What Does Hebrews 10:26,27 Mean?

Can a Christian lose their salvation?

"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

By David J. Stewart

Admittedly, Hebrews 10:26,27 seems to teach losing one's salvation is possible at a glance, i.e., if we take just those two Scriptures by themselves.  However, consider verse 29...

"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?"

What genuine believer would consider the blood of Jesus an "unholy thing"?  Clearly, to me, the context of these Scriptures is speaking about an unsaved person who treads under foot the precious blood of Jesus.  Also, notice verse 26...

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."

The Bible speaks about "receiving the knowledge of the truth"; but this is not the same as receiving Jesus Christ as one's Savior.  Rocker, Ozzy Osbourne, has the knowledge of the truth; but he spits on it and deliberately rejects it... 

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Basics/men_who_rejected_jesus_christ.htm

I think Hebrews 10:25 can best be interpreted by shedding the Light of 1st John 2:19 upon it...

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

So, I think, clearly, these Scriptures are warning the unsaved, many who attended church for awhile, that their day of reckoning is coming. 

To evidence my teachings here as truth, please consider that these Scriptures MUST be reconciled with the rest of the Bible, with such Scriptures as Ephesians 2:8,9...

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Here we see the term "the gift of God."  If living in sin could cause a person to lose their salvation, then where does the term "gift" become meaningful?  It could not.  By every definition of the word "gift," it means that there are no strings attached... you simply take it by trusting Jesus Christ... 

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." 

Salvation is a free gift, which is obtained by simply receiving it...

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

There is nothing in John 3:16 about living a consecrated life to get to Heaven.  I could go on and on with examples.  I have written many articles on my "false doctrines" page exposing the ridiculous foolishness and self-righteous hypocrisy of the Lordship Salvation heresy.

The writer of Hebrews (which I think was the Apostle Paul), is addresses Israel.  The writer addresses his Jewish brethren, and warns them to make sure of their salvation in chapter 10, as did Paul to the churchgoers at Corinth in 2nd Corinthians 13:5...

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The Jews are God's chosen people; but tragically, very few of them are God's children, i.e., saved and on their way to Heaven.

Also, carefully consider the word "adversaries" (enemy) in Hebrews 10:27.  Again, the context of this Scripture passage is speaking about the unsaved—those who tread under foot the blood of Jesus.  The plainest teachings in the Bible proclaim that eternal life is a "free gift" (Romans 5:15; 6:23), which cannot be merited in any way (Romans 10:3,4).  Salvation is obtained only by the IMPUTED righteousness of Jesus Christ, i.e., we need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS...

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him [Jesus] that justifieth the ungodly [you and me], his faith is counted for righteousness... And therefore it was imputed to him [Abraham] for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:5,22-25).

Conclusion

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible which teaches that a Christian can ever lose salvation.  Eternal life is a free gift, which Jesus paid for, and is ours to keep simply by believing on Christ with a childlike faith.  A person who claims that they used to believe on Christ, but no longer does, is a liar.  That's the same lie as someone who says, "I used to love you."  No you didn't.  Love never fails.  The world's synthetic type of love may fail; but God's love never fails.  One who genuinely believes on Jesus as the Christ will never stop believing on Christ.  Oh sure, they may go through a depression like John the Baptist, or curse the name of Jesus like Peter, but their salvation will never be in jeopardy and cannot be lost.  How can we lose by bad works what we didn't earn by good works?  It is impossible. 

The spiritual birth is as irreversible as the physical birth.  You don't just get "unborn."  People may turn away from the philosophy of Christ, or from religion or church membership, or even from living for God; but a truly born-again individual cannot lose the gift of God, which was given to them by faith alone, thus counting their faith for righteousness (Romans 4:5).  Christ's righteousness was imputed to their record in Heaven the moment they were saved (2nd Corinthians 5:21), so that they don't need any self-righteousness to get into Heaven.  No amount of personal sin can undo the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is imputed to every believer by faith at the time of salvation. 

Does this give us a "license to sin"?  Yes, but it doesn't give us God's permission to sin... "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Romans 3:31).  Every believer will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ for the good and bad done in the flesh (Romans 14:12; 2nd Corinthians 5:10).  But a consecrated life of holy living has absolutely nothing to do with the gift of eternal life which is by faith alone in Christ Jesus.