Jennifer Rothnie Supporter Housewife, Artist, Perpetually Curious

Heb 10:26 is part of a larger section (Heb 10:19-39) where the author exhorts believers to hold unswervingly to faith. His admonition not to engage in willful sin, in brief, is an admonition not to return to slavery to sin after having entered a relationship with Christ - since if you return to the world in rejection of Christ, Christ's blood cannot cover you a 'second time.' 

He is not speaking of believers struggling with sin or even deliberately sinning, but specifically and willfully returning to an ongoing state of sinfulness.

In more detail:

The author is speaking to believers, to 'brothers and sisters' who have confidence to enter the Holy of Holies through the blood of Christ (Heb 10:19), who have had their hearts cleansed from guilt and been baptized (Heb 10:22), who have been sanctified by the covenant (Heb 10:29), who received the light (Heb 10:32), and who have the assurance of lasting possessions due to the promises of God (Heb 10:34-36)

In Heb 10:26, he specifically warns these Christians of the dangers of returning to a willful state of sin after having received personal/exact knowledge of the truth. The word used in Heb 10:26 for knowledge is 'epignosis' - relational or true knowledge, first-hand experience of Christ. (John 16:13, II Pet 1:3, II Pet 1:8, Col 3:10, Col 1:10, Col 2:2, etc.) Scripture treats the true knowledge (epignosis) that only Christians have of Christ as very distinct from mere 'head knowledge' (gnosis) about the way of salvation.

But what, exactly, does the author mean by willful sin? Is he referring to a Christian deliberately ignoring God to engage in a sin, or to something we could accidentally do? No on both counts.

'Hamartano' (go on sinning) here is a present active participle in the Greek, denoting an ongoing action or continuous state. Hekousios is an adverb, meaning willingly, voluntarily, or of one's own accord.

This warning, then, does not apply to the general struggle Christians have with sin involuntarily, such as Paul describes in Rom 7:23-25, or to one-off sins that we commit knowingly (James 4:17).

Rather, this would apply to those people who once received Christ and had a personal relationship with Him (true knowledge), but then either immediately or at a later date returned to a state of slavery to sin, rather than walking by the Spirit. Going back to the beginning of Heb 10, Paul is specifically warning these Christians not to give in to persecution and try to return to being under the law, rather than trusting the promises of God in faith.

The law of grace is opposed to the regulations of the old covenant (Gal 2:15-21, Gal 3:1-14, James 2:8-12). If we return again to dead works rather than diligently abiding with Christ with faith, long-suffering until the end (Heb 6:1-12), then we are rejecting the sovereign Lord who bought us (II Peter 2:1-3, II Tim 2:18-13). 

Christ only died once, and his death was sufficient. However, if that payment is rejected, what then? Can Christ die a second time? No. (Rom 6:10-14, Num 20:6-12, Heb 9:28) The warning is dire. We were redeemed from death once, but if we later reject that redemption, we cannot be redeemed a second time. To do so, Christ would have to die a second time - which would mean death still had power over Christ (which it does not) (Rom 6:9-10, Acts 2:24).

This warning to hold fast to the faith and not turn back to our previous, pre-Christ state is found many places in scripture. (John 15:1-8, II Pet 1:3-11, II Pet 2:21-22, Heb 3:14, I Tim 1:18-19, Jn 8:30-32, I Cor 15:1-2, etc.)

Yet this warning is not without encouragement. God has given us everything we need to get through trials (II Peter 1:3, Phil 4:13), including each other, and we have the assured hope that at the Ressurection God will make good on the earnest payment he has given us (the Holy Spirit) and grant us eternal life (Eph 1:11-14).

For more on Heb 10:26, see http://ebible.com/answers/7631?ori=167400

March 14 2017 • 22 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

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