@Ralph- ..please read..sorry its long..
Losing Salvation1
In order to understand Hebrews 6:4-6, we must first determine whether someone who is saved can lose his or her salvation. There are sincere Christians on both sides of this debate; however, what’s most important is what the Bible says. Let’s let the Bible answer that question.
First, it’s important to remember that salvation is by God’s grace, not our works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). We don’t earn salvation by our obedience; rather, when we accept Him, Jesus gives us His righteousness (Romans 3:22-25). Acts 16 tells about when Paul and Silas were doing missionary work in Philippi and were falsely accused and thrown in jail. When God miraculously opened the jail doors, Paul and Silas didn’t leave; instead, they saved the jailer’s life. The jailer “asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’ ” (verses 30, 312).
Belief is a function of the will. No one can force a person to believe. He or she must choose to believe (John 3:16). And the same will that can choose to believe can also choose to stop believing. Several texts illustrate this.Hebrews 3:12-14 cautions against turning away from God and urges the need to hold firmly to the confidence we had at first until the end. In Matthew 24:13, Jesus says that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” That suggests that those who don’t stand firm to the end won’t be saved. Verse 103 makes it clear that Jesus is talking about Christians when He says that those who stand firm to the end will be saved.
One of the clearest passages on this subject is 1 Corinthians 15:1, 24. Notice how verse 2 says that if we don’t hold firmly to the gospel, we’ve believed in vain. Clearly, such a person was saved at one time. This passage tells us as much. But equally clearly, it’s possible for that belief to become in vain, or worthless. In other words, Paul is talking about those who lose their salvation.
There are several other texts that confirm what 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2 tells us. The Bible in 2 Peter 2:20-22 tells us that those who turn away from knowing Jesus and become entangled in the world’s corruption are worse off than they were at the beginning. According to Revelation 3:5, those who won’t have their names blotted out of the book of life are those who overcome. And in 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says he takes care so that he doesn’t become disqualified for eternal life.
Because of what we’ve just discovered, some people wonder, “If it’s possible to lose my salvation, can I really be sure that I’m saved?” The Bible is clear that we can have confidence in our salvation. Acts 16:31 is a promise that if we believe in Jesus, we’ll be saved. And God’s promises are trustworthy. In John 10:28, Jesus promises, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” In other words, when we trust Jesus, we need not fear. No adversary can take the gift of salvation from us. (Some people argue that this verse means that it’s impossible for someone to lose their salvation. But it doesn’t say, “No one can leave my hand.” We need to avoid reading more into a text than is there, and consider each text in the context of all the other Bible verses on the subject.)
In reality, the view that salvation can’t be lost can easily lead to doubting one’s salvation. When I was a teenager and learning to drive, one of my instructors was a seminary student preparing to become a pastor. One day when we were out driving, we fell into a discussion about whether it’s possible to lose one’s salvation. I asked my instructor about those who are converted and whose lives show every indication of conversion, but who nevertheless turn their backs on God and reject Him. “Haven’t they lost their salvation?” I asked. In reply, he told me that such people had never been saved in the first place.
If that reasoning is true in every such case, then it’s easy to see why some people are unsure of their salvation. After all, anyone who has decided that they want to follow Christ and then falls back into their old way of life could wonder, after they return to Christ, “Was I really saved before? What if I fall again? Am I really saved now?” How much better to live by the Bible truth, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31)!
Another objection some raise against the possibility of losing one’s salvation is the issue of works. Some people believe that whenever you commit a sin, you lose your salvation. However, since we’re saved by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8, 9), such a belief is clearly unbiblical. If you lose your salvation by committing a sin, that’s works. But that’s not what scripture says. The Bible talks about enduring to the end (Matthew 24:13) and holding firmly to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1, 2). That isn’t works, it’s a choice—a state of mind—just as accepting the gift of salvation and believing in Jesus is a choice and a state of mind. In other words, we lose our salvation only when we choose to stop believing. We can’t be unborn, but we can die.
Hebrews 6:4-6
With this background in mind, let’s consider Hebrews 6:4-6. As we read the text, something jumps out at us: This passage is clearly referring to those who at one time were saved. Only the saved share in the Holy Spirit, for example (see Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13, 14).
The real problem is in verse 6. It says that it is impossible for those who have been saved, “if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” We’ll consider two possible interpretations.
