ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR GOD'S REJECTION? — PART 4
ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR GOD'S REJECTION? — PART 4
Main Text: Hebrews 6:4–6 (KJV)
Hebrews 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,”
Hebrews 6:5: “And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,”
Hebrews 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.”
THE FIVE POINTS TO EXAMINE IN HEBREWS 6:4–6
Hebrews 6:4–5 identifies five spiritual experiences that we need to examine individually:
Once Enlightened — Hebrews 6:4.
Have Tasted of the Heavenly Gift — Hebrews 6:4.
Were Made Partakers of the Holy Ghost — Hebrews 6:4.
Have Tasted the Good Word of God — Hebrews 6:5.
Have Tasted the Powers of the World to Come — Hebrews 6:5.
These are the five expressions I intend to explain one after another in this series.
The writer of Hebrews describes people who had experienced profound spiritual realities. The important question is: What exactly was their relationship to salvation, and what does the warning about falling away mean?
To understand the passage properly, we must examine each expression in its context rather than impose a conclusion before considering what the Scriptures say.
2. “TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT” — HEBREWS 6:4
What does it mean to taste of the heavenly gift?
Hebrews 6:4 says that these people had “tasted of the heavenly gift.”
This is significant spiritual language. The writer is not merely describing people who heard religious information; he is describing people who had experienced something associated with the blessings that come from God.
What does “tasted” mean?
The Greek word translated “tasted” is geuomai. It can mean to taste or experience something. Its meaning must be understood from the context in which it is used.
Importantly, the word does not necessarily mean taking only a tiny sample of something without genuinely experiencing it.
Consider Hebrews 2:9, which says that Jesus, by the grace of God, “should taste death for every man.”
Jesus did not merely take a small sample of death. He truly experienced death. This demonstrates that the word “taste” can describe a real experience rather than a superficial encounter.
Therefore, we should not automatically conclude that the people described in Hebrews 6:4 merely sampled the heavenly gift without genuinely experiencing its blessings.
But what is “the heavenly gift”?
The expression “the heavenly gift” is not explicitly defined in Hebrews 6:4. Consequently, we should be careful not to insist that the phrase refers exclusively to one particular blessing without considering the surrounding passage.
Possible interpretations include God's gracious provision in Christ, the blessings of the new covenant, and the gift of eternal life.
The New Testament clearly teaches that salvation is God's gift.
Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) says:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Likewise, Romans 6:23 (KJV) declares:
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
These Scriptures establish that salvation and eternal life are gifts from God, received through His grace rather than earned by human works.
It is therefore reasonable to consider whether the heavenly gift in Hebrews 6:4 includes the blessings of salvation in Christ. However, we must distinguish between what these supporting Scriptures clearly teach and what we infer about the precise meaning of the expression in Hebrews.
Does tasting the heavenly gift mean that a person has genuinely been born again?
This is where we must proceed carefully.
One interpretation understands the heavenly gift as a reference to the saving blessings of Christ, and therefore sees the people described as genuine believers who had experienced God's grace.
Another interpretation holds that people can experience profound spiritual blessings, understand the gospel, and participate in the life of the Christian community without necessarily being born again.
Christians have different interpretations of Hebrews 6:4–6, particularly concerning the spiritual condition of those described and the meaning of falling away.
For that reason, we should not present the phrase “tasted of the heavenly gift” as an undisputed technical definition of being born again.
Rather, we should examine the whole passage alongside the New Testament's teaching about salvation, faith, grace, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
My emphasis in this study is that the expression describes an experience of something genuinely associated with God's heavenly blessings. The precise relationship between that experience and regeneration must be established through careful interpretation of the entire passage.
What should we learn from this expression?
We must recognize that God's gift is not something human beings can earn through religious performance.
Salvation is by grace through faith, and eternal life is God's gift through Jesus Christ. Our confidence must rest in Christ and His finished work, not in our ability to establish our own righteousness.
At the same time, we must take the warning in Hebrews seriously. The writer is addressing a real spiritual concern, and we should not dismiss the warning simply because the passage is difficult to interpret.
The aim is not to frighten sincere believers but to understand what the Holy Spirit communicates through the Scriptures.
CONCLUSION
Hebrews 6:4 describes people who had “tasted of the heavenly gift.” The word “tasted” can describe a genuine experience, but the expression “the heavenly gift” is not explicitly defined in the verse.
Ephesians 2:8 and Romans 6:23 establish the truth that salvation and eternal life are gifts of God's grace. These passages help us understand the gracious character of God's salvation, although they do not, by themselves, settle every question about the precise meaning of Hebrews 6:4.
As we continue this study, let us allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, carefully distinguish the text from our conclusions, and keep our attention on Jesus Christ and His finished work.
To God alone be the glory.
Amos Iguma
Salvation Ground Ministry Int’l
Teaching the Word of His Grace