THE ETERNALITY OF OUR SALVATION

I will start my analysis with the most common objection to the security of the believer which is found in Hebrews 6;4-6. These are the most difficult passages dealing with many who believe is the Apostasy of the believer; the result being is lost of salvation.

To believe this has huge and very disturbing ramifications to those who espouse the eternal security of the believer. Isolating these verses in light of their complexity from the rest of scripture will definitely bring about a vulgar meaning. These must be interpreted in light of relatable passages.

First strategy is when dealing with unclear passages we must compare them in light of clear meaning passages. This helps define the unclear.

The second strategy we need to remember is scripture interprets scripture. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. In other words, the N.T illuminates the O.T. They’re intertwined and interdependent. Why? Because there is one ultimate author, the Holy Spirit.

We know that scripture teaches us that salvation is eternal so Hebrews 6:4-6 can not be referencing Christians losing salvation. There are a host of scriptures that affirm this truth (Luke 23:43;John 3:16,36; John 10:27-30; Ephesians 1:1-11;Romans 6:23; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1;4-5).

With that being said, let’s break down Hebrews 6:4-6.

4For is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come,6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.

Now, we have to explore the five participles that are in this text:

1. Enlightened – Greek word is photizo. Means in relation to the text spiritual light, the light of the gospel. God gives all men light; saved and unsaved alike (John 1:9).
2. Tasted – Greek word is geuo. Means having tasted. This is in relation the heavenly gift. It would be assumed that’s Jesus Christ. The text doesn’t specifically tell us.
3. Partakers – Greek word is metochos. Means sharing in, partaking of; in this text the Holy Ghost. This would assume this means that this is in reference to believers for only believers can partake or benefits from God’s Holy Spirit when they’re born again. Not true. Judas, the betrayer of Jesus shared in the benefits of the Holy Ghost by performing miracles yet he was a devil (Matthew 10:1)
4. Fall away – Greek word is parapipto. Means to fall away from adherence to the realities and facts of the faith. This is apostasy.
5. To renew – Greek word is anakainizio. Dealing with the impossibility of renewing those to repentance who abandon the gospel and return to the dead works of Judaism proving they’re not born again.

To get better understand of why Hebrews 6:4-6 came about we need to read the text prior. Let’s begin at Hebrews 5:11, Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing .

12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for full grown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. 1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit .

Heb 5:12-14 (ASV).

Heb 6:1-3 (ASV)

The end of chapter 5 and Chapter 6 flow together. That’s why it’s so important to not isolate Hebrews 6:4-6 on an island by themselves and build a theology without the preceding facts.

The writer of Hebrews is rebuking them for their immaturity in the things of God. They should be further along in their knowledge of spiritual things. The writer is also warning them against their apathy lest they revert to the dead works of the law. Keep in mind this church was most likely primarily Jewish so being justified in the Spirit as supposed to trying to earn their salvation through dead works (i.e. the law) was something foreign to them. For those who fell away, they apostatized not from salvation for they never obtained it, but from the truth they were exposed to so they never exercised saving faith to obtain salvation. So in essence they were crucifying Jesus again by their unbelief and their return to their old traditions which can never save them. It would have been better for them to not have heard the truth than to hear the truth, embrace it on some intellectual level and turn from God’s command (II Peter 2:21).

But notice how the writer switches his audience and commends and encourages the true believers in the same Hebrew church. He says:

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: 10 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fullness of hope even to the end: 12 that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself, 14 saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16

Heb 6:9-16 (ASV)

You’ll notice a key word in the two scenarios, in Hebrews 5:11 and in chapter 6:12; that word is dull and sluggish. The same Greek word accompanies both terms. That word is nothros. The writer rebukes the chapter 5:11 camp for being dull of hearing and encourages the chapter 6:12 camp to not become sluggish but to imitate the saints of old like Abraham. That’s true faith. There you see the difference between the apostate and the true believer. The believer has a faith that saves. The non believer has a “demon” faith that condemns (James 2:19). The reader is encouraged to read the parable of the soils in Matthew 13.

The objection to this reasoning is, “how can one commit apostasy if they were never saved? Don’t you have to be saved in order to depart from the faith?” The answer is no. Unbelievers and believers can and are exposed to the same revelation and power of God in their lives. Those that are saved are those who believe. Those that are condemned already are those who refuse to believe the gospel.

I believe an even more vivid description of Hebrews 6:4-6 is found through the lens of O.T. Israel; particularly the 10 plagues, deliverance from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 13-14) and the provocation in the wilderness. If one studies these accounts carefully, you’ll discover the blessings that are mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6 were prevalent to some extent with the old testament covenant people. Enlightenment, tasted heavenly gift (could make reference to the manna that fell from heaven), partakers of the Holy Spirit (Numbers 11:17), the good word of God (Exodus 20), and the powers of the world to come.

