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Apostate Christians
Preface
The term “apostate” applied to Christians is a misnomer to many students and ministers of God’s Word, not to mention several highly respected theologians and Greek professors of Scripture. To many truly committed believers in Christ an “apostate” condition is an impossible attainment for a person who has “truly” (read “authentically”) been “born again” (read “born from above”) through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:7, 14-18). This view is adequately expressed by William McDonald as follows:
Apostates are people who hear the gospel, make a profession of being Christians, become identified with a Christian church, and then abandon their profession of faith, decisively repudiate Christ, desert the Christian fellowship, and take their place with enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostasy is a sin which can be committed only by unbelievers, not by those who are deceived but by those who knowingly, willfully, and maliciously turn against the Lord. (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William McDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995)
Such a position is held by many notable men of God past and present. So should any reader of this study come to the conclusion that it would be impossible for a believer to become an apostate, he will find himself in good company.
But this writer requests that before any reader take a firm stand on the issue that this study, which is contrary to the view expressed above, be considered. It will be presented by defining the term “apostate,” as used in the New Testament, by examples of Old and New Testament believers who in fact have “fallen away” from doctrinal truth and into gross sin and unbelief, by explaining various texts used by those who adhere to the view that it is impossible for a believer to become apostate, and by portraying the eventual consequences that await an apostate Christian.
It should also be said in the outset that the Bible in no way teaches that once a person, who has genuinely placed his faith in Christ alone for his personal salvation, can later lose his salvation. The “new birth” is a permanent condition that cannot be invalidated by man or “taken back” by God Himself. There is a repertoire of scriptural passages that confirm this fact, e.g., John 6:38-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:29-39; 11:29; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30; 1 Peter 1:3-5. The reader should keep this fact in mind while considering the portion of this study that considers the warnings against apostasy (“falling away”) posted in the New Testament to true believers.
Definition of the Term Apostasy
The term “apostasy” comes from the Greek word apostasia, which intrinsically carries the following meanings: “to depart,” “defection,” or “to fall away.” It is a feminine noun derived from the Greek word aphistemi, composed of apo, “from” and histemi, “to stand,” which itself carries the meanings: “to stand apart from, to withdraw, remove oneself, forsake, desert, retire, cease from something.”
The Greek word apostasia is actually used only twice in the New Testament. In Acts 21:21 it is translated “forsake” and is used by the elders of Jerusalem in speaking to the apostle Paul about his alleged teaching that believer under grace were to “forsake” (apostasia) the teachings of Moses. And it is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and translated as a “falling away” before the “man of sin is revealed.” In this case, there are grounds, both lexicostatistical and contextually that the word apostasia is actually referring to the Rapture (see the study “Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3” in the topical section of the website www.bibleone.net).
The Greek word aphistemi, which is translated “depart,” is found in 1 Timothy 4:1. It speaks of those in the “latter times” who will “depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” Then there is the Greek word parapipto (from para, to the side, and pipto, to fall), which is found only in Hebrews 6:6 and means to “to fall to the side” or “to fall away from.” Both words refer to the state of apostasy.
But many, if not most Bible students and scholars, view the word apostasy as “a defection from the truth to a point of actually denying the deity of Jesus Christ and His vicarious sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.” It no doubt may include the severity of this definition, but since it is a progressive (or degenerative) action, it may also apply to any state or degree from initial sin to the “worst end” (that which the writer refers to “total apostasy” and to which the warnings in Hebrews refer).
In this sense it is not unlike the biblical concept of “living in the flesh” (a type of euphemism indicating living under the control of the “sinful nature”) in one degree or the other. This condition is also referred to in Scripture as “carnal” living. Often the word “backsliding” is used of believers who give in to “fleshly” desires (urges prompted by the “sin nature”) and live in a “carnal” state. Even though the word “backsliding” is not found in the New Testament (just as many other words that indicate biblical truth evangelicals often use, e.g., vicarious, Trinity, etc.), its concept (“flesh” or “carnal” living) is indeed biblical and may be seen in the following passages of Scripture: Romans 7:5, 14, 25; 8:1, 4-8, 12, 13; 13:14; 1 Corinthians 3:1, 3, 4; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 10:2, 3; 11:18; Galatians 5:13, 16, 17, 19, 24; 6:8; 1 Peter 3:21; 2 Peter 2:10, 18; 1 John 2:16.
And if the state of apostasy may be applied to anyone who is living in a “carnal” state, regardless of its degree, it may be ventured that any Christian (true believer) may be referred to as an “apostate Christian.” The Bible really does not definitely indicate that an “apostate” is one that arrives at the position of totally rejecting the deity and sacrifice of Christ; although, many students and teachers of the Word do draw this conclusion. But admittedly, it is only the state of “total apostasy,” which the warnings in Hebrews address.
But since it is a biblical fact that believers retain the sinful nature and do indeed sin (1 John 1:10), requiring restoration through confession (1 John 1:9), and since Paul frequently warns against living in the “fleshly” or “carnal” state (“backsliding”), the question of how far this state of degeneration may progress in a believer’s life then come into question. After all, it is only a matter of degree; yet, there are examples within the Old and New Testaments that indicate that a believer may sin or “fall away” from Christ to such a degree that God will severely bring temporal judgment and/or will take the person from this life prematurely.
Old and New Testament Examples of Apostate Christians
Both testaments contain examples of apostate believers, i.e., those who fall back into unbelief and egregious sin. They follow:
The signature examples from the Old Testament are those children of Israel who were delivered by God’s power from the land of Egypt (Exodus) but failed to enter into the Promised Land due to their “falling away” into unbelief, idolatry, and egregious sin in the wilderness. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul introduces these examples to illustrate his warning to the believers in the church at Corinth, which was that if they should take the same path of unbelief and egregious sin as those in the wilderness, they too would be disqualified. There is no doubt that Paul is addressing true believers (1 Corinthians 1:2-9). The context of the passage utilizing the fallen children of Israel actually commences in the first chapter where Paul addresses the sinful contentions (quarrels) that existed within the church. In fact throughout the epistle he tackles a variety of problems that had invaded the church, such as factions, lawsuits, immorality, abuse of the Lord’s Supper and spiritual gifts, and other questionable practices—all by true believers.
