How does Hebrews 10:26 connect with 1 John 3:6 on sinning? Setting the Stage: Two Sobering Verses • Hebrews 10:26: “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains.” • 1 John 3:6: “No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.” Hebrews 10:26 – Willful Sin Defined • “Deliberately go on sinning” describes conscious, chosen, habitual rebellion, not an occasional stumble. • The audience has “received the knowledge of the truth”—they understand the gospel and claim its benefits. • Persisting in such sin leaves “no further sacrifice,” because rejecting Christ’s once-for-all offering shuts the only door to forgiveness (cf. Hebrews 9:26-28). 1 John 3:6 – Ongoing Sin Denied • John’s verb tense points to continuous action: “keeps on sinning.” • “Remains in Him” pictures a living union with Christ (John 15:4-5). Where that life is real, habitual sin cannot coexist. • Ongoing sin exposes that a person “has not seen Him or known Him”—the relationship is counterfeit (cf. 1 John 2:4). Connecting the Two Passages • Both writers confront the same problem: a lifestyle of sin after professing faith. • Hebrews emphasizes the penalty—apostasy forfeits any remaining sacrifice. • John emphasizes the proof—continuous sin reveals that true conversion never occurred. • Together they teach: habitual, unrepented sin shows a heart still outside saving grace and headed for judgment. What “Deliberate” and “Practices” Really Mean • Not every lapse equals apostasy (1 John 2:1, “if anyone sins, we have an advocate”). • The key words are intentionality and persistence. – Willful: sin planned, loved, and defended. – Ongoing: sin practiced as a pattern without confession or change. Why Continuous Sin Signals an Unconverted Heart • Regeneration plants God’s seed in us (1 John 3:9); that new nature resists habitual sin. • The indwelling Spirit convicts and disciplines (Hebrews 12:5-11). If no discipline is evident, we are “illegitimate children.” • Christ’s sacrifice not only pardons but also purifies (Titus 2:14). A life unchanged denies the very purpose of the cross. Grace, Not Perfectionism • Believers still battle the flesh (Galatians 5:17). • The difference: – True believers fall, feel the Spirit’s grief, confess, and forsake sin (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). – False professors sin with settled ease, shrug at conviction, and refuse repentance (Hebrews 3:12-13). Living It Out Today • Examine patterns, not isolated incidents. • Welcome conviction as evidence of sonship. • Flee willful sin quickly; lingering hardens the heart (Hebrews 3:15). • Draw near to Christ continually (Hebrews 10:22-23); abiding in Him keeps sin from reigning (Romans 6:12-14). |
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