Overcoming Wilful Sins
In the previous post we looked at “God’s Seven Antidotes to Willful Sin” (Hebrews 10:19-26). The seventh on the list, specifically addressed to Christians, is very striking: “Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 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. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:25-31). This text says the very reason we are not to forsake meeting together as a church is so that we will not fall into the evil practice of sinning wilfully and be excluded from the kingdom of God. In other words, attending church meetings regularly keeps us from sinning wilfully. Because the Bible says this, we are deceived to think otherwise. What God is building is His church; this is what the gates of hell cannot prevail against (Matthew 16:18), not individuals with selfish ambition or individualistic lifestyles that neglect the exhortation to assemble ourselves together as a church. Just as bad company corrupts good character, so does “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). As we meet and fellowship with other believers, we encourage ourselves and stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25). Additionally, through the encouragement we receive in we meet together as a church (Hebrews 10:25), we are saved from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).
Peter also provides seven specific traits to add to our faith consecutively to ensure that abundant entrance is supplied to us into into God’s kingdom. As long as we practice these things, we are saved from wilful sins that would exclude us from the kingdom of God: “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2 Peter 1:5-11).
Scripture provides additional practical guidance for overcoming sin, including willful sinning:
1) Consider yourself DEAD to sin but ALIVE to God – Think of yourself this way (Romans 6:12; Romans 12:2).
2) As one dead to sin, DO NOT PERMIT sin to reign in your body and DO NOT YIELD the members of your body as instruments of sin, because Christ’s death has given you authority to resist (Romans 6:5-6, 10-14).
3) Instead, yield the members of your body as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:10-14).
We can do this because when Jesus died, He died to sin for us (Romans 6:10). Our old self was crucified with Him so that our body of sin might be destroyed, and we would no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6). And in the likeness of His resurrection, we have also become such: “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5).
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
(c) 2025.