I was doing some studying today in Hebrews 10 and was looking at the following verses:
Hebrews 10:26-27 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.
Looking at this verse by itself and not in context with the rest of the chapter (and new testament) it appears what this verse is saying is that if someone does deliberately or purposefully sin after accepting Christ then there's no way you can be saved after that.
God's word is God's word and if that's what it's saying than let it be so. But, think about this. When is the last time you sinned deliberately? Isn't ALL sin deliberate? Opps, I accidentally lied about something???? No, a lie is calculated and deliberate. I accidently didn't love my neighbor when I saw them broke down on the side of the road and didn't help them. Ummm...no. Deliberately drove by (while feeling bad about it and praying for someone to help them...just not me). So, does this verse disqualify all of us from God's grace?
Read Hebrews 10 again and notice that the whole rest of the chapter seems to be saying exactly the opposite of this! It's talking about how because of the new covenant "God sees our sin no more". He doesn't even see those (deliberate) sins! Also, notice how all of chapter 9 and 10 talks about comparing the old covenant and priesthood to our new covenant and new high priest and how Christs death on the cross was payment for our sins "once and for all". So how could this verse possibly be talking about how sins and disqualify us from God's grace?
I decided to go back to the Greek words and here's kind of what it says when you take into consideration the context of the whole chapter. Listen to God, not me!! But here's honestly what I hear in that verse when I look at the Greek and look at the context.
"If we voluntarily forfeit the prize after taking hold of a precise and correct knowledge of the truth, then no other sacrifice exists for our sins."
So, in other words what it's saying is this:
If we fully understand that Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins and we still decide not to accept Him as God's free gift of eternal life, then there is no other way for us to escape the wrath that is waiting for us as punishment for our sins.