No Repentance For Those Who Fall Away

[RJ]

Hebrews 6
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly
gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying
the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

I can't tell you how many times that I have been asked about these verses in Hebrews and from Christians that are held in bondage to them.
Many look at these set of verse and think that God is saying that, once you have been saved and fall away again that you can not be saved again or brought back into repentence again.


Nothing could be further from the truth.

Though we can use this directly in our own life today, contexually, St. Paul was refering to the Jew, especially those that He battled in Rome.

Through out his ministry and especially in Rome, Paul had to fight Jewish infilltartors with in the Church. He was constantly batteling the Jewish "False Convert" that spoke of the saving grace of Jesus Christ and then went back to the Synyagogue and took part in the sacrificies of Bulls and Goats again. They would confess in Jesus Christ in front of other Christians but deny Him to other Jews.

Look at verse 4 and 6 again: ''It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened'," if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance"

Paul is talking about the "un-saved" Jew here.
He is saying that it is impossible to be brought back into repentence for someone who has never been there in the first place. How can you be brought back from where you never have been?


A person who is truly saved , "Born-Again", knows the truth about turning ones back on Jesus Christ, It's not going to happen.

Oh, you could have some feel of separation or doubt on your part but, that is not what God does and that is not what Paul is refering to here.

If you or a person you know falls away (denouces Jesus Christ), you were not saved in the first place.


For me, this is one of the Bibles greatest arguments for , " Onced Saved Always Saved" !

 

[HoneyBare]

Thanx for explaining that, Joe. I know a young man whose parent's were pastors of a church. This guy knows a lot about the Bible, but you'd never guess it the way he lives.

He's hardly ever sober and he looks really depressed most of the time, although he is usually the toast of a party. He told me that he has not been able to get through to God for a long time now, and he is a very miserable person.

I think he has given up on any kind of life and is just trying to distroy himself. I don't know how to help him because he knows more than I do I think. Except I do have something he does not, which is a peace in my heart.

It is very hard to see him this way. But, I'd like to talk with him if given the opportunity. He is my son-in-law's good friend. Any advice?

 

[RJ]

Thanx for explaining that, Joe. I know a young man whose parent's were pastors of a church. This guy knows a lot about the Bible, but you'd never guess it the way he lives.

He's hardly ever sober and he looks really depressed most of the time, although he is usually the toast of a party. He told me that he has not been able to get through to God for a long time now, and he is a very miserable person.

I think he has given up on any kind of life and is just trying to distroy himself. I don't know how to help him because he knows more than I do I think. Except I do have something he does not, which is a peace in my heart.

It is very hard to see him this way. But, I'd like to talk with him if given the opportunity. He is my son-in-law's good friend. Any advice?

My first advice, with me already knowing you and I know that you are a Christian, you must realize that this young man is in your life for a reason, this is no accident.

Always reflect on why you are at peace, what Jesus Christ is doing in your life, thanking Him for a potential chance to witness to another about this type of love.

Not personally knowing this young man, it is hard to say what deep rooted "untruths" that he is in bondage to. His lack of sobriety is a real problem, that you alone may not be able to overcome.

How strong is your so-in-law? Together maybe you can make a difference. Who are the enablers in the young man's life, they need to change and realize that they actually support his drinking. If his parents are Pastors, then how can they help you?

Possibly if he is coercible, you can get him into a program and dried out. You know that Christ is his answer but, his dire need for spiritual growth will be hindered by the aclohol.

Now have faith in your own peace and allow Christ to work through you and it will happen.
I wouldn't worry how knowledgable you think he is about the Bible, it's obvious his knowledge isn't sufficient and he has no spiritual life and you do and that's the difference, that's where you can help.

His depression is denfinetly alcohol related but what drives him to it. Does he have a low self-esteem, does feel that His parents are saved but he is not, is he actually born again. Can He recall the day that he turned over his life to Christ? These are questions that you can go over with him, if he will open up to you or your son-in-law.

If he is not born-again, then his troubles are waiting for his salvation and the peace that you have found. When he is ready, led him through something like Romans 10:8-13 but he must desire it, it must be his decision to change.

If he is born-again, then lead him back to that time "when he first believed" and pull out of him how he felt. Just remind him that he has pulled away from God, that when he was born-again, God promised to never leave him no matter what he has done.

