Charles Spurgeon Commentary Hebrews 10:26-27

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries." — Hebrews 10:26-27 (ASV)

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.

Here the truth taught is that, if a Christian apostatizes, if he renounces his faith, and goes back to the world, it is impossible to reclaim him. A backslider may be restored, but anyone who should willfully, after receiving the truth, reject it, has rejected the only Savior; he has rejected the only regeneration; and, consequently, he is outside the bounds of the possibilities of restoration. The question is, "Will any true child of God so apostatize?" That question is answered in this very chapter; but the truth here taught is that, if he does, he goes into a state of absolute hopelessness.

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the adversaries.

This is a solemn text, containing a very terrible truth. If, after having been regenerated, and made children of God, we were willfully and deliberately to let the Saviour go, and apostatize altogether to the world, there would be no hope for us. What, then, is our hope? Why, that we will never be permitted to do so—that the grace of God will keep us so that, although we may fall like Peter, we will not fall away like Judas—that, though we may sin, there will not be that degree of studied willfulness about it that would make it to be the sin unto death, a deliberate act of spiritual suicide.

The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints derives great glory from this other truth that, if they did not persevere, there is no second means of grace, no other plan of salvation. No one was ever born again twice; no one was ever washed twice in the precious blood of Jesus. The one washing makes us so clean that he who is washed does not need, except to wash his feet, for which Jesus provides by daily cleansing; but the one grand atoning act never fails. If it did fail, there would remain no more sacrifice for sins.