Bible Question:
What did Jesus say about those who willfully sin?
Bible Answer:
It is important to understand that Jesus warns us that every person sins. In the verse below notice Jesus’ comment.
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. John 8:24 (NASB)
Jesus states that everyone has sinned and we are going to die in our sins, unless we believe in Him. That is, we are sinners – all of us.
. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . . Rom. 3:23 (NASB)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23 (NASB)
In John 16:8 Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convict us of our sins. Again, the message is that we are sinners. Then in John 8:24, Jesus said that in order to escape spiritual death, we must believe that He is the “I AM.” That is, Jesus said we must believe that He is God. So far we have discovered that it does not matter if our sins are intentional or unintentional. Either way, we are going to suffer spiritual death unless we believe that He is God. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 we are told that we must also believe that He died for our sin, His physical body came back to life, and that He returned to heaven. Notice in Matthew 26:28 that Jesus said He was to die so that our sins could be forgiven.
Intentional Sin
Jesus makes only one significant comment about intentional sins. It is found in Matthew 12:31-32.
Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matt. 12:31-32 (NASB)
In this passage Jesus states that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This is called the unpardonable sin. It is an intentional sin – the intentional rejection of Jesus Christ as God, Savior, and Lord. This sin can be committed today by anyone who studies the life of Jesus Christ and finally and ultimately rejects Him. All other sins can be forgiven. The writer of Hebrews also speaks about this unpardonable sin as a willful sin.
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Heb 10:26–27 (NASB)
When we are told that there is no longer a sacrifice for sins if we go on willfully sinning, the author is telling us that if we continue to reject Jesus Christ’ sacrificial death on the cross, then we cannot be forgiven. There is no other sacrifice for sins that can rescue you or anyone else from eternal, spiritual death. It is the same message that Jesus gave us.
Conclusion:
Acts 4:12 says that there is salvation in only one individual. Jesus Christ is our God, our Savior and Lord. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Suggested Links:
The Rescue - SalvationDid Jesus ever claim to be God?
The Unpardonable Sin
The Trinity Mystery, part 1 (MP3)
The Trinity Mystery, part 2 (MP3)
The Just Live By Faith - audio