Can You Lose Your Salvation

Can you lose your salvation? ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ A study of Hebrews 6:1-8 There is a theme running throughout the book of Hebrews about the voice of God. In chapter 1 the “preacher” begins his sermon by saying “God speaks” and his voice is better than any prophet, angel or priest. In this passage we see the preacher stop his teaching and rebuke the crowd. He says, ““About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11) He is saying, “I have a lot more to teach you, but you have not applied what I have already said.” He insinuates that his teaching the Bible is akin to God’s voice. This is why we see the authority of the scriptures outlined in Hebrews 4:12-13. So when you hear God do you obey? He is saying, if you don’t obey these things, why would God continue to pout out more wisdom if you don’t heed the wisdom he has already given. He says they have become “dull of hearing”. The preacher wants us to recognize the close relationship between hearing God and obeying God. He makes it explicit with his language in the Greek. In Greek, as in Hebrew, the verb “to obey” is simply an intensified form of the verb “to hear”. The two verbs exhibit the same root form but the verb “to obey” has been intensified by the adding of a prefix. We see this theme throughout the book, as in a couple of weeks ago where the preacher quotes Psalm 95:7 three different times. “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”. Today we are going to see him, stop his sermon to take us a bit deeper in this issue. He is going to say that the opposite of obedience is to be “hardened” to the point of no return to God. The Assessment (5:11-14) “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14) The preacher uses two metaphors to assess the current spiritual state of these people. He says that they should be teachers by now but they are still students and they should be eating solid food but they still need milk. So he compares teachers and students along with solid food and milk. These metaphors help us see that he is generally talking about spiritual maturity. There are some things that are beautiful and great for babies that are inappropriate for adults. (We laugh when William drools, and it’s not funny

when I drool; we think it’s cute when William kisses everyone with his tongue straight out, but that’s not cute for a grown man to kiss his mother like that; William eats by grabbing two handfuls of food and shoving them in his mouth and I would be disciplined at our table for that kind of behavior.) In the same way, there are some things that are beautiful for young Christians that are inappropriate for mature Christians. We tend to think that if something is pleasing to God it is always pleasing to God, but that is simply not the case. The preacher is making the case that we can be in danger of stunted spiritual growth. The Exhortation (v. 1-3) “Therefore leaving the elementary teachings about the Christ, let us press on toward maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.” (Hebrews 6:1-3) 1) “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on toward maturity…” First – The author uses the first person plural pronoun “we”, suggesting that he too must press on. This places emphasis on the origin of the command to press on. If the author includes himself in the audience then where did the command come from? God, this truth adds you and I to the audience. Second – The author also uses a passive from the word translated “to go” or “press on”. This indicates that he is supporting the third verse statement, “if God permits”. He is in essence saying; let us be pressed on to maturity if God permits. 2) “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.” The list is formed by three pairs of belief which are parallel to Jewish tradition, allowing us to know he was speaking to a church of Jewish Christians. They symbolize the common ground or foundation used to share the gospel with these people. Whenever you share the gospel you must use language the person already knows so they have something to associate the gospel with. This list is the common ground probably used to win them. Like many of us were presented the gospel by appealing to our present understanding of “wrong doing” and “punishment” or “joy” and “peace”. Many of us accepted Christ to “fix” what was broken in us, or to avoid the peril of hell, and that’s fine. But for those things to remain as the foundation of your faith are not good. A life that loves and trusts Jesus is not centered

around avoiding hell but creating heaven, and it is much more about glorifying God than selfish gain. But in the beginning we need common ground to understand the gospel. These things are appropriate for new Christians but not appropriate for mature Christians or those who should be mature Christians. If someone has walked with God for 10 years and their primary drive is avoiding hell, something’s missing. 3) “And this we will do if God permits” This verse sounds scary, but it is given as a comfort. It sounds like God might keep us from growing but it is given to help us realize that our growth is ultimately up to him. Our salvation is by grace alone and so is our growth. Even our self-discipline is a product of his grace. “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 The Warning (v. 4-6) “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, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age come, 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. For the ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; But if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” Hebrews 6:4-8 What does this warning mean? This verse does tell us that whoever he is talking to cannot be renewed again to repentance. The Greek word “adynaton” that is translated impossible is found three other times in this book. It is used to state, “it is impossible for God to lie”, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”, and “it is impossible to please God”, apart from faith. We know the word means impossible! The warning is that if we are not actively engaged in growth then we could be in the “falling away” category. If we do “fall away”, then we cannot be renewed again to repentance. The purpose of this text is not to frighten you, but to concern you. Frightened people are emotionally charged by unexpected surprise or realization of reality. Concerned people feel the appropriate weight of reality. If you stick with the metaphor the author is using, “trying to grow

