Crucifying The Son Of God Afresh - Hebrews 6:4-6

Is there a limit to God's good grace? Can we lose our salvation? A sobering look into the sin of apostasy.

Author: Randy Pritts

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From the SoGreatSalvationSeries

Today's Text

Introduction

In the past several verses, back into chapter 5 even, we have been talking about moving onward from the rudimentary elements of the Christian faith, maturing as it were, becoming willing and able to bite into and feed upon the meat of the "word of righteousness". We've spoken of the natural tendency of young immature or static Christians to avoid the challenges and things difficult/hard to hear. Today, in this passage, we are presented with an immediate example of a meaty concept that might be very difficult for us to digest: the potential limits of God's grace.

Here we see a Christian who has been enlightened, has tasted the heavenly gift, made to partake of the Holy Ghost, has eaten from the good word and the powers to come. Sounds like a strong mature Christian does he not? But, here is the problem, after having experienced all of this, he falls away. Doesn't say how he falls or for how long, just that he does. Doesn't say that he does or doesn't want now to come back. Just says that in order to come or be brought back would require Christ Jesus to be crucified all over again, which the Father is not going to allow. Therefore, it could be said that the writer of Hebrews is making the case that there is at least one human condition where God the Father limits/locks off HIS grace.

A consideration of this size has very serious theological and practical implications that up to now few of us have ever considered. This is not the only place in the Bible that the same point is being made kjv@Hebrews:10:26-29 kjv@Matthew:5:13 etc... Such information might rub against our doctrines of the all sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for all sins and of the assurance of our salvation. For some of us (including myself), it might even stir up the sense that we have already done this having fallen and tried to come back. The answers to this puzzle do not come easily.

We should probably first come to the conclusion, no matter what else we find out about this, that God's grace is very precious and not to be frivolously received or held on to. What was made free to us came at a very step cost to Christ. Can we agree to at least that?

If there is a limit to this grace extended, then that is God's own prerogative, HE is not unrighteous in withholding it as HE feels the greater need of protecting HIS beloved and obedient Son from further open shame. That said, because of what this possibly could mean to each of our claims of personal salvation, we need to dig much deeper into this hard and meaty teaching.

For it is Impossible v4

Impossible may not be the word that we will want to use in this consideration, actually nothing is impossible for God to do logically, but then again HE has to be willing and wanting to do it. So while every single option to HIM is possible, not every possible option is permitted within HIMSELF to do (if that makes more sense). In this case it might be better put: God chooses not proceed with that option judging the greater need is to protect HIS Son.

What might be said to be impossible rather is from the perspective of the man. One might ask what did it take to originally bring the man to his original faith and repentance? According to kjv@2Timothy:2:25 it took Gods' direct action "if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth". Paul put it "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" kjv@Ephesians:2:8. If this is how we all first came to Christ, then the odds are also that this direct work/gift would be the way in which any of one apostate would return. Are we to suppose that the man would of his freewill and resource allow himself to bring himself back? That would seem highly unlikely, if not down right impossible.

I guess here we need to make a sensible separation between being "apostate" and being closer to "prodigal". I think that the majority of us who are suddenly concerned that we've crossed the line with God and that there is no longer hope for us, we are really of the type of prodigal. Granted, we all frequently fall short, for that we have confession and repentance with contrition. There are also times of outright rebellion where we run far from home into sin city, squander our family inheritance, limp back ashamed to find our loving father running down the path towards us. In neither of these two frequent cases were the lines of faith ever completely severed; challenged perhaps, stretched nearly to their breakable and retracting limits. Hard hearted yes, but shouldn't we say somewhat expected?

Think of how many times the nation Israel had slipped away, from obedient double measure blessing into disobedient double curse, yet God was there with promise in hand that at first sign of their repentance from the hole that they had dug HE would pull them back out. My best guess would be that if you are feeling a hard tug inside towards repentance, that tug is from God's hand and you are likely closer to prodigal like them and not fully apostate, grace is not being halted but instead is being activated.

From this point on however, we should all be forewarned and proceed with stern caution. How many times should we expect the prodigals' dad to receive him home with fatted cow and festive robes? Is it not at some point not the father's grace but the prodigals' manipulating expectation? The prodigal not cashing out his half of the inheritance but half of the elder brother's half? At some point it becomes not a matter of the family's grace and love, but their on going shame and stupidity.

