It Is Impossible to Renew Them Again to Repentance Without Faith It Is Impossible to Please God
Permit'due south suppose you died and stood earlier the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I allow you lot into My heaven?" What would you say? What do you call back you would say?
That question posed by Donald Barnhouse years agone probes to the depths of our relationship with God. Upon whom or what are yous depending for salvation or eternal life?
The eye of Hebrews affiliate six forces us to enquire the question, do you have eternal life? Are you lot saved? You are either lost or saved. Yous either have eternal life or y'all do not. In whom or what are you lot trusting for eternal conservancy?
The salvation Jesus procured for u.s.a. is "eternal." We take "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a great Savior!
The author of Hebrews will now stress the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true laic considering he will persevere. The true believer will keep trusting Christ. He will continue to spiritual maturity in a growing relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:1-6 contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The author of Hebrews has a fashion of causing his readers to stop, wait, and listen. He wants them to accept a serious expect and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against false security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that do not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.
"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying over again a foundation of repentance from expressionless works and of faith toward God, of education most washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will practise, if God permits. For in the case of those who take in one case been enlightened and take tasted of the heavenly gift and accept 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 have 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 rain which oftentimes falls on information technology and brings along vegetation useful to those for whose sake information technology is likewise tilled, receives a blessing from God; only if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to beingness cursed, and it ends up being burned" (Hebrews six:ane-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).
Alert against consequences of betrayment (Heb. 6:four-8)
The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, 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 state of affairs.
This passage is not denying keen 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 historic period to come.
It is helpful to remember this is one of the most disputed passages in the New Testament. At that place is no perfect interpretation of this passage because we do not have all of the background on the first readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced past 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. There are basically four dissimilar interpretations by Bible believing scholars.
Four interpretations
one. Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who later lose their salvation. They view this passage every bit people who are born again, but lose their conservancy past deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the volume of Hebrews, and balance the Bible'southward teaching on ballot and eternal security (John 10:26-30; Rom. viii:28-xxx; Phil. ane:3-5). The author offers no hope to the apostate. Information technology definitely does non teach that conservancy can exist lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or y'all are not.
ii. Another grouping interprets this passage equally saved persons who regress. They describe them every bit saved, but fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They suffer the "sin unto death" (1 John 5:16), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The trouble is these people cannot be reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot start over. There is no such matter equally being saved a second fourth dimension. You are either saved, or lost.
3. Another popular view is a hypothetical case is beingness presented by the author to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are under pressure to render to Judaism, merely why would they e'er want to give upwards their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would only provide the prove that they had never been built-in once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is zippo to show that the weather condition of fatal betrayment had been fulfilled, even so less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is apparently a supposed example to right their incorrect ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-6 to fall away, it would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a 2nd time."
four. Other scholars encounter this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate fifty-fifty though they accept had bang-up emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is non the real thing. They accept heard the message of Good News, they have observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, merely like the seed of the sower planted on rocky footing have 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, but never believed in their hearts and therefore never saved.
Can a person exist a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not exist justified? Was this person who falls away like this ever truly saved or justified or born again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews half dozen is can you be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the age to come and not be justified? Can yous lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and then exist lost? Or is this passage teaching that you lot tin have these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses 4-5 and never exist justified or saved or born once more?
The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the homo perseverance of the saints (Heb. half-dozen:thirteen-20; John v:24; ten:26-thirty; Rom. viii:28-39; Phil. 1:3-5). How do we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How do nosotros hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?
In Hebrews 6:1-3 the writer has been encouraging his readers to keep 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 alert to those who accept to plow away from Christ.
"For it 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 word of God and the powers of the age to come, and and so have fallen away, to restore them once again to repentance, since they are crucifying once once again the Son of God to their own impairment and holding him upwards to antipathy" (Hebrews 6:four-vi, ESV).
The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the case of those who have once been aware and take tasted of the heavenly souvenir 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, 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" (Hebrews half dozen:iv-6).
