Hebrews 10:18 teaches that once God has forgiven sins completely, no further sacrifice is needed to deal with them. The writer is summing up his argument that Jesus’ single offering has accomplished what the old sacrifices could never finish. The author of Hebrews, traditionally thought to be a Christian teacher writing to Jewish believers, makes this point near the end of a long explanation of the priesthood and the covenant.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Hebrews 10:18 (WEB)
What Hebrews 10:18 Means
The verse begins with “where remission of these is,” which refers back to the sins and lawlessness just mentioned in verse 17. “Remission” means forgiveness or release, the cancelling of a debt. When the writer says this forgiveness is in place, he means that the debt has been paid and removed from the record. God has said he will remember sins no more, so the matter is closed.
The conclusion follows directly: “there is no more offering for sin.” Under the old system, sacrifices had to be repeated year after year because they could not fully remove sin. Once forgiveness is complete, the reason for repeated offerings disappears. The verse does not say that Christians will never sin again or that they no longer need to confess. It says that the sacrifice for sin has been finished and does not need to be made again.
The Context of Hebrews 10:18
The letter to the Hebrews is a sustained comparison between the old covenant worship of Israel and the work of Christ. The writer shows that the tabernacle, the priests, and the animal sacrifices were shadows pointing toward something greater. In verses 15 to 17 he quotes Jeremiah 31, where God promises a new covenant in which he will write his law on the heart and forget the sins of his people. Verse 18 is the conclusion of that quotation: if sins are forgiven in this way, the old sacrifices have no remaining purpose.
The verses that follow, 19 to 21, turn from the argument to its practical result. Because of the blood of Jesus, believers now have confidence to draw near to God, through the new and living way he opened. Verse 18 is therefore the hinge between doctrine and encouragement. Read alone, it can sound like a bare statement about sacrifice, but in its setting it is good news that gives the reader boldness to approach God.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 10:18
Jeremiah 31:34
They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says the LORD: “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
(WEB)
This verse is the original promise that the writer of Hebrews quotes in the surrounding passage. It shows that the forgiveness described in Hebrews 10 was announced long before Christ came, as part of God’s plan for a new covenant with his people.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(WEB)
This verse speaks of God’s faithfulness and justice in forgiving sins when we confess them. It fits alongside Hebrews 10:18 by showing that forgiveness is rooted in God’s character and remains available to believers in their daily lives.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 10:18
Lord, thank you that the sacrifice for my sin has been made once and for all. I confess that I often try to carry my guilt as if it were still mine to pay. Help me to rest in the forgiveness you have given through Jesus, and to live without fear of a debt that has already been cancelled. Teach me to draw near to you with confidence, and to extend the same mercy to others that you have shown to me. Amen.
