Having Tasted of the Divine Gift and Crucified Christ All Over Again

Permit's suppose you died and stood before the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I let y'all into My heaven?"  What would you say? What practice you think y'all would say?

That question posed past Donald Barnhouse years ago probes to the depths of our relationship with God. Upon whom or what are y'all depending for conservancy or eternal life?

The heart of Hebrews affiliate 6 forces u.s. to ask the question, do you take eternal life? Are y'all saved? You lot are either lost or saved. Y'all either have eternal life or you do non. In whom or what are yous trusting for eternal conservancy?

The conservancy Jesus procured for us is "eternal." We have "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a great Savior!

The author of Hebrews volition at present stress the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true laic considering he will persevere. The truthful believer volition continue trusting Christ. He will proceed to spiritual maturity in a growing relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:i-6 contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The author of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to stop, look, and listen. He wants them to have a serious wait and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against fake security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that practice not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the unproblematic teaching about the Christ, let united states of america press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction nigh washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we volition exercise, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been aware and have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the skillful word of God and the powers of the historic period to come up, and then have 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. For ground that drinks the pelting which ofttimes falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake information technology is as well tilled, receives a approval from God; but if information technology yields thorns and thistles, information technology is worthless and shut to being cursed, and it ends upward existence burned" (Hebrews 6:ane-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

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

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had slap-up religious experiences, and then the same person falls abroad 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 situation.

This passage is non denying swell blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls abroad. He turns away from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the age to come up.

It is helpful to call up this is one of the most disputed passages in the New Testament. There is no perfect interpretation of this passage because we exercise not take all of the background on the first readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced by his theological background. I have tried to approach this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the teaching of the whole Bible. At that place are basically four different interpretations by Bible assertive scholars.

Four interpretations

1.         Some scholars translate this passage equally saved persons who later lose their salvation. They view this passage as people who are born again, just lose their salvation by deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and residuum the Bible'due south pedagogy on election and eternal security (John ten:26-30; Rom. eight:28-30; Phil. 1:3-5). The author offers no hope to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that salvation can be lost and regained many times. Yous are either saved or lost. Yous are a child of God, or you are not.

2.         Another group interprets this passage every bit saved persons who backslide. They draw them as saved, just fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They endure the "sin unto death" (1 John 5:16), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The trouble is these people cannot exist reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot start over. In that location is no such thing equally being saved a second time. You lot are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another popular view is a hypothetical case is being presented past the writer to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are nether pressure level to return to Judaism, but why would they ever want to give upward their perfect standing with God in Christ? To plow from Christ would just provide the evidence that they had never been born again. B. F. Westcott observed, "At that place is cypher to show that the conditions of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, still less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is patently a supposed case to correct their incorrect ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-six to fall abroad, it would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a 2d time."

iv.         Other scholars come across this passage as professing Christians who take never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they take had great emotional religious experiences. They take been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is not the real affair. They have heard the message of Good News, they have observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, but similar the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground have 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 non be justified? Was this person who falls abroad like this ever truly saved or justified or born again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews 6 is tin you exist a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the give-and-take of God and the powers of the age to come and not be justified? Tin you lose your eternal position earlier God every bit a truly justified person and and so be lost? Or is this passage didactics that you tin have these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses four-5 and never be justified or saved or built-in again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the homo perseverance of the saints (Heb. vi:13-xx; John 5:24; ten:26-thirty; Rom. eight:28-39; Phil. 1:three-v). How do nosotros reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How practise we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews six:i-3 the writer has been encouraging his readers to go on to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this chapter. Now nosotros encounter him changing his focus to requite a stern alarm to those who have to turn away from Christ.

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who accept tasted the heavenly souvenir, and accept shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and and so take fallen abroad, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own impairment and holding him up to antipathy" (Hebrews half-dozen:4-6, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and take tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come up, and then have fallen abroad, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they once more excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open up shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6).

To whom is the writer addressing when he says, "For it is impossible to restore once more to repentance those who were once aware"? The writer does non say, "united states of america who were one time aware," nor "you," but "those who take once been aware." He draws a sharp dissimilarity betwixt "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, but they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of as God'due south elect, for whom Christ died, or as those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their existence justified, forgiven, cleansed and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is annihilation said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical give-and-take in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English translations. It is besides used in Hebrews 6:eighteen where the author tells united states of america it is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews 10:four it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews 11:six we are told that without religion it is impossible to please God. Here it reads, "For information technology is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must also exist taken with its total meaning. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the eye of the private. The Holy Spirit brings about this change in the mind that affects the whole person.

They had "once been enlightened"

"Enlightened" (photizo) "to give light, to shine;" metaphorically means spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual low-cal or knowledge past didactics. 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, beholding every bit in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are beingness transformed into the same prototype from celebrity to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). There is a big difference between being enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly souvenir"

They have to a sure degree understood the truths, but not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the breadstuff which comes down out of heaven, and then that one may swallow of information technology and not die. I am the living breadstuff that came downwardly out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will alive forever; and the breadstuff also which I will give for the life of the globe is My mankind." Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this homo give usa His flesh to eat?" And so Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you lot eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will heighten him up on the last twenty-four hour period. For My flesh is true food, and My claret is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John six:50-56). His Jewish listeners took offense at Him. They refused to appropriate Christ.

