The Race is Set Before Us. Hebrews 6:4-6
When someone professes the Christian faith, then willfully decides to reject the doctrines of Christ, can they again be restored? Let’s examine the following,
Hebrews 6:4-5-6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” So we have in the above,
1. “Once enlightened”
2. “Tasted of the heavenly gift”
3. “Make partakers of the Holy Ghost”
4. “Tasted the good word of God”
5. “The powers of the world to come”
6 “If they shall fall away,”
7. “To renew them again unto repentance,”
8. “Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God”
9. “Put him = (Jesus) to an open shame”
When someone is said to be, “once enlightened?” That person is said to be thoroughly instructed in the nature and design of the Gospel of Christ. That person having received the knowledge of the truth. Compare the following verses.
Hebrews 10:32, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” The words, “illuminated,” and “enlightened,” are the same Greek word, (phitizo.) The idea of being, illuminated, and enlightened infers, to impart moral and spiritual light to any one, to enlighten the mind, or mental eyes of any one. That is, to have been thoroughly instructed, and to understand the knowledge of the word of truth.
Hebrews 10:26, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,” The word “sin,” in the Greek here means, Sin: Greek is, hamartano. It implies to miss, err from; a mark, the way, etc. Therefore in N.T., metaphors, a. To err, to swerve from the truth, go wrong, absolute,
Titus 3:10-11. “A man that is an heretics after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted (warped,) and sins being condemned of himself.”
b-1. To err in action, in respect to a prescribed law, as to commit errors, to do wrong, to sin. Generality: to sin, spoken of any sin, absolute,
Matthew 27:4, Judas said of Christ, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”
John 5:14, Jesus said to the man who He had heeled, “thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”
John 8:11, Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.”
Romans 6:15, “shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
2 Peter 2:4, “If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell.”
1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him (God) a liar.” This would have to be a deliberate denial of the Gospel message after having understanding its message, and having a conviction for the truth. For this person, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. Therefore, Hebrews 10:26, answers to both,
Hebrews 6:4; and 10:32. “Tasted of the heavenly gift?”
Or when a person has tasted for themselves, God’s gifts. We saw that the word “enlightened” refers to enlightening the mind and mental eye. This held true especially for those Jew’s, and Gentiles, who were actual witnesses of the works of Christ, and the apostles.
So the idea of a person having tasted of the heavenly gifts follows. It is the idea of experiencing, proving, and partaking, of the finished work of Christ. The Father sent His Only Begotten Son. Therefore, the Son has been revealed to us; first in person, then by the written word. This revealing is to entice, to draw us to belief.
John 6:44, Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”
Once we understand this, true repentance should follow. So, it is written, that no man can come to the Son, unless the Father draw them. And with both knowledge and understanding enhanced, believers will experience an inner peace in their soul and spirit.
First, God sends to them saving grace, secondly the forgiveness of sin, and thirdly the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the following, Simon the sorcerer, heard the Gospel, and was baptized. He was a witness to the laying on of hands by the apostles, and to the baptism of new Christian’s into the Holy Spirit. Simon thought to buy this power with money. Acts 8:19-20, “Saying, give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” Simon’s first mistake was to think that the Holy Spirit belonged to the apostles, and that they could give it to whomsoever they chose. Secondly, Simon’s motives were corrupt. He thought to purchase this power, possibly profiting by it, and then receive possible favors from the people he had influenced.
Jesus would give many religious leaders the same tongue lashing He gave 2000 years ago, when He said in
Matthew 23:14, “Woe unto you, scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites = (an actor playing the part of an assumed character, a pretender!) for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” = (condemnation)
Their goal? Money! masking their greed under the word “tithing.”
For many of them it’s about money, power, and fame. They market products and music, they are merchants in the things of God. Jesus would take a whip and drive these also from His house.
In Matthew 23:14, “Pretense,” means to show, or put forth something, in order to cover their real intent. Frauds, antichrist’s give the impression that they have a special anointing from God. This claim of a special anointing is to bring people under their authority.
Acts 10:34, “God is no respecter of persons:” If any person desires God’s anointing, and the Holy Spirit to comfort them, read the following,
1. Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst (thirst) come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
2. Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:”
3. Acts 16:31, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
The Scriptures acknowledges only one person, Jesus.
