Willful Sin

Have you read Hebrews 10 and wondered if you're damned? Do you want to know what the Lord is talking about in this passage when He says that if we sin willfully, there remains no more sacrifice for sin? Allow me to show you what the Lord showed me about willful sin.

There is willful sin and there is unwillful sin. Unwillful sin means that you don't know what you're doing when you sin because you're hurting. That's me and you. Willful sin is committed when we know what we're doing. Spitefully insulting God's grace. That's not you and me.

If one begins to sin again, or, backslide in apathy, be careful, because your heart will become hardened beyond hope of repentance. That's when you sin willfully.

The Lord Jesus got me back before I reached the point of no return because my heart wasn't damaged beyond repair. I still had the Holy Spirit in me and my heart was still impressionable to my heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit.

Let's begin.

Hebrews 10:19-31

Authorized (King James) Version

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 and having an high priest over the house of God; 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 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? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Let's read it in the Living Bible translation for a better understanding.

Hebrews 10:19-31

Living Bible

19 And so, dear brothers, now we may walk right into the very Holy of Holies, where God is, because of the blood of Jesus. 20 This is the fresh, new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain—his human body—to let us into the holy presence of God. 21 And since this great High Priest of ours rules over God’s household, 22 let us go right in to God himself, with true hearts fully trusting him to receive us because we have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and because our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Now we can look forward to the salvation God has promised us. There is no longer any room for doubt, and we can tell others that salvation is ours, for there is no question that he will do what he says. 24 In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good. 25 Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. 26 If anyone sins deliberately by rejecting the Savior after knowing the truth of forgiveness, this sin is not covered by Christ’s death; there is no way to get rid of it. 27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible punishment of God’s awful anger, which will consume all his enemies. 28 A man who refused to obey the laws given by Moses was killed without mercy if there were two or three witnesses to his sin. 29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and treated his cleansing blood as though it were common and unhallowed, and insulted and outraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people. 30 For we know him who said, “Justice belongs to me; I will repay them”; who also said, “The Lord himself will handle these cases.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

DEFINE WILLFUL

will·ful /ˈwilfəl/ adjective US adjective: wilful; adjective: willful

1. (of an immoral or illegal act or omission) intentional; deliberate. "willful acts of damage" Similar: deliberate, intentional, intended, done on purpose, premeditated, planned, calculated, purposeful, conscious, knowing, voluntary, volitional

2. having or showing a stubborn and determined intention to do as one wants, regardless of the consequences or effects. "the pettish, willful side of him"

Unless your past sins are defined by one or more of the words above, you are not doomed. I came to know the meaning of Hebrews 10 from the Lord Himself, when He was rebuking me in the Fall of 2020 for my backslidings to make me repent and prepare to meet Him in the Rapture.

I have a prophecy from the Lord recorded that I am going to type out for you to understand what willful sin is NOT. You will be enlightened and set free from the ignorance and fear of coming judgement for willful sin, because you will see that you did not sin willfully. First, however, I have to make you understand what the Lord told me about my backslidings so that you can understand what Hebrews 10 means.

First of all, the Lord told me by prophecy that He is about to come in the Rapture. He said, "I am coming NOW!" As compared to Jesus coming SOON, as we Christians tell everyone. The Lord used Matthew 24:36-51 to talk to me about the Rapture.

Matthew 24:36-51

Living Bible

36 But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son. Only the Father knows. 37-38 “The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the Flood; 39 people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the Flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be. 40 “Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken, the other left. 42 “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 “Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, 44 so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return. 45 “Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task of managing my household, to feed my children day by day? 46 Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work. 47 I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own! 48 “But if you are evil and say to yourself, ‘My Lord won’t be coming for a while,’ 49 and begin oppressing your fellow servants, partying and getting drunk, 50 your Lord will arrive unannounced and unexpected, 51 and severely whip you and send you off to the judgment of the hypocrites; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Next, the Lord showed me from Matthew 24:9-12 that because of fights, my measure of the love of God was turning cold. That is why I was backsliding. I was almost an emotional cripple. This means that I was getting dangerous.