Then in the latter part of chapter nine (24-27) he expresses how important it is for those in the spiritual race of the Christian life to be disciplined so as to properly finish the race and be able to receive “an imperishable crown.” He then exclaims “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (vs. 27). And it is certain that by using the word “disqualified,” Paul was not speaking about losing his eternal salvation. He was speaking about suffering a great loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ, a future event he often warned New Testament Christians about (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:6; 14:10; Galatians 6:7; Colossians 3:24, 25). Part of the loss could even be not reigning with Christ during the coming Kingdom Age (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 4:13).
Then immediately in chapter ten, to bolster his argument, he raises the example of the children of Israel and in fact states twice that God allowed them to have their wilderness experience to serve New Testament Christians as examples “to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted” (vs. 6) and that their story was “written for our admonition [instruction] upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (vs. 11). He clearly states that these Israelites were saved because “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ (vss. 3, 4).
The story and plight of the children of Israel that were delivered out of the land of Egypt is an Old Testament representation of the believer in this age. Their deliverance from Egypt, which took place “under the blood” (Exodus 12:1-14) and through the Red Sea (Exodus 14), parallels the salvation of a Christian who places his faith in Christ and His death on Calvary, which allows God’s hell-fire judgment to pass over and from him for all eternity. Their experience through the wilderness parallels the Christian’s life on earth after salvation, which experience was with the available leadership of God by day with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21) and God-supplied provisions of heavenly manna (bread) and water (Exodus 16:4; 17:6). Canaan, the land God promised to Israel, reflects the promise of God to Christians of being “joint heirs” with Christ (Romans 8:17) and co-reigning with Him (2 Timothy 2:12) during the coming Kingdom Age.
But both the entering of the Promised Land for Israel and the Millennial Kingdom for believers comes with a price. Both are contingent upon not falling away. Unfortunately for most of the “saved” Israelites, they fell back into unbelief in God, indulgence in idolatry, and other egregious sins (1 Corinthians 10:5-10). Because they fell away (read “apostasy”) in unbelief, even though they had been “saved,” all above the age of twenty years were confined to the wilderness for 40 years until they died (Numbers 16) and were not permitted to enter Canaan, the only exceptions being Caleb and Joshua who maintained their faith in God.
And so it will be with believers who fail to live spiritual lives of strong faith in God with resulting “divinely inspired good works,” i.e., works performed not by human effort (human good works) but under the influence (read “control”) of the Holy Spirit—an outgrowth of being “filled” with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 2:6; Galatians 2:20). In fact, the possibility of “falling away” and becoming “disqualified” was what the apostle Paul was attempting to convey to the believers at the church in Corinth, who were already in a poor spiritual state. He knew that by continuing on their path, which paralleled the wilderness journey of the children of Israel, they too could suffer grave loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ and fail to gain heirship and the reward of being able to reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom. His warning at the end of his use of the example of the children of Israel clearly conveys this message to Christians today:
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10: 11, 12)
Note: Again, it is important to observe that those children of Israel who fell away and could not enter into God’s Promised Land did not lose their salvation (a completed fact that was bestowed upon them when they placed their faith in God by placing the blood of an unblemished lamp on their doorposts and lintel of their homes (Exodus 12:7, 13), which was a representation of the future death of the Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary). The Promised Land represents God’s promise that once again His children will possess earth, which He intended from the first chapter in Genesis, which in fact will see its fruition during the Kingdom Age.
Just as there are examples of believers (those who have experienced “spirit” salvation—as opposed to “soul” or “life” salvation and “body” salvation) in the Old Testament who were apostate and failed to obtain God’s blessing but instead received His judgment (not “hell”), there are examples in the New Testament.
One example comes from the church at Corinth. It was a man who had fallen away so much as to willfully engage in egregious sexual sin (“that a man has his father's wife”). Paul’s instruction to the church was to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
Others in the Corinth local church that had fallen away were those who were abusing the Lord’s Supper and “for this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [read “died prematurely”]” (1 Corinthians 11:29, 30). The lesson is that God’s judgment is executed on those who fall away during this life and in the life (Millennial Kingdom) to come.
Other examples of believers who fell away and were immediately punished by the hand of God were Ananias and Sapphira who lied to both the Holy Spirit and the apostles, which resulted in their swift death (Acts 5:1-11).
The Bible is replete with examples of Christians who fall back into unbelief and resort to a carnal life (such as David, Saul, etc.), the degree of which determines and results in discipline and/or the harsh judgment of God the Father. Jesus was well aware that this was a possibility for all believers, and He knew that some would have “no part” with Him in the coming Kingdom, as seen in the following passage:
After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." (John 13:5-10)
The following comments of Joseph C. Dillow regarding this passage are on-mark:
Jesus refers to Christians who are “bathed” (Gk. “louo”) who are “completely clean,” i.e., regenerate. But a bathed, regenerate person sometimes needs washing (Gk. “nipto”). In fact, if he does not go through this washing (“nipto”) he has no part with Christ. To wash (“nipto”) means to wash in part, but to bathe (“louo”) means “to wash all over.” The former refers to cleansing from daily sin by confession (1 John. 1:9), whereas the latter refers to regeneration. Christ teaches here, if a person who has been bathed refuses daily washing, he will have no part with Him. This is what is meant by a carnal Christian. (The Reign of the Servant Kings, Joseph C. Dillow, Schoettle Publishing Co., 1993)
It can only be added that there are believers who fail to submit to daily washings. In time the accrual of such willful neglect can only lead the believer to a state of ultimate apostasy, which then has serious results both in this life and the one to come (the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Kingdom Age).