Philippians 2:10-11, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, —–and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
As our Lord, He, and only He rules over you and the Church; Revelation 19:16, Speaks of Jesus, as, “the LORD of LORDS.”
He is the Christ, Meaning our High Priest, Our King, and our Prophet. As a Christian, we must first come. We then must drink from the water of life, which is given freely, (no tithing necessary) we are to read and hear the Gospel message, have complete faith and trust in God, and then believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world.
When your heart is right, then you will give of your own free will. Peter took great care to inform not only Simon, but others that the Spirit of God, is the gift of God alone, and cannot be bargained, bought, or worked for.
“Made partakers of the Holy Spirit?” This means that the Holy Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit, that we are God’s children. This assuring us of God’s mercy, and of His power to produce effects by the atonement through which we have received blessings. To be “made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” is distinct from, though inseparably connected with “enlightened,” and with those who have “tasted of the heavenly gifts,” that gift is Jesus Christ. So, the Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit, assuring us of enlightenment, and of the partaking of the gifts of God. “Tasted the good word of God?”
We have proof of the merits, and superiority of the promises of God, in the sending of the Gospel message. The Gospel itself being the good-word, of a good God. Do you find the reading and preaching of the Gospel sweet in your mouth, music to your ears, and saving to your soul? True believers have an appetite for the word of God, the more they get, the more they want.
Hebrews 6:6, begins with, “If they shall fall away,” To stumble, to error, This is an extreme falling away. A full and willful apostasy is meant. We are warned that such a falling would be the final result of retrogression. = (going back to our worldly ways)
Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” “To renew them again?” Or to make another confession of faith, or to again repent of sin, this always being the first step needed in our Christian walk.
If one is sorry for their sins, and is not truly repentant, being sorry is useless in itself. Why? Because a person who rejected in part or in its whole the works of Jesus, Christ, they have willfully rejected the only Sacrifice that can save them from eternal damnation. Without true believing, their repentance would be useless, and their salvation impossible. This is why the apostle added the word “again.” “Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God?”
The Jewish authority, with the blessing of the Jewish people rejected Jesus on the grounds that He was an imposter, and agree that He was justly put to death. Therefore, it is said, “to crucify him to themselves.” Paul wrote in,
Galatians 6:14, “God forbid that I (Paul) should glory, save = (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me.”
Paul is saying, because the Jews and Gentiles despise me, for that which I believe and trust, I Paul, despise them for what they believe and trust in.
Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer = (worse) punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden = (trampled) under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite (insult) unto the Spirit of grace?”
The phrase, “The Son of God” marks Jesus dignity. To trample, to insult, or make the crucifixion seem trivial, is to reveal the whole of a person’s contempt and blasphemous remarks, after having once received the truth. “Put Him (Jesus) to an open shame?” It is to mock, or make a public example of Jesus. To agree with those who have said, and say to this day, that he was a criminal that deserved to be crucified.
What the Jews did outwardly in Jesus crucifixion, are what blasphemers do inwardly, and virtually crucify the Son of God over, and over again. This verse seems to imply that a person may appear to be renewed, but in their heart, they are not, and will eventually fall again into a sinful life.
The words “renewed again,” implies that a person may have been in some way renewed by the Holy Spirit, but certainly not in the fullest sense. They were never considered to be the “elect.” The “elect,” can never fall away, being chosen unto everlasting life,
John 10:28, Jesus said, “I give unto them = (the elect) eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
1 Corinthians 9:24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN.”
Hebrews 12:1, “Let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.”
Many start, but few finish. The Elect abide in Christ Jesus. They hear and obey His voice, and will never fall away. The difference is not external, but the truth of one’s salvation lies in their hearts. ONLY GOD CAN KNOW THE DEPTH OF A MAN’S LOVE.
We may fool other’s, and we may even be kidding ourselves, but never, never will anyone fool the Lord. Those who are not of Christ, are cast off as a dead branch; but those who live in Him become free from the grip of sin. The wicked one can not touch the Elect, and the elect, by faith, have overcome the world.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com