The Lord Jesus also gave me the word of my testimony from Matthew 24:13, "ENDURE". That's what you do to get the love of God and the anointing back. That one word brought healing and direction. That one word tells me what to do to come back to God. It is the word of my testimony. The word I use to testify how Jesus healed me of my backslidings and resurrected me to faithfulness.

Revelation 12:11

Authorized (King James) Version {Paraphrased}

11 And they overcame {Satan} by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Then the Lord took me, through a Preacher on TBN (Creflo Dollar), to Hebrews chapters three and twelve, which was more teaching on the word of my testimony "ENDURE". Instructions on HOW to endure.

The first lesson in endurance is Heb. 3:1, 2, to CONSIDER Jesus, because He was faithful to the end. Unlike me, who backslid in a cold heart.

Hebrews 3:1,2

Living Bible

3 Therefore, dear brothers whom God has set apart for himself—you who are chosen for heaven—I want you to think now about this Jesus who is God’s Messenger and the High Priest of our faith. 2 For Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him High Priest, just as Moses also faithfully served in God’s house.

Heb. 3:6 tells us what endurance is. Courageous faithfulness to God right to the end of life. Just like Jesus. That's what you got to do to remain faithful, if necessary, and make the Rapture.

Hebrews 3:6

Living Bible

6 But Christ, God’s faithful Son, is in complete charge of God’s house. And we Christians are God’s house—he lives in us!—if we keep up our courage firm to the end, and our joy and our trust in the Lord.

Heb. 3:7, 8 tells me that a cold heart, is a hardened heart.

Hebrews 3:7, 8

Authorized (King James) Version

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Heb. 3:10, 11 tell me that a cold and hard heart will not make the Rapture, or, God's rest after this life.

Hebrews 3:10, 11

Authorized (King James) Version

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

Heb. 3:12 tells me that a cold and hardened heart is an evil heart of unbelief in God and makes us leave God. Unlike courageous faithfulness to the death like Jesus, I departed from God in an evil heart. I backslid into my own ways instead of God's (Proverbs 14:14).

Hebrews 3:12

Authorized (King James) Version

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Heb. 3:13 tells me that a Christian's heart can become hard, if we do not endure, because of the deceitfulness of sin. Which the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:12 calls "iniquity". Iniquity is the deceitfulness of sin.

Heb. 3:13 also instructs us to encourage the backslider because courage, is what the backslider needs. Courage, endurance, perseverance.

Hebrews 3:13

Authorized (King James) Version

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Heb. 3:14, 15 is more teaching on endurance. To be faithful to the end by trusting God to save us like we did when we first got saved. A return, or, repentance to, our first love for the Lord Jesus and doing our first works.

Hebrews 3:14, 15

Living Bible

14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as we did when we first became Christians, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 But now is the time. Never forget the warning, “Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him, as the people of Israel did when they rebelled against him in the desert.”

Heb. 3:18, 19 tell me that my evil and unbelieving heart were going to make me miss the Rapture that is about to happen.

Hebrews 3:18, 19

Authorized (King James) Version

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

So the Lord's Spirit and the Lord's Word, the Bible, gave me the word of my testimony to repent and get ready to meet the Lord Jesus in the Rapture. Let's continue with Hebrews chapter 12.

Heb. 12:1 tells me that to be faithful and endure to the end of life like Jesus did, instead of backslide in a cold and unbelieving heart, means to run with patience. It turns from a fight to a race. You add patience to endurance and just keep going at a steady pace to the end of life and the Rapture.

Hebrews 12:1

Living Bible

1 Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.

Heb. 12:2-4 tells me that to endure and run with patience to the Rapture, that I need to consider Jesus, because He is gives me the faith to strive against sin and a cold heart to blood shed, instead of backslid on God in a cold and faithless, or, unbelieving, heart.

Hebrews 12:2-4

Living Bible

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. 3 If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him. 4 After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood.

