They Put Him to Public Shame All Over Again

Let'southward suppose you died and stood before the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I let you into My sky?"  What would yous say? What do you think 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 you lot depending for salvation or eternal life?

The heart of Hebrews affiliate 6 forces united states of america to ask the question, do you take eternal life? Are you saved? You 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 accept "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a groovy Savior!

The author of Hebrews will at present stress the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true believer because he will persevere. The true believer will continue trusting Christ. He will go on to spiritual maturity in a growing human 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 way of causing his readers to finish, await, and listen. He wants them to take a serious look and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns confronting false security and all forms of religious charade, especially religious experiences that do not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the unproblematic educational activity about the Christ, let u.s.a. press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of organized religion toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of easily, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have one time been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and so take fallen away, it is incommunicable to renew them once more to repentance, since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which oft falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake information technology is likewise tilled, receives a blessing from God; only if it yields thorns and thistles, information technology is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up existence burned" (Hebrews 6:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Warning against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:4-viii)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, and then the aforementioned person falls abroad 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 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 recall this is one of the most disputed passages in the New Testament. There is no perfect interpretation of this passage considering we do not accept all of the background on the get-go readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced by his theological background. I take tried to approach this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the teaching of the whole Bible. There are basically four different interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

Four interpretations

ane.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who subsequently lose their conservancy. They view this passage as people who are born over again, merely lose their salvation by deliberate betrayment. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and residuum the Bible's teaching on election and eternal security (John 10:26-thirty; Rom. viii:28-thirty; Phil. i:3-five). The author offers no hope to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that conservancy can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a kid of God, or you are non.

2.         Some other grouping interprets this passage equally saved persons who backslide. They depict them as saved, only fall into sin and lose their rewards in sky. They suffer the "sin unto decease" (1 John 5:16), 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. There is no such matter equally existence saved a second time. Y'all are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another popular view is a hypothetical case is being presented past the writer to illustrate the recklessness of betrayment. These individuals are truly regenerated are under force per unit area to return to Judaism, only why would they always want to give up their perfect standing with God in Christ? To plow from Christ would simply provide the evidence that they had never been built-in again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is nil to bear witness that the atmospheric condition of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, withal less that they had been fulfilled in the case of whatsoever of these addressed." West. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is apparently a supposed example to correct their incorrect ideas, and the statement seems to be that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-six to fall away, information technology would exist impossible to renew them unless Christ died a 2d time."

iv.         Other scholars see this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had neat emotional religious experiences. They take been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is not the real thing. They accept heard the message of Good News, they take observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, just similar the seed of the sower planted on rocky basis 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, only never believed in their hearts and therefore never saved.

Tin can a person be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and non exist justified? Was this person who falls abroad similar this always truly saved or justified or built-in over again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews six is can you be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the age to come up and non be justified? Tin you lose your eternal position earlier God as a truly justified person and and so be lost? Or is this passage teaching that you can have these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses iv-v and never be justified or saved or born again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the homo perseverance of the saints (Heb. six:13-20; John 5:24; 10:26-30; Rom. eight:28-39; Phil. ane:three-5). How do we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How exercise nosotros hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:1-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to go on to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this chapter. Now we come across him changing his focus to give a stern warning to those who have to plow abroad from Christ.

"For information technology is incommunicable, in the instance of those who take once been aware, who have tasted the heavenly souvenir, and take shared in the Holy Spirit, and accept tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, then have fallen away, to restore them over again to repentance, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him upwards to contempt" (Hebrews half dozen:4-half dozen, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the example 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 have tasted the adept discussion of God and the powers of the age to come, and and so take fallen away, information technology is impossible to renew them once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews 6:four-6).

To whom is the writer addressing when he says, "For it is impossible to restore once again to repentance those who were once aware"? The writer does not say, "us who were once aware," nor "you lot," just "those who have once been enlightened." He draws a sharp dissimilarity between "Beloved, nosotros are persuaded improve things of you," and this passage. Information technology is true they enjoyed slap-up privileges under Judaism, but they were not true Christians. They are non spoken of as God's elect, for whom Christ died, or as those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their being justified, forgiven, apple-pie and accepted in the Honey. 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 word in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English translations. It is also used in Hebrews vi:18 where the author tells the states it is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews 10:4 it is incommunicable for the blood of bulls and goats to have away sins, and in Hebrews xi:6 we are told that without organized religion it is incommunicable to please God. Hither it reads, "For information technology is incommunicable . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must as well 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 modify in the heed 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 knowledge by instruction. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does it fall brusque of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding every bit in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same prototype from glory to celebrity, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). There is a big departure betwixt existence enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly gift"

They have to a certain degree understood the truths, but not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the breadstuff which comes downwards out of sky, then that ane may swallow of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My mankind." Then the Jews began to argue with i some other, saying, "How can this human being give us His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you lot swallow the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, y'all 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 twenty-four hour period. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true potable. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:50-56). His Jewish listeners took offense at Him. They refused to advisable 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 sky and leads usa to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to call back of this gift as Christ. He is the Father'due south gift from heaven and His goal is to accept usa to sky to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, but had never made a delivery one time and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the human who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; notwithstanding he has no firm root in himself, but is merely temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The word for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and means "to have a share in" or simply "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 archaic dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were past no ways confined to those who were 'transformed past the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At whatever rate they plainly show that their possession and an unregenerate state were past no means incompatible."  Several scholars note the discussion "partakers" does non 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 not included in the discussion for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts 8:eight-18 is a good example of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true laic; he merely used Christianity for his own personal proceeds.

