A well known preacher in my denomination was found to have been cheating on his wife for the last two years. He has already been permanently removed from his ministry and the only question now is: Can he still be saved? Is it possible "to renew him again to repentance "? (Heb 6:4)
While I believe we should allow the Spirit to lead us, and abstain from sins, for a Spirit led life will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, for they have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, and show the ways of the Spirit, and not the flesh, he did not fall away, but only sinned which he can be forgiven.
All he has to do is repent, and not want the sin, and mean it, for God knows the heart, and he is forgiven, it is as easy as that for anyone of us that claims Jesus as Lord and Savior, and a personal God.
Hebrews 6:4 is not speaking of falling away due to sins, which that is the interpretation I get from it.
Committing sins is not falling away, although we should get rid of them and allow the Spirit to lead us.
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
When we first confess Christ, and are saved, we are on the milk of the word of God learning about the principles of Christ, and then we go on to the meat, and learn more about the word of God.
Such things as confessing Christ, having faith, repenting of our sins to not follow dead works of the flesh, but works of the Spirit, of baptism, and of the power of the Spirit to heal people, of eternal life, and judgment.
After we learn them, and understand them, we leave those principles, although they are still part of us, and we know them, but we have it down in understanding, and we move on to understanding the meat of the word of God, and perfecting ourselves in holiness to be like Christ.
Heb 6:4 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,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 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.
Now some people will not agree with this for they think that all it takes is to have faith, and then they cannot fall, but this is speaking of people that leave the truth for an alternate reality whether another religion, or being an atheist, and then they believe again realizing they made a mistake and they want to be saved again.
Which the Bible says it is impossible for them to do that for then they have to do all the principles of Christ again, having faith, confessing Christ, repenting of their sins, and baptism, and the such as is the principles of Christ, which God will not allow them to do that so they lost out in salvation.
So this has nothing to do with committing sins, and all sin can be forgiven, and is not falling away, but it has to do with someone believing the truth, and then not believing the truth, and living like that for a while claiming that as truth such as Buddhism, or another religion, or being an atheist, and then they decide they made a mistake, and believe again, but God said they cannot be saved.
When they first came to Christ they repented of their sins they committed while in the world, and if they stop believing the truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior, then they went back to the world, and repentance is forfeited, but if they believe again then they have to repent coming out of the world again, but God will not allow them to do that.
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
This is an example right here of someone leaving the truth, for an alternate reality, for they departed from the faith, so they once did believe, but they took heed to the new age movement interpretation of the Bible where Jesus is not Lord and Savior, but a good teacher in spiritual enlightenment, and evolution, and honor the God of forces, or the power of nature as their higher power, which they believe that their spirituality comes from nature to be given in the future.
And many will leave the truth of the Bible, and give heed to the new age movement, and if they believe again realizing they made a mistake, and believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, and a personal God, He said they cannot be saved for He will not allow their belief of the principles of Christ to go through that procedure again to be effective in their life.
Please don't ever believe anything other than Jesus is Lord and Savior, and the God of Israel, but committing sins is not falling away, and all sin can be forgiven, for the person did not abandon Jesus, and God.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
Here is another example of falling away although it is not talking about the Church, but the condition of the world in response to the Gospel, that they stop the preaching of it as international law, and the time that they will not want to endure sound doctrine, but give heed to the new age movement, and turn their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fables, but it still is a falling away because they are rejecting the truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and a personal God.
Which they will not permit it to be preached in the world, where in times past it was allowed to be preached.
So the preacher did not fall away for he believes Jesus is Lord and Savior, and the God of Israel, but has committed a sin by cheating on his wife, and if he repents of it, and means it, then it can be forgiven, which she may not forgive, and the congregation might not forgive, but God will forgive.
It does not matter if he sinned for 2 years it can still be forgiven him, but the problem of holding unto sins is you do not want to die with unrepentant sins.
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