There Remains No More Sacrifice for Sins…
“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.”
(Hebrews 10:26-27,)
Hebrews 10:26-27 is one of the more sobering passages in Scripture.
It confronts us with a stark warning: if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice for sins. For many believers, this text raises serious questions.
Can a Christian lose their salvation?
Does willful sin after conversion place someone beyond the reach of Christ’s atoning work?
How are we to understand this passage in light of the gospel?
A Warning to Unbelievers
The book of Hebrews was written to a Jewish audience. Many of them had been drawn to the gospel, had seen its truth, and had even participated in the life of the church, but had not believed or trusted in Christ. The author describes them as those who had “received the knowledge of the truth.” This refers not to saving faith, but to an intellectual understanding and exposure to the truth of the gospel.
In Hebrews 6:4-6, the apostle similarly describes those who had been “enlightened” and had “tasted of the heavenly gift” but then fallen away. Tasting of Christ is not the same as trusting in Him. Many in Israel had seen Christ’s miracles, heard His teaching, and even experienced some of the blessings of His presence—but they had not placed their trust in Him.
The “willful sin” described in Hebrews 10:26 is not the struggle with sin that every believer faces (Romans 7:15-25). It is the deliberate rejection of Christ after having heard and understood the gospel. It is the sin of knowingly and willingly turning away from the only means of salvation.
Why Is There No More Sacrifice for Sins?
When the apostle writes that “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” he is not saying that Christ’s atonement is insufficient. Rather, he is stating that Jesus is the only atonement that God will accept.
The Jewish readers of Hebrews were tempted to return to the Old Covenant sacrificial system. They faced social and religious pressure to abandon their confession of Christ and go back to the temple sacrifices. But the author of Hebrews makes clear that those sacrifices are now obsolete. Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice has fulfilled and replaced them:
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)
To reject Christ’s atonement and return to the temple sacrifices was to reject the only true means of forgiveness. Under the Old Covenant, the sacrifices pointed forward to Christ. But now that Christ had come, to reject Him was to cut oneself off from the only means of salvation. There was no other sacrifice that could take away sins.
This is why the Bible speaks of God “winking at” or “overlooking” sin under the Old Covenant:
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” (Acts 17:30)
Under the Old Covenant, the sacrificial system temporarily covered sin, but it never took it away (Hebrews 10:4). Those sacrifices were shadows of the true sacrifice to come in Christ. Now that Christ has offered Himself, there is no longer any other covering for sin. To reject Him is to be left without atonement, because there is no other atonement for sin available.
This is why the warning in Hebrews 10:27 is so severe:
“But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”
To reject Christ is to align oneself with the enemies of God. It is to side with those who crucified the Lord of Glory. Without Christ’s sacrifice, there is no hope—only the fearful expectation of judgment.
This passage is not aimed at struggling believers who fall into sin but are grieved by it. It is aimed at those who, after hearing and understanding the gospel, willfully reject it.
Assurance for Believers
Does this mean that a Christian who struggles with sin should live in fear? Not at all. The message of Hebrews is that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient for all who trust in Him. True believers are not marked by perfection, but by perseverance. The call is not to sinless living, but to hold fast to Christ:
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).” (Hebrews 10:23)
The danger lies not in struggling with sin, but in abandoning Christ as the only source of forgiveness. If you are grieved over your sin and long for restoration, that is evidence of the Spirit’s work in you. Apostates do not long for forgiveness, they reject Christ entirely.
The warning of Hebrews 10:26-27 is ultimately a call to faith. God is not asking for perfection; He is calling us to trust in the perfect sacrifice of Christ. The Old Covenant sacrifices are gone. There is no other way of salvation, no other atonement.
To reject Christ is to face judgment, but to rest in Him is to receive full forgiveness and eternal life. This is why Hebrews follows this severe warning with a reminder of hope:
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:38-39)