There are ample warning throughout the New Testament against believers allowing themselves to fall away (become apostate); two of which in the book of Hebrews are highly significant. In fact, both are of such harsh tone that Bible students and scholars have been influenced to interpret them as to either unbelievers or to believers who should understand them as a hypothetical lesson in truth. These must be considered and taken to heart by every believer in Christ, and they follow.
The Context of the Book of Hebrews
A primary rule of hermeneutics (the science of interpretation) which governs proper exegesis (critical analysis) of any particular scriptural passage is “context.” If a person does not understand to whom the passage was originally written and the nature of the message, it is difficult if not impossible to understand the meaning and application of it to anyone else. This is particular noteworthy when it comes to the book of Hebrews.
Although the identity of the first readers of Hebrews is unknown, they were evidently part of a particular community. They had a definite history and the writer referred to their “earlier days” (Hebrews 10:32-34); he knew about their past and present generosity to other Christians (6:10); and he was able to be specific about their current spiritual condition (5:11-14). Moreover, the author had definite links with them and expressed his intention to visit them, perhaps with Timothy (13:19, 23). He also requested their prayers (13:18).
The contents of the book argues that in all probability the readers were chiefly of Jewish background. This is fortified by the author’s heavy stress on Jewish prototypes and his earnest polemic against the permanence of the Levitical system, which is noteworthy since it strongly appears that these readers were inclined to be swayed back to their old faith. The author heavily and extensively appealed to the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, which would have been most suitable to readers who had been brought up on them.
There is little doubt that the writer considered his readers as true believers, not mere professors but possessors of Jesus Christ. He calls them “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (3:1), and again “brethren” (3:12; 13:22), and then considers himself along with his readers to have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ (4:14; 8:1). He also considers them immature Christians who need to leave the “milk” of the Word and go on to its “meat” (5:12-14). He refers to them as “beloved” and is convinced that “things that accompany salvation” apply to them (6:9). He describes the readers as “sanctified through the offering [sacrifice] of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:10) and as those who are “perfected forever” (10:14). He states that in the “former days” after they were “enlightened” they “endured a great struggle with sufferings” and had “compassion” on the writer who was then in chains and “joyfully accepted the plundering” of their goods, knowing that they had “a better and an enduring possession” in heaven (10:32-34).
The writer also included himself in their company as those who do not “draw back to perdition [destruction], but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (10:30). [Note: At this point it would do well for the reader of this study to understand the difference between “spirit salvation,” “soul (life) salvation,” and “body salvation.” The study entitled “Rule of Three,” which defines these different aspects of salvation, can be found in the topical section of www.bibleone.net.] And in the final verses of the last chapter, one can have little doubt that the writer is addressing true believers in Jesus Christ.
On the whole, the most plausible backdrop for the book of Hebrews would be a Christian local church, largely Jewish in membership, in a city such as Cyrene. Under repeated pressures from their unbelieving fellow Jews they were tempted to give up their Christian faith and to return to their ancestral faith. And the primary theme of the entire epistle centers around the warning not to neglect their “so great a salvation” (2:3), but being diligent to enter that “rest” (4:11) that is illustrated by the writer’s use of the exodus generation, i.e., those children of Israel who failed to enter the Promised Land because of their rebellion and unbelief (3:16-19).
It is in light of this context that the stern warnings of this book to its readers must be interpreted, two of which will be considered in this study. The first interpretation, which is rather extensive, is on Hebrews 4:6-12. It is derived from the author’s review of chapter 19 from the book, The Reign of the Servant Kings by Joseph C. Dillow, which entire book review may be obtained by going to www.bibleone.net. The second interpretation will be on Hebrews 10:26-31. Both passages have been interpreted in one or more of the following four ways:
Hebrews 6:4-12 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:4-12)
Few passages have had greater impact on Arminian thinking than this fearful warning about falling away and entering into such a spiritual state that it is impossible to be renewed to repentance. Strict Calvinists have exercised ingenuity in their attempts to maintain the doctrine of final perseverance in the face of the seemingly plain statements confuting it in this passage, their exegesis widely acknowledged as “theological” rather than “exegetical.” Of these two positions the Arminian view is more defensible; however, there is another option.
The Exhortation (6:1-3)
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection [maturity], not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. (Hebrews 6:1-3)
The opening phrase “therefore” is best taken as referring to the preceding verses (5:11-14) as a whole.
Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)
Because of the reader’s spiritual dullness, they need to commit themselves to learning and applying the truth and to press on to maturity. They need to be able to distinguish “good and evil,” and the author of this epistle wants them to move from “milk” (receiving truth) to “solid food, (more in-depth truth and its application).
In the midst of his discussion regarding the Melchizedekian priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5:1-10) the author pauses to rebuke the readers for their spiritual stupor (5:11-14), to exhort them to press on to maturity (6:1, 2), to warn them about the danger of falling away (6:4-6), to illustrate to them the danger with an analogy from nature (6:7, 8), and to encourage them regarding confidence in their spiritual status and their need to finish what they have begun (6:9-12). He then returns to his main theme, the priesthood (Melchizedekian) of Christ in chapter seven.
The apostle’s focus in this passage is for these (true, not professing) Christians to grow to spiritual maturity. They “ought to be teachers, “but they are “dull of hearing,” i.e., slow to learn. They need “milk,” not “solid food.” This is a frequent metaphor of Paul, who also contrasts “babes” (Gk. nepios) with those who are mature (Gk. teleioi), such as is found in 1 Corinthians 2:6; Galatians 4:3; and Ephesians 4:13, 14. Like these other references in the New Testament, the “babes” here are not non-Christians but “infant” Christians who have refused to grow spiritually. The spiritual “maturity” in view is the same as that described in the preceding verse—not just spiritual understanding, i.e., advanced mental perception, but it is experiential righteousness and spiritual discernment (5:14).
