Why Hebrews 10:26 is not talking about loss of salvation due to "willful sin".

Please take the time to read it..

So who is being warned in Hebrews 10?

Paul's use of "we" is more than rhetorical. He is warning readers who are Christians like himself of something that is possible for Christians to do. The immediate context shows that this warning is for those who "have received the knowledge of the truth" (v. 26), are sanctified (v. 29), know God and are "His people" (v. 30), "were illuminated" and suffered for their faith (v. 32), and have "an enduring possession" in heaven (v. 34).

What is the willful sin?

Since the Bible uniformly teaches that a person once saved cannot lose his or her salvation the loss of salvation cannot be in view here. Besides, most sins are intentional or willful to some degree. However, the Bible recognizes some sins that are unintentional such as we see in Numbers 15:22-29. Perhaps neglecting to pray for someone would be an example of an unintentional sin. But in most cases the perpetrator knows that he or she is committing a sin. Also the Bible tells us even the foolish thought is a sin.

Some interpret the willful sin as continual sin, but this is reading too much into the present participle used for "to sin." The author of Hebrews apparently has a particular sin in mind, which becomes evident as we look at the context. He had exhorted his readers previously to hold fast to their confession (verses 3:6; 4:14) and has warned them about the dangers of not pressing on in their faith in verse 6:1-8. You see He reinforces this concern in the verses just before this warning about the willful sin (10:23-25). The readers were on the verge of abandoning their confession of faith in Christ and returning to the Mosaic Law and its sacrifices, which is why he discussed the inadequacy of the Mosaic sacrifices especially from chapter 8 onward.

The willful sin would be a deliberate abandonment of their confession of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for a return to insufficient Jewish sacrifices. The author had written them that "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many" (9:28), that "by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (10:14), and that once forgiven "there is no longer an offering for sin" (10:18). The Law offered them nothing since it looked forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ (10:1-10). Should they turn back to the Law, Christ's perfect and eternal sacrifice would be sufficient to cover even that great and willful sin soteriologically speaking, but they would still face a severe non-soteriological judgment. The author had just referred to an approaching "Day" (v. 25) implying that there will be an accounting, which we know as the Judgment Seat of Christ taught in so many other places in the New Testament.

The background for understanding this passage is very likely Numbers 15:30-31. There we see that for certain serious (or presumptuous) sins no sacrifices were stipulated, therefore those who committed those sins were "cut off" from their people (put to death). The author is saying that if the readers of Hebrews abandon the only sufficient sacrifice for their sins, they too will be judged severely.

What is the judgment for the willful sin?

Because the author uses strong language ("fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation") and speaks of a punishment worse than death (v. 30), many conclude he is threatening them with eternal hell fire. But because they are Christians who cannot lose their salvation and because he has in view the Judgment Seat of Christ, this cannot be. The exact judgment is not specified, only its severity. It is hard to imagine a judgment worse than death, but human experience does testify that there are occasions when death is more enticing than severe suffering (Just ask Jonah! Jonah 4:3). The author is comparing this judgment to the death penalty for the presumptuous sin of Numbers 15:30-31, which was the severest penalty dictated at that time. But in light of New Testament revelation about the Judgment Seat of Christ, we know that a more severe judgment would be a negative assessment there because of the eternal implications.

The possibility of a negative assessment at the Judgment Seat of Christ is a "fearful expectation of judgment" (2 Cor. 5:9-11) for those who have not done good. The "fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (literally "fiery zeal") refers to the zeal of God's judgment toward sin. Believers can experience the same zeal of judgment toward their sin as God's enemies experience toward theirs, though the results are different. In the end, these readers who would be judged are still "His people" (v. 30) They will not fall into hell, but "into the hands of the living God" (v. 31). Though at first glance fire may conjure up thoughts of hell, fire was actually used often in the Old Testament to judge or threaten judgment on God's own people.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ died for all sins, even willful sins, but if the readers of Hebrews turn back to Mosaic sacrifices, they will not find there any greater provision for forgiveness and they will face a severe judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is no other refuge from sin's penalty than the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. This should be a warning to us also to look only to Jesus Christ for forgiveness because of His fully efficacious death and resurrection. "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (10:14).

2 things:
1: We don't know that it was Paul who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. There is no evidence to suggest who it is.

