And Then Having Fallen Away--to Restore Them Again to Repentance

Let's suppose yous died and stood earlier the Lord God and He said to yous, "Why should I permit yous into My heaven?"  What would you say? What do y'all think you would say?

That question posed by Donald Barnhouse years ago probes to the depths of our relationship with God. Upon whom or what are you depending for salvation or eternal life?

The heart of Hebrews chapter 6 forces united states to enquire the question, practice you have eternal life? Are you saved? Y'all are either lost or saved. You lot either take eternal life or yous do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal salvation?

The salvation Jesus procured for u.s.a. is "eternal." We have "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a smashing Savior!

The author of Hebrews will now stress the perseverance of the laic. We know a person is a true laic because he will persevere. The true believer will continue trusting Christ. He will get on to spiritual maturity in a growing human relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:one-6 contains some of the severest linguistic communication in the Bible. The author of Hebrews has a mode of causing his readers to stop, look, and listen. He wants them to take a serious look and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against false security and all forms of religious charade, particularly religious experiences that do not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the simple teaching about the Christ, let us printing on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of educational activity well-nigh washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we volition do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then take fallen abroad, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake information technology is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; simply if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned" (Hebrews 6:ane-eight, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Warning against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:4-8)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had swell religious experiences, and then the same person falls away and re-crucifies Christ past putting Him to open shame, and that results in the impossibility to renew that person to repentance. When is repentance impossible? That is a most serious state of affairs.

This passage is not denying swell blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls away. He turns away from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the age to come.

It is helpful to think this is one of the virtually disputed passages in the New Attestation. There is no perfect estimation of this passage because nosotros exercise not have all of the background on the commencement readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced past his theological background. I take tried to approach this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the teaching of the whole Bible. In that location are basically four dissimilar interpretations past Bible believing scholars.

Four interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who after lose their salvation. They view this passage as people who are built-in once again, but lose their conservancy past deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the volume of Hebrews, and remainder the Bible's teaching on ballot and eternal security (John 10:26-thirty; Rom. viii:28-30; Phil. 1:3-5). The author offers no hope to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that conservancy can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You lot are a child of God, or you are not.

two.         Another group interprets this passage as saved persons who backslide. They draw them as saved, simply fall into sin and lose their rewards in sky. They endure the "sin unto expiry" (1 John 5:16), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot be reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot showtime over. There is no such matter as being saved a second time. Y'all are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another popular view is a hypothetical case is being presented by the writer to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are under pressure to return to Judaism, but why would they ever want to surrender their perfect standing with God in Christ? To plow from Christ would only provide the evidence that they had never been built-in once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is naught to show that the conditions of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, withal less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." Due west. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is patently a supposed example to correct their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to exist that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses four-half dozen to fall away, information technology would exist impossible to renew them unless Christ died a second time."

four.         Other scholars run into this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate fifty-fifty though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They take been inoculated with a form of Christianity, simply it is not the real thing. They accept heard the message of Adept News, they have observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, take had emotional experiences, but like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground take never been regenerated. The betrayment referred to is the final rejection of Christ. They have rejected the substitutionary penal sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins. They were sympathizers to the Gospel, but never believed in their hearts and therefore never saved.

Can a person be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not be justified? Was this person who falls away like this always truly saved or justified or born again? Disquisitional to this whole context in Hebrews half-dozen is tin y'all exist a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the age to come and not be justified? Tin can y'all lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and then be lost? Or is this passage didactics that yous tin can take these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses 4-5 and never be justified or saved or born once again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the human perseverance of the saints (Heb. 6:13-20; John 5:24; 10:26-thirty; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. 1:3-v). How do we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How do we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:1-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to go along to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this affiliate. Now we see him changing his focus to give a stern warning to those who have to plough away from Christ.

"For information technology is impossible, in the case of those who have one time been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the discussion of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and so accept fallen abroad, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him upwardly to contempt" (Hebrews vi:iv-6, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the case of those who accept once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly souvenir and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the adept give-and-take of God and the powers of the age to come, and then take fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-half-dozen).

