What Is Willful Sin?

The concept appears in Hebrews 10:26, which reads, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (NKJV). “Willfully” means “voluntarily.” Whereas Hebrews 10:26 teaches that we should not voluntarily sin, 1 Peter 5:2 uses the same Greek word in a positive manner: “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly.”

Hebrews 10:26 teaches that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is ineffective for someone as long as he or she continues to sin voluntarily. Nothing can save a person from his or her sin as long as that person persists in that sin.

Author