Putting Jesus on the Cross Again

Let'due south suppose yous died and stood before the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I let you into My heaven?"  What would you say? What do you retrieve you lot would say?

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

The eye of Hebrews chapter six forces us to ask the question, do y'all take eternal life? Are yous saved? You are either lost or saved. You either have eternal life or y'all do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal conservancy?

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

The author of Hebrews volition at present stress the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a truthful believer because he will persevere. The true laic will go along trusting Christ. He will go on to spiritual maturity in a growing human relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:i-6 contains some of the severest linguistic communication in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to terminate, look, and listen. He wants them to take a serious look and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against simulated security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that do not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the uncomplicated teaching about the Christ, permit us printing on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of religion toward God, of education about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will practice, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been aware and have tasted of the heavenly gift and accept been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen abroad, information technology is incommunicable 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 often falls on information technology and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is besides tilled, receives a approving from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to beingness cursed, and it ends up being burned" (Hebrews 6:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Alarm against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:4-8)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had nifty religious experiences, and and then the same person falls away and re-crucifies Christ by putting Him to open up shame, and that results in the impossibility to renew that person to repentance. When is repentance incommunicable? That is a most serious situation.

This passage is non denying swell blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls away. He turns away from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the historic period to come.

It is helpful to remember this is ane of the virtually disputed passages in the New Testament. There is no perfect estimation of this passage considering nosotros do not take all of the background on the first readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced past 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. There are basically 4 different interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

Iv interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who later lose their conservancy. They view this passage as people who are born over again, just lose their conservancy by deliberate betrayment. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the volume of Hebrews, and balance the Bible'southward teaching on election and eternal security (John ten:26-xxx; Rom. 8:28-thirty; Phil. ane:3-5). The author offers no hope to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that salvation tin be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or you are non.

2.         Some other group interprets this passage every bit saved persons who regress. They depict them every bit saved, but fall into sin and lose their rewards in sky. They endure the "sin unto expiry" (i John 5:xvi), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot be reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot offset over. There is no such thing as being saved a second time. You are either saved, or lost.

3.         Another popular view is a hypothetical instance is being presented by the writer to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are nether pressure to return to Judaism, merely why would they ever want to give upwardly their perfect standing with God in Christ? To plow from Christ would simply provide the evidence that they had never been born again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is nothing to prove that the conditions of fatal betrayment had been fulfilled, yet less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is plain a supposed case to right their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to exist that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-vi to fall away, it would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a 2nd time."

4.         Other scholars see this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had keen emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is non the real thing. They have heard the message of Good News, they have observed miracles, seen the piece of work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, take had emotional experiences, only like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground have never been regenerated. The apostasy referred to is the last rejection of Christ. They have rejected the substitutionary penal cede of Jesus Christ for their sins. They were sympathizers to the Gospel, but never believed in their hearts and therefore never saved.

Tin can a person be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not be justified? Was this person who falls away like this ever truly saved or justified or born again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews half-dozen is tin you be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the historic period to come and not be justified? Tin can y'all lose your eternal position before God equally a truly justified person and so exist lost? Or is this passage teaching that you can have these great religious emotional experiences as described in verses 4-5 and never be justified or saved or born again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the human perseverance of the saints (Heb. half dozen:13-xx; John five:24; 10:26-30; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. i:iii-5). How do nosotros reconcile these articulate teachings with this passage? How practice we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:1-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to keep to maturity. Conspicuously he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this affiliate. Now we run across him irresolute his focus to requite a stern warning to those who accept to turn abroad from Christ.

"For it is impossible, in the instance of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and take shared in the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the goodness of the discussion 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 over again the Son of God to their own damage and property him up to contempt" (Hebrews 6:iv-6, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the instance of those who take once been enlightened and take tasted of the heavenly gift and accept been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the good word of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and then have fallen away, information technology is impossible to renew them once more to repentance, since they over again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews half-dozen:four-6).

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For it is incommunicable to restore again to repentance those who were one time enlightened"? The writer does not say, "us who were one time enlightened," nor "you," but "those who have once been aware." He draws a sharp contrast between "Honey, we are persuaded better things of you," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, only they were non true Christians. They are not spoken of every bit God's elect, for whom Christ died, or as those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does non speak of their being justified, forgiven, apple-pie and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their religion in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical word in the estimation of this passage is adunatos translated "incommunicable" in all of our accurate English translations. Information technology is too used in Hebrews 6:18 where the writer tells u.s.a. information technology is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews 10:iv it is impossible for the claret of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews 11:six we are told that without faith information technology is impossible to please God. Here information technology reads, "For information technology is incommunicable . . . to renew them over again to repentance." The word "renew" must too be 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 light or knowledge past instruction. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does information technology fall brusque of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But nosotros all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the aforementioned image from glory to glory, simply every bit from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). At that place is a big difference between existence enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly gift"

They have to a sure caste understood the truths, but non gone on to advisable them. Jesus said, "This is the staff of life which comes down out of sky, so that one may eat of it and non die. I am the living bread that came downwards out of heaven; if anyone eats of this breadstuff, he will alive forever; and the bread also which I will requite for the life of the world is My flesh." And so the Jews began to contend with 1 another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His claret, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My mankind and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the concluding 24-hour interval. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My mankind 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 appropriate Christ.