2: You don't believe a person can lose their salvation.
What is your understanding of Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.'
Jesus is warning that those who do not overcome risk having their name blotted out from the book of life.

a reply to: ThyJudgeCometh

a reply to: Lucius Driftwood

a reply to: ThyJudgeCometh

"We don't know that it was Paul who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. There is no evidence to suggest who it is."

My opinion on the matter is that there may have been a few authors, as there are definitely parts of Hebrews that is very Pauline, and others where it does not sound like him at all...

"You don't believe a person can lose their salvation. What is your understanding of Revelation 3:5 "He
who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels Jesus is warning that those who do not overcome risk having their name blotted out from the book of life."

Let's ask some observation questions, so how do we "overcome" according to the Bible???

1 John 5:4-5
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

So we "overcome" by faith...

Second observation question, I never really understood why people don't understand the "WILL NOT" in the passage, why is that???

If you believe and are born again, thus overcoming this world, he WILL NOT blot your name out of the lambs book of life...

a reply to: ThyJudgeCometh
I don't see any flaw in this outline of the passage. You are following the all-important rule "Look at the context".

a reply to: DISRAELI

Thank you!

This is explaining the "everlasting sin" or the blasphemy against the holy spirit. Like the OP brought out it can only be committed by a person who has knowledge of the truth. No one who is ignorant can sin against the holy spirit. For this sin is an intentional willful sin after knowing who Jehovah God is and recognizing the work of Jehovah's holy spirit.

I wrote about this recently in a post here.

It reminds me of something Nicodemus said to Jesus. This is important. Because you see, Nicodemus he was a religious leader of the Jews, and a member of the Sanhedrin, that is the Jewish High Court. So this was a learned man with power and authority, and not without influence or knowledge of things that was going on. He said:

"This one came to him in the night and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.”-John 3:2.

Do you get that? He admitted that the Jewish religious leaders KNEW Jesus came from God. But what were they saying in public?:

"But the Pharisees were saying: “It is by the ruler of the demons that he expels the demons.”-Matthew 9:34.

They were knowingly lying to the people about Jesus Christ. They knew he came from God but were telling the people that he was from the Devil.

A similar thing is happening today. The religious leaders of Christendom KNOW Jehovah's Witnesses speak and preach the truth, but they lie to them and tell them they are from the Devil.

Jesus told the religious leaders that any sin even against the son of man will be forgiven, but the sin against the holy spirit, which is the denying of the power of God and his holy spirit in operation, when you KNOW that is what is going on, will never be forgiven.

This sin can only be committed by apostates to the truth. Those apostates today are found in the Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Of course just because a person turns apostate doesn't mean they automatically committed the unforgivable sin. Everyone is at their own stage of spiritual enlightenment and understanding. Some may be ignorant of what they are doing. And some may sin but not to the point of sinning against the holy spirit. The fact of the matter is only Jehovah God, and his son Jesus Christ, as they can read the heart, can judge the matter.

What about the religious leaders of Christendom? Most of them are in spiritual darkness. But there are no doubt those who do know they are teaching lies. They may also fall into the category of sinning against the holy spirit, especially if they have learned the truth from a Jehovah's Witness, and Jehovah in his mercy has opened their eyes to understand it. If they willfully continue to teach lies about Jehovah God, such as he is a Trinity, or that he burns people in everlasting Hellfire, or that God's word was inspired by demons, and such (one poster recently on this board said that God's word was inspired by demons, I will not judge if that person is willfully sinning against God's holy spirit, but if he is that is one of the gravest of all sins to speak such evil wickedness).

The words of the scripture apply to them:

"It would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it to turn away from the holy commandment they had received. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire.”-2 Peter 2:21.

As for the "once save always saved."

Jehovah says:

However, Jehovah said to Moses: “Whoever has sinned against me, I will wipe him out of my book."-Exodus 32:33.

A person can be in a saved condition and sin against the holy spirit (this is a sin against Jehovah God himself) and his name will be removed from the book of life.

The post by Lucius Driftwood that quoted you a scripture in Revelation explains that(Revelation 3:5). It is only the one has has come into a saved condition who has endured faithfully to the end that will be saved. (Matthew 24:13.)

a reply to: ThyJudgeCometh

I think that this is a grey area, but one necessitating our contemplation.

While I do think that the saving grace of Jesus is "once and for all", I believe that we should note that it does not mean that we are made 'once and for all' unable to continue to sin.

There are ample examples from history of the most evil of people who thought that they were beyond blame in performing their atrocities.

