Jesus Is Coming Back Again Cause the Holy Spirit Told Me So

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

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

The heart of Hebrews chapter six forces us to inquire the question, do yous accept eternal life? Are y'all saved? You are either lost or saved. You lot either have eternal life or you lot do non. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal salvation?

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

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

Hebrews half dozen:1-vi contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews has a manner of causing his readers to stop, expect, and listen. He wants them to accept a serious look and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against fake security and all forms of religious charade, especially religious experiences that do not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the unproblematic teaching almost the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from expressionless works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will exercise, if God permits. For in the case of those who take once been aware and accept tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the skillful word of God and the powers of the age to come, and so take fallen abroad, 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 rain which oft falls on information technology and brings along vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is too tilled, receives a blessing from God; merely if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and information technology ends up being burned" (Hebrews 6:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Alert against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:four-8)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had nifty religious experiences, and then 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 groovy blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls abroad. He turns abroad from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the age to come up.

It is helpful to remember this is 1 of the near disputed passages in the New Attestation. At that place is no perfect estimation of this passage because we do non have all of the background on the first readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced by his theological groundwork. 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 4 unlike interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

Four interpretations

ane.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who afterward lose their conservancy. They view this passage as people who are born again, but lose their salvation past deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and balance the Bible'southward teaching on election and eternal security (John 10:26-30; Rom. 8:28-30; Phil. one:three-5). The writer offers no promise to the apostate. It definitely does non teach that salvation tin be lost and regained many times. You lot are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or you are not.

ii.         Another group interprets this passage as saved persons who backslide. They describe them equally saved, simply fall into sin and lose their rewards in sky. They suffer the "sin unto expiry" (1 John v:16), and stand up at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot be reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot start over. In that location is no such thing every bit existence saved a 2d time. You lot are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another pop view is a hypothetical instance is existence presented by the author to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are nether pressure to return to Judaism, but why would they always want to give upward their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would simply provide the evidence that they had never been born once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "At that place is nothing to evidence that the weather condition of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, even so less that they had been fulfilled in the instance of any of these addressed." West. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is plainly a supposed instance to correct their incorrect ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who accept had the experiences of verses 4-6 to fall away, information technology would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a second fourth dimension."

4.         Other scholars come across this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is non the existent 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, but like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground take 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 exist a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not be justified? Was this person who falls away similar this always truly saved or justified or born again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews vi is can yous exist a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the age to come up and not exist justified? Can you lose your eternal position earlier God as a truly justified person and so exist lost? Or is this passage instruction that you can have these great religious emotional experiences equally described in verses four-5 and never be justified or saved or born again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the man perseverance of the saints (Heb. half-dozen:thirteen-20; John v:24; 10:26-thirty; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. 1:3-5). How do we reconcile these articulate teachings with this passage? How practise we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews half-dozen:1-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to go on to maturity. Conspicuously he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this chapter. Now we see him changing his focus to give a stern alarm to those who have to turn 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 take tasted the goodness of the discussion of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own damage and belongings 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 have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good discussion of God and the powers of the age to come, and and then accept fallen abroad, it is impossible to renew them once again to repentance, since they again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews six:4-vi).

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, "us who were once enlightened," nor "you lot," merely "those who have once been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast between "Beloved, we are persuaded improve things of you," and this passage. Information technology is true they enjoyed bang-up privileges under Judaism, only they were not truthful Christians. They are not spoken of as God'southward elect, for whom Christ died, or as 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 organized religion in Christ, nor obedience to Him. At that place 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. Information technology is also used in Hebrews 6:18 where the author tells us it is incommunicable for God to lie, In Hebrews 10:4 it is incommunicable for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews eleven:six we are told that without faith it is impossible to delight God. Here it reads, "For it is incommunicable . . . to renew them once more to repentance." The word "renew" must also exist taken with its full pregnant. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the individual. 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 noesis past teaching. 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?  "Simply we all, with unveiled face up, beholding as in a mirror the celebrity of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to celebrity, only as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:xviii). At that place is a large divergence between existence enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly gift"

They accept to a certain caste understood the truths, but not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the staff of life which comes downwardly out of heaven, and so that one may swallow of it and non die. I am the living staff of life that came downward out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he volition live forever; and the staff of life also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." Then the Jews began to debate with one some other, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to consume?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and potable His blood, you 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 true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:50-56). His Jewish listeners took law-breaking 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 globe and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine souvenir comes from heaven and leads us to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this gift as Christ. He is the Father's gift from heaven and His goal is to take us to heaven to be with Him. The individuals in view had an associate with Christ, but had never fabricated a commitment once 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 information technology with joy; even so he has no firm root in himself, simply is merely temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Accept been made partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The word for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and ways "to accept a share in" or simply "companions."  John Brown wrote: "Information technology is highly probable that the inspired writer refers primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit past which the archaic dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed past the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At any rate they plainly show that their possession and an unregenerate country were by 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 idea of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the give-and-take for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts eight:viii-18 is a skilful example of someone who "partakers" just in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he only used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Have tasted the good give-and-take of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His hope and they have enjoyed, so far as an unconverted person tin can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises being fulfilled. A. Due west. Pinkish observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were found and I did eat them' (Jeremiah 15:xvi)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark half-dozen:xx), but he did not apologize and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the historic period to come"