Heb. 12:5-13 tells me that actions have consequences. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). That, because we backslid and are repenting in order to make the Rapture, that, God will correct us. The corrections hurt, but bring the healing of our backslidings.

Hebrews 12:5-13

Living Bible

5 And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his child? He said, “My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong. 6 For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child.” 7 Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? 8 If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all—that you don’t really belong in his family. 9 Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God’s training so that we can begin really to live? 10 Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness. 11 Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, 13 and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves but become strong.

Heb. 12:11 tells me that I needed a quiet growth in grace and character to repent from a cold heart and endure to the end.

Hebrews 12:11

Living Bible

11 Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character.

Heb. 12:14 tells me that to make the Rapture, or, to see the Lord, that we have to be at peace with all men. So take the Lord's correction and repent because fighting in a backslidden, cold, hardened and evil, faithless heart, means to miss the Rapture.

Hebrews 12:14

Authorized (King James) Version

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Heb. 12:15-17 tell me that a cold heart, a hardened heart, an evil, faithless and backslidden heart, is called "the root of bitterness". It can DEFILE your new birth and your ability to repent and make peace with all men, i.e. the love of God, and make you fail the grace of God. You won't be able to repent and make the Rapture. That's the path I was on, unless the Lord did what He did and made the Rapture Awareness Revival last year that's going on today all over the world (Acts 2:16-18).

Hebrews 12:15-17

Authorized (King James) Version

15 Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. 16 Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful.

Heb. 12:16, 17 tell me that the fights in church and family were making me careless toward God like Esau was. Apathy. Soon, I would not have been able to repent though I will have cried tears trying to. But Jesus...amen?

Hebrews 12:16, 17

Living Bible

16 Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful.

Heb. 12:18-29 tell us that we got a heaven to go to in the Rapture. So ENDURE to the end.

Hebrews 12:18-29

Living Bible

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

I said all that to say this, that if your backslidings are not defined by any of the words in this Post. If you can't identify with the rebellion of willful sin, then look at what the Lord and I showed you in Matthew 24 and Hebrews 3 and 12. That, my backslidings and sin, were due to a hurt heart. PAIN made me backslide. I became apathetic and did not care for my best interests. It was NOT willfulness that made me backslide, but emotional pain. What the Lord described as "a bruised heart". So my sins were not willful. They were unwillful. And neither are your sins willful. They are unintentional.

When you're hurting, you do things that you normally wouldn't do because of the pain. Self destructive things. You're hurting and you don't care. That's not willful sin, said the Lord. The motive for the sin is pain, not willfulness.

If you see yourself in Matthew 24 and Hebrews chapters 3 and 12, then your sins were not willful. If you're like the persons God is describing in these chapters, then your sins are not willful. They're accidental and unpremeditated. Unintentional. Unwillful.

Now I will type out the prophecy from the Lord about willful sin. Let's begin. I already said all this below. But this Post came from all this, i.e. the following prophecy.

"Hebrews 10:26 says that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. The Lord showed this to me for you. He's using my life as an example, because I asked Him if I sinned willfully when I was backslidden. He said, 'Your sins were not willful. They were made through pain'".

"My backslidings were made from emotional heartbreak. If you read Matthew 24:9-13 it says that the love of many will wax cold because of fighting. That's not willful sinning".

"It says in Hebrews 3:12 that your heart can lose faith in unbelief and you can depart from God, or, backslide, into sin. But it's not willful sinning. It's unbelief".

"In Hebrews 12:15 when it talks about the root of bitterness defiling people, it doesn't say that they can't repent. This is talking about a heart condition that makes you not care if you're right with God because you're hurting so bad. That's not willful sinning".

"So study Hebrews chapters three, six and twelve and tell what is not willful sinning so that you can come out of backsliding and make it in the Rapture. Because when you're hurting, you won't care about your personal welfare. You're going to do things that are dangerous and that destroy your life because you don't care. That's called APATHY, when your heart becomes apathetic to your best interests because of pain. That's not willful sinning".