The author is addressing Christians, since non-Christians (professing Christians) cannot grow in their ability to experientially apply the Word (Bible doctrine) to daily life and have their spiritual senses trained in spiritual discernment. They are to go beyond the foundation of repentance and the elementary teachings about Christ and faith in God. He says, “And this we will do if God permits.” What is it that we will do, “God permitting,”? The antecedent of “this” cannot be “laying again the foundation” because then the author would be saying, “Let us go beyond the foundation, and we will lay the foundation, if God permits,” yielding nonsense. The immediate antecedent of “this” is obviously “let us go on to perfection [maturity].” And in phrasing it this way, he is preparing them for the warning to follow because if spiritual maturity is not pursued and achieved but instead is rejected and a state of unbelief is attained, then God may not permit their attainment of blessings and reward, just as He did not permit the exodus generation to enter into their inheritance-rest, the land of Canaan.
The Warning (6:4-6)
For it is impossible for those who were once [once for all] enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, and have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6)
The transitional word “for,” which is incorrectly omitted in some translations, establishes a causal link with what the author has just said about going forward to spiritual maturity, God permitting. What is the precise nature of this link? It appears to refer back to the phrase “this we will do,” i.e., “go on to perfection [spiritual maturity].” Thus, the author explains by this warning why it is necessary to press on to spiritual maturity. It is because if not there is the danger of “falling away,” a condition from which it is impossible to be renewed to repentance [specifically, a condition from which it is impossible to “change one’s mind” and return].
Because this warning suggests the possibility of final apostasy of the regenerate man, strict Calvinists have labored to demonstrate that only professing non-Christians are the subject of the warning. Typically, their exegesis consists of an attempt to prove that the descriptive phrases (“enlightened,” tasted the heavenly gift,” “become partakers,” and “tasted the good Word of God”) do not necessarily refer to regenerate people.
Instead, they argue that they could only refer to those exposed externally to the influence of the Gospel through association with Christians and sitting under the preaching of the Word of God. Yet, most commentators in the history of the Church have found little difficulty in understanding that the components of this warning in Hebrews are addressed to genuine Christians.
Several things are said of these people who are capable of “falling away.” The central theme is enlightenment. The last four phrases explain what characterizes those who have been enlightened.” The five phrases that are all united under the word “who,” which describes these people (6:4, 5) are as follow:
All statements are united under the same “who” and there is no reason for taking number 5 as conditional (i.e., “if they fall away”) even though some translations attempt to do so. Furthermore, whenever the Greek word te is followed by kai . . . kai, they must all be taken the same way. In other words, four of the five cannot be circumstantial participles but the fifth one conditional. Therefore, it is not impossible for those characterized by 1-4 to fall away from the faith.
Enlightened
The Greek word for enlightened is photisthentas, a common word in the New Testament. In John 1:9 it is used of Christ as the true light who enlightens every person that comes into the world—mostly likely a kind of general enlightenment short of actual conversion. In Hebrews, however, this is not likely. The addition of “once for all” or “conclusively” (Gk. hapax) and the defining phrases that follow indicate that the enlightenment of conversion is probably its true meaning.
In Ephesians 1:18 the apostle Paul applies it to Christians in his prayer for their enlightenment. The author of Hebrews uses it of his readers’ initial reception of the gospel: “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated (enlightened), you endured a great struggle with sufferings” (10:32). Those who received this light are those who have confessed Christ (10:35), who have proven their regeneration by a life of works and hope of heaven (10:32-34), who have been sanctified (10:29), and who possess the imputed righteousness of Christ (10:38). In Hebrews it is used only of true conversion.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4-7 receiving the light is used for regeneration. In 1 Peter 2:9 coming out of darkness into light is described as conversion. Indeed, the movement from darkness to light is a popular theme in apostle John’s writings for the movement from death to life, conversion (John 5:24). Jesus called Himself the light of the world (John 8:12) and said “I have come into this world so that the blind will see” (John 9:39).
The readers of Hebrews have been hapax photisthentas (“once for all” enlightened). The word hapax often has a sense of finality in it. It is the opposite of “again” (Gk. palin) in verse 6. It is used by the writer to describe the once-for-all entrance into the Holy of Holies by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, in contrast to the regular and repeated entrances by the priests during the preceding year (Hebrews 9:7).
He uses it of Christ’s “once-for-all” appearance at the end of the age to do away with sin (Hebrews 9:26) and of the finality of death that comes upon all men (9:27). It is applied to the “once-for-all” taking away of sin by Christ’s sacrifice (9:28). And the apostle John uses it of the faith, which has been “once-for-all” delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
This “enlightenment’ is not merely a mental awareness, a mere first introduction, but a “final” enlightenment—hardly consistent with the thesis that these readers were not born again. Furthermore, assuming that the structural arrangement of the passage outlined above is correct, the word is then defined in the immediate context as “tasting the heavenly gift” and as being a “partaker of the Holy Spirit.”
Tasted the Heavenly Gift
The enlightenment is first explained as involving a “tasting” of the heavenly gift (Gk. dorea). The parallel with John 4:10 is noteworthy:
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift [Gk. dorea] of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10)
In every usage of dorea in the Bible it refers to the bestowal of some divine gift, spiritual and supernatural, given to man. In each case, unless Hebrews 6 is an exception, the receiver of this gift is either regenerate already, or the gift itself is regeneration (John 4:10; Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17; Romans 5:15, 17; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 3:7; Hebrews 6:4).
