Caller: My question is on Hebrews 10:26, 27. It says that if we sin willfully after we have known the truth that there is no more sacrifice for sin. The Bible says in the new covenant that God will put His laws in our mind and write them in our heart. Is there any sin that we commit which is not willful?
Pastor Doug: Yes, I believe that there are attitudes of sin that we might be unconscious of, that may not be premeditated. You have a good point—so much of our sin is willful. It says in Hebrews 10:26—If we sin willfully—the word ‘sin’ can be used as an act or a lifestyle. And here in Hebrews, if I understand the Greek correctly, it’s saying if we live a life of sin willfullyin other words if we continue in sin willfully after we’ve received a knowledge of the truth, after we learn something is true, if we then continue to violate our conscience deliberately, then there is no more sacrifice.
Obviously, what is God going to do, if He says, Look, I want to save you from your sins and He’ll forgive the past and then gives us power to be new creatures, if we say, No, I’d rather continue with my heroin and my drinking, my adultery, or whatever the problem might be, how can God do any more for us if we continue living a life of sin? That’s what this is saying.