Hebrews 6:4-6 Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit
From the perspective of Eternal Security, probably the most common troublesome passage is Hebrews 6:4-6.
4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If 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.
Since Hebrews 6:4-6 states that an individual shall fall away, many assume that this is obviously a saved person. This individual was once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, made a partaker of the Holy Spirit, tasted the word of God and fell away. Many believe that obviously this is referring to a saved person that was lost.
Think about this. It is interesting that people who teach that one can fall away, lose salvation, also teach that people can come back and be saved again. They tell you that all you got to do is come back and ask for forgiveness. God will cleanse you and will take you back again. However, that contradicts Hebrews 6:4.
4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Hebrews 6:4 states that once an individual has been enlightened if they fall away, it is impossible to renew unto repentance. Those who teach that an individual can lose salvation and get it back again are in absolutely contradiction to Hebrews 6:4-6.
Lets look a little deeper. The Greek brings out once enlightened is an individual that is enlightened once for all time.
Hebrews 6:4B
4Band have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Taste gives us a hint as to the meaning of this passage. There are lots of tasters in the world. They do a lot of sampling without actually eating. Taste in Hebrews 6:4 is a similar concept to what John writes in Revelation 10:9:
9And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
As for John’s experience, tasting was not sufficient. One must actually eat.
Next, what does it mean to be partakers of the Holy Spirit? John 16:8-9 tells us:
8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me;
To partake of the Holy Spirit, refers to being convicted by the Holy Spirit. An individual is not saved just because they came forward at some meeting. It is not necessarily the eloquence of some preacher that saves the individual. God can use the preacher and the word of God; however, one is not saved just because they are talked into it.
1 Timothy 2:3-6
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
For each every individual there is a due time. It is not ours, it is God’s timing. Carefully read 2 Thessalonians 2:13:
13But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
There are 2 criteria for salvation: sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Sanctification of the spirit alone will not save an individual. Yet no one will be saved without it. It must be both sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.
Sanctification of the Spirit simply means the setting apart of their spirit. Holy Spirit has started to deal with an individual. It is similar to the Holy Spirit gets in the ring with them. The bell rings, He comes out and starts fighting with the person. It depends how hard they fight back. If they are smart, they will go down on the first blow. Holy Spirit counts ten and they are saved, that is the belief of the truth.
Without the two aspects of salvation, the divine and the human, there is no salvation. A lot of people emphasis believe. Yes, an individual has got to believe. However without sanctification of the spirit, the process of convicting the spirit, there is no salvation.
When the writer of Hebrews states it is impossible if once for all enlightened, how is one enlightened? Luke 8:15
15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
An individual is enlightened once for all time by the Holy Spirit. It is more than just a glimpse of the truth. There comes a time when the Holy Spirit gives the individual that full enlightenment. When an individual has had that full enlightenment, they must make a decision. It is similar to an individual that would be in prison. The prison doors are opened, Yeshua beckons them to come out. He is offering them freedom. If an individual is in this situation, it is not forever. The Bible teaches in Proverbs 29:1:
1He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
There is an often reproving. An error people fall into is, claiming that a person who has heard about salvation, if they do not accept the offer, then God is not going to promise another time. That is an incorrect understanding.
Here is why. One has no right to decide when a person has really heard the Gospel. Just because there are words, it may be like water off a ducks back. The words have got to sink into the heart to either accept or reject. It is not up to us. It is: often reproved and hardens his neck will be cut off.
Now the individual in Hebrews 6:4B-5:
4Bfor those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If this individual falls away from this, it is called: Blaspheme Of The Holy Spirit. The individual that does this, there is no forgiveness. This is because the Spirit of God has been dealing with them in a real way.
We ought not to be judgmental and claim anyone is in such a position. We should always encourage and hope people have not come to this point.
This may all sound good; however, how does one know that the people in Hebrews 6:4-6 are not former Christians? Hebrews 6:9
9But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
But signifies a contrasting thought. The writer has just spoken of people that were spiritually brought to a place; however, they did not repent. Without repentance an individual cannot be saved. They are lost. This is like being brought unto the door. Yet if the individual does not go through, they are not in. These people were brought to the door of salvation, yet they fell away.
For the believers, Hebrews 6:9:
9But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Believers are in a better position that accompanies salvation. Hebrews 6:4-6 rather than teaching that a saved person can be lost, Hebrews 6 teaches the exact opposite. One who is saved is in a different category all together.
Hebrews 6:4-6 is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Next Hebrews 10 Temple Sacrifices
Return to Eternal Security Troublesome Passages