Willful Sin Explained
Back to By David C. Pack
To conclude his booklet What do you mean – “The Unpardonable Sin”? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this under the subhead “Sinning Willfully”:
“Now, finally notice the two passages in the book of Hebrews, speaking of sinning willfully, and being impossible to repent…
“Notice: ‘For if we sin willfully 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?’ (Hebrews 10:26-29.)
“I have fully explained in this booklet the meaning of willful sinning. This passage refers only to those who have become truly converted—received God’s Holy Spirit. The ‘we’ refers to converted Christians. None can, in fact, come to the real ‘knowledge of the truth,’ until they have received the Holy Spirit to open their minds to that spiritual truth (I Cor. 2:9-11, 14).
“But notice, this sinning willfully is connected with doing ‘despite to the Spirit of grace’—certainly dangerously close to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
“However, as explained above, most sins committed by begotten children of God are not in this category! “The other passage is this:
“‘For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift’—the Holy Spirit—‘and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 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’ (Heb. 6:4-6).
“Actually, if you understand one phrase here, it is self-explanatory. That is this: ‘For it is impossible...if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.’
“Now there may be degrees toward ‘falling away.’ How shall we know how far is here meant? By the next words: whenever it becomes impossible to renew one to repentance—well, he has ‘fallen away’—completely!
“Remember, God grants repentance (Acts 11:18; 5:31). Yet of course God never forces repentance on one. When one has come to the place where he won’t—can’t—has totally, completely, lost all desire to repent—is unable to repent—he has ‘fallen away.’
“And of course this is not speaking of unconverted people—those who never had been converted—but only those who had been.
“The test is this: If and when one really does desire to repent—does feel completely disgusted and abhorrent of himself—does desire to repent and get back into God’s grace—HE CAN!
“What about the ‘backslider’—as some phrase it? If he at any time becomes willing to repent—comes to desire to repent and return to God’s way, the gracious, merciful, all-loving God will forgive—and will grant full repentance.
“God inspired James to close his book with this important admonition:
“‘My brothers, if anyone of you goes astray from the truth and someone brings him back, understand that he who brings a sinner back from the error of his way saves the man’s soul from death and hides a host of his own sins’ (James 5:19-20—Moffatt translation).
“That’s the final answer. If he’s committed the unpardonable sin, he won’t want to. If he wants to—if he does repent, and wants the contact reestablished with God—HE CAN!
“And how about one never yet truly converted—or one who thought he was, but had only a false “conversion” and backslid? Well, whenever he is willing to really repent, and wants to find Christ—HE CAN—if he just will!
“How wonderful are the ways of God!”