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.– Hebrews 10:26, 27
Awful words! enough to make one's heart tremble, excite a holy fear; and provoke a godly jealousy. Wilful sins bring on woful complaints. Yes, some one replies, I find it so by woful experience. I have received the knowledge of the truth of salvation by Christ Jesus, and Oh what have I done! Sinned wilfully; and now I must perish eternally; there is no hope or help: my sin is unpardonable; there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment; I am shut up in despair; I wait with terror my dreadful doom.
Stop a little: write not such bitter things against thyself. True, you are condemned for your past wicked conduct: it is fit you should take shame to yourself, humble yourself, and repent as in dust and ashes; but this text never was intended to drive to despair, even the wilful sinner, who sees and truly repents of his vile conduct. Consider, that if every wilful sin committed after a person has received the knowledge of the truth is unpardonable, the whole world must be lost; not one sinner would be saved; and the word of God could not be true, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." 1 John 1:7. Then all backsliding sinners must perish without hope. God himself must prove false to his word, "I will heal their backslidings." Hoses 14:4. And Christ must be a false prophet when he declares, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men." Matt. 12:31.
Consider well two words in this text: "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." Now this wilful sin is rejecting the one sacrifice of Jesus, treading under foot the Son of God, accounting his blood an unholy thing, and expecting to be saved some other way. Here is total apostacy and final unbelief; whereas your guilty conscience seeks no sacrifice beside the one offering of the Son of God. Again, it is the adversary who is to be devoured. Is your heart set against Christ? Do you turn from him? Do you desire to have nothing to do with him! O no! the one desire of your soul is to be pardoned through him, accepted in him, and saved by him. Then you are not, in the sense of the text, the adversary of Christ, and this text belongs not to you. But this does, "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15.