Bring Them Back Again to Repentance Impossible

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

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

The heart of Hebrews affiliate six forces us to ask the question, do y'all have eternal life? Are you saved? You lot are either lost or saved. You either take eternal life or you do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal conservancy?

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

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

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

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching most the Christ, permit usa press on to maturity, not laying over again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction most washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the expressionless and eternal judgment. And this nosotros volition practise, if God permits. For in the case of those who accept one time been aware and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the skilful discussion of God and the powers of the age to come, and then accept fallen away, it is incommunicable to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For footing that drinks the pelting which often falls on it and brings along vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is too tilled, receives a blessing from God; just if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned" (Hebrews vi:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Warning against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:four-viii)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had swell religious experiences, and and so the same person falls away and re-crucifies Christ by 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 not denying great blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls away. He turns abroad from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the age to come.

It is helpful to remember this is one of the about disputed passages in the New Testament. In that location is no perfect interpretation of this passage considering we do not have all of the background on the kickoff 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 instruction of the whole Bible. There are basically 4 unlike interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

Four interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who later lose their conservancy. They view this passage equally people who are born over again, only lose their salvation by deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and balance the Bible's teaching on election and eternal security (John 10:26-30; Rom. viii:28-30; Phil. one:iii-5). The writer offers no hope to the apostate. Information technology definitely does not teach that conservancy tin can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or you are not.

2.         Another group interprets this passage as saved persons who backslide. They describe them every bit saved, but fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They suffer the "sin unto death" (i 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. In that location is no such thing every bit being saved a second time. You are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another popular view is a hypothetical case is being presented past the author to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are nether pressure to render to Judaism, but why would they always want to give upwards their perfect continuing with God in Christ? To plough from Christ would only provide the evidence that they had never been built-in once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "In that location is zip to testify that the conditions of fatal betrayment had been fulfilled, still less that they had been fulfilled in the case of whatsoever of these addressed." Due west. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is apparently a supposed case to correct their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-6 to autumn away, information technology would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a 2d fourth dimension."

iv.         Other scholars see this passage as professing Christians who accept never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate fifty-fifty though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is non the real affair. They take heard the bulletin of Good News, they take observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, just like the seed of the sower planted on rocky basis accept never been regenerated. The apostasy 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, only 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 similar this ever truly saved or justified or born again? Disquisitional to this whole context in Hebrews half dozen is tin can you exist a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the give-and-take of God and the powers of the age to come and non be justified? Can you lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and then exist lost? Or is this passage teaching that y'all can take these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses four-5 and never exist justified or saved or born again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the man perseverance of the saints (Heb. half dozen:xiii-twenty; John 5:24; 10:26-xxx; Rom. viii:28-39; Phil. i:three-5). How practice we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How do we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:ane-three 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 we see him irresolute his focus to give a stern warning to those who have to plow abroad from Christ.

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once 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 age to come, and then take fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once over again the Son of God to their own harm and belongings him up to contempt" (Hebrews six:four-6, ESV).

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

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For information technology is impossible to restore again to repentance those who were once aware"? The writer does not say, "u.s. who were one time enlightened," nor "yous," simply "those who accept once been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast between "Love, we are persuaded better things of you lot," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed keen privileges under Judaism, just they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of equally God's elect, for whom Christ died, or as those built-in of the Spirit of God. The passage does non speak of their being justified, forgiven, apple-pie and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their religion in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical word in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English translations. It is also used in Hebrews 6:xviii where the author tells us 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 nosotros are told that without religion it is incommunicable to please God. Hither it reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must also be taken with its full meaning. Repentance is the piece of work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the individual. The Holy Spirit brings about this change in the listen that affects the whole person.

They had "once been aware"

"Enlightened" (photizo) "to give light, to smooth;" metaphorically means spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual light or knowledge past teaching. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does information technology fall short of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are existence transformed into the aforementioned image from celebrity to glory, but as from the Lord, the Spirit" (ii Corinthians 3:18). There is a big departure between being enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly souvenir"

They accept to a certain caste understood the truths, but non gone on to advisable them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that 1 may consume of it and not die. I am the living staff of life that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he volition live forever; and the staff of life besides which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." And so the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man requite us His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Homo and potable His blood, you lot have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truthful food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My claret abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:l-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 gift comes from heaven and leads us to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to recollect of this gift equally Christ. He is the Begetter's gift from sky and His goal is to have us to heaven to be with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, just 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 man who hears the discussion and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no house root in himself, but is only temporary, and when illness or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The give-and-take for "partakers" or "take shared" here is metochos and means "to have a share in" or merely "companions."  John Dark-brown wrote: "It is highly probable that the inspired writer 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 bars to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At any rate they plainly bear witness that their possession and an unregenerate state were by no means incompatible."  Several scholars note the give-and-take "partakers" does not mean to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the believer. The idea of the permanent constant presence of the Spirit is non included in the word for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts viii:8-18 is a expert example of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he only used Christianity for his ain 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 accept enjoyed, so far as an unconverted person can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises existence fulfilled. A. Due west. Pink observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were found and I did eat them' (Jeremiah xv:16)." Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark half-dozen:twenty), but he did non repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the historic period to come"