Regeneration is, of course, not part of the semantic value of the word. The precise nature of the gift must be determined from its sense in the context of Hebrews 6—in this case a “heavenly” gift, or a gift that comes from heaven. The gift of God is the gift of regeneration (2 Corinthians 9:15) and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-46). [It is notable that the gift mentioned in Ephesians 1:8 is in the Greek, “doron,” from which is derived “dorea.”]
The Greek word for “taste” is geuomai, and it is not used by the author of Hebrews of an external association but of an internal taste. It is not merely, as some would indicate, only to “sample” but not “feasted upon.” On the contrary, it includes within its compass the sense of “to eat.”
Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat (“geuomai”) . . . . (Acts 10:10).
Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten (“geuomai”) . . . . (Acts 20:11).
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if [sense] indeed you have tasted (“geuomai”) that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:3)
In both biblical and secular Greek it commonly means to eat or to “partake of” or to “join.” Eating and tasting are synonymous terms and imply believing in Christ resulting in regeneration and eternal life.
In Hebrews 2:9 Christ tasted death in the sense that He experienced its bitter taste to the full. The amount consumed is not the point, but the fact of experiencing what is eaten. The experience of tasting is not that of those who do not know Christ but of those who have come to know Him.
Partakers of the Holy Spirit
The second qualifier of enlightenment is that it includes being “partakers” (Gk. metochoi) of the Holy Spirit. This is the same word translated “partners” and used in Hebrews 3:14 of true Christians.
In each reference in Hebrews to metochoi truly regenerate people are in view, a few examples follow:
In view of the fact that they are partakers of the Holy Spirit and that in all other references to “partakers” true Christians are in view, there is no reason here not to assume that it means something like close partnership or true spiritual fellowship, which is possible only to the regenerate.
Tasted the Goodness of the Word of God
The third qualifier of the word “enlighten” is their “tasting the goodness of the Word of God.” This may be described as a continual tasting of the Word (cf. 1 Peter 2:2, 3), not an external taste but a consumption of it.
Tasted the Powers of the Coming Age
And the last qualifier of “enlightenment” is the tasting of the powers of the coming age. This refers to the miracles of the New Testament, which are a foretaste and preview of the miraculous nature of the future kingdom of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in authenticating the gospel with “powers” is mentioned in Hebrews 2:4. The taste, just as in the tastes above, is not superficial. It was a full taste just as Jesus tasted death. A personal experience with the Holy Spirit is implied, not just the observation of His performing miracles. They had experienced personally and internally the power of God in their lives.
While some may suggest that the people here are contrasted with true believers later in verse 9, in actuality the contrast is not so much between two different groups of people as between two possibilities that may affect the same group (just as verses 7 and 8 describe two possibilities that may arise on the same earth).
Who Have Fallen Away
One cannot know if in fact any of the readers had “fallen away,” but nevertheless, the author of Hebrews warns them of this distinct danger. The Greek word used is parapipto, which means to “fall by the wayside.” It is used only here in the New Testament. In the papyri manuscripts it is sometimes translated “to wander astray.”
In the LXX (Septuagint—Greek translation of the Old Testament) it appears to have the sense of religious apostasy. In Ezekiel it often takes the sense of turning from God to idols (Ezekiel 14:13; 15:8; 18:24; 20:27; 22:4—LXX). This meaning fits well with the theme of Hebrews. These believers were considering a relapse into Judaism. Indeed, the whole book was written to demonstrate the superiority of Christianity to Judaism and hence to prevent precisely such a relapse. In addition, the central sin, the sin of willful unbelief, is what is warned about in 10:26. Throughout the epistle the readers are urged to hold fast to their confession of faith (10:23). It is the danger of final apostasy that is in view.
The author of the epistle seems to imply that some of his readers may already have taken this step. He writes to warn others that they too are in danger of doing so (6:9). He is aware, however, that the decisive act of apostasy has precursors. It is the result of a period of hardening of heart that crystallizes at a particular moment. It is preceded by “neglect” of one’s great salvation, by hardness of heart (3:7-13), and by refusal to grow (5:11-14). It is likely that the particular reference to “going astray” in Hebrews 6 refers not to apostasy but to the preceding hardness of heart as well.
The context has been addressing the need of the readers to grow from infancy to maturity. The meaning, “fall away,” must include the opposite of “going on to maturity.” As they “go on,” as they press to that goal, there is a danger that some will “go astray, fall away,” that they will fail to persevere.
It is not falling away from salvation referenced here; it is about wandering from the path that leads to spiritual maturity (the progression in the Christian life that will result in ultimate entrance into “rest,” the achievement of the believer’s life’s work—Hebrews 4:11). It is not about falling away from a “profession of faith.” The readers possessed true saving faith. They were regenerate. The real concern of the epistle is that they were in danger of failing to press on to spiritual maturity and thereby eventually denying the faith altogether.
Later the readers are told:
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:35, 36)
The author of Hebrews has before his mind the failure of the regenerate exodus generation who failed to achieve their intended destiny, entrance into the inheritance-rest of Canaan.
Reviewer’s comment: The exodus generation as an analogy indicates that “salvation” was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, not the achievement of “rest” in Canaan.
A failure to go on to maturity typically results in spiritual lapse, a hardened heart, and unbelief (Hebrews 3:7, 12). What is in danger is the forfeiture of their position as one of Christ’s metochoi, those who will partake with Him in the future reign of the servant kings.
How does one know when a believer has “gone astray”? Some indicators follow:
(If indeed the exodus generation is the parallel, there may be the suggestion that an “age of accountability” is involved. Only those who were twenty years and older were in danger of the certain severe divine judgment for this behavior pattern—Numbers 14:29).
