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Though once we are saved, we are always saved, OSAS, (John 10:28, Ephesians 1:13), the verse in Hebrews gives some people trouble.
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once 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 then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Does that mean a saved person can fall away and never be able to be saved again? No.
Charles Spurgeon did the best job I've read on the clarity of the Hebrews verse. See if you agree (or don't ;)
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once 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 then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Does that mean a saved person can fall away and never be able to be saved again? No.
Charles Spurgeon did the best job I've read on the clarity of the Hebrews verse. See if you agree (or don't ;)
You know how many passages there are in which it is positively asserted that if a child of God did deliberately and totally apostatize, his restoration would be utterly impossible—not difficult, but impossible. This is one of the greatest proofs of the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, since there is no man in a condition in which it is impossible to save him, and yet any man would be in such a state if he apostatized. Therefore true believers shall not apostatize, but shall stand fast, and shall be kept even to the end. Yet, could they totally apostatize, they could never be restored again: the greatest remedy having already failed, there would remain no other. C.H. Spurgeon
I can only speak of my own experience on this subject. I was saved in 1987. A horrific and traumatizing experience in 1999 shook my faith to the core. I turned my back on God. Quit reading His word, quit teaching in my church, quit worship...I was sucked into a vortex of hell on earth. This lasted for 2 years. Anyone would be hard pressed to call me a Christian. God Himself reached down in love, mercy and grace and pulled me back to Himself and said "this is the way, walk ye in it." He set my feet upon the Rock. He never left me though I left Him. NOTHING can seperate me from the love of my heavenly Father and this is truth.
ReplyDeleteHOPE for anyone who fell as I did. God used that lesson to teach me to run TO Him not away from Him. Because little did I know (He did) that worse and much worse were coming in the years ahead. Ran to Him and took refuge in the shadow of His wings and deep into His word. He made glorious changes! God instructs us to be patient with all. We are at different steps in the sanctification process. Not above or below any fellow servant, just closer to obedience and understanding than I once was. I say this to the praise and honor of my God and Savior!
ReplyDeleteSeems fair enough to say it's a hypothetical argumentation (Paul being fond of them, if he is the author), and that there is in fact no chance of it actually happening.
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