So what is willful sin? I call it "the wise guy" mindset. As in "Oh, you wanna be a wiseguy, huh?" Willful sin is intentional and done on purpose to hurt you. Spite. Someone who wants to fight you. Let's look at some biblical examples of willful sin because we looked at unwillful sin, so far in the boom of Hebrews.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF WILLFUL SIN AND UNWILLFUL SIN

EXAMPLE OF WILLFUL SIN

KING SAUL - THE WISEGUY

1 Samuel 15:22, 23

Authorized (King James) Version

"...And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

King Saul stumbled over Christ, the Stumbling Block in salvation, thinking that he could rebel and partially obey the Lord, and then make burnt offerings and sacrifices for his sin, instead of obey the Lord. He partially obeyed God because he rebelled and then used the law of sacrifice for sin to cover up his rebellious motive instead of listen to God.

Saul's sin was willful. Outright rebellion. This is why God chose him as King. As with Pharaoh in Romans chapter nine, to show His mercy in Saul's replacement, King David.

Hebrews 6:1-8 teaches that after we get saved, that, like King Saul, we can lose our salvation. This is a teaching for those ready to hear it, i.e. seasoned and mature Christians, because young Christians, those just saved, aren't ready to hear that they can lose the salvation that they just received. They need to hear how to keep serving Jesus through it all.

Hebrews 6:1-8

Living Bible

1 Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we don’t need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God; 2 you don’t need further instruction about baptism and spiritual gifts and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

3 The Lord willing, we will go on now to other things.

4 There is no use trying to bring you back to the Lord again if you have once understood the Good News and tasted for yourself the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and know how good the Word of God is, and felt the mighty powers of the world to come, 6 and then have turned against God. You cannot bring yourself to repent again if you have nailed the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to mocking and to public shame.

7 When a farmer’s land has had many showers upon it and good crops come up, that land has experienced God’s blessing upon it. 8 But if it keeps on having crops of thistles and thorns, the land is considered no good and is ready for condemnation and burning off.

Hebrews 6:9-20 teaches us that after we get saved, that we keep our salvation through faith and patience, or, like God said to me in Matthew 24:13, to endure to the end to be saved, because God is in control of our sins, or, when we backslide.

Hebrews 6:9-20

Living Bible

9 Dear friends, even though I am talking like this I really don’t believe that what I am saying applies to you. I am confident you are producing the good fruit that comes along with your salvation. 10 For God is not unfair. How can he forget your hard work for him, or forget the way you used to show your love for him—and still do—by helping his children? 11 And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward. 12 Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won’t become bored with being a Christian nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience. 13 For instance, there was God’s promise to Abraham: God took an oath in his own name, since there was no one greater to swear by, 14 that he would bless Abraham again and again, and give him a son and make him the father of a great nation of people. 15 Then Abraham waited patiently until finally God gave him a son, Isaac, just as he had promised. 16 When a man takes an oath, he is calling upon someone greater than himself to force him to do what he has promised or to punish him if he later refuses to do it; the oath ends all argument about it. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those he promised to help would be perfectly sure and never need to wonder whether he might change his plans. 18 He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them. 19 This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven, 20 where Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest, with the honor and rank of Melchizedek.

So our sins are not willful. We don't have to become like Saul if we will listen to God. Saul didn't listen to God and lost his salvation and life the day that the Holy Spirit departed from him because of his willful sin. If we are backsliding, we can repent so that we don't become like Saul and sin willfully and end up dead, both physically and spiritually, like Saul. God has not fitted you for destruction when He does this. Your salvation is as sure as the Bible is a book in your hands.

Hebrews 10:32-39 tells me that Christians like me, who were getting in fights as a Christian, need patience so that we can make the Rapture, because we might draw back into backsliding, but it is temporary until the Lord Jesus matures us emotionally with patience and endurance. See? We are not those that God has fitted for destruction like the Pharaoh in Romans chapter nine and King Saul in 1 Samuel chapter fifteen because we have faith in God to save us to the end.

