Does Hebrews Teach I Can Lose My Salvation?

I normally try to keep my responses shorter, but this is something I have been working on for a while, so I thought I would pass it on:

Hebrews 6:6 is a passage that produces much discussion: “and then have fallen away, 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.” (NASB) As with all scripture, it is important to look at the context. First of all, this passage is directed at the Hebrew people as the original audience. They are the ones who should have understood the Old Testament scriptures. Those scriptures should have formed the foundation to allow them to teach others about Christianity. That discussion is found at the conclusion of chapter 5 and into the first verses of chapter 6.

Thus, the context is that of a people who should understand the things of God fully, but who are struggling to grasp a lot of the basic truths about God. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12 NASB)

Hebrew literature is known for making both comparisons and contrasts and by the time we get to Hebrews 6:4, it seems as if the author is shifting to making a contrast from those who do not understand the things of God like they should to those who really grasp all that God offers, but then reject it anyway. Look closely at vs 4-6 of chapter 6: “4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, 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.” (NASB)

Notice the list of things that take place in these peoples lives before they fall away and there is no longer any hope for them. First, they have been enlightened. Like Adam, their eyes have been opened to know the difference between good and evil. But then as those eyes are opened, they next taste of the heavenly gift. Although theologians may debate what this heavenly gift is, there is no doubt that it comes from God. The ones who know the difference between good and evil have tasted a gift from God and are able to know that God and his gifts are good.

But the Hebrews passage is not done with its descriptions of those who fall away. It then says that they have been partakers of the Holy Spirit. The word translated “partakers” does not have to mean that they were actually indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but rather that they had “associated” with the Holy Spirit. In other words, they had been around as the Holy Spirit had been at work.

I believe that the next verse helps to explain what to expect when you associate with the things of the Holy Spirit as it describes tasting of the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. The Holy Spirit is able to make us understand that God's word is good, just as his gifts are good. These people are not like babes in Christ who are still trying to understand the goodness of the word of God. These people are so enlightened that they know that God's word is good, but they reject it anyway.

Further, as they associate with the things of the Holy Spirit, they also taste of the power of the age to come. Again, theologians will debate what this power and age refers to, but we know that Jesus will powerfully rule in the age to come and we got a glimpse of the power he had when he was here on earth. He performed miracles and rose from the dead.

At the time of Moses, Pharaoh was also able to see both God's power and God's goodness as the plagues ravaged Egypt, yet spared God's chosen people. As Pharaoh was enlightened, he was able to taste the gifts of God, was around the power of God's Holy Spirit, repeatedly tasted the word of God as delivered by Moses, was able to see that what Moses told him from God was good and true, and was able to taste the power of God dramatically as he witnessed the miracles and plagues. He still rejected God and fought against God. The scriptures repeatedly say that he hardened his heart before they finally say that God hardened his heart. No wonder God hardened it. Pharaoh knew God was good and powerful. Pharaoh was not ignorant. He knew God should be worshiped and followed, but he continued to refuse. No matter what God would do, he would always refuse God. Therefore, it was impossible to renew him again to repentance.

As Pharaoh stood in the middle of the Red Sea, he had all the information he needed to know the full goodness and power of God. Unlike the a spiritual baby who might struggled for years with understanding God's goodness, Pharaoh knew, but chose to fight God anyway. Someone like Pharaoh can know how wonderful God is, yet they still want to crucify him again. They want him dead, even though they know he is good. Heb 6:6 says, “and then have fallen away, 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.” (NASB) If that is what Hebrews 6:6 is referring to, then the audience is unsaved and never trusted Christ.

Pharaoh, however, was not the only one at the time of Moses who rejected God's clear commands. The children of Israel did as well. They were told to enter the promised land and refused even after see the power of God. Another possibility is that Hebrews 6 refers to believers who are enlightened about God and understand, but still refuse to be obedient. If that is the case, then the warning of being burned in verse 8 would refer to the chastening of God rather than eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This idea actually finds support in the earlier reference in Hebrews chapters 3-4 about the children of Israel not entering into the promised land (place of rest) because of their unbelief. It was not that they were sent to hell for their unbelief, but rather that they had to face the consequences in this life of having so blatantly disobeyed God. The consequence for them was having to wander for 40 years instead of being able to enter the promised land.

In a similar way, it is possible that some today will be enlightened about the goodness of God, trust Jesus Christ as savior, but then sin willfully. The renewing them to repentance would then not mean that they would never have regret, but rather it would mean that there was no way that God would restore them to the place they were at before their willful sin. There would be irreversible consequences. The word “repentance” used here, is the idea of a reversal, rather than of an “I'm sorry.” That explains why Esau could not find repentance when he sought it with tears. It did not mean that Esau did not have regret, it meant that Esau was unable to reverse the consequences of his actions. Like the children of Israel who were not allowed to enter the promised land, the people of Hebrews 6 would also have to deal with the consequences of their sin.

Regardless of which position is held, neither is describing a person who was saved and then later lost their salvation. Could it also be that this passage should be applied to BOTH the saved and unsaved?

Today we do not know the full extent of the revelation those around us have been given by God. We know that each human has the testimony of creation and conscience, but we do not know if their road to Damascus moment has yet come. Therefore, we should continue to share the truth of God's word like those who know how to eat strong meat. Perhaps others simply need some milk. Perhaps they are simply an agnostic who has yet to be more fully enlightened. Perhaps they are an atheist who has believed lies about God but still has not grasped that God is truly good. Perhaps that revelation will finally come, and they too will choose to follow Christ, rather than chose to crucify him. Perhaps, however, they are a fellow Christian who has not been living like they should and are thus missing out on the full blessings available to us as followers of a wonderful savior.

Hebrews 6:7-8 “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” (NASB)

Took four messages!

I found this book helpful,

Bateman, Herbert W., IV, ed. Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2007.

The categories in the book are not as precisely named as one could wish:

A Classical Arminian View (Grant Osborne)

A Classical Reformed View (Buist Fanning)

A Wesleyan Arminian View (Gareth Cockerill)

A Modified Reformed View (Randall Gleason)

I found very little difference between Osborne and Cockerill. I also found myself ending up closest to Gleason's view (of the four presented)

I suspect that there are almost as many views as preachers. Basically, I think that the falling away has to do with destroying your reputation as a Christian in such a way that there is no way to return to full Christian fellowship in this life. At the risk of tooting my own horn, you can get the notes for my last message in the passage here. I use Benedict Arnold as an illustration.

What Is Renewing to Repentance?