The "heavenly gift" 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 souvenir comes from sky and leads u.s. to sky. Therefore, I am inclined to recollect of this gift as Christ. He is the Father's gift from heaven and His goal is to take the states to heaven to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, but had never made a commitment once and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The ane on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; however he has no firm root in himself, only is merely temporary, and when illness or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Have been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"

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

Simon Magus in Acts viii:8-18 is a good example of someone who "partakers" but in the post-obit decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a truthful believer; he only used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Have 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 have enjoyed, so far as an unconverted person can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises being fulfilled. A. W. Pinkish observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were found and I did swallow them' (Jeremiah fifteen:16)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Marker 6:20), simply he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come up"

The new dispensation ushered in past the Messiah according to the Onetime 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. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at paw" (Mark 1:15). Not just has God spoken "in these last days" to us in His Son, only He has acted (Heb. 1:2). The principles of this new age are active at the nowadays time through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a 18-carat foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and volition to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2nd time. However, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now without alibi. They saw all the evidence 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 statement made by the author of Hebrews. The word used hither is different from apostasia which was used earlier. It is parapipto and it means literally "to fall alongside." It is a deliberate, complete and final repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a terminal rejection of Christ. And then it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ in that location is no other gospel to be preached. They accept rejected the one sacrifice that can salvage from sin. Information technology is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, information technology is "impossible to renew them again unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used admittedly hither, without any qualification. It is impossible to water 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." At that place is no possibility of their restoration "since they once more crucify to themselves the son of God and put Him to open up shame" (five. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The consequence of falling abroad is to re-crucify Christ and put Him to open shame. When Christ went to the cross and died as our substitute He died to make us right with God. When we 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 recidivism Christians or believers who take fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ three times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, but the open full renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart because he was a true believer. The unbeliever does not experience this kind of alter in the center.

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

John Dark-brown said: it is "in open, total, adamant renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a false organized religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open up infidelity and open godlessness."

The context of this passage of Scripture shows the willful sin described hither is deliberate betrayment. 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 excruciate Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of delivery to apostasy. Information technology is a point of no return. They have reached the point where they continue on crucifying the Son of God and property Him in contempt. There is no possible return.

John Calvin said, "The apostle is not hither 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 1 respect only but has utterly renounced His grace."

To so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They arrive at a spiritual state where they tin can no longer repent "since they over again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no 1 else to turn to for salvation.

"It is impossible to renew them once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real alert against a real danger. Information technology is true someday there is a hardened center of unbelief.

Information technology is possible for those who are described in the language of verses four and 5 to "fall away and not be renewed." The critical question is were they ever built-in again? Were they ever saved?

They are not true Christians because they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are like state that has received its rain, but bears no good fruit. It is a country full of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, merely they are like seed sown on rocky ground. There was no spiritual root and they barbarous away. They audio similar Christians, just something is severely missing. They are not saved, and if they are saved the author is presenting a hypothetical case for them to not return to the temple worship and therefore crucify Christ again.

Some scholars suggest if these Hebrews renounced their professed religion in Christ they would exist going back to the quondam covenant and would be irrevocably lost. Since in that location is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot be committed today. There 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 yous died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you lot, "Why should I permit you into My heaven? What would y'all say? How would y'all answer 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 claret of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the work of salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved practise non fall abroad; they grow in the grace and noesis of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's piece of work; information technology is not man'southward piece of work. God's piece of work cannot fail to attain 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 you lot have go a partaker in Christ. If you do not persevere in faith in Christ it proves y'all never became a partaker in Christ. You may be very religious, just are notwithstanding lost. You may have had dandy religious experiences, only have never been justified.

Ultimately just the Lord knows who is saved.

In that location are individuals who distort this passage to teach that there is no repentance after baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This faux teaching completely distorts the residual of the Scriptures such as 1 John 1:7-ten. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Terminate and read carefully the post-obit verses.

"If nosotros walk in the Low-cal as He Himself is in the Light, we take fellowship with one another, and the claret of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we take no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If nosotros confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive united states our sins and to cleanse united states of america from all unrighteousness. If we say that nosotros accept not sinned, nosotros brand Him a liar and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:7-10).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are not born again.

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

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

Jesus said: "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed brutal beside the road, and the birds came and ate information technology up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately information technology sprang up considering information technology had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed barbarous among the thorns, and the thorns came upwardly and high-strung information technology, and information technology yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and equally they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Marking iv:three-9).

What kind of soil is represented in the eye of the true believer? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Only time reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If it is good soil it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. Information technology volition bear Christ's likeness.

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

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Note carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, non unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Male parent gives Me will come up to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (two Tim. 2:19). Our conservancy is guaranteed through all eternity by 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. Constant in Christ maintains us in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in yous, and y'all in Me." Christ did not die in vain; He rose from the expressionless to prove it.

They accept 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? It is the continuance in Christ's word which proves that we are His disciples. It is continuing in the religion which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when information technology is separated from its object.

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

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

If you need assist in condign a Christian here is A Free Gift for You.

Title: Hebrews 6:4-6 Warnings confronting Crucifying Christ Once again

Series:  Hebrews

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