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ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR GOD'S REJECTION? β PART 11
Hebrews 6:4β6 (KJV)
Hebrews 6:4 β 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 β And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Hebrews 6:6 β 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 BALANCED MESSAGE
Hebrews 6:4β6 contains a serious warning about falling away after encountering the truth of Christ.
However, this passage should never be used as a weapon to convince every struggling believer that committing a sin or failing to confess a particular sin automatically cancels their salvation.
At the same time, we must not use the message of grace as an excuse for deliberate rebellion against God.
Paul asks:
"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid."
β Romans 6:1β2
Grace does not encourage us to live in sin.
Grace reveals who we are in Christ and teaches us to live in accordance with our new identity.
Paul further explains:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts..."
β Titus 2:11β12
Therefore, the message is neither:
"Sin doesn't matter."
Nor:
"One sin automatically sends you to hell."
The message is that Christ has saved us by grace through faith, sin must not be treated lightly, repentance matters, and our confidence remains in Jesus Christ and His finished work.
THE BIBLE GIVES NO NAMED EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO QUALIFIED
There is something important we must observe when studying Hebrews 6:4β6.
The passage describes people who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, became partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good Word of God and experienced the powers of the age to come.
These are serious descriptions, and we must not minimize them.
However, the Bible does not identify a particular individual and explicitly state that this person fulfilled every description in Hebrews 6:4β6 and subsequently fell away in the precise manner described in the passage.
Therefore, we must be careful not to create a rigid checklist from this passage and use it to declare that a particular struggling believer has qualified for God's rejection.
We must allow Scripture to speak for itself and interpret this warning within its immediate context.
Immediately after the warning, the writer says:
"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak."
β Hebrews 6:9
Notice the word "beloved."
After giving this serious warning, the writer expresses confidence that his readers will demonstrate better things, things that accompany salvation.
This is important because the warning is not the only thing the writer wants his readers to understand. He also wants them to recognize the importance of perseverance and the evidence of a faith that continues in Christ.
A warning in Scripture should not automatically be turned into a personal declaration that a struggling believer has lost salvation.
Hebrews 6:4β6 must be taken seriously, but it must also be understood alongside the rest of the letter.
Later, the writer says:
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)."
β Hebrews 10:23
Our confidence is ultimately anchored in the faithfulness of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, when teaching Hebrews 6:4β6, I will not invent a person and claim that the Bible identifies that individual as someone who qualified for God's rejection.
I will teach what Scripture actually says, acknowledge the seriousness of its warning, consider the surrounding context, and refuse to introduce conditions or conclusions that the passage itself does not explicitly establish.
We must neither weaken the warning of Scripture nor use it to manufacture condemnation that Scripture does not establish.
CONFESSION
Dear Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I thank You because I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
My confidence is not in my perfect performance but in the finished work of Christ.
Jesus Christ is my righteousness.
When I fail, I do not run away from Christ; I run to Him, knowing that He is my Advocate.
I refuse to live under condemnation because I am in Christ Jesus.
I will not use grace as an excuse for sin.
I will walk in the light of Your Word, receive correction from Scripture, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life.
I am established in Christ, rooted in His Word, and confident in His finished work.
Jesus Christ is my Advocate, my righteousness, my life, and my hope.
Amen.
Amos Iguma
Salvation Ground Ministry Int'l