Losing Salvation1
In order to understand Hebrews 6:4-6, we must first determine whether someone who is saved can lose his or her salvation. There are sincere Christians on both sides of this debate; however, what’s most important is what the Bible says. Let’s let the Bible answer that question.
First, it’s important to remember that salvation is by God’s grace, not our works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). We don’t earn salvation by our obedience; rather, when we accept Him, Jesus gives us His righteousness (Romans 3:22-25). Acts 16 tells about when Paul and Silas were doing missionary work in Philippi and were falsely accused and thrown in jail. When God miraculously opened the jail doors, Paul and Silas didn’t leave; instead, they saved the jailer’s life. The jailer “asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’ ” (verses 30, 312).
Belief is a function of the will. No one can force a person to believe. He or she must choose to believe (John 3:16). And the same will that can choose to believe can also choose to stop believing. Several texts illustrate this.Hebrews 3:12-14 cautions against turning away from God and urges the need to hold firmly to the confidence we had at first until the end. In Matthew 24:13, Jesus says that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” That suggests that those who don’t stand firm to the end won’t be saved. Verse 103 makes it clear that Jesus is talking about Christians when He says that those who stand firm to the end will be saved.
One of the clearest passages on this subject is 1 Corinthians 15:1, 24. Notice how verse 2 says that if we don’t hold firmly to the gospel, we’ve believed in vain. Clearly, such a person was saved at one time. This passage tells us as much. But equally clearly, it’s possible for that belief to become in vain, or worthless. In other words, Paul is talking about those who lose their salvation.
There are several other texts that confirm what 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2 tells us. The Bible in 2 Peter 2:20-22 tells us that those who turn away from knowing Jesus and become entangled in the world’s corruption are worse off than they were at the beginning. According to Revelation 3:5, those who won’t have their names blotted out of the book of life are those who overcome. And in 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says he takes care so that he doesn’t become disqualified for eternal life.
Because of what we’ve just discovered, some people wonder, “If it’s possible to lose my salvation, can I really be sure that I’m saved?” The Bible is clear that we can have confidence in our salvation. Acts 16:31 is a promise that if we believe in Jesus, we’ll be saved. And God’s promises are trustworthy. In John 10:28, Jesus promises, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” In other words, when we trust Jesus, we need not fear. No adversary can take the gift of salvation from us. (Some people argue that this verse means that it’s impossible for someone to lose their salvation. But it doesn’t say, “No one can leave my hand.” We need to avoid reading more into a text than is there, and consider each text in the context of all the other Bible verses on the subject.)
In reality, the view that salvation can’t be lost can easily lead to doubting one’s salvation. When I was a teenager and learning to drive, one of my instructors was a seminary student preparing to become a pastor. One day when we were out driving, we fell into a discussion about whether it’s possible to lose one’s salvation. I asked my instructor about those who are converted and whose lives show every indication of conversion, but who nevertheless turn their backs on God and reject Him. “Haven’t they lost their salvation?” I asked. In reply, he told me that such people had never been saved in the first place.
If that reasoning is true in every such case, then it’s easy to see why some people are unsure of their salvation. After all, anyone who has decided that they want to follow Christ and then falls back into their old way of life could wonder, after they return to Christ, “Was I really saved before? What if I fall again? Am I really saved now?” How much better to live by the Bible truth, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31)!
Another objection some raise against the possibility of losing one’s salvation is the issue of works. Some people believe that whenever you commit a sin, you lose your salvation. However, since we’re saved by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8, 9), such a belief is clearly unbiblical. If you lose your salvation by committing a sin, that’s works. But that’s not what scripture says. The Bible talks about enduring to the end (Matthew 24:13) and holding firmly to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1, 2). That isn’t works, it’s a choice—a state of mind—just as accepting the gift of salvation and believing in Jesus is a choice and a state of mind. In other words, we lose our salvation only when we choose to stop believing. We can’t be unborn, but we can die.
Hebrews 6:4-6
With this background in mind, let’s consider Hebrews 6:4-6. As we read the text, something jumps out at us: This passage is clearly referring to those who at one time were saved. Only the saved share in the Holy Spirit, for example (see Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13, 14).
The real problem is in verse 6. It says that it is impossible for those who have been saved, “if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” We’ll consider two possible interpretations.
