Wilful sinning
Hebrews 10:26-27 – For 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.
I have sinned wilfully. Does it mean it is over for me—am I forever lost?
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What does “wilfully” in Hebrews 10:26 mean?
1 Peter 5:2 – Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind …
Remark: The word translated as “wilfully” in Hebrews 10:26 appears a second time in the New Testament in 1 Peter 5:2. These verses make it clear that this “wilful” action refers to a deliberate and conscious choice. If we choose a life of sin, we rebel against God and forfeit the hope of eternal life.
How is the sin of rebellion described in the Old Testament?
Numbers 15:30-31 – But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously {that does this with a raised hand}, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
Remark: In the Old Testament, the concept of acting with a “raised hand” (translated here as a “presumptuous” act) refers to a bold and defiant gesture. The same Hebrew expression appears in Exodus 14:8 and Numbers 33:3. In the context of the Exodus story, Pharaoh exemplifies this spirit of defiance in Exodus 5:2, even though the phrase is not directly applied to him. When committed against God, such an act is considered a reproach to the Lord, expressing hatred and contempt toward Him. In contrast, Numbers 15, beginning in verse 22, addresses sins committed out of ignorance—actions not done wilfully.
What is the message for those, who do not want to defy God, but still struggle with sin?
Hebrews 4:15 – For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities {weaknesses}; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Proverbs 24:16 – For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Remark: See also Psalm 103:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 8:12.
Rebellion or weakness
Both Judas and Peter sinned willfully when they betrayed Jesus—but what was the difference?
Matthew 27:5 – And he {Judas} cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Luke 22:62 – And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
John 21:17, 19b – He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. / [19b] And when he {Jesus} had spoken this, he saith unto him {Peter}, Follow me.
Recommended article: From Denial to Devotion – How Jesus Restores the Fallen
Remark: Peter denied Jesus out of weakness while under pressure. Judas, by contrast, was not under such pressure; he acted consciously and deliberately—“with a raised hand”—and did not truly repent of his sin.
How are the sins of rebellion and weakness treated differently?
2 Timothy 2:11-13 – It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Remark: Even though Peter denied Jesus, his restoration shows that he did not deny Him as described in 2 Timothy 2:12, but rather as in verse 13. Peter lacked faith, but Jesus “remains faithful.”
How does God distinguish between these two types of sin?
1 Chronicles 28:9 – And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Remark: See also 1 Samuel 16:7.
How can we distinguish between them?
Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Remark: The first distinguishing mark is intent. For God, the intention of the heart—of the spirit or mind—matters, even when we are too weak to subdue the flesh. In this passage, Jesus also reveals how we can remain strong to avoid sins of weakness: by watching (being mindful and careful) and praying (frequently).
2 Samuel 12:13 – And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
Remark: The second distinguishing mark is whether there is repentance. David’s sin was not only wilful but also planned. However, it stemmed from his weakness for women and lust, not from rebellion against God. His genuine repentance, as expressed in Psalm 51, shows that his sin was not rooted in defiance. Saul, by contrast, justified himself instead of repenting (see 1 Samuel 15).
Is there really no hope even if a person apparently rebelled against God?
Daniel 4:27, 30 – Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. / [30] The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
Remark: Nebuchadnezzar appeared to have intellectually acknowledged the true God—on at least two occasions (Daniel 2 and 3; see esp. verses 2:47 and 3:28). And still, after seeing and acknowledging the true God, Nebuchadnezzar essentially reveals that he does not truly care about what God says or desires. As a proud king, he wilfully rebels against the God of Daniel in his heart—even after receiving a clear warning.
Daniel 4:31-32, 34, 37 – While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. / [34] And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation … / [37] Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Remark: Ultimately, after being humbled, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged his sin and pride and was restored. His example shows that even a sin which appears beyond recovery is not necessarily final—God’s grace is exceedingly great.
Accepting weakness
Can I be content with sins committed out of weakness and justify them?
Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
What are we doing if we become content with sin?
2 Timothy 3:5 – Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof {of God}: from such turn away.
Jude 24 – Now unto him {God} that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy …
Remark: The Bible teaches that God can help us not to fall into sin. If we claim we are too weak to even try and accept this condition, we are denying God and Jesus. While we may not gain immediate victory in every area and may still stumble at times, we must believe that God has the power to make us strong (see Philippians 4:13).
Fighting sin is so hard—doesn’t the Bible teach salvation by grace alone?
James 2:17-20, 24 – Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? /[24] Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Hebrews 12:4 – Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Matthew 16:24-26 – Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Remark: See also 1 Timothy 6:12 and Revelation 3:15–16. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–10), but true faith also includes believing that God can empower us to live a godly life. If we only believe that God will endlessly forgive us while we continue in sin without striving for change, then we are denying Jesus and His power—our faith is not genuine.
What are the dangers of being content with sins of weakness?
Hebrews 3:12-13 – Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 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.
Remark: Our hearts can become hardened, leading us to be at peace with sin and to cease repenting. We may even reach a point of no return, where repentance becomes impossible. Repentance is a sign that the heart is not yet fully hardened and not in a state of rebellion.
What are the warnings for those who become content with their weaknesses?
Romans 2:5 – But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God …
Acts 7:51 – Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Matthew 12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Hebrews 10:26-29 – For if we sin wilfully {with a raised hand} 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 covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Remark: Accepting sins out of weakness as a normal part of life and being content with them leads to rebellion. That is no longer weakness—it is rebellion disguised as religion. Those who reach a state of absolute hardness of heart will be lost. This so-called unpardonable sin is exactly that: knowingly rejecting God and His workings with a sober and conscious mind. It is unpardonable because the sinner cuts himself off from God and His Son—the only means by which pardon can reach him.
Summary: The experience of Paul
Romans 7:15-25 – For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 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. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then 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 against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-9, 13 – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. / [13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Remark: Paul describes his own struggle—a struggle familiar to every Christian. He explains that those who desire to do good and do not want to sin, yet still fall, are living in the Spirit. Their intention is to obey God, and that is what truly matters. Paul’s cry for deliverance—“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”—reveals his desire to be obedient, not defiant. True Christians may stumble, but God will forgive and raise them up again. In contrast, those who accept a life “in the flesh” are hardening their hearts and living in rebellion against God’s moral principles—and against God Himself as their author.
