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Sinning Wilfully

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 11, 1906

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 83, No. 41.

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Sinning Wilfully

It sometimes happens that a conscientious believer is disturbed by the statement of the scripture, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Heb. 10: 26. The fear arises lest through wilful sin the opportunity for forgiveness has been forfeited. The context (read verse 29) shows, however, that the wilful sinning here mentioned is such a rejection of the atoning sacrifice of Christ as involves treading under foot the Son of God, counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, and doing despite to the Spirit of grace. For him who disdains the sacrifice of Christ there remains no salvation.
To those who are inquiring as to what sin is a wilful one we commend the following comment upon this passage:—
The question will be asked. But what is wilful sin? How can we know when we are guilty of it? No answer can be given: no one on earth can draw the line between what is and what is not wilful sin. Only He who sits on the throne, and who knows the heart, can judge. But how will this warning profit, if we can not see what wilful sin is? The warning will just thus profit us most—it will make us fearful of committing any sin, lest it might be, or lead us into, wilful sin. He that would know what wilful sin is, with the thought that he is safe as long as he keeps from that extreme, deceives himself. The only sure way of being kept from wilful sin is to keep far from all sin.
We know that Jesus has given himself for our sins, and that the purpose of this sacrifice is to save us from committing sin, and we know that “he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” When we enter into God’s purpose for us, we shall not need to distinguish between different kinds of sin, but we shall lay hold of divine strength that we may be kept from all sin. He who lays hold upon the provision of divine grace in order to be kept from sin need have no anxiety about sinning wilfully.