To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For information technology is impossible to restore again to repentance those who were once enlightened"? The writer does non say, "united states who were once aware," nor "you," but "those who have one time been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast between "Beloved, we are persuaded ameliorate things of y'all," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, simply they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of every bit God's elect, for whom Christ died, or equally those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their being justified, forgiven, cleansed and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.
A disquisitional discussion in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English translations. It is also used in Hebrews half dozen:18 where the author tells us it is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews 10:iv it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews 11:6 we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. Here it reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The give-and-take "renew" must likewise be taken with its full meaning. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the eye of the individual. The Holy Spirit brings about this change in the mind that affects the whole person.
They had "one time been enlightened"
"Enlightened" (photizo) "to give light, to shine;" metaphorically ways spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual low-cal or knowledge by instruction. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does it autumn 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 being transformed into the same paradigm from glory to celebrity, simply as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). There is a big deviation between being enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?
"Tasted of the heavenly gift"
They take to a certain caste understood the truths, but non gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, then that i may consume of it and not die. I am the living breadstuff that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this breadstuff, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." Then the Jews began to contend with i another, proverb, "How can this human give u.s. His flesh to swallow?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you consume the mankind of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you lot have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I volition raise him upwardly on the last 24-hour interval. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is truthful drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John vi:fifty-56). His Jewish listeners took criminal offence 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 united states to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this gift as Christ. He is the Father'southward gift from sky and His goal is to have u.s. to heaven to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, but had never made a commitment one time and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the give-and-take and immediately receives it with joy; still he has no business firm root in himself, merely is but temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises considering of the word, immediately he falls abroad" (Matthew 13:20-21).
"Have been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"
The discussion for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and means "to take a share in" or but "companions." John 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 impunity 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 testify that their possession and an unregenerate state were past no means incompatible." Several scholars note the word "partakers" does not mean to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the believer. The thought of the permanent constant presence of the Spirit is not included in the word for partake.
Simon Magus in Acts 8:8-18 is a practiced example of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true laic; he only used Christianity for his own personal gain.
"Have tasted the skilful give-and-take of God"
They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been true-blue to His promise and they accept enjoyed, so far as an unconverted person can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises being fulfilled. A. W. Pink observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were establish and I did eat them' (Jeremiah 15:sixteen)." Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark half-dozen:20), but 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 Old Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "historic period to come" was already upon them because Christ has come. "The fourth dimension is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Marking 1:15). Not simply has God spoken "in these final days" to united states of america in His Son, simply He has acted (Heb. i:2). The principles of this new historic period are active at the present time through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and volition to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2d fourth dimension. However, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were at present without excuse. 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 stiff emphatic statement made past the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used earlier. It is parapipto and it means literally "to fall alongside." Information technology is a deliberate, complete and concluding repudiation of Christ. In that location is no forgiveness for this sin. Information technology is a last rejection of Christ. So it is impossible to renew them once more to repentance. Their status is beyond recovery. Since they take rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the 1 sacrifice that can save from sin. It is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them once more unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used absolutely hither, without whatsoever qualification. It is impossible to water it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot exist brought to repentance so long every bit they persist in their renunciation of Christ would exist a truism hardly worth putting into words." There 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 effect of falling abroad is to re-crucify Christ and put Him to open up shame. When Christ went to the cross and died equally our substitute He died to make usa right with God. When we turn our backs on Him and return to the globe we are proverb the world is more than worthy than the beloved of Christ. Nosotros are proverb in effect that we agree with those who crucified Christ.
The author is not describing backsliding Christians or believers who accept fallen into sin. Fifty-fifty Peter who denied Christ iii times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, just the open total renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his eye because he was a true believer. The unbeliever does not experience this kind of modify in the center.
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; ten:19-22; 1 John 1:7-x; 2:1-2).
