Crucifying the Lord All Over Again

Let's suppose yous died and stood before the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I let you into My sky?"  What would you say? What do you think yous would say?

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

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

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

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

Hebrews half-dozen:one-6 contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to stop, look, and heed. He wants them to take a serious await and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against faux security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that do non produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let u.s. press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead 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 volition do, if God permits. For in the case of those who take in one case been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the skillful word of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and then accept fallen away, it is impossible to renew them once again to repentance, since they over again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the pelting which oftentimes falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; merely if information technology yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and information technology ends up being burned" (Hebrews 6:one-viii, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Warning confronting consequences of apostasy (Heb. vi:four-viii)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, and so the same person falls away and re-crucifies Christ past 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 non denying corking 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 age to come.

It is helpful to remember this is one of the nearly disputed passages in the New Attestation. There is no perfect interpretation of this passage because we exercise not have all of the groundwork on the showtime readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced past his theological background. I have tried to approach this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the education of the whole Bible. There are basically four different interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

Four interpretations

1.         Some scholars translate this passage as saved persons who later lose their conservancy. They view this passage every bit people who are born again, but lose their salvation by deliberate betrayment. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and balance the Bible's education on election and eternal security (John 10:26-30; Rom. eight:28-30; Phil. 1:three-five). The author offers no promise to the backslider. It definitely does not teach that salvation can be lost and regained many times. Y'all are either saved or lost. You lot are a child of God, or you are not.

2.         Another group interprets this passage equally saved persons who backslide. They describe them every bit saved, but fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They suffer the "sin unto death" (1 John v:16), 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 commencement over. At that place is no such thing every bit beingness saved a second time. You are either saved, or lost.

three.         Another popular view is a hypothetical case is being presented by the author to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are under pressure to render to Judaism, but why would they e'er want to give up their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would only provide the evidence that they had never been born again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is nothing to show that the conditions of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, still less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." Westward. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is manifestly a supposed instance to right their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to be that if information technology were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-half dozen to autumn away, it would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a second fourth dimension."

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

Can a person be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not exist justified? Was this person who falls away like this ever truly saved or justified or built-in once more? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews half dozen is can you be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the powers of the age to come and non be justified? Tin you lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and so be lost? Or is this passage teaching that you tin can have these smashing 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 man perseverance of the saints (Heb. vi:13-20; John 5:24; ten:26-xxx; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. 1:3-five). How do we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How do we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

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

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who accept once been enlightened, who take tasted the heavenly souvenir, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the discussion of God and the powers of the age to come, so 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 upwards to contempt" (Hebrews 6:four-half-dozen, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the example of those who take once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and take been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good give-and-take of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it 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 6:4-vi).

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For it is incommunicable to restore once again to repentance those who were once enlightened"? The author does non say, "us who were once aware," nor "yous," but "those who accept one time been aware." He draws a precipitous contrast betwixt "Honey, we are persuaded meliorate things of yous," and this passage. Information technology is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, but they were not true Christians. They are not 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, cleansed and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical word in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "incommunicable" in all of our authentic English translations. It is also used in Hebrews six:18 where the author tells u.s. it is impossible for God to lie, In Hebrews ten:four it is incommunicable for the blood of bulls and goats to take abroad sins, and in Hebrews xi:6 we are told that without religion it is incommunicable to delight God. Hither information technology reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The give-and-take "renew" must also be taken with its full meaning. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the private. 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 cognition by educational activity. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does information technology fall short of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But we all, with unveiled confront, beholding as in a mirror the celebrity of the Lord, are being transformed into the aforementioned paradigm from glory to glory, simply as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). There is a large difference between being 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 bread which comes down out of heaven, so that 1 may eat of it and not die. I am the living breadstuff 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 globe is My flesh." Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give united states of america His flesh to consume?" Then Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to y'all, unless you eat the mankind of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you accept no life in yourselves. He who eats My mankind and drinks My claret has eternal life, and I volition raise him upward on the terminal day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drinkable. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:fifty-56). His Jewish listeners took offense 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 earth and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine gift comes from sky and leads u.s. to sky. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this gift as Christ. He is the Father's gift from sky and His goal is to take united states to heaven to be with Him. The individuals in view had an associate with Christ, just had never made a commitment one time 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 word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, simply is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:xx-21).