Let him know, that God loves him, unconditionally and as much as anyone in this universe, even his only begotten Son.
Remind him that Jesus has already taken care of his sins and that there is absolutely no sin that can seperate him from God, except the sin of unbelief in this.

When he is ready, he must realize that, as Jesus said, " he can not serve two masters, it's either the alcohol or it's Jesus Christ!

Remember, it is his free will choice to change or not. You can do only so much and it is up to the Holy Spirit working through you more that anything.

Like the Bible says, you can only plant the seeds. Be a good sower and let God do the rest.

 

[eddieb]

i "fell away". not something i am proud of. however, it does me me oppurtunity to boast in Gods mercies, which are new every morning. He will make you so uncofortable, so miserable. well ok we do it to ourselves if we turn back to sin. the bible says for with out are dogs, sorceriers, liars, adulterers, and on and on. for without being outside of the city of God. ouside of his gates, or His courts. it also says as a dog returns to its vomit is the same as a man returning to sin. The bible also says a living dog is better than a dead lion. it is in eccles. i think.
God will take anyone back. but they have to be willing to give up all to be dead men, crucified with christ. if not that misery and woe or better yet that mire. wallow in that mire like a pig. but see a sheep dont like being filthy wallowing in mire. but a pig, they love it.
God is so good. a Good Shepherd when He has a sheep that wanders will break its leg(God hears the prayers of a contrite heart) so it knows it is weak and stays close to The Shepherd.
If you know someone in misery that is backslidden pray for that person tell them what i have said. i been there. this is a testamony of the love, the agape love The Shepherd has for those he calls His own.

 

[Quantum1982]

We then have to ask ourselves the question : What did Paul mean when he said "fall away" ? There are many examples in the bible of people who were once following God and then suffocated with the perils and pressure of the real world. Judas Escariot is probably one of the best examples.

Jesus said that "one of you will betray me", which to me can easily be symbolic of a group of christians throughout time and even today. A group that will betray Christ when the pressure gets too much for them, maybe those who will take the mark of the beast ?

The other question is, how does a person know if they have fallen away ?
This is such a sensitive issue this. In my younger days I would have nightmares about this verse, out of worry that I have sinned too much, or that I have accidentally blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. It took many years of perseverance,internal suffering and prayer to get where I am now.

The other question you have to ask yourself is this : When you or I sin, are we not wilfully rejecting the Word of God, in a moment of disobedience. There has to be a limit to God's patience. His patience IS DEFINITELY NOT infinite, otherwise people will just keep on sinning over and over. Then again the calvinists will argue that a true christian won't do this.

I pray that no one on this site backslides or falls away.
Yours in Christ
Quantum1982

 

[RJ]

We then have to ask ourselves the question : What did Paul mean when he said "fall away" ? There are many examples in the bible of people who were once following God and then suffocated with the perils and pressure of the real world. Judas Escariot is probably one of the best examples.

Jesus said that "one of you will betray me", which to me can easily be symbolic of a group of christians throughout time and even today. A group that will betray Christ when the pressure gets too much for them, maybe those who will take the mark of the beast ?

The other question is, how does a person know if they have fallen away ?
This is such a sensitive issue this. In my younger days I would have nightmares about this verse, out of worry that I have sinned too much, or that I have accidentally blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. It took many years of perseverance,internal suffering and prayer to get where I am now.

The other question you have to ask yourself is this : When you or I sin, are we not wilfully rejecting the Word of God, in a moment of disobedience. There has to be a limit to God's patience. His patience IS DEFINITELY NOT infinite, otherwise people will just keep on sinning over and over. Then again the calvinists will argue that a true christian won't do this.

I pray that no one on this site backslides or falls away.
Yours in Christ
Quantum1982

God's use of "falling away" has nothing to do with a Christian who pulls away from God under normal circumstances.

This is a part of being human and not perfect, we all have our times of seperating ourselves for one reason or another. For a true Christian, this is our action, God said that He would never leave us.

The use of "falling away" in Hebrews 6: 4-6 , at the time of it's writting, was for the Jew who was comitting Apostacy, an all out denial of Jesus and going back to the Synagogue and participating in the sacrifices of Bulls and Goats.

I agree with Calvin, Judas Escariot was never a believer in the first place!