For They Are Crucifying Once Again Jesus

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

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

The center of Hebrews affiliate half-dozen forces us to enquire the question, do you take eternal life? Are you saved? Y'all are either lost or saved. Yous either have eternal life or you lot do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal conservancy?

The salvation Jesus procured for u.s. is "eternal." We have "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a keen Savior!

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

Hebrews half-dozen:1-6 contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to terminate, look, and listen. He wants them to accept a serious look and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against false security and all forms of religious charade, especially religious experiences that do non produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the elementary didactics almost the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of organized religion toward God, of instruction almost washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this nosotros will exercise, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been aware and have tasted of the heavenly souvenir and accept been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the good word of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and then take fallen abroad, it is impossible to renew them over again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open up shame. For ground that drinks the rain which oftentimes falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and shut to existence cursed, and it ends upwardly being burned" (Hebrews 6:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

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

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, and so the same person falls abroad and re-crucifies Christ by 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 situation.

This passage is non denying neat 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.

Information technology is helpful to remember this is one of the most disputed passages in the New Testament. There is no perfect estimation of this passage because nosotros do not have all of the background on the first readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced past his theological background. I have tried to arroyo this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the teaching of the whole Bible. At that place are basically four unlike interpretations by Bible believing scholars.

4 interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage every bit saved persons who afterward lose their salvation. They view this passage as people who are born again, but lose their salvation past deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the volume of Hebrews, and balance the Bible's teaching on election and eternal security (John x:26-30; Rom. eight:28-thirty; Phil. one:3-v). The author offers no promise to the backslider. It definitely does not teach that salvation can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. Y'all are a child of God, or you are not.

ii.         Another group interprets this passage as saved persons who backslide. They describe them as saved, only fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They suffer the "sin unto death" (1 John 5:sixteen), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot be reclaimed co-ordinate to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot first over. There is no such matter as existence saved a 2d time. You are either saved, or lost.

iii.         Another popular view is a hypothetical example is being presented by the writer to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are under pressure to return to Judaism, only why would they ever want to give upwardly their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would merely provide the testify that they had never been born once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is cipher to prove that the conditions of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, still less that they had been fulfilled in the case of whatever of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is apparently a supposed instance to correct their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who accept had the experiences of verses 4-6 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 accept never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate fifty-fifty though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They accept been inoculated with a form of Christianity, simply it is not the real thing. They accept heard the message of Skilful News, they take observed miracles, seen the piece of work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, take 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 accept 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 be justified? Was this person who falls abroad like this ever truly saved or justified or built-in over again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews six is can you exist a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the discussion of God and the powers of the age to come and non be justified? Can you lose your eternal position before God as 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 iv-5 and never be justified or saved or built-in again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the human perseverance of the saints (Heb. half dozen:13-xx; John 5:24; x:26-30; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. one:3-5). How practice we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How practice we hold fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:ane-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to go on to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this chapter. Now nosotros see him changing his focus to requite a stern warning to those who take to turn away from Christ.

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who accept in one case been enlightened, who accept tasted the heavenly souvenir, and accept shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and and then accept 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, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the example of those who have once been aware and have tasted of the heavenly gift and accept been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the historic period to come up, and and so have fallen abroad, 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" (Hebrews vi:4-6).

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who were one time enlightened"? The writer does not say, "u.s. who were once aware," nor "y'all," but "those who take in one case been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast between "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of y'all," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed slap-up privileges under Judaism, but they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of as God'due south elect, for whom Christ died, or as those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their existence justified, forgiven, cleansed and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. In that location is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical word in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our authentic English translations. It is as well used in Hebrews 6:18 where the author tells the states information technology is incommunicable for God to prevarication, In Hebrews 10:four it is impossible for the claret of bulls and goats to accept abroad sins, and in Hebrews 11:half-dozen nosotros are told that without faith it is incommunicable to please God. Hither it reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must too be taken with its total pregnant. Repentance is the piece of 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 "one time been aware"

"Enlightened" (photizo) "to give light, to shine;" metaphorically means spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual light or knowledge past teaching. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does it fall short of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "Just we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same prototype from glory to glory, but as from the Lord, the Spirit" (ii Corinthians 3:eighteen). There is a big deviation 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 advisable them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes downwards out of heaven, and then that i may consume of it and non die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this staff of life, he will live forever; and the bread too which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." Then the Jews began to contend with one another, proverb, "How can this man give us His mankind to swallow?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to yous, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Human and drink His blood, you lot have no life in yourselves. He who eats My mankind and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will heighten him up on the concluding twenty-four hour period. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is truthful potable. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:l-56). His Jewish listeners took criminal 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 souvenir comes from heaven and leads us to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this souvenir as Christ. He is the Father's souvenir from heaven and His goal is to take us to sky to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, but had never fabricated a delivery once 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 information technology with joy; even so he has no firm root in himself, merely is only temporary, and when illness or persecution arises because of the give-and-take, immediately he falls away" (Matthew xiii:20-21).

