What Does It Mean When Christians Say I Dont Want to Nail Jesus on the Cross Again

Let's suppose you died and stood earlier the Lord God and He said to y'all, "Why should I permit you into My heaven?"  What would you say? What practice you think y'all would say?

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

The centre of Hebrews chapter six forces usa to ask the question, exercise you take eternal life? Are yous saved? Yous are either lost or saved. You either have eternal life or you do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal salvation?

The salvation Jesus procured for us is "eternal." We accept "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a great Savior!

The author of Hebrews will now stress the perseverance of the laic. We know a person is a true laic considering he will persevere. The true laic will continue trusting Christ. He volition go along to spiritual maturity in a growing human relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:ane-6 contains some of the severest language in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews has a mode of causing his readers to terminate, look, and mind. He wants them to take a serious look and evaluate their personal human relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against false security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that practice not produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching nigh the Christ, let united states printing on to maturity, not laying once more a foundation of repentance from expressionless works and of faith toward God, of instruction well-nigh washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this nosotros will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who take in one case been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the expert word of God and the powers of the historic period to come up, and so have fallen away, it is incommunicable to renew them again to repentance, since they over again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open up shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; just if information technology yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and shut to being cursed, and it ends up being burned" (Hebrews six:1-8, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Warning against consequences of apostasy (Heb. 6:iv-viii)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, and then the same person falls away 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 almost serious state of affairs.

This passage is non denying not bad 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.

It is helpful to think this is one of the most disputed passages in the New Attestation. There is no perfect interpretation of this passage because we do non accept all of the background on the beginning readers of this letter. Every interpreter is influenced by his theological groundwork. I have tried to arroyo this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the education of the whole Bible. At that place are basically four different interpretations past Bible assertive scholars.

Iv interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who later lose their salvation. They view this passage as people who are born over again, but lose their salvation past deliberate apostasy. This view fails to fairly consider the context of the volume of Hebrews, and balance the Bible'southward teaching on election and eternal security (John 10:26-30; Rom. 8:28-xxx; Phil. 1:three-5). The writer offers no promise to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that salvation can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or you are not.

two.         Another group interprets this passage every bit saved persons who backslide. They depict them as saved, just fall into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They endure the "sin unto death" (1 John 5:16), and stand up at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot exist reclaimed co-ordinate to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot commencement over. There is no such matter as being saved a second time. You are either saved, or lost.

iii.         Another pop view is a hypothetical case is existence presented by the author to illustrate the recklessness of betrayment. These individuals are truly regenerated are under force per unit area to return to Judaism, simply why would they e'er want to give up their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would but provide the evidence that they had never been born once again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is nothing to prove that the conditions of fatal betrayment had been fulfilled, however less that they had been fulfilled in the case of whatsoever of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is obviously a supposed example to correct their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to be that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses iv-6 to autumn away, it would be incommunicable to renew them unless Christ died a second time."

4.         Other scholars see this passage every bit professing Christians who take never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a course of Christianity, but it is not the real matter. They take heard the message of Good News, they accept observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, but like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground have never been regenerated. The apostasy referred to is the terminal rejection of Christ. They have 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 away similar this e'er truly saved or justified or born again? Critical to this whole context in Hebrews six is can you lot be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the discussion of God and the powers of the age to come up and not exist justified? Can y'all lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and so be lost? Or is this passage teaching that yous can have these keen religious emotional experiences as described in verses 4-5 and never be justified or saved or born once more?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the human perseverance of the saints (Heb. half-dozen:13-xx; John 5:24; ten:26-30; Rom. viii:28-39; Phil. 1:3-v). How do nosotros reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How do nosotros concur fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews half-dozen:1-three the writer has been encouraging his readers to continue to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this chapter. Now we see him irresolute his focus to give a stern warning to those who have to turn away from Christ.

"For information technology is impossible, in the case of those who have once been aware, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and so have fallen abroad, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and belongings him upwardly to contempt" (Hebrews 6:four-six, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the case of those who take once been aware and accept tasted of the heavenly souvenir and accept been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the skilful word of God and the powers of the historic period to come up, and so have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews half-dozen:four-half dozen).

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 author does not say, "us who were once enlightened," nor "you," but "those who have one time been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast betwixt "Dearest, we are persuaded ameliorate things of you," and this passage. It is truthful they enjoyed bully privileges nether Judaism, but they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of equally God's elect, for whom Christ died, or every bit those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their being justified, forgiven, cleansed and accepted in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their faith in Christ, nor obedience to Him. There is no indication that they were children of God.

A critical discussion in the estimation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English language translations. Information technology is also used in Hebrews six:xviii where the author tells us information technology is impossible for God to prevarication, In Hebrews 10:four it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to have away sins, and in Hebrews 11:6 nosotros are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. Here it reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must also be taken with its full meaning. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the individual. The Holy Spirit brings nearly this change in the mind that affects the whole person.

They had "once been aware"

"Aware" (photizo) "to give light, to smooth;" metaphorically ways spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual lite or knowledge past teaching. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does information technology fall brusk of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the aforementioned paradigm from celebrity to celebrity, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:eighteen). There is a big divergence between beingness 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, only not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes downward out of heaven, then that one may swallow of information technology and not die. I am the living bread that came downward out of sky; if anyone eats of this breadstuff, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." And so the Jews began to argue with one some other, maxim, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and beverage His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I volition raise him up on the last solar day. For My flesh is true food, and My claret is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John half dozen:50-56). His Jewish listeners took 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 globe and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine gift comes from sky and leads us to heaven. Therefore, I am inclined to call back of this souvenir as Christ. He is the Father'due south gift from heaven and His goal is to accept us to heaven to exist with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, simply had never made a commitment once and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the homo who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; still he has no firm root in himself, just is only temporary, and when illness or persecution arises considering of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

 "Have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The discussion for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and means "to take a share in" or simply "companions."  John Brownish 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 dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At any rate they apparently testify that their possession and an unregenerate state were by no means incompatible."  Several scholars annotation the discussion "partakers" does not mean 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 good case of someone who "partakers" but in the post-obit decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he just used Christianity for his ain personal gain.