 "Have been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The word for "partakers" or "accept shared" here is metochos and means "to have a share in" or just "companions."  John Brown wrote: "It is highly likely that the inspired author refers primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit by which the primitive dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed past the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At whatsoever rate they plainly show that their possession and an unregenerate state were past 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 thought of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the discussion for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts 8:8-18 is a good example of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was non a truthful believer; he only used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Have tasted the skilful word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His promise and they accept enjoyed, then far as an unconverted person tin enjoy the blessings and advantages that come up from these promises being fulfilled. A. W. Pink observed, these readers "could not say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were constitute and I did eat them' (Jeremiah xv:sixteen)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Marker six:20), just he did not apologize and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new dispensation ushered in past the Messiah according to the Old Testament prophesies has at present arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come" was already upon them because Christ has come up. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at manus" (Marker 1:15). Non only has God spoken "in these last days" to usa in His Son, but He has acted (Heb. ane:ii). 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 age to come, and volition to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2nd time. Nonetheless, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now 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.

"And so fallen away"

This is a very strong emphatic statement made by the writer of Hebrews. The word used here is unlike from apostasia which was used earlier. It is parapipto and it ways literally "to autumn alongside." Information technology is a deliberate, consummate and final 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 once again to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they take rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the one sacrifice that tin salvage from sin. It is a total 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. Information technology is impossible to water it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be 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 again excruciate to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame" (v. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The upshot 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 the states right with God. When nosotros turn our backs on Him and render to the world we are proverb the globe is more worthy than the beloved of Christ. We are saying in consequence that we agree 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 total renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart because he was a truthful laic. The unbeliever does not experience this kind of change 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. iv:14-16; 10:19-22; ane John 1:7-10; 2:1-2).

John Dark-brown said: it is "in open up, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a render to a imitation 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 here 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 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 adventure, they would crucify Him over again. They have reached a decisive moment of commitment to apostasy. It is a point of no render. They take reached the point where they continue on crucifying the Son of God and holding Him in contempt. There is no possible render.

John Calvin said, "The campaigner is not here talking about theft or perjury or murder or drunkenness or infidelity. He is referring to a complete falling abroad from the gospel, in which the sinner has offended God non in some 1 respect only only has utterly renounced His grace."

To and then reject Jesus Christ is to exist eternally damned. They go far at a spiritual state where they tin can no longer apologize "since they over again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no 1 else to turn to for conservancy.

"It is impossible to renew them once more to repentance, since they again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real alert confronting a real danger. Information technology is truthful someday there is a hardened centre of unbelief.

It is possible for those who are described in the language of verses 4 and 5 to "fall away and not be renewed." The critical question is were they e'er born again? Were they ever saved?

They are not true Christians because they take never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are like state that has received its pelting, only bears no good fruit. It is a land total of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are similar seed sown on rocky basis. There was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound similar Christians, only something is severely missing. They are non saved, and if they are saved the author is presenting a hypothetical case for them to not render to the temple worship and therefore crucify Christ once again.

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

I return to my opening questions. If you died today and stood earlier the Lord God and He asked yous, "Why should I permit you into My heaven? What would you say? How would you lot answer 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 claret of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the work of salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved do not fall away; they abound in the grace and cognition of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's work; information technology is not man'due south work. God'south piece of work cannot fail to attain 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 day of Christ (Phil. one:3-6).

Perseverance in faith in Christ proves that y'all have become a partaker in Christ. If you lot practise not persevere in religion in Christ information technology proves yous never became a partaker in Christ. You may exist very religious, but are still lost. You may have had great religious experiences, but have never been justified.

Ultimately just 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 as 1 John i:7-10. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  End and read carefully the post-obit verses.

"If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, nosotros accept fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses the states from all sin. If nosotros say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If nosotros confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive united states of america our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that nosotros take not sinned, we brand Him a liar and His word is not in us" (1 John ane:seven-ten).

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

Judas Iscariot is an excellent example of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the peachy advantages of the Gospel, only never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, but apparently was never saved.

In our twenty-four hours we would say they had their names on the church rolls, just were never saved. They partook of the Lord'south 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 route, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky basis where it did not take much soil; and immediately it sprang upwardly because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered abroad. Other seed roughshod among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds cruel into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was proverb, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark four:three-nine).

What kind of soil is represented in the heart of the true believer? 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 adept soil it volition have an arable 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. All the same, 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 Male parent gives Me will come up to Me, and the ane who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John six: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 election.

We are kept past the ability of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the truthful Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains us in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you, and you lot in Me." Christ did not die in vain; He rose from the dead to prove it.

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 testify that they have been regenerated? It is the continuance in Christ's give-and-take which proves that we are His disciples. It is standing 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 writer and finisher of our conservancy.

What is your personal human relationship with Jesus Christ? "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you lot shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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

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

Series:  Hebrews

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