Hebrews 6:4-8 After several days of seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance, meditation and searching the Scriptures, this is my present thinking based on the Scriptures the Lord brought to mind. I’m asking and trusting Him to correct me if I have misunderstood. While I can see the horror of it, I can also see the justice of God because everyone mentioned had full knowledge of the Truth. But even with all their knowledge and experience they deliberately rejected salvation and turned away.
Hebrews 6:4 – Repentance is no longer possible – because they have been fully aware of God’s Gift.
Hebrews 6:7 – 8 – Persisted in using God’s blessings for their own ends and will come to a fitting end.
Romans 1:18 - God’s holy wrath and indignation against the wicked who pervert truth and make it a lie.
Romans 1:21 – Because when they knew God as God – they honoured Him not as God. They KNEW and were led by choice – not lack of knowledge.
Romans 1:25 – They actually and willingly exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
Romans 1:28 – They did not acknowledge God or approve of Him or retain Him in their thinking. God gave them over to a base reprobate mind to do loathsome things.
Hebrews 10:26-31 – If we willingly and deliberately go on sinning after receiving knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left and no further offering to atone. Nothing to look forward to but Divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath to consume those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and considered the covenant Blood unholy. They have insulted and outraged the Holy Spirit. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. They cannot (EPH.1:18) buy their way out.
Matthews 7:21-23 – Lord, Lord, did we not --? ON THAT DAY the Lord will say – Depart! I never knew you. Judgment day for them has come.
Luke 13:28 – There will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth - - it is the final judgment.
2 Peter 2:9-22 – God knows how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom.
After realizing the truth of the way of escape through personal knowledge of our Lord and Saviour – if they turn back, their last condition is worse than their first.
2 Peter 2:21 – Better to have never had the full knowledge of the truth than to have it – understand it fully – and then reject it.
Ezekiel 18:24 – All good works stacked up against bad deeds – even if they are a million times as many – can never pay our sin-debt. God guaranteed that our sin-debt will be settled at the Cross (Colossians 1:20) or at the (Revelation 20:11,15) Great White Throne.
Hebrews 6:4-8 – The same soil is offered the same blessings for the same purpose – to produce for the benefit of others. But some soil prefers to do it his own way then dares to call his thorns and thistles good fruit. (Ephesians 2:9, Titus 3:5) Not of our works. Cain brought his own best works and lost everything. All our righteousness – very best deeds (Isaiah 64:6) are as filthy rags and if some arrogant fool dares to offer his polluted garments to God as payment for his sin-debt and for his entitlement to enter heaven - - he declares the Cross of Jesus Christ to be meaningless and much ado about nothing. He also guarantees his own eternal fiery destination and (Luke 16:24) torment in the flame.
It is impossible to restore those once enlightened – consciously tasting the heavenly gift – have become sharers of the Holy Spirit – and have felt how good the Word of God is – and the glorious power of the world and age to come, if they turn away – to bring them back to repentance. Because - while – as long as – they nail upon the Cross the Son of God afresh – (as far as they are concerned) they are holding Him up to contempt, shame and public disgrace.
All of this was clear to me except I couldn’t fully understand (Hebrews 6:6) “Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh”.
The Lord directed my attention back again to Hebrews 10:29 and I poured over these words – “They have trampled underfoot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and done despite to the Spirit of Grace.”
My heart was smitten by the words – “trampled underfoot the Son of God”. I know you are sensing the same inner pain that I’m feeling. Then I began to think I could hear what these reprobates are saying and expressing through their lives. Listen and see if you agree.
“Oh, yeah – I’ve heard all that stuff. I almost bought into it one time – I came so close as I got the whole picture. I was right on the verge of accepting it as my truth but I let my mind take over and I thought – who needs this blood and cross stuff – I sure don’t. Actually now I think that Jesus made a complete fool of himself, trying to make out that he was the answer to everything. It seems sort of humerous to me now - - all this talk of sin and hell. Well not for me. Like the song says – I am the master of my soul, I am the captain of my fate. I’ll do it MY WAY.
Not only denying – slandering – maligning – mocking – but holding up our precious Saviour and His Cross as an object of ridicule and scorn. They try to make sport of Him as the Roman soldiers did over 2000 years ago.
This reminds me of an incident my husband told me about several years ago. He and a couple of fellows he worked with at Toronto Hydro were standing on the sidewalk when a young man with long hair walked past them. (This was back when long hair was unusual for men). One of the guys with Al said – “Here he comes again, get the hammer and nails”.
I know I have not plumbed the depths of this terrifying horror but I wonder about many things. I wonder about the major religions of our present world who ignore and deny the Cross and declare good works as the means of salvation.
I wonder about churches who at one time held and preached the Truth of the Gospel - - but now have perverted and distorted the Truth (Romans 1:18) and now proclaim universal salvation – which completely eliminates the Cross.
I wonder about a huge religion which in the beginning had the full truth of salvation (Ephesians 2:8, Titus 3:5) by faith alone – in Christ alone – by grace alone, but now they have (Romans 1:25) EXCHANGED that eternal Truth FOR a lie which imposes a money-making system of rites and rituals and scare tactics on its deceived followers.
I wonder (Hebrews 10:29) how much worse – sterner – heavier punishment they will be judged to deserve. It is appointed unto all men (Hebrews 9:27) once to die BUT after death the judgment. Reserved for them (Jude 2:13) the blackness of darkness forever.
(Philippians 2:9-11) God has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name above every name – that at the Name of Jesus EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
I don’t have to wonder Who is Master and Captain then – when God makes (Psalms 110:1, Hebrews 10:13)) His enemies His footstool!?!?
But I do wonder – do we truly know – do we cherish – are we filled with wonder-adorned gratitude for - - God’s incredible Grace, amazing Love, holy Word and our eternal riches - - all because of our once-crucified now-risen wonderful Saviour and glorious Lord – I wonder – do we? Do I?
When we consider all the wonderful – beautiful – astounding – more-than-we-could-know-about - - things which the Lord created, it surpasses understanding that we (Ephesians 1:18) are his inheritance! How should we then live?
Surely there is nothing we could ever withhold from Jesus.