"Have tasted the good discussion of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His promise and they accept enjoyed, so far equally an unconverted person can enjoy the blessings and advantages that come from these promises existence fulfilled. A. Due west. Pinkish observed, these readers "could non say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were institute and I did eat them' (Jeremiah 15:16)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark half dozen:20), but he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come"

The new impunity ushered in by the Messiah according to the Old Testament prophesies has now arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come up" was already upon them because Christ has come up. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at manus" (Mark ane:15). Not but has God spoken "in these final days" to u.s.a. in His Son, but He has acted (Heb. ane:2). The principles of this new age are agile at the present time through the functioning of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the historic period to come, and will to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2d time. Even so, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now 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 fabricated by the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used earlier. Information technology is parapipto and it means literally "to fall aslope." It is a deliberate, complete and concluding repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a final rejection of Christ. So it is impossible to renew them once again to repentance. Their condition is across recovery. Since they have rejected the apologetic sacrifice of Christ there is no other gospel to exist preached. They have rejected the one sacrifice that can save from sin. It is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, information technology is "impossible to renew them once again unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used absolutely hither, without any qualification. It is incommunicable to h2o it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot be brought to repentance and then long as they persist in their renunciation of Christ would be a truism inappreciably 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" (v. 7).

This is how serious this betrayment is. The effect of falling away is to re-crucify Christ and put Him to open up shame. When Christ went to the cross and died as our substitute He died to make us right with God. When we turn our backs on Him and render to the world we are saying the world is more worthy than the beloved of Christ. We are maxim in result that nosotros agree with those who crucified Christ.

The writer 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, but the open total renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the piece of work of the Holy Spirit in his middle considering he was a true believer. The unbeliever does non 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 believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. four:14-16; 10:xix-22; 1 John 1:7-x; 2:1-two).

John Brown said: it is "in open up, full, adamant renunciation of all the elective principles of Christianity, and a render to a false religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open infidelity and open up 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 cantankerous. They are willing to stand in judgment of Christ and with the crowd shaking their fists and shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" If they had their chance, they would crucify Him again. They accept 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 contempt. At that place is no possible return.

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

To and so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They get in at a spiritual land where they tin can no longer repent "since they again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no one else to turn 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 against a real danger. It is truthful someday there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

It is possible for those who are described in the language of verses 4 and v to "fall away and non be renewed." The critical question is were they always born again? Were they e'er saved?

They are non true Christians because they take never been regenerated past the Holy Spirit. They are like state that has received its rain, but bears no expert fruit. It is a country full of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are like seed sown on rocky ground. In that location was no spiritual root and they brutal away. They audio like Christians, only something is severely missing. They are not 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 suggest if these Hebrews renounced their professed faith in Christ they would be going back to the old covenant and would be irrevocably lost. Since there is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot exist 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 return to my opening questions. If you died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked y'all, "Why should I allow y'all into My heaven? What would yous say? How would yous respond 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 blood of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the work of salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved do not fall abroad; they grow in the grace and cognition of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God'southward work; information technology is not man's work. God'southward piece of work cannot neglect to achieve its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His project. Your salvation is His project and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ (Phil. 1:3-6).

Perseverance in faith in Christ proves that you have become a partaker in Christ. If you do not persevere in organized religion in Christ information technology proves you never became a partaker in Christ. Y'all may be very religious, but are withal lost. You may have had smashing religious experiences, just accept never been justified.

Ultimately only the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who distort this passage to teach that at that place is no repentance later baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This false teaching completely distorts the remainder of the Scriptures such as ane John 1:7-10. At that place is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Stop and read advisedly the following verses.

"If we walk in the Calorie-free equally He Himself is in the Calorie-free, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses u.s.a. from all sin. If we say that we take no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is true-blue and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we take not sinned, we make Him a liar and His discussion is non in the states" (1 John 1:vii-10).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are non born once again.

Judas Iscariot is an first-class example of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the bang-up advantages of the Gospel, but never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, but evidently was never saved.

In our day nosotros would say they had their names on the church building rolls, but were never saved. They partook of the Lord'southward Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, 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; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed savage on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang upwardly because it had no depth of soil. And afterwards the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered abroad. Other seed fell amongst the thorns, and the thorns came upwardly and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds roughshod into the good soil, and every bit they grew upward and increased, they yielded a ingather and produced thirty, lx, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:3-nine).

What kind of soil is represented in the heart of the truthful believer? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Only fourth dimension reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If information technology is skillful soil it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. It will bear Christ's likeness.

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

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Notation carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, not unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (two Tim. ii:xix). 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. Information technology is the work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Constant in Christ maintains the states in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in y'all, and you in Me." Christ did non die 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'south word which proves that we are His disciples. It is standing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when it 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 human relationship with Jesus Christ? "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved" (Acts sixteen:31).

If you lot need help in condign a Christian here is A Free Gift for You.

Title: Hebrews half-dozen:four-vi Warnings confronting Crucifying Christ Over again

Series:  Hebrews

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