Willful Sin
I originally wrote this page for a friend who was questioning Willful Sin. They had mentioned the Unforgivable Sin and that Christ only died for sins of the past, so that is what mostly molded the discussion you are reading.
Introduction
Can willful sin be forgiven, as does not seem to be the case here:
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." Hebrews 10:26-27
First we have to ask what is willful sin? This is also called defiant or presumptuous (Psalm 19:13) sin. A distinction is made the first time sin offering is introduced. In Leviticus 4 we read about unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:2). And then we read about defiant sin in Numbers 15:30-31, where the result is "that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him". It sounds like willful sin is just as bad now as it was back then. It also sounds like this type of sin can never be forgiven. Did Christ die for a particular type of sin when He died on the cross?
"He [Christ] Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2
"your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name" 1 John 2:12
"He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed" 1 Peter 2:24
These verses only mention "sin". They don't say "unintentional only". But they also don't mention the "Unforgivable Sin", so perhaps there was no need to mention "willful" as it was understood to not be included?
Unforgivable Sin
Let's look quickly at what this "Unforgivable Sin" is. When Christ healed a demon-possessed man, the Pharisees had accused Him of doing this through the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24, Mark 3:22). At this point, Christ declared that "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness" (Matthew 12:32, Mark 3:29). Many people have worried they may have "spoken against the Holy Spirit" and are not able to be forgiven. I feel this "Unforgivable Sin" only applies if you accuse the work the Holy Spirit does of coming from Satan, as is the context for these verses. In fact, after mentioning the "Unforgivable Sin", Mark adds: "because they were saying, 'He has an unclean spirit.'" (Mark 3:29-30).
Sins of the Past
Well, then perhaps Christ cannot forgive willful sin because He only died on the cross for sins of the past, as is mentioned in this New King James translation:
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" Romans 3:25
If Christ only died for "sins that are past", then would that mean anyone born after the cross could not be forgiven, because their "new" sins were not covered by the cross? How could that be, if the Bible declares:
"The one who believes in Him is not judged" John 3:18
"everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" Acts 2:21
"the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him." Isaiah 53:6
Surely the blood of Christ is able to pay for the past, present, and future sins of all who trust in His name. Romans 3:25 is talking about how the blood of Christ was sufficient to pay for the "sins previously committed" of the Old Testament believers. "in God's merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time", namely Christ's death on the cross.
Ellicott's Commentary says, "The apparent absence of any adequate retribution for the sins of past ages made it necessary that by one conspicuous instance it should be shown that this was in no sense due to an ignoring of the true nature of sin. The retributive justice of God was all the time unimpaired. The death of Christ served for its vindication, at the same time that a way to escape from its consequences was opened out through the justification of the believer."
This is also known as the Time of Ignorance (Acts 17:30) and the Mystery of Christ (the idea that all men will be judged through Christ and some will be sanctified in Him) (Ephesians 3:4-6, Romans 16:25–26).
Justified by Faith and Sealed by Him
So then if a believer has been saved from past, present, and future sin, what if they go on to sin willfully? Surely we are bound to do this eventually (1 John 1:8)! I would strongly argue our standing with God is not based on our actions. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, "having been justified by faith" (Romans 5:1), not by our ability to try to stay sinless. After all, we "were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise" (Ephesians 1:13). Paul is convinced that nothing can "separate us from the love of God", including "things present" and "things to come" (Romans 8:38–39).
Here are some more verses talking about security in Christ:
"I [Jesus] give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." John 10:28
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8–9
"to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" 1 Peter 1:4-5
Continue in Sin? Far From It!
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 6:1–2
"No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God." 1 John 3:9
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" 1 John 2:1
"walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" Colossians 1:10
Back to Hebrews
Hebrews was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the Old Testament and who were being tempted to revert back to Judaism. This can be seen by the author constantly comparing Christ and the New Covenant to the Old, as well as a consistent message of "holding fast". It was important for the readers to see the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Christ Jesus as Mediator.
| Reference | Category | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrews 1:1-2 | Comparison | God spoke through prophets vs. spoke through the Son |
| Hebrews 1:3 | Christ is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature | |
| Hebrews 2:1 | Hold Firm | "do not drift away" |
| Hebrews 2:3 | Hold Firm | "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" |
| Hebrews 3:1 | Comparison | "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus" |
| Hebrews 3:3 | Comparison | "He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses" (this is saying a lot to a Jewish person!) |
| Hebrews 3:6 | Hold Firm | "hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope" |
| Hebrews 3:12 | Hold Firm | "Take care" not to be someone who "falls away from the living God" |
| Hebrews 3:14 | Hold Firm | "keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end" |
| Hebrews 4:11 | Hold Firm | "let's make every effort to enter that rest" |
| Hebrews 5:12 | "by this time you ought to be teachers" - signs that the congregation was waning | |
| Hebrews 6:4-6 | "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened ... to restore them again to repentance" | |
| Hebrews 6:18 | Hold Firm | "hold firmly to the hope set before us" |
| Hebrews 7:22 | Comparison | "Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant" |
| Hebrews 7:25 | "He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him" | |
| Hebrews 8:6 | Comparison | "He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant" |
| Hebrews 8:7 | "if that first covenant had been free of fault, no circumstances would have been sought for a second" - very interesting statement | |
| Hebrews 8:13 | "He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear" | |
| Hebrews 9:11-12 | Comparison | "He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle" ... "not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time" |
| Hebrews 9:14 | Comparison | "how much more will the blood of Christ" ... "cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" |
| Hebrews 9:28 | "so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him" | |
| Hebrews 10:1 | The Law can never, by sacrifices of goats and sheep, make perfect those who approach | |
| Hebrews 10:10 | "By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time." | |
| Hebrews 10:11-12 | Comparison | "sacrifices, which can never take away sins" vs. Christ who "having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God" |
| Hebrews 10:14 | "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" - amen! | |
| Hebrews 10:18 | "Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required." | |
| Hebrews 10:22 | "let's approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" |
Hebrews 10:25 talks about "some" forsaking the assembly and abandoning the faith. Then Hebrews 10:26 starts with the word "for", much like Hebrews 6:4-6. Verse 26 is referring to those who are rejecting Christ's sacrifice for sins, which is really the only sacrifice available. There is no other, as we are now under a New Covenant. Even here, it is "impossible to renew them again to repentance". This is echoed in verse 29 when it says "How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God". Hebrews 10:39 gives hope by saying, "But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction".
So please do not be dismayed when the author says "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins", since the author also stated, "He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25). This is because "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14)!
We Should Forgive
If, supposedly, God will not forgive willful sin, why does God command us to do something He cannot? The verses below show we are to forgive all types of sin.
"Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32
"bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also." Colossians 3:13
"For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses." Matthew 6:14-15
"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses." Mark 11:25
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." Luke 6:37
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." Luke 17:3-4 (How can someone sin seven times and have each sin be an ignorant sin?)
Conclusion
Jesus Christ died once, for all sins, for all time. Your righteous standing with God is not determined by your obedience to the Law, but because of what Christ did. You (and I) will probably be committing many willful sins before we die, yet we are told we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. However this doesn't mean we should go and sin carte blanche. The Hebrew congregation is encouraged to hold firmly to Christ's sacrifice, and this applies to us as well. And finally, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.