These are only the initial symptoms. The author of Hebrews has a deeper concern. He worries that Christians who begin to fall away will eventually commit apostasy by finally rejecting the faith altogether. This is his meaning when he warns them not to throw away their “confidence” (Hebrews 10:35) and not to “deliberately keep on sinning” (10:26). He does not want them to take this final step and be among those who “shrink back and are destroyed” (10:39). It seems evident from these warnings that it is possible for true Christians to commit apostasy, final rejection of Christ. The consequence of such an apostasy, however, is not loss of salvation but loss of inheritance, as is shown in the example of Esau (Hebrews 12:17). Likewise, the readers are warned extensively through the example of Israel’s failure to obtain “rest” in chapters 3 and 4.
The Impossibility of Renewal
For those who have “fallen away” (“gone astray”), i.e., committed apostasy (final rejection of Christ), it is “impossible” (Gk. adunatos) to renew them again to repentance. The usage of adunatos (“impossible”) in other places in Hebrews excludes the idea that it could be rendered “very difficult”—it is impossible for God to lie (6:18), impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (10:4), and impossible to please God without faith (11:6).
Yet “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37) except to lie or otherwise contradict His own holiness (Hebrews 6:18). Therefore the impossibility to renew such a Christian that has achieved a state of apostasy applies to man, i.e., the apostate himself or any other human. When such a state is reached by a Christian he will, like the wilderness generation, die in the wilderness and never enter into “rest.” It must be remembered that God “swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Hebrews 3:11). This is why the author of Hebrews says that progression to maturity (6:1) can only continue “God permitting” (6:3). God may not permit it. He may draw the line and disinherit them like He did the exodus generation. But what is the precise object of “renew”? It is “repentance.”
Reviewer’s comments: The author of the book takes several paragraphs to express the fact that “repentance” in this context represents the redemptive experience of faith alone in Christ alone, which is not an uncommon usage in the New Testament. The Greek word for repentance is “metanoia,” which strictly means a “turning around” (180 degrees) or a “change of mind.” Salvation (redemption/justification) repentance does not embody the requirement of “sorrow for one’s sins;” although, this emotion may be involved with some individuals prior to their decision for Christ. Salvation repentance is precisely a genuine decision within a person’s will when he turns solely to Christ and His work on Calvary instead of (away from) any other confidence (dead works) for his personal salvation (justification before God).
In Hebrews 6:1 the readers of the epistle had experienced the foundation of “repentance from dead works [any other confidence] and of faith toward God.” In 10:23 it is said of them that they had professed hope (Gk. elpis) or “confident expectation (true faith) in Christ. In 10:35 they are said to have “confidence” (Gk. parresia) or “unwavering and fearless confidence of faith in their public confession” of Christ.
In other words, these readers were truly saved and it was this salvation experience represented by the word “repentance” to which they would never be able to be renewed should they achieve an apostate’s state of mind (final rejection of Christ). The first time these people repented they changed their mind about their sin-condition, the works-means for salvation, and trusted Christ (God) alone for their personal salvation. Should they become apostates, it would be impossible to restore them once again to the state of mind where they would be willing to change their minds about their sin of hardness (lethargy and unbelief) while turning back in faith to Christ.
Crucifying Again the Son of God to His Public Shame
The reason given for the impossibility of renewal to repentance is that they crucify the Son of God again and subject Him to public shame (Hebrews 6:6). There were only two possible interpretations of the death of Christ. He was either crucified justly as a common criminal (the Jewish view) [Reviewer’s comment: This would constitute a denial of Christ’s deity], or He was crucified unjustly as the Son of God. When a Christian denies Christ, he is in effect saying that the Jewish view is correct. If He is not the Son of God dying for all sin, then the only other possible conclusion was that He is a blasphemous deceiver who received what He deserved. It is in this sense that the apostate proclaims “another” (and different) crucifixion of Christ and holds Him up to public shame. The apostate’s life and denial testifies that Christ was not God incarnate, was a criminal, and His shameful death was deserved. To go this far, to finally deny Christ, is possible for a true Christian, but the loss of his salvation is never possible!
But why is crucifying the Son of God the reason for the impossibility of renewal to repentance? It is possible that the habitual and continuous aspect, which the present tense sometimes carries, should be stressed here. The tenses of the preceding verses were all aorist, so the unexpected switch to the present may be intentional. They cannot be renewed to repentance because they continually crucify the Son of God. In other words, because they have arrived at a state of continuous and habitual sin, they continuously and habitually shame the name of Christ by denying His deity. The hardness associated with any continued state of sin makes repentance psychologically and spiritually impossible. Because of their harness they are beyond persuasion by other Christians.
Reviewer’s comment: Although the author of this book holds to the position that God could still bring the apostate Christian back to repentance, this may indeed be an impossible path for God. God cannot go back on His Word, which in this passage reveals clearly that it is impossible for an apostate Christian to be renewed to repentance.
The Saved Condition of the Apostates
Before continuing the discussion of “falling away,” it is necessary that some summary points regarding the regenerate nature of these apostates be made, as follow:
The Thorn-Infested Ground (6:7, 8)
The only possible result for such behavior is divine discipline and judgment. The author of Hebrews explains this by an analogy from nature, as follows:
For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7, 8)
The “earth” refers to the individual regenerate man, the true Christian. Two types of earth are not in view, i.e., one that produces a good crop and one that produces thorns. The view here is of two differing crops that can come from the same earth. That the “earth” represents a regenerate person is demonstrated by the descriptive phrases applied to him in 6:1-3 (see also 6:10; 10:14, 32-34).
The “earth” (Christian) can bring into being one of two differing types of “produce” once it receives the oft-coming rain, e.g., a life of perseverance in good works (herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated) or a wasted life of thorns and briars. The rain refers to the influence by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God upon the believer. In sum, the rain points back to the four blessings described in Hebrews 6:1-3. Furthermore, the earth “drank” these blessings. The difference is not in drinking or not drinking but in the kinds of produce that resulted from the drinking. There is no picture of the rain simply falling on the surface and not sinking into it. It would be difficult to find a clearer picture of saving faith. These people not only were enlightened and were partakers of the Holy Spirit and recipients of the heavenly gift, but they drank and absorbed it.
