also “not saved” I really don’t understand how you can stand on your position.
I think in the end we would agree but the means for getting there is in discord. The problem I have with your analysis here is that if Christians really take it as truth and then start to study greek or listen to expositional and exegetical teachers on these verses they could be seriously shaken in how they view justification. If instead they understand what the author is talking about here it won’t be an issue at all with justification and deep exegetical studies. -See Wuest’s commentary on this verse it’s very interesting and he’s a very respected Greek scholar. If you don’t have his commentaries I can copy and paste the whole thing on this verse for you, if you would like.
Good points on rewards, all I would say is that if you’re in habitual sin you won’t be earning a crown of righteousness so it sorta does disqualify you
Our rewards aren’t just given to us, our inheritance isn’t guaranteed.
Rom 8:17 -
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. -Most people only quote part of this verse so that’s why I like to use it.
There is a condition to being a co-heir? Our sonship is guaranteed but not the inheritances or “rewards” that are possible. Just like the later portions of this same chapter in Hebrews indicates. Or the parable of the prodigal son. Lk15:11-32 In that we see him not respect his inheritance and squanders it (just as if we do not strive for and attain inheritance) but at no point does he ever lose his sonship vs19 even though all of his inheritance was spent up vs13. The prodigal son does not receive any more inheritance vs31 but he does still get to be in his fathers house and enjoy the benefits of sonship.
-In Love
Grace and Peace to you,
Micah
P.S. I really like a lot of what you write it’s very encouraging and gets me reading more of His Word keep it up!
Hi Micah.
You said: “If you’re in habitual sin you won’t be earning a crown of righteousness so it sorta does disqualify you. Our rewards aren’t just given to us, our inheritance isn’t guaranteed.”
If these statements you made are true, what do you make of these verses?
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (NKJV)
We have been given every spiritual blessing already. If the crown of righteousness is a spiritual blessing, I have already received it.
Eph 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory (NKJV)
The Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance.
Heb 6:17-18 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (ESV)
God swore an oath to secure the guarantee of our inheritance.
Rom 4:14-16 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (NKJV)
If you inherit based on your performance, then faith is of now value. You can’t earn any inheritance. It is given freely. The promise is sure because Christ earned it for us.
2 Cor 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (NKJV)
Again the Spirit not only seals us, but is the guarantee.
2 Cor 5:5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (NKJV)
And again. Scripture makes it very clear that our inheritance is secure in Christ through the Spirit given as a seal unto those who believe. You can’t earn anything through good works, not sinning or anything else you try to do.
As for the sinning issue, you cant be a sinner and saved at the same time. You are either saved, or not. If you are saved, ‘sin’ is not counted against you because where there is no law, no transgression is counted. That means you can’t be called a sinner any longer because there is no law to define you as one. Jesus fulfilled the law on my behalf and the law now testifies to my righteousness. My identity is not found in my actions, my identity is found in Jesus Christ by faith. The inheritance is based on Him, not me. The promise is based on Him, not me. The covenant God made with Jesus is perfectly upheld through the cross. I can’t add to or remove from that covenant. If my actions could disqualify me from inheritance, then either God lied and didn’t remove all my sin, He is still counting them against me and Jesus died for nothing. The condition to be co-heir is faith in Christ. Not faith + law.
Cornel
Interesting points but I think that you’re mixing Justification, Sanctification and Glorification all together in one lump. We have been Justified we are being Sanctified and will be Glorified. All of those words we tend to substitute with the word “salvation” which is what gets things confusing.
We’ll go through each of your verses here.
Eph 1:3 Adorable be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath spoken well of us with all spiritual elegance of language in heavenly places in Christ.
Reads a little differently doesn’t it? It could be translated this way, it’s not indicating that every possible good thing of heaven was given to us in heaven already, for we know there is one thing that you and I will NOT be blessed with. We will not be on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel this was a “blessing” or reward only for the 12 apostles. Mat 19:28
In response to Eph 1:13-14 I would point us back to vs 11 and state that it is in Christ that WE earn our inheritance or rewards. I should stress that inheritance is not us getting into the kingdom. I think I should also have made clear that the things we do which earn rewards are not things of our flesh but things of our spirit who is Christ. This is what the judgment of our works, the wood, hay, stubble burn up. Those would be what we do out of our own strength. Silver, gold, precious stones would be those works done in Christ which we will get rewards for. Check that out in 1Cor 3:12-13
Heb 6:17-18 – This verse says nothing of rewards but only of promises.
