“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened – those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come – and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing Him to the cross once again and holding Him up to public shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6 NLT)
For years I was led to believe and assumed that these verses spoke of someone who was genuinely saved and walked with the Lord, then turned away and were once again lost. But in John 10:27-30 Jesus says: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” And Ephesians 2:8 where Paul writes: “God saved you by His grace when you believed.” Both “saved” and “believed” are past tense which speaks of something that has already been accomplished.
Knowing the Bible doesn’t contradict itself it caused me to inspect the verses in Hebrews 6 with fresh eyes. I went to my concordance and began looking at the meaning of each word and discovered quite a different meaning than I was initially taught. I fell victim to what is commonly called “proof texting,” which, presumably, many who read these verses have also been subjected to.
Cults are fond of this approach which basically takes a text out of its original context and twists it to mean something it was never intended to say. Christian denominations, splinter groups, and non-denominational groups do the same thing in an attempt to prove their particular views. My position is I find my identity in no denominational group but in Christ alone. My goal is to learn what the Bible teaches, follow and teach only what the Lord is teaching me.
From that standpoint I’m looking at the Hebrews text and seeing that the understanding of this passage hinges on who is the “once enlightened”? “Are they saved?” is the bottom line, but the word that’s used means: “To bring to light, illumine, to enlighten spiritually…(to enable something) to become clear; to instruct, to inform, teach; to give understanding to.” These things, as helpful as they are, do not constitute a saved person. This is not a word to describe someone who has received salvation, but one who has evaluated what it means, understood, and turned away.
People who attend church, at least a Spirit-filled Church, will “experience the good things of heaven and share in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come.” In our church, week after week lost people sit through powerful times of worship and compelling preaching only to leave without committing their life to Christ. They taste of the Word of God and experience the Lord’s powerful presence, even of the power of the age to come, yet, week after week they “then turn away from God” choosing rather to go their own way.
Those of us from Holiness backgrounds often “rebel” at the sound of “once saved always saved” or try to explain eternal security in ways that seem more dependent upon how we respond. Here’s the truth. Salvation is 100% God and 0% us.
“Whoa! What about discipleship and obedience and conformity to the likeness of Jesus that takes time?” It all takes place in the context of our sanctification which is the accompanying work of the Holy Spirit. If salvation and sanctification were of us, why did Jesus die?
This is too rich not to continue in tomorrow’s post.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 