By objectifying sin as a 'thing', we are trying disassociate ourselves from its commission, but sin is something we do and think, it isn't a separate 'thing' from us, and even unintentionally, we can do wrong (which is at the heart of this passage).

Additionally, one might also still willingly fall into, and embrace, sin, enjoying the salaciousness of temptation, even to the point of interfering with the genuine faith and repentance of others.

Clearly, repentance is an ongoing process, and sin, like a drug, can be hard to escape, even for the most ardent repentant.

Sin still has consequence, even for the saved, and Jesus urged us to confess our sins daily. This implies that for the confession to be true, the sin must be also be a continual problem.

My fear is that it is too easy to think that because we have repented once, we are now beyond the stain of sin. Clearly, we are not.

We can never reform, until we repent.

God's desire is for us to mature and grow, casting off the sins of the past. Becoming more Christ-like as we grow in self-control, because our future in Christ is eternal. Without God's incredible gift, to us fallen creations, that cannot be possible.

"To him who overcomes"....
This is the process of dying to self. It is the only way that one can be led by the Spirit.
But who wants to die to self, to take up their cross and die daily? The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. They are at enmity with each other.
This is my struggle.
I find myself at this point in life realising how great is the cost, how narrow is the path and it scares me.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And daily suicide does not come naturally.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: ThyJudgeCometh

I think that this is a grey area, but one necessitating our contemplation.

While I do think that the saving grace of Jesus is "once and for all", I believe that we should note that it does not mean that we are made 'once and for all' unable to continue to sin.

This scripture you are referring to:

"Unlike those high priests, he does not need to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, because he did this once for all time when he offered himself up."-Hebrews 7:27.

This is talking about Jesus' sacrifice of dying on the torture stake. Unlike animal sacrifices that needed to be made continually Jesus' perfect shed blood only had to be offered up once. Jesus does not need to continually die. And that one sacrifice blots out all sins. But it does not mean that a person in a saved condition, based on their exercising faith in Jesus' shed ransom, cannot return to sin or lie against the holy spirit. And then the scripture be fulfilled in them that says:

"It would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it to turn away from the holy commandment they had received. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire. ”-2 Peter 2:21.

originally posted by: Lucius Driftwood
"To him who overcomes"....
This is the process of dying to self. It is the only way that one can be led by the Spirit.
But who wants to die to self, to take up their cross and die daily? The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. They are at enmity with each other.
This is my struggle.
I find myself at this point in life realising how great is the cost, how narrow is the path and it scares me.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And daily suicide does not come naturally.

That you have that war within you means that the spiritual man is there. If there were no war then the physical man would be dominate. You would already be lost. We all have that constant daily struggle. Even as you quoted him the apostle Paul talks about those struggles in Romans chapter 7.

I have come to understand this over the decades. Jehovah was not wrong when he said that the thoughts of man were only bad all the time in Genesis 6:5. He understands because we are born into sin, due to no fault of our own, we will struggle with the sinful selfish tendencies of the fallen flesh. But he gives us a helper and we can overcome thanks to the power given to us through Jesus Christ.

In two epistles, (Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24,) Paul greets the brethren and sends the greetings of Demas. In another epistle, (2 Timothy 4:10,) he says that Demas has left him, having forsaken him because he loved this present world.

The parable of the sower speaks volumes throughout the gospels and epistles.

originally posted by: Lucius Driftwood
In two epistles, (Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24,) Paul greets the brethren and sends the greetings of Demas. In another epistle, (2 Timothy 4:10,) he says that Demas has left him, having forsaken him because he loved this present world.

The parable of the sower speaks volumes throughout the gospels and epistles.

Too bad for Demas! And he may have been like that wicked son in the parable of the Prodigal son. He was not sinning against the holy spirit, he was indulging his own selfish sinful desires. His father was awaiting his return mercifully. Never did the prodigal son blaspheme his father, or speak evilly of him. That is another level of badness and sin of which the scripture in the OP is referring to.

a reply to: Lucius Driftwood

"...it scares me."

When we fear, we are ruled by mind looking forward. When we are sad, we are ruled by mind looking past. When that happens we need still our mind and turn to God in the present - (Psalms 46:10) "Be still, and know that I am God". The metamorphosis you currently undergo is likened to dark night of the soul. The result, if your successful, likened to everlasting bliss. I pray for your success.

The Father doesn't forgive intentional sin against The Holy Spirit, there's no coming back from that sin.

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!…