where does it say they were believers? They had tasted of the heavenly gift, but they had not partaken,....{/QUOTE]
No. It says they did partake of the Holy Ghost; they had received Him and thus have received eternal life.
Heb 6:4-8,
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost 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 an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing;
whose end is to be burned.
The verb means literally 'they had gone along with the Holy Spirit'. It does not say they had received Him.
Not true. Reconsider. If they had never received Him, then how can they crucify Jesus again to renew themselves unto repentance? So they had believed in Him and are saved.
This part of being burned is about what a saved believer builds on that foundation, because life has been received when the ground has received the rain and life has flourished, but briers & thorns are there as well. So the rain received that brought life is the foundation laid that can never be removed but what is burned away is what has been built on that foundation.
It specifically withholds the title of believer from them. They had tasted the word. They had not given it heart belief.,
Then it would not say in His words that the earth had received the rain where life has flourished from it. They are believers that had sown to the works of teh flesh from which briers & thorns has come.
This is why it is about going onto perfection because no saved believer can lay that foundation again when it can never be removed. 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
Where does it say they had fallen away from God? They had not 'become' unbelievers. They always were. Repentance without faith means they had come short. God had faced them up with their need. They had thought about it but they had finally refused. In cases where men had had such an opportunity they were not given another,. They had blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. Like the Pharisees were in danger of doing they had finally rejected the Holy Spirits pleading,
No. Hebrews 6th chapter is about how it is impossible to lay that foundation again even after they had fallen away from the faith, because though they believe not in Him any more, He still abides.
2 Timothy 2:[SUP]13 [/SUP]If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
But they had never received it. They were land fit to be burned,
Mo.. no. The briers & thorns will be burned just as the wood, stubble and hay will be burned in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17.
Yes because they had come short of believing. They were always land fit to be burned, They did not later become it.
Then there would be no life given by the rain that had been received so your analogy is wrong.
Yes they were unbelievers. They had never truly believed.
Again, the reproof that they could not crucify Jesus Christ again after they had fallen away to renew themselves again means they are believers that have fallen away from the faith or had sown to the works of the flesh in living carnally.
They need to go before that throne of grace for help to repent because they have been bought with a price and sealed as His and thus Jesus Christ is in them always.. even in former believers in Christ are called to ask Him for help to see the truth to depart from even the iniquity of unbelief for whatever lie that has led them astray from their faith in Him.
2 Timothy 2:[SUP]18 [/SUP]Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.[SUP] 19 [/SUP]Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.[SUP] 20 [/SUP]But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.[SUP]21 [/SUP]If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
You miss the important point. They had experienced revival and had been 'almost there'. But then they had turned away. It happens often in revival,
I believe you are missing key points in that references that they had received the Holy Spirit & thus eternal life.
Heb 6:4-8,
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and
were made partakers of the Holy Ghost 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 an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
This is about how salvation can never be lost. this is about how the foundation can never be undone or removed.
BUT this is about how those who fall away should go to Jesus Christ at that throne of grace for help to depart from iniquity and to keep them from all iniquity by trusting Him as their personal Good Shepherd in finishing His work in them as they live their reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ as the just can only live by faith in Him & His words to us.