Hebrews 10:26

One passage in Scripture I have been asked about a lot is Hebrews 10:26; which says, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,". This verse has weighed down many people's consciences and played mind games. So, I would like to step through Hebrews 10:26-39 and see what this passage is saying in it's proper context. The actual text from scripture (WEB version) will be in bold. I do not use verse numbers at times because they can sometimes complicate things that are simple and straight forward.

After going to great lengths to explain the priesthood of Christ and how much better His sacrifice for sins was, being once for all, than the sacrifices for sin that had to be offered continually; the writer of Hebrews (starting in verse 19 of chapter 10), exhorts his readers to have confidence to go directly into the presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. He tells them that we can approach God with a clear conscience, because we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. He further exhorts them, as in other parts of the book, to cling to this hope and encourage one another in this hope. Then comes the warning in verse 26:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.

What sin is being spoken of here? It is the sin that changes our hope into a fearful expectation. It's the sin that insults grace and turns Christ's blood into an unholy thing. The sin that the Israelites (and all of us) struggle with the most, the sin that Calvin calls the "very fountain of all sin", the author of Hebrews rails against in chapter 3 and equates it with disobedience: it is the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).

The writer now explains why your hope is turned to fear through unbelief:

A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Here the writer calls unbelief an insult to the grace of God.

This is a perfect example of the difference between a believer who has hope and an unbeliever who has an expectation of fear:

For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

The writer quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35-36. This further strengths the writers argument against unbelief. In the Deuteronomy passage, vengeance is promised against those who hate him and rely on themselves, where vindication (judgment) and compassion are promised to his people, those who have no strength in themselves (Deu 32:35-36).

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

For those who don't know about his tender mercy.

But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.

The writer reminds the reader of times in which the struggled, but God was faithful and their faith was strengthened by the experience.

Since the people had seen the faithfulness of God, the writer urges them:

Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

“In a very little while,

he who comes will come, and will not wait.

But the righteous will live by faith.

If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

We can have full confidence before God because of Christ.  Our sin, even the ones we do on purpose, has been covered by the blood of Christ.  No other sacrifice can give you such eternal confidence.