"Have tasted the expert word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been true-blue to His promise and they have enjoyed, so far equally an unconverted person can relish the blessings and advantages that come up from these promises being fulfilled. A. Due west. Pink observed, these readers "could non say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were found and I did consume them' (Jeremiah 15:xvi)." Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark 6:20), but he did not apologize and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new impunity ushered in by the Messiah co-ordinate to the Old Testament prophesies has at present arrived. They saw the miraculous ability of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come" was already upon them because Christ has come. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark one:fifteen). Not only has God spoken "in these last days" to us in His Son, but He has acted (Heb. 1:2). The principles of this new age are active at the nowadays time through the performance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the historic period to come up, and will to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2d time. Yet, 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.

"So fallen abroad"

This is a very strong emphatic statement made by the writer of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used before. It is parapipto and information technology ways literally "to fall alongside." It is a deliberate, consummate and final repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. Information technology is a final rejection of Christ. Then information technology is incommunicable to renew them again to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the apologetic sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to be preached. They accept rejected the i cede that can save from sin. Information technology is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them once again unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used admittedly hither, without any qualification. It is impossible to h2o 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 be a truism hardly worth putting into words." There is no possibility of their restoration "since they over again excruciate to themselves the son of God and put Him to open up shame" (5. 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 us right with God. When we plough our backs on Him and return to the world we are saying the world is more than worthy than the love of Christ. We are saying in effect that we agree with those who crucified Christ.

The writer is not describing backsliding Christians or believers who have fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ three times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is non the sin of a laic, but the open up total renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his center considering he was a true laic. The unbeliever does not feel this kind of change in the centre.

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. iv:14-xvi; 10:19-22; i John 1:vii-10; 2:1-2).

John Brown said: it is "in open up, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a false 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 set 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, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" If they had their take chances, they would crucify Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of delivery to apostasy. It is a point of no return. They have reached the indicate where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and belongings Him in contempt. There is no possible return.

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

To so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They get in at a spiritual land where they tin no longer repent "since they over again excruciate 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 shame." This is a real warning against a real danger. Information technology is true anytime there is a hardened middle of unbelief.

Information technology is possible for those who are described in the language of verses iv and five to "autumn away and not be renewed." The critical question is were they ever born again? Were they e'er saved?

They are non truthful Christians because they have never been regenerated past the Holy Spirit. They are similar land that has received its rain, but bears no good fruit. Information technology is a country full of thorns and weeds. They accept participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian customs, merely they are like seed sown on rocky ground. There was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound like Christians, only something is severely missing. They are not saved, and if they are saved the author is presenting a hypothetical instance for them to not 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 exist going back to the old covenant and would exist irrevocably lost. Since there is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot be committed today. There are no sacrifices or a system in which to return and then the sin involves abandoning the blazon for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I render to my opening questions. If you died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My heaven? What would y'all say? How would y'all respond to Him? This whole passage of Scripture nosotros 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 not fall away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's work; it is not man's work. God'south work cannot fail to achieve its intended purpose. God never fails to consummate His projection. Your conservancy is His project and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ (Phil. one:3-6).

Perseverance in faith in Christ proves that you have become a partaker in Christ. If you do non persevere in faith in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. You lot may be very religious, but are nonetheless lost. You may have had dandy religious experiences, simply have never been justified.

Ultimately merely the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who distort this passage to teach that there is no repentance later on baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This false teaching completely distorts the residual of the Scriptures such equally 1 John 1:7-ten. At that place is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read advisedly the following verses.

"If nosotros walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Low-cal, nosotros have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If nosotros say that we have no sin, nosotros are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is true-blue and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If nosotros say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:vii-10).

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

Judas Iscariot is an excellent case 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, only manifestly was never saved.

In our 24-hour interval we would say they had their names on the church building rolls, but were never saved. They partook of the Lord's Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church building, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of faith, merely were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said: "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; every bit he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky basis where it did not have much soil; and immediately information technology sprang up because information technology had no depth of soil. And later on the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered abroad. Other seed cruel among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the expert soil, and as they grew upwardly and increased, they yielded a crop and produced xxx, threescore, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, allow him hear" (Marking 4:3-nine).

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 time reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If it is good soil it volition have an arable harvest of proficient fruit. Information technology will deport Christ's likeness.

Some of the readers of the letter to the Hebrews never did belong to Christ; they were never spiritually regenerated. However, those who were true believers went on to spiritual maturity.

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Annotation carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, non unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly non cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:nineteen). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity past the mystery of the divine election.

We are kept past the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains us in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you lot, and you in Me." Christ did non die in vain; He rose from the dead to show information technology.

They have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly souvenir, 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 prove that they accept been regenerated? It is the continuance in Christ's word which proves that we are His disciples. It is continuing in the faith 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 y'all demand help in becoming a Christian here is A Gratis Gift for You.

Title: Hebrews 6:4-6 Warnings confronting Crucifying Christ Over again

Series:  Hebrews

	Spider web www.AbideInChrist.com

hillmanyousit.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/heb6v4-6warningsagainstcrucifyingchristagain.html