The new dispensation ushered in by the Messiah according to the Onetime Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous ability 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 up. "The fourth dimension is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:xv). Not only has God spoken "in these last days" to the states in His Son, simply He has acted (Heb. 1:two). The principles of this new age are active at the nowadays fourth dimension through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the historic period to come up, and volition to a more than glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2d time. Nevertheless, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now without excuse. They saw all the prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God and refused to fully commit themselves to Him.

"And then fallen abroad"

This is a very strong emphatic argument 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 autumn alongside." It is a deliberate, consummate and concluding repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a final rejection of Christ. So it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Their status is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the apologetic sacrifice of Christ at that place is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the one sacrifice that can save from sin. Information technology is a full abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them again unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used absolutely here, 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 inappreciably worth putting into words." In that location is no possibility of their restoration "since they once again excruciate to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame" (v. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The effect of falling away 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 united states correct with God. When we plough our backs on Him and render to the world nosotros are saying the earth is more worthy than the love of Christ. We are saying in outcome that we agree with those who crucified Christ.

The author is not describing backsliding Christians or believers who have fallen into sin. Fifty-fifty Peter who denied Christ three times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is non the sin of a believer, but the open up total renunciation of the person and piece of work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart considering he was a truthful believer. The unbeliever does non feel this kind of modify in the heart.

The Bible is emphatic that the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the claret of Christ is freely available to every laic who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. 4:14-16; 10:nineteen-22; i John 1:seven-10; 2:1-ii).

John Dark-brown said: information technology is "in open up, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a imitation 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 here is deliberate betrayment. These individuals are in danger of renouncing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and are set up 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 take chances, they would crucify Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of commitment to apostasy. It is a indicate of no return. They take reached the bespeak where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in contempt. At that place is no possible return.

John Calvin said, "The apostle is non here 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 one respect only but has utterly renounced His grace."

To and so turn down Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They make it at a spiritual country where they tin no longer repent "since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no one else to turn to for salvation.

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

It 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 born again? Were they always saved?

They are not true Christians considering they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are similar country that has received its rain, merely bears no skillful fruit. It is a land full of thorns and weeds. They accept participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are like seed sown on rocky footing. At that place was no spiritual root and they vicious abroad. They sound similar Christians, but something is severely missing. They are not saved, and if they are saved the writer is presenting a hypothetical case for them to non return to the temple worship and therefore crucify Christ over again.

Some scholars suggest if these Hebrews renounced their professed faith in Christ they would be going dorsum to the former covenant and would exist irrevocably lost. Since in that location is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot exist committed today. There are no sacrifices or a system in which to return and so the sin involves abandoning the type for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I return to my opening questions. If y'all died today and stood earlier the Lord God and He asked you, "Why should I allow you into My heaven? What would you say? How would yous respond 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 salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved do non fall away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God'due south work; information technology is non homo's piece of work. God's piece of work cannot neglect to accomplish its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His project. Your salvation is His project and He volition bring it to its completion at the day of Christ (Phil. 1:3-6).

Perseverance in faith in Christ proves that you have get a partaker in Christ. If you exercise not persevere in faith in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. Y'all may be very religious, but are still lost. You may accept had swell religious experiences, but accept never been justified.

Ultimately but the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who misconstrue this passage to teach that there is no repentance after baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This simulated teaching completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such as i John 1:7-ten. In that location is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read carefully the following verses.

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

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

Judas Iscariot is an splendid case of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the bang-up advantages of the Gospel, but never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, only apparently was never saved.

In our 24-hour interval we would say they had their names on the church rolls, but were never saved. They partook of the Lord'southward Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, but 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 information technology upwards. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not take much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And subsequently the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, information technology withered away. Other seed cruel amongst the thorns, and the thorns came upward and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds vicious into the skilful soil, and every bit they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, lx, and a hundredfold. And He was maxim, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:iii-9).

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 skilful soil it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. It 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. Nevertheless, those who were true believers went on to spiritual maturity.

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Note carefully, information technology is the perseverance of the saints, not unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Male parent gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I volition certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of the divine ballot.

We are kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It 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 you, and you in Me." Christ did not dice in vain; He rose from the dead to prove information technology.

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 take been regenerated? It is the constancy in Christ'south word which proves that nosotros are His disciples. Information technology is continuing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Religion dies when it is separated from its object.

The sole object of our organized religion is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our salvation.

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

If you need help in becoming a Christian here is A Costless Souvenir for You.

Title: Hebrews 6:iv-6 Warnings against Crucifying Christ Once more

Serial:  Hebrews

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