 "Accept been made partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The discussion for "partakers" or "accept shared" here is metochos and ways "to have a share in" or but "companions."  John Brown wrote: "It is highly probable that the inspired writer refers primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit by which the primitive impunity of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At whatsoever rate they plainly evidence that their possession and an unregenerate state were past no means incompatible."  Several scholars notation the give-and-take "partakers" does not hateful to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the believer. The idea of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the word for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts 8:viii-eighteen is a skillful instance of someone who "partakers" but in the following decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a truthful laic; he simply used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Have tasted the good word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been true-blue to His hope and they have enjoyed, and then far as an unconverted person can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come up from these promises being fulfilled. A. W. Pinkish observed, these readers "could non say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were found and I did swallow them' (Jeremiah fifteen:16)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark 6:20), but he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new dispensation ushered in by the Messiah co-ordinate to the Old Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at piece of 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 mitt" (Mark i:15). Not only has God spoken "in these last days" to the states in His Son, just He has acted (Heb. 1:2). The principles of this new historic period 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 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 at present 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 and so fallen away"

This is a very strong emphatic statement made by the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used earlier. It is parapipto and it means literally "to fall alongside." It is a deliberate, consummate and concluding repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. Information technology is a final rejection of Christ. So information technology is impossible to renew them over again to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the apologetic sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the 1 sacrifice that can save from sin. Information technology is a full abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is "incommunicable to renew them again unto repentance" those who take totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used admittedly here, without whatsoever qualification. It is impossible to water information technology down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be brought to repentance and so long equally 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" (five. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The effect of falling away is to re-excruciate Christ and put Him to open shame. When Christ went to the cross and died as our substitute He died to make usa right with God. When nosotros turn our backs on Him and return to the world nosotros are saying the world is more worthy than the dear of Christ. We are proverb in consequence that nosotros hold with those who crucified Christ.

The author is not describing backsliding Christians or believers who have fallen into sin. Fifty-fifty Peter who denied Christ three times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, merely the open total 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 not experience this kind of change in the heart.

The Bible is emphatic that the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the blood of Christ is freely available to every laic who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. 4:fourteen-sixteen; ten:nineteen-22; 1 John one:7-x; two:1-2).

John Brown said: it is "in open, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a imitation faith, such equally that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open 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 cross. They are willing to stand in judgment of Christ and with the crowd shaking their fists and shouting, "Excruciate Him! Excruciate Him!" If they had their chance, they would crucify Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of delivery to apostasy. It 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. There is no possible render.

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

To so reject Jesus Christ is to exist eternally damned. They get in at a spiritual country where they can no longer repent "since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no one else to plough to for salvation.

"It is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they once again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real warning confronting a existent danger. Information technology is true anytime there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

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

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

Some scholars propose if these Hebrews renounced their professed faith in Christ they would exist going back to the old covenant and would be irrevocably lost. Since in that location is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot be committed today. There are no sacrifices or a system in which to return so the sin involves abandoning the blazon for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I render to my opening questions. If you died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked yous, "Why should I allow you into My heaven? What would you lot say? How would you lot reply to Him? This whole passage of Scripture we 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 piece of work of salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved practice not fall away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Conservancy is God's work; it is not human being's work. God's work cannot fail to accomplish 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 24-hour interval of Christ (Phil. one:3-6).

Perseverance in religion in Christ proves that y'all have become a partaker in Christ. If you lot practice not persevere in faith in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. You lot may be very religious, but are still lost. Y'all may have had bully religious experiences, but have never been justified.

Ultimately only the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who distort this passage to teach that there is no repentance subsequently baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This simulated teaching completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such as 1 John 1:7-ten. There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read advisedly the following verses.

"If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, nosotros have fellowship with ane another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses u.s.a. from all sin. If we say that we accept no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in the states. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If nosotros say that we accept non sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in usa" (i John 1:7-ten).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are not born again.

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

In our day nosotros would say they had their names on the church rolls, simply were never saved. They partook of the Lord'due south Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church building, 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 road, and the birds came and ate information technology up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not accept much soil; and immediately information technology sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, information technology was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came upwards and choked information technology, and information technology yielded no ingather. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew upwards and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was proverb, He who has ears to hear, allow him hear" (Mark four:3-9).

What kind of soil is represented in the centre 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 good soil it volition have an abundant harvest of skillful fruit. It will bear Christ'south likeness.

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

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

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

We are kept by the power of God through organized religion in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains united states of america in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you lot, and yous in Me." Christ did non dice in vain; He rose from the dead to bear witness it.

They accept been aware, 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 constancy in Christ's word which proves that we are His disciples. It is continuing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when information technology is separated from its object.

The sole object of our faith is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our salvation.

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

If yous need help in becoming a Christian here is A Gratis Gift for You lot.

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

Serial:  Hebrews

	Web www.AbideInChrist.com

headrickfrivis57.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/heb6v4-6warningsagainstcrucifyingchristagain.html

Share this post