If You Are Saved but Continue to Fornicate Will You Be Barred From Heaven

A Waterfall Of Grace

Imagine that it's 120 degrees outside. Hot.

But then imagine that you are standing under a waterfall — cool, clear, and refreshing. Aaaah.

Through trusting Jesus Christ you are standing under a waterfall of grace —

• All your sins are forgiven — past, present, and future.
• You are seen by God as clothed in Jesus' perfect righteousness.
• God is your Father — loving you, guiding you, providing for you, satisfying you in Himself.
• God continues to forgive your sins day after day, year after year — forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven.
• God will keep you persevering in faith so you will surely enter heaven.
• God will supply everything you need for the rest of your life.
• God will ordain everything in your future to bring you the greatest joy in Him.

A waterfall of grace.

But This Raises A Question

Does grace mean someone can deliberately keep sinning and still end up in heaven?

One passage that speaks directly to this question is Hebrews 10:26-31.

Verse 26 is sobering —

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

What Does That Mean?

What does it mean to go on sinning deliberately?

"Sinning" means disobeying clear commands of Scripture — which would include unforgiveness, sexual immorality, and love of money.

So — if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, does that mean you can never be forgiven?  Not at all.

Notice that the author is not just talking about "sinning."  He's talking about "going on sinning deliberately."

The words "going on" and "deliberately" mean that you are continuing in this sin without confessing it, without sorrowing over it, without battling it.

So if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, but today confessed that to the Lord and by faith fought to overcome it — then you are NOT "going on sinning deliberately."

But — if yesterday you harbored unforgiveness against someone, and today you are continuing in that unforgiveness without confessing it and without fighting by faith to forgive them — then you ARE "going on sinning deliberately."

Which means that unless something changes, there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins.

What Does That Mean?

The author explains in the rest of the passage.  If, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, you go on sinning deliberately, then —

• V.27 says you would face "a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire."
• V.29 says you would face a "worse punishment" than death.
• V.30 says you would face God's "vengeance," and that He would "judge" you.
• And v.31 says "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

I don't see any way around it.  If, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, you go on sinning deliberately, then you will not end up in heaven.  You will face God's judgment forever.

But Be Careful

At this point you could draw a very wrong, and very dangerous, conclusion.

Let's say you are NOT going on sinning deliberately.  Not that you are perfect, but you are trusting Christ, which includes fighting sin by faith.  You often overcome sin.  And when you do sin, you turn back to Christ, confess your sin, and return to the fight.

So you are NOT going on sinning deliberately.  But you could let this passage make you fear that someday you might start going on sinning deliberately, which would mean facing God's judgment forever.

But I've got good news for you.  If today you are trusting Christ — then YOU WILL NEVER FACE THIS JUDGMENT.

Because if today you are trusting Christ, which includes fighting sin by faith, that shows that God has saved you. And because God has saved you, He will —

• complete the good work He started in you (Phil 1:6),
• keep you from stumbling so far that you face eternal judgment (Jude 1:24-25),
• not let anything (not even you) snatch you from His hand (John 10:28-29).

So no one who is saved by God will experience the judgment described in Heb 10:26-31.

But you might wonder — hadn't the people described in Heb 10:26-31 been saved?

Hadn't they "received the knowledge of the truth" (Heb 10:26)?  Yes, but that does not mean they were saved.  Because the parable of the four soils shows that there is a shallow way to receive the word that does not include faith in Christ (Mark 4:1-20).

And hadn't they been "sanctified" (Heb 20:29)?  Yes, but that also does not mean they were saved.  Because the word "sanctified" can mean something less than salvation (see 1Cor 7:14-16).

So how can anyone know for sure they have been saved?  We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone (Eph 2:8-9).  So, to be assured of salvation, turn from whatever else you have been trusting to satisfy you, and trust Jesus Christ to forgive you, strengthen your weak faith, help you battle sin, and satisfy you in Himself.

If your trust is sincere, then you will want to fight sin by faith, and you can be fully assured that God has saved you.  Which means He will keep you persevering in faith to the end.  Which means you will never face the judgment described in Heb 10:26-31. Never.

But What If You Are Not?

What if you are not fighting sin by faith?  What if you are going on sinning deliberately?

Lord willing, I'll talk about this more in my next blog post.

But for now, understand that if you are going on sinning deliberately, then unless something changes, you will face God's judgment forever.

But — if you will turn to Jesus now and confess your sin, admit your helplessness, ask His forgiveness, and trust Him to forgive you, strengthen you, help and satisfy you — He will.

And you'll be under the waterfall of His grace — and kept there — forever.

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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –

• Can A Believer Lose Salvation?
• Should I Wait For God To Change Me?
• Are You Misdiagnosing Your Sin?
• A Promise For When You Are Tempted

(Picture is from Microsoft Publisher Clipart.)

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Source: https://livingbyfaithblog.com/2013/05/02/can-i-deliberately-keep-sinning-and-still-be-forgiven/

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