Hebrews 10:32-39

Living Bible

32 Don’t ever forget those wonderful days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you kept right on with the Lord even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were laughed at and beaten, and sometimes you watched and sympathized with others suffering the same things. 34 You suffered with those thrown into jail, and you were actually joyful when all you owned was taken from you, knowing that better things were awaiting you in heaven, things that would be yours forever. 35 Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! 36 You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised. 37 His coming will not be delayed much longer. 38 And those whose faith has made them good in God’s sight must live by faith, trusting him in everything. Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them. 39 But we have never turned our backs on God and sealed our fate. No, our faith in him assures our souls’ salvation.

ASK JESUS TO MAKE YOU REPENT

Psalm 19:12, 13

Living Bible

12 But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13 And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be free of guilt and innocent of some great crime.

EXAMPLES OF UNWILLFUL SIN

So all the Bible passages throughout this Post are examples of unwillful sin. Hebrews chapters three and twelve. So here are some passages to those like us caught up in unwillful sin to encourage your faith in Christ to save us through patience and faith, or, endurance, in the soon coming Rapture.

Ephesians 4:17-19

Living Bible

17-18 Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord: Live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused. Their closed hearts are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds against him, and they cannot understand his ways. 19 They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and have given themselves over to impure ways. They stop at nothing, being driven by their evil minds and reckless lusts.

Acts 3:17-20

Living Bible

17 “Dear brothers, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. 18 But God was fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah must suffer all these things. 19 Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord 20 and send Jesus your Messiah back to you again.

Acts 17:30, 31

Living Bible

30 God tolerated man’s past ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship only him. 31 For he has set a day for justly judging the world by the man he has appointed, and has pointed him out by bringing him back to life again.”

Ephesians 2:1-10

Living Bible

1 Once you were under God’s curse, doomed forever for your sins. 2 You went along with the crowd and were just like all the others, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air, who is at work right now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord. 3 All of us used to be just as they are, our lives expressing the evil within us, doing every wicked thing that our passions or our evil thoughts might lead us into. We started out bad, being born with evil natures, and were under God’s anger just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much 5 that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved— 6 and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did. 7 And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ.

8 Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. 10 It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.

1 Timothy 1:13

Living Bible

13 even though I used to scoff at the name of Christ. I hunted down his people, harming them in every way I could. But God had mercy on me because I didn’t know what I was doing, for I didn’t know Christ at that time.

1 John 1:8-10

Living Bible

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

GOD IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR SIN WHEN YOU BACKSLIDE

