“if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27).
Verse 18 also reads:
“Now the Just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
But sometimes folk do fall away from the Truth, yet later seek repentance. The question sometimes arises as to whether their repentance can be accepted: it is said that since there is no more sacrifice for their sin, they cannot be saved.
But it is important to note what these words are not saying. Hebrews 10:26 does not say that those who sin after knowing the Truth will not be forgiven – if that were so, even the Apostle Paul would be rejected. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul describes his inability not to sin:
“… for we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I … for I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not … I find a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring agains the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (see Rom.7:14-20).
The Law of sin and death is part of the human constitution, to the extent that even such an one as the Apostle Paul could not prevent himself from sinning. Clearly such sins as these are forgiven: even after Baptism, believers find themselves irresistably drawn away by their own lust, and enticed to sin (Jas. 1:14), and are therefore in need of forgiveness.
But sin is not imputed to those who have faith (Rom. 4). For those who had strayed, yet returned to the Truth, it is written: “..let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7). True repentance will be accepted: we have an example of this in king David. He comitted a grievous sin, which involved adultery and murder. For him, there was no sacrifice under the Law that could atone for his sin:
“… thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psa. 51:16-17).
Hence he threw himself upon the mercy of God:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions” (Psa. 51:1).
And this is picked up by the Master in his parable of the Pharisee and the Publican:
“… the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other …” (Lu. 18, see verses 10-14).
Indeed, the example of David is alluded to by the Apostle as an illustration of how God can justify the ungodly (see Rom. 4:5-6) who turn from their ways, and have the faith that saves. He was mercifully justified by faith, as we can be, if we forsake our sin, and “return to the Lord”.
A repentant sinner must trust in the power of the Lord to save. Of the ecclesia at Ephesus, the Lord wrote:
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent:” (Rev. 2:4-5).
Notice that this entire ecclesia had “fallen” from grace, and needed to “repent” – a change of mind and heart which would be accepted. Accordingly, those who desire to turn back to the Lord – returning to his “first love” then he will be pardoned and blessed.
WILFUL SIN
We see then, that repentant sinners will be received in again: our opening citation does not say otherwise. But what our verse does state, is that there is no sacrifice for those who “sin wilfully”. This is a very deliberate wilful sin, a specific rebellion against the Truth. For such, there remains “… judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:27).
The Law of Moses recognised this difference. Numbers chapter 15 contains the command:
“if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering … ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he is born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth Yahweh; and that shaoul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of Yahweh, and hath broken his commandement, that soul shall be cut off from among his people” (Num. 15:27-31).
And this action of despising the word of Yahweh is alluded to in our chapter under consideration, speaking of wilful sins. To quote the relevant passage again:
“if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the convenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:26-29).
This is plainly not speaking of unintentional infringments by those who share Paul’s struggle against sin in the flesh. Rather it describes a calculated and deliberate rebellion against the Word of God. Those who fit this catagory cannot be saved: they will experience the “fiery indignation” of the Lord.
An example of this is the rebellion of Korah, and his associates, who specifically set themselves against Moses (see Num.16). The 250 princes who supported them were devoured by fire, as their worship was rejected, and they were judged to be adversaries and usurpers. This was not a sin of ignorance: it was a specific, intentional and calculated rebellion against the Ones chosen by God.
Another relevant passage is Hebrews chapter 6:
“It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame …” (Heb. 6:4-6).
Notice that here, it is again a specific sin and circumstance that is not foriven – those who had been “partakers of the Holy Spirit”, who “fall away.” This links in with the words of Messiah himself:
“wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh agains the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Mat. 12:31-32).
The context of the Lord’s words, was the Pharisees denying that miracles were being performed by the Holy Spirit: “…. they said, This fellow does not cast out demons, but by Baalzebub, the prince of the devils” (vs. 24). In saying this, they were speaking against the Holy Spirit, and denying the true source of the miracles that they saw. It was an unrepentant denial of the power of Yahweh. Speaking of this, Brother Robert Roberts wrote in his book “Nazareth Revisited”, on page 144:
“There was no answer to Christ’s question on the Pharisean theory of these things. His works could not be of diabolical origin on their own theory of diabolical operation. But the Pharisees were of the class of theorists who are inaccessible to reason, and on whom he could only “look round about with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts” (Mar. iii. 5). Nevertheless, for the sake of others who were to be reached by his recorded words for ages afterwards, he finished his argument, and uttered words of heavy moment. “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. … All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matt. xii. 28–32). Mark adds “BECAUSE THEY SAID, He hath an unclean spirit” (Mar. iii. 30). It needs not this addition to shew the meaning of Christ’s words about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The whole connection shews it. It was the crime of the Pharisees that was in view. The unforgiveable blasphemy of the Holy Spirit of which they were guilty consisted in attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to another agency.
That the offence should be unpardonable was, in the circumstances, just. It was both against reason, and against the evidence of their senses. It was therefore on a par with the “presumptuous sin” for which there was no forgiveness under the law (Num. xv. 30). The spirit in both cases was the same—a spirit of wilful, wanton, presumptuous rebellion against the light—a spirit which in any case makes the difference between that “sin unto death,” and that sin which is not unto death of which John speaks (1 Jno. v. 16). It is this which gives character to the declaration of Paul in Hebrews that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come (a description applicable only to those who were the subjects of the miraculous gifts of the apostolic age)— if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” (Heb. vi. 4–6); and also the statement that “if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary” (x. 26).
Much mental torment that might have been spared has been endured in connection with this subject of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Sensitive persons have feared they may have been guilty of the offence without being aware of it. An enlightened apprehension of the subject will shew them that such a case as sinning against the Holy Spirit without being aware of it is not possible; and further, that it is doubtful if the offence is possible at all in our age when the Spirit does not visibly assert itself. The ground of the special responsibility existing in the apostolic age was the evidence. “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin” (Jno. xv. 24). In our day, the evidence has become obscure and difficult of apprehension for the common run of minds. The Bible is truly the work of the Spirit of God, and the man who says it is human literally commits the sin which Jesus says will never be forgiven. But the circumstances are different, and it is questionable if in the circumstances of an era like this, when God’s face is hidden, such an offence would be estimated so heinously as in a day when the voice and hand of God were visibly displayed in attestation of His truth.”
From the above then, we learn that the unforgiveable sin is not something that can be comitted without knowing about it. It is the deliberate rejection of the things of the Spirit of God, in a specific rebellion against the Lord. Rather than to be discourged, we can look forward in hope for forgiveness. As we cited above, there is forgiveness with God, that he might be feared: “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto Yahweh, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7).
Christopher Maddocks