The word “drink” (Gk. pino) is commonly used elsewhere of saving faith (John 4:13; 6:54; 7:37, 38). These “holy brothers” who are in danger of apostasy have all drunk of the water of life (i.e., believed), and on the authority of Jesus will be raised on the last day. The fact that drinking and receiving water elsewhere means regeneration further substantiates the interpretation above that “enlightenment” is not mere “mental perception” but “rebirth.”
The crop is useful to God, the “owner.” However, the same earth may not produce this useful crop. It may also produce “thorns.” It is clear that the author of Hebrews does not believe that a life of perseverance is the necessary and inevitable result of regeneration. The Lord taught the same thing in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13—see the topical section of www.bibleone.net). The final three soils all represent regenerate people as proven by the fact that even the one with no root did grow and hence manifest regenerate life. But two of the three did not produce fruit.
When the earth produces a good crop, it receives blessing from God. This blessing is to be understood as divine approval, the believer’s entrance into “rest” (Hebrews 4:11), the receiving of eternal rewards and various unspecified temporal blessings as well. The only other use in Hebrews is of Esau forfeiting his inheritance (Hebrews 12:17).
That seems to confirm the interpretation that the blessing from God is reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. As demonstrated elsewhere, the inheritance-rest of Hebrews, indeed the inheritance in the New Testament, is always, when conditioned on obedience, a reward in heaven and not heaven itself.
But strict Calvinists insist it is not possible for the same soil to bring forth both a good and a bad crop. It can only bring forth one or the other. But this contradicts statements in other parts of the epistle. These regenerate people had produced a “crop” of patience in suffering and commendable good works (10:32-34).
But some had also produced the “crop” of dullness and spiritual lethargy (5:11-14), some of these “brothers” are in danger of hardness of heart (3:12), and many have stopped meeting together with other Christians (10:25). The same earth that produced a crop of perseverance in patience also produces a crop of initial righteousness that then may fall into transgression. That is the whole point of the book.
If the heart of the regenerate man produces thorns, three phrases describe his uselessness to God. He is “rejected,” “near to being cursed,” and “whose end is to be burned.” Each phrase is considered in turn:
Paul used the word of himself in 1 Corinthians 9:27 when he said that his goal was that at the end of life he would not be found “disqualified (adokimos) for the prize.” As discussed elsewhere (the discussion under 2 Corinthians 13:5), Paul does not doubt the security of his salvation. He is burdened about finishing his course and receiving his reward. Similarly, the believer who produces thorns in Hebrews 6 is not subject to damnation, but his disobedient life will disqualify him at the Judgment Seat of Christ and will make him useless for the purposes of God in the present.
While the immediate reference is to divine discipline in time, the author of Hebrews probably has the future consequences of this cursing in mind as well. He often speaks of the need to persevere and hence receive reward (10:36; 11:6, 10, 15, 16, 26) and has this thought in view in the immediate context when he says, “. . . but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12). Conversely, those who do not persevere in faith and patience will be cursed, i.e., be disinherited like Esau was (12:17). The cursing does not refer to loss of salvation.
But the purifying intent is doubtful here. The parallel of the exodus generation’s failure and their destruction in the wilderness is the controlling thought of the warnings. It is impossible to renew them to repentance. So the burning is, first of all, divine judgment in time. This is the thought of 10:27 where the author speaks of the “raging fire that will consume the enemies of God”—this will be covered in the next chapter and proven that it refers to judgment in time and not the eternal judgment of hell.
Elsewhere is recorded the burning of the believer’s dead works at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15), with negative as well as positive consequences that will accrue to believers at that time (2 Corinthians 5:10). So it is not without scriptural parallel if the interpretation of this passage is from that perspective. The burning of the believer then would be a metonymy for the burning of the believer’s works.
This would help explain the statement that in “whose end” the works of the unfaithful believer (the produce of the field) will be “burned.” There is no reference to hell here but rather, to the burning up of the believer’s life-works at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Even though the fire consumes his house of wood, hay, and stubble (= “earth,” metonymy for “thorns and thistles,” in Hebrews 6:8), yet this carnal Christian “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
Consolation and Encouragement (6:9-12)
Having warned them, the author’s pastor-heart now emerges, and he turns to consolation in Hebrews 6:9-12. He is confident that their lives are characterized by the better things that accompany salvation. Salvation in Hebrews, as discussed elsewhere, refers not to final deliverance from hell, which is based upon faith alone, but to the future participation in the rule of man (Hebrews 1:14; 2:5) and which is conditioned upon obedience (cf. Hebrews 5:9). The inheritance they will obtain refers not to heaven, which is theirs through faith alone, but to their reward in heaven, which only comes to those “who through [“by means of”] faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12). Since the “promise” in Hebrews usually refers to the millennium (e.g., 4:1; 6:13, 15; 7:6; 11:9, 11, 13, 17; 12:26), to “inherit the promise” means to rule in the Millennial Kingdom and parallels the phrase “inherit the kingdom,” which does not mean merely entering the kingdom but to own it and rule there.
Conclusion
There is no reference in Hebrews 6 to either a falling away from salvation or perseverance in holiness. Rather, this is a warning to true believers concerning the possible loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ and temporal discipline in time. This passage is a dreadful warning to those with a hardened heart, but it is not a passage to apply to the persevering Christian who is “in the battle.”
Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)
This stern warning from the writer of Hebrews comes after his admonition to the readers to “hold fast the confession our hope without wavering” and to encourage each other in “love and good works” as they see “the Day approaching” (10:23-25). It is an exhortation to spiritual growth, which is a continuation of the major theme of the entire epistle. It is then that he warns them of the danger that awaits them should they not go on to spiritual maturity. This was especially important in light of “the Day approaching,” which is indicated again in verse 37 (“For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry”)—the coming of Christ for His saints, which will be followed by the presentation of their lives at His Judgment Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10).
In light of this soon coming event, the writer warns the readers of the consequences of a life not lived in faith and obedience, which alone can produce divine good works of “gold, silver, and precious stones” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). As the context shows (vs. 23), the writer was concerned here, as throughout the epistle, with the danger of defection from the faith. Here, and in regards to “deliberate” sin, he is influenced by the Old Testament teaching about sins of presumption (Numbers 15:29-31), which were outside the sacrificial provisions of the Law. Apostasy from the faith would be such a “willful” act and for those who commit it “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” If the efficacious sacrifice of Christ should be renounced, there remained no other available sacrifice that could shield an apostate from God’s judgment by fire (vs. 27; 1 Corinthians 3:13). A Christian who abandons the confidence he had at first (3:14) places himself on the side of God’s enemies and, as the writer had already said, is in effect crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace (6:6). Such reprehensible conduct can only be deserving of God’s flaming indignation and retribution. But, as is the case in 6:8, this is not a reference to hell.
Under the Old Covenant, if an Israelite spurned the Mosaic Law and this was verified by two or three witnesses, he was subject to being put to death. This being true, the writer then argues from the lesser to the greater. If defiance of an inferior covenant would bring such retribution, what about the defiance of the New Covenant, which, as he had made clear, is far superior? The answer can only be substantially greater in such a case.
In order to show that this is so, the writer then placed defection from the faith in the harshest possible light. An apostate from the New Covenant has “trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace” (vs. 29). The words “by which he was sanctified” refer to true believers in Christ—genuine Christians. Some seek to evade this conclusion by suggesting that Christ is the One referred to here as “sanctified” or that the person only claims to be sanctified. But these efforts are foreign to the writer’s thought and are so forced that they carry their own refutation.
The writer’s whole point lies in the seriousness of the act. To treat “the blood of the covenant” (a phrase that represents the sacrifice of Christ), which actually sanctifies believers, as though it were an “unholy” (Gk. koinon, “common”) thing and to renounce its efficacy, is to commit a sin so heinous as to dwarf the fatal infractions of the Old Covenant. To this, an apostate adds the offense of insulting the Spirit of grace who originally persuaded him to faith in Christ.
This kind of spiritual rebellion clearly calls for a much worse punishment than the capital penalty that was inflicted under the Mosaic Law. But the writer is not referring to hell. Many forms of divine retribution can fall on a believer, which are worse than immediate death. In fact, Jeremiah made just such a complaint about the punishment inflicted on Jerusalem (Lamentations 4:6, 9). Then there is the example of King Saul, whose last days were burdened with such mental and emotional turmoil that death itself was a release.
No one should regard such a warning as an idle threat. God Himself has claimed the right to take vengeance and to judge His people. (This is clearly the meaning conveyed by the writer’s use of the exodus generation, and it is the primary theme of the entire epistle.) In stating this, the writer quotes twice from Deuteronomy (32:35, 36), a chapter that most vividly evokes the picture of “God’s people” suffering His retributive judgments (cf. esp. Deuteronomy 32:19-27). Those familiar with this text, and other descriptions of God’s wrath against “His people,” agree: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The Bottom Line
A study of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, clearly indicates that there are consequences for sin. And the New Testament is replete with warnings directed at true believers that their unconfessed and willful sins will incur God’s sure judgment, if not in the “here and now,” for sure in heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And whereas many sincere Christians would like to think that the carnal state cannot progress (read “degenerate”) to a definite state of total apostasy, the sad fact is that the Bible teaches otherwise. When this occurs, the believer can be subject to very severe retribution at the hand of God, which can in fact have repercussions during the coming thousand year reign of Christ upon earth (Millennial Kingdom).
It is unfortunate that many who interpret the word’s “save” and “salvation” (and other words associated with soteriology) engage in what is known as “illegitimate totality transfer,” which is the ascribing of the same meaning to a word or phrase in all cases no matter the context. This is a common interpretative error often committed when a person does not understand the difference between the three aspects of God’s salvation: spirit, soul, and body. This then is how so many never see the clear biblical teaching that Christians can in deed not persevere; can in deed fall away from their faith; can indeed reach a stage of total apostasy—and yet still be saved.
The New Testament teaches that God never forces Himself on anyone, those who are “lost,” as well as those who are “saved.” He always honors the “will” within every person, which is an essential part of the “image of God” that has been given to man. This is why, even though the believer has the indwelt Spirit of God, he is capable of making a choice to follow his “sinful nature” to the most egregious of sins and to go back into a state of unbelief. There are examples of this in both Testaments.
There are consequences for the believer no matter which path he takes; either one of spiritual maturity and divine good works, or one of falling back to human good works and worse (unbelief and idolatry). Thankfully as to “spirit salvation,” this depends on nothing other than the grace of God, is subject only to the sacrifice of His Son, may be apprehended by nothing other than non-meritorious faith in Christ alone, and can never be nullified or repealed. But as to “soul” (life) salvation, this may go either way: toward spiritual maturity and divine good works, or toward spiritual immaturity, human good works, or worse (total apostasy). The consequences of whichever path soul salvation takes then come to the believer in this life, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and during the Kingdom Age.
Christians (true believers in Jesus Christ) must understand that daily confession of known sins (1 John 1:9), reliance on (faith in) Christ (Colossians 2:6), and continual consumption of God’s Word (John 17:17) are all absolutely necessary for spiritual maturity and to avoid the progressive state of falling away into possible total apostasy.
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” |