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For it is impossible to restore once again to repentance those who were once aware"? The writer does not say, "us who were once enlightened," nor "you," but "those who have one time been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast betwixt "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, but they were non truthful Christians. They are non spoken of as God's elect, for whom Christ died, or as those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their being justified, forgiven, cleansed and accepted in the Honey. Neither is anything said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. In that location is no indication that they were children of God.

A disquisitional word in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "incommunicable" in all of our accurate English translations. Information technology is also used in Hebrews 6:18 where the author tells us information technology is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews x:4 it is incommunicable for the claret of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews 11:six we are told that without organized religion it is impossible to please God. Here information technology reads, "For it is incommunicable . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must also exist taken with its full meaning. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the individual. The Holy Spirit brings about this change in the mind that affects the whole person.

They had "once been enlightened"

"Aware" (photizo) "to give light, to shine;" metaphorically means spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual light or knowledge by education. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does it fall short of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But we all, with unveiled face up, beholding as in a mirror the celebrity of the Lord, are existence transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (two Corinthians 3:xviii). In that location is a big departure between being enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly gift"

They have to a certain degree understood the truths, but not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came downward out of sky; if anyone eats of this staff of life, he will alive forever; and the bread likewise which I will give for the life of the world is My mankind." Then the Jews began to fence with 1 another, maxim, "How can this man give u.s. His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless y'all eat the flesh of the Son of Man and potable His claret, yous take no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My claret has eternal life, and I will heighten him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My claret is true drinkable. He who eats My flesh and drinks My claret abides in Me, and I in him" (John half-dozen:50-56). His Jewish listeners took offense at Him. They refused to advisable Christ.

The "heavenly souvenir" refers either to Christ or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is ministering on the earth and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine gift comes from heaven and leads the states to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this gift as Christ. He is the Father's souvenir from heaven and His goal is to take us to sky to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, simply had never made a commitment once and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The 1 on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the homo who hears the word and immediately receives information technology with joy; still he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew thirteen:20-21).

 "Take been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The give-and-take for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and means "to have a share in" or merely "companions."  John Chocolate-brown wrote: "It is highly probable that the inspired author refers primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit past which the primitive dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no ways confined to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At whatsoever rate they plainly bear witness that their possession and an unregenerate land were past no means incompatible."  Several scholars note the word "partakers" does non mean to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the laic. The thought of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the give-and-take for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts eight:eight-18 is a good instance of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he but used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Take tasted the good word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His promise and they take enjoyed, and so far equally an unconverted person tin can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come up from these promises being fulfilled. A. Westward. Pink observed, these readers "could non say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were constitute and I did eat them' (Jeremiah fifteen:sixteen)." Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark 6:xx), simply he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new dispensation ushered in by the Messiah according to the Former Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come" was already upon them because Christ has come up. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at manus" (Marker 1:15). Non only has God spoken "in these last days" to us in His Son, just He has acted (Heb. one:2). The principles of this new age are agile at the nowadays time through the performance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a 18-carat foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and volition to a more than glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a second time. However, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now without excuse. They saw all the bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God and refused to fully commit themselves to Him.

"And then fallen away"

This is a very strong emphatic argument made by the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used earlier. Information technology is parapipto and information technology means literally "to autumn alongside." Information technology is a deliberate, consummate and terminal repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a final rejection of Christ. Then it is impossible to renew them once more to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to exist preached. They accept rejected the one sacrifice that can relieve from sin. Information technology is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them once again unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used admittedly here, without any qualification. Information technology is impossible to h2o it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be brought to repentance so long as they persist in their renunciation of Christ would exist a truism hardly worth putting into words." In that location is no possibility of their restoration "since they again crucify to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame" (v. vii).

This is how serious this betrayment is. The consequence of falling abroad is to re-crucify Christ and put Him to open shame. When Christ went to the cantankerous and died as our substitute He died to make us right with God. When nosotros turn our backs on Him and return to the world we are proverb the world is more worthy than the love of Christ. We are saying in effect that we agree with those who crucified Christ.

The author is not describing backsliding Christians or believers who have fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ iii times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, merely the open full renunciation of the person and piece of work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart considering he was a truthful believer. The unbeliever does not experience this kind of modify in the heart.

The Bible is emphatic that the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the claret of Christ is freely available to every believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. 4:14-16; x:19-22; 1 John 1:7-10; 2:one-ii).

