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NASB | Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 6:4 For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, |
Subject: Lost my salvation? (Hebrews 6:4-6) |
Bible Note: Amen Brother, I agree with you 100 percent. I am from a Calvinistic background but I do not embrace every reformed doctrine. I should edit my profile so that others won't get confused with the subtle Armenian/Arminian differentiation. You caught it! About the topic, when it comes to the assurance of salvation, I would say the same, it belongs to the saints who persevere! Those who persevere are held up through Christ. 1 Peter 1:5 "(believers/chosen) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." How can any man say differently? I don't want to argue about it either, but think about it. What does it tell us if we can lose our salvation? Well, that says that God, who says that He loves us, cannot keep us until the last day which the verse about earlier (1 Peter 1:5) clearly speaks the opposite of. Losing salvation also says that man is the final arbitrator of his eternal destiny which removes God from the throne. It's very dangerous to say that we can lose our salvation, it blasphemes God. The author of Hebrews in verse 6:4 explains his comments in further verses. Look at verses 7 and 8 :"For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned." The author is comparing those in verse 4 that have been "enlightened" and have "tasted of the heavenly gift" and have "been made partakers of the Holy Spirit" and have "tasted the good work of God" which have "fallen away" with those who have yielded "thorns and thistles" and are "worthless" and "close to being cursed" and who end up "being burned". What does this tell us? If you've noticed, Hebrews 6:4 starts with the word "For", which connotes an explanation to an appended previous thought. What was the previous thought? In Hebrews 6:1 the author wants to leave the "elementary teachings about the Christ" and to "press on to maturity" or in other words to start eating the meat of the Word since they have already had the milk. This means to attain a deeper understanding of the truth of Christ. The author notes what the elementary teachings he is referring to are, like: "repentance from dead works" and "instructions about washings and laying on of hands" and the "resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment". So in regards to these elementary teachings he gives another elementary teaching about those who fall away. So what does he say about who those are who have fallen away? Were they believers or not? He answers it in verse 9 as he begins, "But, Beloved" which always refers to believers, he says "we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way." Here he makes a distinct difference with former group he spoke of in verse 4. He says that things that concern believers is synonymous with things that accompany salvation and then he continues through verses 10 - 20 to speak about God's unchangeable promise to keep those whom He has saved. Praise God! Onnig |