Impossible To Renew Them Again
One of the most moving and powerful scriptures in the Bible reads,
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Many have been the questions about this reference because of the false doctrines of Calvinism which deny that the saved person can fall from grace or apostatize. Unless one has the colored glasses of error blocking his view, we believe this passage, along with many others on this question, to be crystal clear: the once sincere, faithful, truly converted Christian, who departs from following the Lord and His Word, will be eternally lost. Since God's powerful means to save is the Gospel (Romans 1:16) and the Gospel is the only means which was brought to bear on any lost soul to bring salvation (James 1:21), if that power is now neglected and rejected, there is no other power promised, nor to be expected which will be exerted upon the heart to benefit our eternal welfare.
PAUL'S PLEADINGS
Most consider Paul to be the writer of the book of Hebrews; and that the book was written for the purpose of preserving from apostasy the Jewish Christians to whom he wrote. The key word in the book is the word "better," mentioned some thirteen times to show the superiority of Christianity over Judaism in the priesthood, law, benefits, promises, etc. These to whom Paul wrote were exposed to the dangers of apostasy because of the sticklers for the Law of Moses who desired and worked diligently to return those who followed Christ to the yoke of bondage from which they had been delivered (Galatians 5:1).
Paul had written to the Galatian Christians, that if they returned to the tenets of the Old Law, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). The foreign teachings of men, then and now, have often departed from the true teaching of God's revelation. Therefore, proper living and understanding of the grace of God found in the Gospel plan of salvation have not been followed. Some now contend there is nothing we can do in obedience to effect God's grace toward ourselves; or, some say that grace covers un-repented sins; and even some say, in further accord with Calvinism and not the Bible, that once one is saved by the grace of God he cannot fall so as to be lost. Some seem to cast away the scriptures that do not suit them and finally decide in favor of universal salvation.
WE CAN FALL AWAY
Paul's description of the blessings enjoyed in Christ by the faithful (Hebrews 6:4-6) whose hearts no longer love and practice sin but are alive unto righteousness (Romans 6:14, 19), are very vivid. He is clearly not referring to those who have remained in the world of sin and out of Christ, but he refers to those who through faith, repentance, confession and baptism have entered Christ. but something has happened since then! They have fallen away! Hence, he shows the former blessings enjoyed by Christians have now been lost by neglect in the hardened heart of the apostate.
From Hebrews 6:4-6, Paul writes that those he had in mind were "once enlightened" by Jesus, the light of the world, to a renewed state to which one can attain in Christ (John 8:12; Ephesians 5:8, 17); "and have tasted of the heavenly gift" by "tasting" or learning of the demands, plan, forgiveness, and promises of the Gospel (John 6:44-45); "and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost" by imbibing His teaching and enjoying the renewing influence in our lives (Colossians 3:16); "and have tasted the good word of God" in its goodness, its beauty, pleasure, love, comfort, completeness, authority, and power (Psalm 19:7-10; Hebrews 4:12); "and of the powers of the world to come" as we enjoy the hope promised in the kingdom of "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). But Paul speaks then of those who have allowed sin to reestablish its reign in their lives!
"IF THEY SHALL FALL AWAY"
The Greek shows that this should be written in the past tense, and "having fallen away" (Hebrews 6:6). Those who had formerly been enlightened, tasted the blessings of truth, and were made partakers by experience of the blessings, have now placed themselves beyond the reach of recovery! What a shame! No blame can be placed on the Heavenly Host, the powerful Word, or on our brethren in the Lord for our lost condition. We are personally responsible! "Every man shall bear his own burden" of responsibility (Galatians 6:5). "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man" (James 1:13).
LET US STUDY, GROW, AND GUARD OUR CONSCIENCE
Nothing should be more closely guarded than a tender, pure conscience. Its office is to prick us when we go against our moral judgment and to call us back from temptation and apostasy! The wise man said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Paul warned that it is possible to "depart from the faith" (1 Timothy 4:1) and to have our conscience seared as with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2) to the extent that the Gospel will no longer appeal to us! The seared conscience has no more feeling, as it once enjoyed previously. It is at this point that these souls are beyond reach, and the Gospel is powerless to call them back to faithfulness, "For it is impossible" for them to be restored (Hebrews 6:4-6). It is also at this point that "they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:6). They, now, could have driven the nails in His hands and feet, and thrust the spear in His side, had they been present on crucifixion day!
Let the backsliding Christian realize the dangerous position in which he is engaged! "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain looking for the judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:26-27).
From Our Archives, 1995
By: Gary Colley