John Dark-brown said: it is "in open, full, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a false religion, such equally that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open up adultery and open up godlessness."

The context of this passage of Scripture shows the willful sin described hither is deliberate apostasy. These individuals are in danger of renouncing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and are ready to openly expose Him to public scandal of the cross. They are willing to stand up in judgment of Christ and with the crowd shaking their fists and shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" If they had their chance, they would crucify Him again. They accept reached a decisive moment of delivery to betrayment. It is a point of no render. They take reached the point where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in antipathy. There is no possible return.

John Calvin said, "The campaigner is not here talking about theft or perjury or murder or drunkenness or adultery. He is referring to a complete falling away from the gospel, in which the sinner has offended God not in some one respect simply but has utterly renounced His grace."

To so refuse Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They arrive at a spiritual state where they can no longer apologize "since they once more crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." In that location is no one else to turn to for conservancy.

"It is impossible to renew them over again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open up shame." This is a existent warning against a real danger. It is true anytime there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

It is possible for those who are described in the linguistic communication of verses 4 and 5 to "fall away and not exist renewed." The disquisitional question is were they ever born again? Were they ever saved?

They are not true Christians because they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are like land that has received its rain, simply bears no adept fruit. It is a land total of thorns and weeds. They accept participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are like seed sown on rocky ground. There was no spiritual root and they cruel away. They sound like Christians, simply something is severely missing. They are not saved, and if they are saved the writer is presenting a hypothetical case for them to not return to the temple worship and therefore excruciate Christ again.

Some scholars suggest if these Hebrews renounced their professed faith in Christ they would be going back to the old covenant and would be irrevocably lost. Since in that location is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot exist committed today. In that location are no sacrifices or a system in which to return so the sin involves abandoning the type for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I return to my opening questions. If you died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My sky? What would you lot say? How would you respond to Him? This whole passage of Scripture we are studying zeros in on this reality. What is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ? When the Holy Spirit applies the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the piece of work of conservancy cannot neglect. Those who are genuinely saved do non autumn away; they abound in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God'southward work; it is not man's work. God'due south work cannot neglect to reach its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His projection. Your salvation is His project and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ (Phil. 1:3-6).

Perseverance in organized religion in Christ proves that yous take go a partaker in Christ. If you do non persevere in faith in Christ information technology proves yous never became a partaker in Christ. You may be very religious, but are however lost. You may accept had dandy religious experiences, but have never been justified.

Ultimately only the Lord knows who is saved.

At that place are individuals who misconstrue this passage to teach that there is no repentance after baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This simulated educational activity completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such every bit 1 John one:vii-10. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read carefully the following verses.

"If we walk in the Light every bit He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one some other, and the claret of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If nosotros say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive the states our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that nosotros have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His discussion is not in u.s." (i John 1:7-ten).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are not built-in again.

Judas Iscariot is an first-class case of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the great advantages of the Gospel, merely never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, merely obviously was never saved.

In our day we would say they had their names on the church rolls, but were never saved. They partook of the Lord'southward Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, but were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said: "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; equally he was sowing, some seed vicious beside the route, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did non have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, information technology withered away. Other seed barbarous among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and information technology yielded no crop. Other seeds brutal into the expert soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, threescore, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Marking 4:iii-ix).

What kind of soil is represented in the heart of the true believer? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Just time reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If it is good soil information technology will have an abundant harvest of proficient fruit. It volition bear Christ'south likeness.

Some of the readers of the letter to the Hebrews never did vest to Christ; they were never spiritually regenerated. Withal, those who were true believers went on to spiritual maturity.

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Annotation carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, not unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the i who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:xix). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity past the mystery of the divine election.

Nosotros are kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Information technology is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains u.s.a. in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you, and you in Me." Christ did not die in vain; He rose from the dead to prove it.

They take been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and seen the mighty works of the coming age. Where is the evidence that they have been regenerated? Information technology is the continuance in Christ'south word which proves that nosotros are His disciples. It is continuing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when it is separated from its object.

The sole object of our faith is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our salvation.

What is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ? "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved" (Acts xvi:31).

If you lot demand help in becoming a Christian hither is A Free Gift for You.

Title: Hebrews 6:iv-6 Warnings against Crucifying Christ Again

Series:  Hebrews

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