Romans 9

Living Bible

1-3 O Israel, my people! O my Jewish brothers! How I long for you to come to Christ. My heart is heavy within me, and I grieve bitterly day and night because of you. Christ knows and the Holy Spirit knows that it is no mere pretense when I say that I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you. 4 God has given you so much, but still you will not listen to him. He took you as his own special, chosen people and led you along with a bright cloud of glory and told you how very much he wanted to bless you. He gave you his rules for daily life so you would know what he wanted you to do. He let you worship him and gave you mighty promises. 5 Great men of God were your fathers, and Christ himself was one of you, a Jew so far as his human nature is concerned, he who now rules over all things. Praise God forever! 6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promises to the Jews? No! For these promises are only to those who are truly Jews. And not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew! 7 Just the fact that they come from Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say that the promises apply only to Abraham’s son Isaac and Isaac’s descendants, though Abraham had other children too. 8 This means that not all of Abraham’s children are children of God, but only those who believe the promise of salvation which he made to Abraham. 9 For God had promised, “Next year I will give you and Sarah a son.” 10-13 And years later, when this son Isaac was grown up and married and Rebecca his wife was about to bear him twin children, God told her that Esau, the child born first, would be a servant to Jacob, his twin brother. In the words of the Scripture, “I chose to bless Jacob but not Esau.” And God said this before the children were even born, before they had done anything either good or bad. This proves that God was doing what he had decided from the beginning; it was not because of what the children did but because of what God wanted and chose. 14 Was God being unfair? Of course not. 15 For God had said to Moses, “If I want to be kind to someone, I will. And I will take pity on anyone I want to.” 16 And so God’s blessings are not given just because someone decides to have them or works hard to get them. They are given because God takes pity on those he wants to. 17 Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was an example of this fact. For God told him he had given him the kingdom of Egypt for the very purpose of displaying the awesome power of God against him, so that all the world would hear about God’s glorious name. 18 So you see, God is kind to some just because he wants to be, and he makes some refuse to listen. 19 Well then, why does God blame them for not listening? Haven’t they done what he made them do? 20 No, don’t say that. Who are you to criticize God? Should the thing made say to the one who made it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a man makes a jar out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar beautiful, to be used for holding flowers, and another to throw garbage into? 22 Does not God have a perfect right to show his fury and power against those who are fit only for destruction, those he has been patient with for all this time? 23-24 And he has a right to take others such as ourselves, who have been made for pouring the riches of his glory into, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, and to be kind to us so that everyone can see how very great his glory is. 25 Remember what the prophecy of Hosea says? There God says that he will find other children for himself (who are not from his Jewish family) and will love them, though no one had ever loved them before. 26 And the heathen, of whom it once was said, “You are not my people,” shall be called “sons of the Living God.” 27 Isaiah the prophet cried out concerning the Jews that though there would be millions of them, only a small number would ever be saved. 28 “For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the earth, quickly ending his dealings, justly cutting them short.” 29 And Isaiah says in another place that except for God’s mercy all the Jews would be destroyed—all of them—just as everyone in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah perished. 30 Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this, that God has given the Gentiles the opportunity to be acquitted by faith, even though they had not been really seeking God. 31 But the Jews, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping his laws, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to be saved by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They have stumbled over the great stumbling stone. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I have put a Rock in the path of the Jews, and many will stumble over him (Jesus). Those who believe in him will never be disappointed.”

The context of this passage is salvation. It says that God makes some people sin and refuse to listen to Him, and some to obey Him. That is the stumbling block in salvation. That when you sin, it is God doing it for the purpose of salvation.

In other words, God hardened the Jews so that they would not understand that salvation comes by faith in Christ in order to bring salvation to the Gentiles. Those who do not believe are fitted for destruction in hell forever because the Lord hardened their hearts. You can't argue with Him because His motive is pure. That, by getting rid of some, He brings others to Him.

This is true today. This is what Hebrews chapter 12 is talking about. That God hardens our hearts in order to heal us and cause growth. He shows us where we are wrong. This is why the chapter opens with encouragement to become faithful to the end as the Lord Jesus showed us. Then jumps to our sins being the judgement of God to make us faithful. He brings us into growth in grace and character in the end so that we become faithful to the end.

This passage declares that your sin is not willful and that God will bring you out of a hardened heart because He is in control of everything you do. He is the one doing it all.

Hebrews 12

Living Bible

1 Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. 3 If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him. 4 After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood. 5 And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his child? He said, “My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong. 6 For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child.” 7 Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? 8 If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all—that you don’t really belong in his family. 9 Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God’s training so that we can begin really to live? 10 Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness. 11 Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, 13 and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves but become strong. 14 Try to stay out of all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. 16 Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful. 18 You have not had to stand face to face with terror, flaming fire, gloom, darkness, and a terrible storm as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws. 19 For there was an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a message so terrible that the people begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command that if even an animal touched the mountain it must die. 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he shook with terrible fear. 22 But you have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels; 23 and to the church, composed of all those registered in heaven; and to God who is Judge of all; and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; 24 and to Jesus himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement; and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did. 25 So see to it that you obey him who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we refuse to listen to God who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When he spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but, “Next time,” he says, “I will not only shake the earth but the heavens too.” 27 By this he means that he will sift out everything without solid foundations so that only unshakable things will be left. 28 Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

In closing, there is no willful sin if we repent. We can lose our salvation if we don't ask God for help and then listen to Him when we are being punished and corrected for backsliding by Him. Today, your sins and mine were not willful because we didn't know what we were doing.

Amen.