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How are we to understand this passage?Talk about a
controversial passage in scripture, this is it! Although this is not an easy
passage, careful study can resolve a lot of questions, especially whether it
implies the loss of salvation or not. Read it carefully in full:
1)
Therefore,
leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to
perfection [maturity], not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works and of faith toward God, 2) of the doctrine of baptisms, of
laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3)
And this we will do if God permits. 4) For it is impossible for those
who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become
partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5) and have tasted the good word of God
and the powers of the age to come, 6) if they fall away, to renew them
again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God,
and put Him to an open shame. 7) For the earth which drinks in the rain
that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is
cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8) but if it bears thorns and
briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 9)
But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things
that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. This
passage must be read in
context. Essential to any understanding are the preceding verses, Heb.
5:11-14, and those following, Heb. 6:10-12. If we take the words at face
value, the writer appears to be referring to Christians -- but to a particular
group (those hard of hearing, sluggish, and unbelieving). He is concerned over
their spiritual growth so essential to becoming fruitful. These believers,
like so many today, had forgotten the A-B-C’s of their faith -- had lapsed
into self effort, tradition, etc. rather than exercising their original trust.
What have they fallen away from? Notice it is not from salvation but
repentance! Read carefully the key words, “it is impossible . . if they fall away to renew them again to
repentance from dead works. They have reverted to working their
way to heaven. This being the case, it is impossible to renew them again to a repentance
from dead works since so far as they are concerned, Christ is as good as dead.
It amounts to them putting him on the cross again, rather than sharing his
life from heaven. Now, this is a serious thing -- because the only fruit they
can produce will be rotten to the core from their own self-life. It is tragic
but it is commonplace. Other relevant
scriptures must be borne in mind. God is not the author of confusion. We
worship a sovereign God who, all-knowing and all-powerful, can assure true
believers that our names are “written in heaven.”
Indeed, He has “chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world.” The scripture is full of promises that God will complete the
work He has begun in us, that nothing can ever separate His elect from Him.
No, our passage cannot be speaking of the loss of salvation. However, there
are many warnings about the loss of rewards. The excerpts below from I
Corinthians 3:1-15 strikingly confirm this and mirror our passage. And
I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal,
as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until
now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for
you are still carnal. . . . For where
there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and
behaving like mere men? Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear;
for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire
will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has
built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned,
he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Note
that the writer speaks to carnal believers, as to babes in Christ
needing solid food. As in the natural realm, a good diet and exercise are
essential to growth and maturity, so it is spiritually true with every
believer. Paul’s reference to fire in I Corinthians 3:15 above sheds light
on the words in Hebrews 6:8,“rejected and near to being cursed, whose end
is to be burned.” Thank
God, they are only near to being cursed. Though spared from eternal
torment, the shame and loss of potential works is surely no happy thought.
Certainly this should cause us to beware of carnality in ourselves and to
soberly reflect upon the true meaning of repentance. So often it is understood
as our forsaking individual sins rather than forsaking Sin itself, the culprit
that resides in our natural born nature that manufactures sins. Not until we
recognize our helpless depravity and that we have died with Christ will we
begin to appreciate fully His resurrection life in us. Concerning the
issue of carnality, Romans 8:3-12 provides much light. In verses 3-6 the
believer is seen to have a choice of two walks or states of mind regarding how
to live: For what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending
His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned
sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of
the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of
the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. The verses make clear the profound difference between being IN the flesh and IN the Spirit. Those in the flesh cannot please God because they have not His Spirit and do not belong to Christ, while those IN the Spirit are not IN the flesh. Consequently, the truly saved are distinguished from unbelievers. Notice that being IN the flesh or IN the Spirit speaks of one thing, while walking according to the flesh or according to the Spirit speaks of another. Those IN the flesh are not saved; they have no choice but to be carnal. However, those IN the Spirit have a choice of two ways to live, one, where life is focused upon Christ, the other where it is focused on self and circumstances. If this were not true, the instruction of verse 12 would be unnecessary: “we are not under obligation to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” This shouldn’t surprise a true believer, since which of us at times have not been convicted and corrected from setting our sights on this world? The solution, of course, to living according to the Spirit is to walk by faith in Christ’s finished work on the Cross, focusing on him, setting the mind on the things of the Spirit. Thank God for His word! “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105).
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