The Warning of Apostasy

Hebrews 6:1–8
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If we are going to grow as a Christian, we have to leave the elementary teachings of Christ behind and go forward in Spiritual growth (vv. 1-3). This next passage is perhaps one of the most difficult and controversial passages in the entire Bible (vv. 4-6). The issue centers around whether or not a born-again believer can lose his salvation. The four most common views of this passage given by Bible scholars are as follows:

1. Refers to the saved who have fallen from salvation.
2. Refers to those who profess to know Christ but are not truly saved.
3. Refers to the saved who fall into sin and have become castaways to God’s service.
4. Refers only to a situation of what would happen to a saved person if he could fall away.

I personally do not believe the first view because it is not consistent with other Scripture such as John 10:27-30 which states that salvation is a work of God that cannot be reversed. However, I do not believe we can be dogmatic in our teaching of any of the last three views. There are many good men of God who differ on these. The author could have had any one of these views in mind as he penned these words, and certainly we can make application to all three. Regardless of the view held, we can see from these verses (vv 4-5) how these Hebrews being addressed here had at least five great advantages: (1) They had been enlightened, (2) tasted of the heavenly gift, (3) partaken of the Holy Spirit, (4) tasted the Word of God, and (5) tasted the powers of the age to come. The farming illustration (vv. 7-8) further describes the argument presented in the passage above.

Application

If I am saved it is impossible to lose my salvation. Those who are lost can be saved for all eternity if they simply admit they are a sinner, tell the Lord they are sorry for their sin and invite the Lord Jesus to save them. Just as in real life once I am born I can not get unborn.