The "heavenly souvenir" refers either to Christ or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is ministering on the world and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine gift comes from heaven and leads u.s.a. to sky. Therefore, I am inclined to recollect of this gift equally Christ. He is the Begetter's souvenir from heaven and His goal is to have us to heaven to be with Him. The individuals in view had an associate with Christ, merely had never made a commitment one time and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The 1 on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the give-and-take and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no house root in himself, merely is only temporary, and when disease or persecution arises considering of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Have been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The give-and-take for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and ways "to have a share in" or just "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 primitive dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At any rate they obviously prove that their possession and an unregenerate state were by no means incompatible."  Several scholars note the word "partakers" does non mean to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the believer. The thought of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the word for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts 8:8-18 is a good example of someone who "partakers" but in the post-obit decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he but used Christianity for his ain personal gain.

"Have tasted the good word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His promise and they take enjoyed, and then far every bit an unconverted person tin enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises being fulfilled. A. West. Pink observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were constitute and I did eat them' (Jeremiah 15:16)." Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Marker half dozen:20), but he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new dispensation ushered in past the Messiah co-ordinate to the Old Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come up" was already upon them considering Christ has come. "The fourth dimension is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15). 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 present time through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the historic period to come, and will to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2nd time. However, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now without alibi. They saw all the evidence 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 potent emphatic statement fabricated past the author of Hebrews. The word used here is dissimilar from apostasia which was used earlier. Information technology is parapipto and it means literally "to fall alongside." It is a deliberate, complete and last repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. Information technology is a final rejection of Christ. So it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Their condition is across recovery. Since they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the one sacrifice that can salve from sin. It is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "impossible to renew them again unto repentance" those who take totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used absolutely here, without any qualification. It is impossible to h2o it downward. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be brought to repentance so long as 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 again excruciate to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame" (v. seven).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The outcome 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 brand us right with God. When we turn our backs on Him and render to the earth we are saying the world is more than worthy than the love of Christ. Nosotros are saying in result that nosotros concur with those who crucified Christ.

The author 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 not the sin of a believer, but the open full renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart considering he was a true believer. The unbeliever does non feel this kind of change in the centre.

The Bible is emphatic that the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the blood of Christ is freely available to every believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. 4:xiv-16; 10:19-22; ane John 1:seven-10; two:ane-2).

John Brownish said: it is "in open, full, adamant 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 up adultery 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 ready to openly expose Him to public scandal of the cantankerous. 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 chance, they would crucify Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of delivery to apostasy. Information technology is a point of no return. They have reached the point where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in antipathy. At that place is no possible return.

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

To so pass up Jesus Christ is to exist eternally damned. They go far at a spiritual land where they tin no longer repent "since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no i else to turn to for conservancy.

"It is incommunicable to renew them again to repentance, since they over again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real alert confronting a existent danger. It is true anytime there is a hardened middle of unbelief.

It is possible for those who are described in the language of verses iv and 5 to "fall away and not be renewed." The critical question is were they ever built-in over again? Were they ever saved?

They are not truthful Christians considering they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are like land that has received its rain, simply bears no expert fruit. It is a land full of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are like seed sown on rocky basis. In that location was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound similar Christians, but something is severely missing. They are not saved, and if they are saved the author is presenting a hypothetical example for them to not return to the temple worship and therefore excruciate Christ again.

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

I render to my opening questions. If you lot died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you lot, "Why should I allow you into My heaven? What would yous say? How would you respond to Him? This whole passage of Scripture we are studying zeros in on this reality. What is your personal human 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 noesis of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God'south work; it is not man'southward piece of work. God'southward work cannot fail to achieve its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His project. Your salvation is His projection and He will bring it to its completion at the twenty-four hours of Christ (Phil. 1:3-6).

Perseverance in religion in Christ proves that you have become a partaker in Christ. If you practise not persevere in religion in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. You lot may be very religious, but are still lost. You may accept had neat religious experiences, but accept never been justified.

Ultimately just the Lord knows who is saved.

In that location are individuals who distort this passage to teach that at that place is no repentance subsequently baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This false teaching completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such as 1 John ane:7-10. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read carefully the following verses.

"If nosotros walk in the Light equally He Himself is in the Calorie-free, we accept 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 united states. If we confess our sins, He is true-blue and righteous to forgive u.s. our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us" (one John one:7-10).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are non built-in again.

Judas Iscariot is an splendid case of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the not bad advantages of the Gospel, but never was regenerated. He had all the show, but obviously was never saved.

In our day nosotros would say they had their names on the church rolls, but were never saved. They partook of the Lord's 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; as he was sowing, some seed brutal beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang upwardly because it had no depth of soil. And later the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed savage among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and every bit they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was maxim, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:3-nine).

What kind of soil is represented in the centre of the true 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 will have an abundant harvest of expert fruit. Information technology will comport Christ's likeness.

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

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Note carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, not unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me volition come to Me, and the ane who comes to Me I will certainly not bandage out" (John half dozen:37). The campaigner Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (ii Tim. 2:19). Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of the divine election.

We are kept by the ability of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the piece of work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Constant in Christ maintains united states in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in y'all, and you in Me." Christ did not die in vain; He rose from the dead to bear witness it.

They accept 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 have been regenerated? It is the continuance in Christ'southward word which proves that we are His disciples. Information technology is continuing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Religion dies when information technology 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 relationship with Jesus Christ? "Believe on the Lord Jesus and yous shall be saved" (Acts sixteen:31).

If you demand assistance in becoming a Christian here is A Free Souvenir for You.

Title: Hebrews 6:4-6 Warnings against Crucifying Christ Again

Series:  Hebrews

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