Hebrews 6:4-6 scares me. I thought I was saved in 1988. I went back to my old ways until I hit rock bottom in 2002. I feel saved now but after reading this I fear for my salvation. Please help me. I really need to know what this verse means.
Hebrews 6:4-6 is a difficult and troubling portion to many sincere searchers for truth. Many have been like you and have been scared by these verses. I think we all know that the Lord does not want us to be afraid. In fact, we read in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…” When we fix our eyes on the Lord’s perfect love, and learn His precious truths, our fear is driven away.
Let’s read Hebrews 6:4-6, “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.”
This portion warns us against apostasy. It describes a people who cannot be renewed again unto repentance. Just what sort of people are capable of falling away where there is no hope of recovery? Let’s look carefully of the words in this portion. Let’s see what it says, and what it does not say. This portion addresses those who were ‘enlightened’, have ‘tasted of the heavenly gift’, and were ‘made partakers of the Holy Ghost.’ Not once do we read the words, ‘forgiven’, ‘made righteous’, ‘redeemed’, or ‘saved’. This warning is for those who have been enlightened by the Word of God; they have tasted of Christ, but had not received Him; they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost by His work in their hearts to bring them to Christ. After all this, they rejected the Lord. Once they had rejected Christ, they found there was no other way of salvation. These people had absolutely been exposed to the blessings of the believer on the Lord Jesus, and had rejected Him. I’m reminded of the words of some rejecters in the parable in Luke 19. In verse 14, we have their words, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” When there is an absolute rejection of and hatred for the Lord Jesus, there remains no room for repentance that leads to Godly sorrow and faith in the Lord Jesus. This is apostasy.
Could this happen to a true believer on the Lord Jesus? Is it possible that a true Christian could experience this absolute rejection of the Lord? Let’s consider the words of Hebrews 6:9-10, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” The word ‘persuaded’, actually means to be convinced. The writer of this epistle is assuring the true believer that this could not happen to them. The Lord would never forget ‘your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name…” The stern warnings found in Hebrews 6:4-6 are aimed at the unbeliever; one who had come so very close to salvation, but in the end, rejected the Lord and turned from Him. To those who are truly saved, we have a precious promise of the Lord in Hebrews 13:5, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (167.10)