up these children”, children tend to be in more danger than adults because they don’t realize how serious some dangers can be. Something I did as a child, but would never do now story… What does it mean to not be “restored to repentance”, what’s at stake? Over the years some have implied that this simply means we will not have the full life that Christ offers. We will struggle through life with little joy or connection to God and just get in to heaven. That is not what’s at stake. This warning couldn’t be more serious. In verse 8 we see what’s at stake…”it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” This verse is clearly speaking of going to hell. Heaven and hell are at stake here. Who is this warning for? Whom is he talking to? “For in the case of those” It should be noted that this warning is not for the entire audience. Though we are all commanded to press on to maturity, this warning applies to a specific group of people within the audience. This group of people is outlined in the following qualifications in these verses: -

“once been enlightened”(v. 4) “and have tasted of the heavenly gift”(v. 4) “and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit”(v. 4) “have tasted the good word of God”(v. 5) “and the powers of the age to come”(v. 5) “and “then fall away” (v.6)

This scripture is talking to those in the church with the external signs of conversion, but no internal change in heart. How do we know he is not talking to Christians? We see Jesus condemn those who appear to be Christians, not only in speech but also in some deeds, but clearly there has been no affectionate change. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23) The book of James tells us that faith without works is useless or dead; likewise “works” without “faith” is useless or dead. Religion says, “if you are good enough and do enough good, you will go to heaven.”

This warning is for those IN the church who are conforming to the rituals of Christianity but not growing in affections toward him. They will be pulled away by the enticements of the world and sin and will never come back! How do we know he is not talking to Christians that will lose their salvation? The author knew how this would sound and clarifies himself in the next 3 verses. Evidence One – Hebrews 6:7-8 The purpose of this passage is to illustrate the scripture preceding it. This passage paints a picture of two fields. Both of these fields are rained on, but only one of them produced fruit. The other soaks up the rain and produces nothing but thorns, suggesting that this field never had seeds to produce. It does not say that the field used to produce fruit and stopped over time, it never produced fruit. Evidence Two – Hebrews 6:9 This passage turns away from the harshness of the passage before it and tells the whole audience again that “better things” and going to come for them, “things that accompany salvation”, implying that the “falling away” cannot accompany salvation. This passage teaches that Christians cannot turn away from God. If we have really been snatched from the inclinations of the world, and turned on to the things of God we can never go back. This is not speaking of Christians sinning and repenting, this is talking of denouncing Christ in speech or lifestyle. We will all have times of doubt and sufferings, but if I can walk away from God then I never knew Him. The truth is that without Christ’s power working in you, you will never persevere to the end. If we play church in hopes of being closer to God we will fail. There is nothing man can do to impress upon the heart of God that we are worthy. It is only in the redemptive power of the Son that we are held in eternal security. We have eternal security as Christians because; God governs our sanctification – Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ” God is greater than your shortcomings – John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”

Now a message to “those that fall away”… NOTICE – “have fallen away” – the translation is not “to turn your back on”, but more of a “falling”. This suggests that this is not an action of will, but a consequence of a lack of will. Latter in verse 12 he says; “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12) “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1) The purpose of this passage is to give us Godly concern for our souls, not scare us to death. The author doesn’t want you to sit there and think, “am I in or out”. But he does want you to stop being “sluggish” in your faith and “pay much closer attention” than you have been. We tend to think of God as a god of second chances, but make no mistake, this passage is so serious because it points out the truth that God has a limit. “It will be impossible to restore again to repentance.” He means, we can blaspheme God to the point where he gives us exactly what we are asking for. We may think, a God of love would never do that, but where did we get that idea? If we fight and kick against God our entire lives and then get to see first hand the goodness of the Word and fellowship of God’s people, and we see their lives getting changes and we still fight and kick against him, why wouldn’t he give us exactly what we’re asking for. He’s God, he’s holy and deserves unrelenting worship, the fact that he puts up with anything less is an amazing work of grace. We have an example of this happening right here in the book of Hebrews. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:15-17) It begins with a “root of bitterness”, and ends up with “not attaining grace”, that gives us incredible insight. Bitterness is an emotion that comes when you feel like you were mistreated. You deserve something you’re not getting. You could do a better job running your life than God could. (Gen. 3) Allow me to bathe this topic in grace. If we believe that our salvation is totally an act of grace and not of us then it is not our choice to walk away. A real relationship with God is not something you can walk away from. Church; you can walk away from. Praying; you can walk away from. Reading the bible; you can walk away from. Meeting God; you can never recover from. Here is where the Bible tells us this truth.