Unfortunately, the results were that the children of Israel did not believe the Lord could get them to the land of promise so they died in the wilderness due to unbelief in God’s word; they were apostates, they had fallen away from the faith they knew. Scripture bears this out. Although they were a chosen nation, and God demonstrated his miracles, provision and power before them, not all them were saved or justified by faith. For more information on Israel’s history and demise, read:

(Nehemiah 9, Psalm 78, Psalm 95:7-8;11). Hebrews 6:4-6 is the N.T. parallel to their ancestral counterparts. They had all the benefits of the Lord at their grasp but was willing to reject it with full knowledge. They stand at the narrow gate they’re commanded to enter into but never go in. True believers will not fall away finally. Why? Let’s explore some texts to prove this point.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him

John 3:36 (ASV)

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.

John 10:27-30 (ASV)

42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. 43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

Luke 23:42-43 (ASV)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints that are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: 5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: 7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 10 unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say, 11 in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will; 12 to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: 13 in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,-- in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Eph 1:1-14 (ASV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:1-5 (ASV)

Summarizing, our salvation is secure because of the Lord not us. He sovereignly chose us before the foundation of the world because it pleased him to do so (Ephesians 1:4-5). God chose us outside of time and effectually called and saved us in real time at the precise moment he wanted us to believe unto salvation. God gave to the Son a love gift. That gift was a redeemed humanity from every tongue, tribe and nation. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). The inheritance we have according to I Peter 1 is incorruptible and undefiled which doesn’t fade away, and if those things weren’t enough it’s reserved in the safest place in all the universe, heaven.

Our salvation is secure because it’s not predicated on us to keep it. God keeps it. Our job is to develop or work out our salvation so that we mature (Philippians 2:12). We’re to conform to the image of Jesus Christ on a daily basis. We’re to develop the virtues; that is the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Bearing fruit or good works is a natural byproduct of the true child of God. This is how one proves his faith is genuine (James 3). Failure to have a living active faith filled life may be because there is disobedience in one’s life. Confess your sins according to I John 1:9. Will we fall away ultimately? No because we’re protected, sealed by the Holy Spirit. Yes we’ll sin. Sometimes terribly due to our sinful unredeemed flesh where no good thing dwells. Remember, we’re saved within, but still corrupt without until we’re glorified bodily (I Thessalonians 4:16; I Corinthians 15:51). However the true child of God can not practice sin because God’s seed is in him/Greek is sperma (I John 3:9). Because we’re preserved by God, we’ll persevere until the end. He that began a good work in you will complete until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Contrary to popular belief, the phrase “Once saved stay saved” doctrine is a man centered salvation because the onus of the maintenance to keep one saved is squarely on the sinner. This is not living by faith and will surely lead to doubt in salvation which is sin. God knew that he would have to save man and keep us saved in order for us to live this life in confidence and burden free. Paul in Galatians said it perfectly, “I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life I now in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Living the Christian life is a life of faith which pleases God (Habakkuk 2:4;Romans 1:17;Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38;Hebrews 11:6). But don’t think for a moment you can or have to do it alone; I’m glad to say we can’t! We must rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Foolishly doing it on your own is apostasy because it glorifies the creature rather than the creator.

The true believer does not want to frustrate the grace of God given to him since he knows he’s fashioned for heaven. Rather out of love and obedience, he endeavors to live this life with joy knowing he already has the victory in Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57).

The child of God because he’s secure should not want to continue in sin (Romans 6:1) because he’s no longer a slave to it. He’s now free to serve God.

What I’m describing here in no way advocates the glib phrase “Once saved always saved” posture. I do not affirm that phrase because it’s used by those who cheapen the grace of God to promote a careless, non committed life to Christ. Their lack of understanding of the demands of this glorious life is foreign to them and therefore their conversion may be illegitimate. Examine yourself to see if you’re really in the faith (II Corinthians 13). Salvation is a glorious and mysterious dynamic. God chooses before the foundation of the world those who will be saved and at the same time, we have a human responsibility to respond to the effectual call of salvation which we will do by faith (John 15:16). Trust me, I don’t completely understand it all, but that’s what the Bible teaches.

In closing, Woven in the fabric of Salvation is eternality. Jesus didn’t die to make men savable, he died and shed his blood to save men from their sins which he successfully accomplished. To advocate that Jesus died for you, and you believe unto salvation and can somehow lose that salvation is double jeopardy. In order to restore salvation, Jesus would have to be crucified again which is lunacy. He died once for sin, that’s it! It also makes the Word of God untrue. Jesus died for your sins so you wouldn’t have to be punished for them. But if you can lose salvation and still die in your sins after Jesus already did, Jesus died in vain and his death was not an effectual atonement. None of us would have any hope. This type of reasoning is reductio ad absurdum. Basically a statement based on a false premise that’s drawn out to it’s illogical conclusion.

My friend, if you’re truly born again, rejoice and walk in the newness of life God has given you in Jesus Christ. He’s with you and promised to keep you until the end (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).