The new dispensation ushered in past the Messiah co-ordinate to the Old Attestation prophesies has at present 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 considering Christ has come up. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Marking ane:15). Non only has God spoken "in these last days" to us in His Son, simply He has acted (Heb. i:ii). The principles of this new age are active at the present time through the functioning 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 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 so fallen away"

This is a very strong emphatic statement made by the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used before. 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 final rejection of Christ. And then information technology is impossible to renew them over again to repentance. Their status is beyond recovery. Since they accept rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ at that place is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the one sacrifice that can relieve from sin. Information technology is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them again unto repentance" those who have totally abased the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used admittedly hither, without whatever qualification. It is incommunicable to water it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be brought to repentance then 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" (five. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The consequence of falling away is to re-excruciate Christ and put Him to open shame. When Christ went to the cross and died as our substitute He died to brand united states of america right with God. When we plough our backs on Him and render to the world nosotros are maxim the world is more worthy than the love of Christ. We are saying in issue that we agree with those who crucified Christ.

The author is non 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 laic, but the open full renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his centre because he was a truthful believer. The unbeliever does not feel this kind of alter in the centre.

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. iv:14-xvi; x:19-22; one John i:seven-10; 2:1-2).

John Brownish said: it is "in open, total, adamant 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 infidelity and open godlessness."

The context of this passage of Scripture shows the willful sin described here is deliberate apostasy. These individuals are in danger of renouncing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and are prepare to openly betrayal Him to public scandal of the cross. They are willing to stand in judgment of Christ and with the oversupply shaking their fists and shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" If they had their risk, they would excruciate Him once again. They take reached a decisive moment of commitment to apostasy. It is a point of no return. They take reached the point where they continue on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in contempt. There is no possible return.

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

To so pass up Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They arrive at a spiritual state where they can no longer apologize "since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no i else to plow to for salvation.

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

Information technology is possible for those who are described in the language of verses 4 and 5 to "fall away and not exist renewed." The critical question is were they ever built-in again? Were they ever saved?

They are not truthful Christians because they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are like land that has received its rain, merely bears no skillful fruit. Information technology is a country total of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, simply they are like seed sown on rocky ground. There was no spiritual root and they savage abroad. They audio like 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 render to the temple worship and therefore crucify Christ once more.

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 at that place is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot exist committed today. There are no sacrifices or a system in which to render and then the sin involves abandoning the type for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I return to my opening questions. If you died today and stood earlier the Lord God and He asked you, "Why should I allow you lot into My heaven? What would you say? How would yous reply 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 work of conservancy cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved do not autumn away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's work; information technology is not man'due south work. God's work cannot fail to achieve its intended purpose. God never fails to consummate His project. Your conservancy is His project and He volition bring it to its completion at the 24-hour interval of Christ (Phil. 1:3-half-dozen).

Perseverance in organized religion in Christ proves that you take become a partaker in Christ. If y'all exercise non persevere in faith in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. You may exist very religious, but are still lost. Yous may accept had great religious experiences, only accept never been justified.

Ultimately but the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who distort this passage to teach that there is no repentance after baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This false teaching completely distorts the remainder of the Scriptures such as 1 John 1:7-10. In that location is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Terminate and read advisedly the following verses.

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

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

Judas Iscariot is an excellent instance of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the slap-up advantages of the Gospel, but never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, but plainly was never saved.

In our day we would say they had their names on the church rolls, merely were never saved. They partook of the Lord's Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, only 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 vicious beside the road, and the birds came and ate information technology upwards. Other seed savage on the rocky footing 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 fell amongst the thorns, and the thorns came upwards and choked it, and information technology yielded no ingather. Other seeds barbarous into the proficient soil, and every bit they grew upward and increased, they yielded a crop and produced 30, 60, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:3-ix).

What kind of soil is represented in the heart of the truthful laic? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Only fourth dimension reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If it is proficient soil it will accept an abundant harvest of good fruit. It will comport Christ's likeness.

Some of the readers of the letter of the alphabet to the Hebrews never did belong to Christ; they were never spiritually regenerated. However, those who were truthful 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 one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The campaigner Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity past the mystery of the divine election.

We are kept past the ability of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Constant in Christ maintains usa in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you, and you in Me." Christ did not die in vain; He rose from the expressionless to prove it.

They have 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's word which proves that we are His disciples. It is standing in the faith 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 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 need help in becoming a Christian here is A Gratis Gift for Y'all.

Title: Hebrews half-dozen:4-6 Warnings against Crucifying Christ Again

Series:  Hebrews

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