John Brown said: it is "in open, total, adamant renunciation of all the elective principles of Christianity, and a return to a fake religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open infidelity and open 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 in judgment of Christ and with the crowd shaking their fists and shouting, "Excruciate Him! Crucify Him!" If they had their gamble, they would crucify Him once again. They accept reached a decisive moment of commitment to apostasy. It is a point of no render. They have reached the betoken where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in contempt. There is no possible return.
John Calvin said, "The campaigner is not here talking most 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 non in some one respect only but has utterly renounced His grace."
To so reject Jesus Christ is to exist eternally damned. They go far at a spiritual country where they tin can no longer repent "since they again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no one else to plow to for conservancy.
"Information technology is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they over again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real warning confronting a real danger. It is true someday there is a hardened heart of unbelief.
It is possible for those who are described in the linguistic communication of verses four and five to "fall away and not exist renewed." The critical question is were they ever born again? Were they ever saved?
They are not true Christians considering they have never been regenerated past the Holy Spirit. They are like land that has received its rain, but bears no good fruit. It is a land total 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. At that place was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound like Christians, but 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 advise if these Hebrews renounced their professed faith in Christ they would exist going back to the onetime covenant and would exist irrevocably lost. Since there is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot be committed today. At that place are no sacrifices or a system in which to return so the sin involves abandoning the type for the fulfilled reality in Christ.
I render to my opening questions. If y'all died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you lot, "Why should I let you into My sky? What would yous say? How would you answer to Him? This whole passage of Scripture we are studying zeros in on this reality. What is your personal human relationship with Jesus Christ? When the Holy Spirit applies the redeeming claret of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the work of salvation cannot neglect. Those who are genuinely saved practise not fall abroad; they abound in the grace and cognition of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God'due south piece of work; it is non man'due south piece of work. God'south piece of work cannot fail to reach its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His project. Your salvation is His projection and He will bring information technology to its completion at the mean solar day of Christ (Phil. 1:three-half-dozen).
Perseverance in faith in Christ proves that yous take become a partaker in Christ. If you practice not persevere in faith in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. Yous may be very religious, simply are still lost. You may have had great religious experiences, but have never been justified.
Ultimately only 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 education completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such as one John 1:7-10. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins. Terminate and read carefully the post-obit verses.
"If we walk in the Calorie-free as He Himself is in the Light, we take fellowship with ane another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in usa. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive united states our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that nosotros take not sinned, we make Him a liar and His give-and-take is not in united states of america" (ane John 1:seven-ten).
All who profess to receive the Gospel are non born once more.
Judas Iscariot is an splendid instance of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the great advantages of the Gospel, but never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, but obviously was never saved.
In our day nosotros would say they had their names on the church rolls, only 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, just 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 fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed brutal on the rocky ground where it did non have much soil; and immediately it sprang upward because information technology had no depth of soil. And after the sunday had risen, information technology was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered abroad. Other seed vicious amongst the thorns, and the thorns came upwards and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the skillful soil, and equally they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced 30, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, permit him hear" (Marking iv:3-nine).
What kind of soil is represented in the middle of the true believer? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Merely time reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If information technology is good soil it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. Information technology will behave Christ's likeness.
Some of the readers of the alphabetic character to the Hebrews never did belong to Christ; they were never spiritually regenerated. Nonetheless, those who were truthful believers went on to spiritual maturity.
The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.
Note advisedly, it is the perseverance of the saints, not unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Male parent gives Me will come to Me, and the 1 who comes to Me I volition certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The campaigner Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (ii Tim. 2:xix). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of the divine election.
We are kept by the ability of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the truthful Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains us in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you, and you in Me." Christ did non dice in vain; He rose from the dead to prove it.
They have been aware, tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the give-and-take of God and seen the mighty works of the coming historic period. Where is the evidence that they have been regenerated? It is the continuance in Christ's word which proves that nosotros are His disciples. It is continuing in the religion 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 16:31).
If yous need help in becoming a Christian hither is A Gratis Souvenir for You.
Championship: Hebrews 6:4-6 Warnings against Crucifying Christ Again
Serial: Hebrews
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