Who is to say where God finally draws that line. In times past HE has proven HIMSELF to be most forgiving; thankfully. God however does not forgive simply to be clear of the matter, HE forgives with definite plans and purposes. If the prodigal now has a long history of disregarding HIS plans and purposes, then by all means just as HE had the right not to forgive in the first place, HE is still in the right to end HIS grace rendering transactions. Friend, though neither of us know exactly where these boundaries of grace are, let neither of us purposely test these boundaries to see just how far God's boundaries actually go.

Spinning this round into the positive light.

Look if you will at just how gracious this God Jehovah has been, in that by HIS grace we have become enlightened. By HIS grace have tasted of the heavenly gift. By HIS grace we have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. How can any one say that God has not been overwhelmingly gracious and abundant? Why would any one in their right mind having had the experience of all this set it aside and walk away from it?

Let's make sure to note that the apostate involved here has indeed experienced all of this. I doubt that this is speaking of a child raised up in the church, sent to school, coming back as an atheist or agnostic. I doubt if this is describing the person how has dabbled here and there with the idea of church, curious as to whether it would be right for them, a good cozy fit. No, by these descriptions given, I have the sense that what we are talking about here is a full born again woman or man as indicated by having partaken of the Holy Ghost (not just having brushed up against or having witnessed in others etc...). What we have here is the sense of all this positive grace and gifts and direct acts of God.

The question often comes up when a famous pastor or evangelist has a change of heart and a change of profession: Is that pastor doomed or redeemable a second time? There is no way humanly possible to answer that. But doesn't the Bible speak of Christ being given His own and that He doesn't ever loose one of them that has been given ? Ah, but then there is the case of Judas (He had lost none that were given but for Judas the son of perdition ( see: kjv@John:17:12 )). Did not Judas once partake of the Spirit during the two by two mission?

You'll have to draw your own conclusion. That is what makes this meaty morsel so hard and difficult. I cannot rightly make all of your conclusions for you. I myself have for a long time gone back and forth on this. Some cases I suspect, though a direct certain answer is what is expected, several even more challenging question is what we get. We should never shy away from these even deeper questions because eventually I know that they will lead us to an even deeper answer. Instead, our prayers should be with that fallen pastor or that fallen congregant. Perhaps this is their rebellion and being prodigal. Perhaps God indeed peradventure will grant them repentance. Our prayers should be with that family, or those elders, or that congregation. It should not be for us a shock that this happens nor a personal embarrassment, it is something that should be continually in our prayers and conversations long before it should happen to help keep it from happening.

Oh how gracious God has been and how blessed we are to have been given all this! Let us then be sober and vigilant to watch over our own faiths and the faiths of those near and dear and our brethren.

Where apostasy leads.

To conclude, I would like to make mention of where apostasy once given over to it ultimately leads. Let this be our haunting warning - this from Paul in kjv@Romans:1 (I'll add my commentary to this point when appropriate)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (not all ungodly and unrighteous have ever held the truth, the apostate ones being spoken of hereforth have)

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them/y.

21 Because that, when they knew God they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened/y.

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: (they had already given themselves over to this, now God is allowing them to go the rest of the way with it; these vile affections are what their reformulations of God have in store for them; these vile affections may be why they choose to reformulate God in the first place)

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind , to do those things which are not convenient

32 Who knowing the judgment of God (again reference to them being more than common ungodly/unrighteous sinners) that they which commit such things are worthy of death, (this is the ultimate apostate offense) not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them/y.

This perhaps describes the final limits of God's grace, when one is in possession of God's gracious revelation of truth and yet hold it in unrighteousness, when they know but do not glorify, when they purposely alter HIS precious image to squeeze in their own chance at their vile affections, change HIS truth into a lie, and worse yet this action is not just towards themself it is in search of making other reprobates to be like contagious. This friend is a very serious crime. At that point God is within HIS rights to hand them the rest of the way over, they have taken it this far, they've abused HIS patience and good purposes, they are well down the road now and refuse to come back, why not let them go the rest of the way(?). God has given them grace enough to save a thousand people and yet their vile affection mean more to them, therefore what has been meant as grace is turned now to HIS fearful wrath.

Oh brethren, do not ever let you relationship with God ever get to this point. Whether we understand every complicated detail behind this hard truth or not, it is being presented to us for our immediate recognition and acknowledgement and mutual edification and benefit. If you feel that you are in danger already of having crossed this line don't jump ship yet my brother, because if you do then there will be no doubt that to come back you will have to crucify God's Christ afresh, openly putting Him to shame.

Comment Board: CrucifyingTheSonOfGodAfresh Tags: Salvation, Apostasy, Reprobate, Grace, Forgiveness, Wrath,

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