Where does God promise rewards of heaven? The only thing I hear Jesus promise is that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life. (This eternal life brings in itself many things that you’ll probably list of as other promises about our identity but i’m just wrapping it up in one point.) … and that when he returns he’ll be coming back with a sword but that’s another discussion :-þ
Rom 4:14-16 – I would say that he’s making a point that those under the law were servants and therefore not heirs, we being sons are. This in view I think he refers to heirs as “sons of God” not meaning attainers of all the rewards of heaven.
2Cor 1:21-22 & 2Cor 5:5 – Yes guarantor of our spiritual identity and therefore justification but not of rewards It is also possible here that I’m not being semantically detailed enough I’ll have to look a little harder. It is very possible that my use of the word inheritance is entirely wrong and instead I should be using “rewards” or “crowns” but so far I have not seen the completely clear reason to do so, thank you for challenging me!
A few questions for you to reconcile if Christ has already secured all of our rewards.
Christ has promised that no man can pluck us from his hands i.e. our Justification, yet He warns in Rev 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. ” If this was something already secured how can it be taken away and by a man at that!
Jas 1:12 & Rev 2:10 – speak, I believe, to those being tortured and martyred and conditionally if they hold faithful they will receive crowns of life – how can there be a condition on a reward that is “guaranteed” ?
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. — According to what ? his works! who’s works? man’s works!
2Tim 4:8 – I have certainly heard Christians who don’t love his appearing and probably won’t get a crown of righteousness though they may be justified by Christ.
1Pet5:1-4 Elders or those that feed the flock get a crown of glory – not everyone will be an elder or a Sheppard for His flock.
This list goes on and on so I’ll stop now.
I don’t agree with you that Scripture makes it very clear that our “inheritance” is secure. Take Heb 6:12 “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” — There is an implied condition to this verse – what is clear is that you need to look at these verses expositionally or within view of the whole of scripture, it’s not wrong for what it’s talking about here but applied out of it’s context we know that scripture can be manipulated to bring misleadings to the body. That very fact is probably why you wrote the original post in the first place! :-Þ
I agree you cannot be a “sinner” and a “saint” because those are identity statements and your identity change happens at your justification. The rewards were not a part of the atonement and therefore not a part of that covenant. Though certainly they were made available by it. For Christ is the foundation on which we build our works. Furthermore I may have misspoken I didn’t mean to imply earlier that the sins were removing a reward (they may -2John 1:8) just that if you were walking in sin and not in Christ you probably wouldn’t be moving towards attaining those rewards. Subtle yes but import distinction.
Thanks for the discourse here Cornel!
With Love,
Micah †
Hi Micah
I think like you said we are talking about two different things. I was focussed on identity and sonship, not rewards. I do however believe there is more to our inheritance than rewards. An inheitance is to receive what somebody else worked for. You cant inherit something you worked for. Receiving something you worked for is due wage or reward, but its not an inheritance. If my earthly father dies, I receive what he worked for, my inheritance. Through our faith in Christ we inherit what He worked for, not what we worked for. As for rewards, yes I run the race to win, but any crown I might get in heaven, I am just going lay at Jesus’ feet. But my inherited sonship through faith in Christ makes me an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ. That inheritance is secure.
In grace,
Cornel
Christ has promised that no man can pluck us from his hands i.e. our Justification, yet He warns in Rev 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. ” If this was something already secured how can it be taken away and by a man at that!
its not God who takes it away….his gifts are irrevocable….so for man to take the crown away is for u to let man tell u…u dont have it when u do…its there available…we have all spiritual gifts whether we believe it or not He made them available…just like 1 cor 5:18-21 all of the world was reconciled…redemption…but to believe it is to recieve it to live it…u can only recieve that which has already taken place…its not a matter of works but of accepting whats already been given….
cornel love your notes..thank u for ur notes and God bless!