For it is impossible for those who were
once enlightened, and have tasted
of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Spirit, 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 open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6
Jesus did not sugar-coat His words, He spoke the truth no matter what if may cost, to Him, or to those hearing Him. "Pick up your cross and follow me", or, "Deny yourself, even fathers, mothers, sisters, daughters, son, or anyone else," harsh! Not often spoken by preachers in today's cultural Christianity. The Greek word: άδύνατον: to be without power to do a thing, impossible, this word so strong we must not sugar-coat it in anyway. It is "impossible" with no possibility. For whom? Those who have been enlightened. Sometimes it is very infuriating because some will allow their presuppositions to translate a word to mean what the word or the context does not warrant. For instance some will say that this word "enlightenment" stands for "baptism" which this word does not even imply. What this word stands for is found in the grammar, for it is a passive participle, and in this grammar it is being used metaphorically of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9; Ephesians 1:18; 3:9). In the second or the third century this Greek word took on a mystical sense and applied to being given something when baptized as in baptismal regeneration, or to be given anything when a person is baptized. Baptism is simply a person's outward display of what occurred inwardly, publicly or privately, either way a person is physically confirming their commitment to Jesus Christ.
A person who has tasted all the good things from the word of God, and come to know the power of the coming of Jesus Christ and the the heavenly kingdom, to have become a partaker of the Holy Spirit, then fall away: how can they be renewed to repentance? It is impossible, they have put the Lord Jesus Christ to shame, they crucify Jesus Christ once more. A person has come to be convicted of their sins and became satisfied by the word of God that it was good, a holy and salutary, and that they were to attend to the word of God, to those gifts given to them, but they did not, their old nature hardened their hearts and the new nature of Jesus Christ having been now replaced the become unregenerated and crucify Jesus Christ over and over again. Some have gone so far to renounce the Christian religion, they even have blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ. Their roots were shallow, and what they are actually showing is: they never really converted to Jesus Christ even with all the things that they have learned and heard, they said they were, but actually they were not, their actions prove this to be true.
We are not speaking of "backsliding" for we are still encumbered by our old nature and the temptations of this world, we are still in an imperfect state. Do not use these verses to prove a person can lose their salvation for this is not taught in Scripture. If you truly repented, not just feel sorry for your sins, but come to know that your sin was against a Holy God, God through His Only Begotten Son will save you and preserve you. If you are committing sin over and over, the same sin, the same attitude that stands against God, you may want to take time to examine your belief and your salvation, is it real, or just something you would like to have, which? All of us should beware, cautious for we all face a precipice in which we could fall. God saves, we then do all for His glory and if we fail, we come to Him humbly knowing that it was God, His Holiness, that we have failed, not us, or them, but God. The best insurance against failing is to study His word, to pray for help from Him, and to then pragmatically do what the Bible says to do and not to do that which it says not to do. Who are we pleasing? Ourselves or God? Can't do both if dichotomy exists in our lives.
The love of God is greater than anything we can do or give to Him, for He gave of Himself, His Wisdom, to become flesh to die upon a cross to pay this debt of sin owed to Him, He paid it, not you, He did it when you never deserved it, so great is His love, a love that through Jesus Christ is given to all who will believe on Him and by this belief you will not hear that it is impossible for you to be renewed. Do not run from Him in fear, run to Him in love for He first loved you.
And the LORD said, I will destroy
man whom I have created from
the face of the earth; both man,
and beast, and the creeping thing,
and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth
me that I have made them. But Noah
found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Genesis 6:7-8
God preserves His children
Richard L. Crumb
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