Hebrews 10:26, commentary and pictures

To sin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth is to deliberately choose darkness after great light has been brought within reach and could be accepted if willing. It is to step outside the refuge Christ has provided by His own blood, trampling upon His requirement, silencing the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separating the soul from God, so that no further sacrifice for sins remains but only fearful expectation of judgment and devouring fire. This becomes final in the deliberate rejection of the Holy Spirit's reproving and convicting work and of justification through Christ's blood and sanctification by the Spirit, even to resisting His messengers, until God has nothing more He can do to convict and convert the soul. When Christ's intercession ends and He declares the work of sacrifice finished, no atoning mediation will remain and every case will stand decided for life or death. While it is still called today, forgiveness, conversion, and transformation remain open to those who humble themselves, confess their sins, seek pardon, and do not harden their hearts.

Meaning of Willful Sin

Mere belief in Christ for pardon of sin is not enough; the sinner must by faith and obedience abide in Christ. As the manslayer was safe from the avenger of blood only while remaining inside the city of refuge and was abandoned to death if he went outside its limits, so Christ by shedding His own blood has provided transgressors of God's law a sure retreat from the second death. One who after receiving the knowledge of the truth willfully sins steps outside that refuge, and for him no further sacrifice for sins is left, but only fearful expectation of judgment and devouring fire.

Willful sin is deliberately choosing darkness after receiving great light and the knowledge of the truth. It is turning away when heavenly light has constantly been brought within reach through messengers and could be accepted if willing. It refuses the salvation purchased by the Son of God, joins the enemy's ranks, and lives rebellious to God, which is an awful thing with terrible meaning and consequence. Those who know the truth and God's law are responsible for their choices, and no willful transgressor will enter into life. Greater light and privilege bring greater obligation to obey God and to represent the truth faithfully rather than allowing His law to be made void.

Willfully committing a known sin tramples upon one of God's requirements, silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. Sanctification is a daily work, and God will not pardon and bless those who do so. No ecstasies of religious feeling change this, for Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law, and God will honor only those who honor Him. Willful sin is the deliberate, final rejection of the Holy Spirit's reproving and convicting work after receiving truth, even to calling that work satanic. By it a person cuts off communication with God and hardens the heart against grace, employing the last resource of divine mercy so that God has nothing more He can do to convict and convert the soul. Sin has no power to cure itself and no reserved power remains, leaving only fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation that will devour adversaries.

Willful sin knowingly rejects Christ and the salvation offered through Him, despising justification through His blood and sanctification through the Holy Spirit's cleansing power for holy living, including by resisting and rejecting His messengers. This applies to those who after repeated offers persist in resisting light, cherish opposition, and for years hate and despise messengers as fanatics, extremists, and enthusiasts. Going on a little longer in that rejection leaves no other sacrifice or atonement but terrible expectation of judgment and consuming anger. When too late the conviction of the Spirit will show them beyond reformation and pardon that they have fought against God and that the men they spoke against were God's signs and witnesses.

When No Sacrifice Remains

When Christ's mediation and intercession have ended, no sacrifice for sin remains and no saving mediation is available. Satan seeks to keep people in darkness and impenitence until that point, so that they will be unprepared when the opportunity for Christ's saving work is over.

Jesus is still interceding, but in a short time He will arise, put on garments of vengeance, and finish His intercession. Then He will stop offering pardon and atoning blood, and there will be no more sacrifice for sin. At that point every soul will remain either holy or sinful, because no further pardon will be offered.

At Christ's second coming He will declare that the work of sacrifice is finished and there is no more sacrifice for sin. He has already taken the blood of the atonement into the heavenly sanctuary and presented and sprinkled it on the mercy seat. At His return the opportunity for atonement will have ended.

After every case has been decided for life or death, sins shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. Confessions made then by the guilty standing before the bar of God cannot save the sinner, for they are drawn out by consequences to self and forced from the soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment. Those who like Achan feel secure so long as they can conceal transgressions from fellow men and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to mark iniquity will all too late have their sins find them out.

Repent While Mercy Lasts

Knowingly rejecting Christ and the salvation offered through him after receiving the truth leaves no further sacrifice for sin but only fearful expectation of judgment, for it despises justification through his blood and sanctification through the Holy Spirit's cleansing power for holy living, including by resisting his sent messengers who carry the message of righteousness. That warning applies after light has been repeatedly offered and long held open, even for years, while opposition is cherished and messengers are hated and despised as fanatics, extremists and enthusiasts, so that going on a little longer in that rejection leaves the soul lost and, when too late, conviction will show beyond reformation and pardon that the fight was against God and the men spoken against were his signs and witnesses. Yet while there is still time forgiveness, conversion and transformation remain available when sinners humble the heart before God, confess many sins, seek pardon, ask him to pardon transgressions and blot out sins, and receive pardon.

Jesus is still interceding, but in a short time he will arise, finish interceding, put on garments of vengeance, and stop offering pardon and atoning blood. Then there will be no more sacrifice for sin and no more pardon offered, and every soul will remain either holy or sinful. Therefore the present is the day of grace and the day of repentance, while it is called today, when hearts must not be hardened but must seek the renewing grace of Christ. That seeking includes banishing the spirit of retaliation and showing lenient, forgiving love to others in order to be forgiven.

Youth who have received the knowledge of the truth are in a critical place where Satan is tempting them to go back, and if they go back and give up there will be no more hope for them. They are called to cut loose from everything that hinders progress and to lay aside idols such as tobacco, calling upon God who is well pleased when idols are given up. They are to fly swiftly hither and thither to feed hungry souls with truth, because it is too late to be entangled and the Jubilee is coming.