Does Hebrews 6 teach you can lose your salvation?

more than one Christian has stumbled over Hebrews chapter six listen up zombies would you consider yourself to be a good apple so your Oprah to me you're white am I wrong I mean if you see white work on your kids they're gonna be here that's not love that's in the air who can't outs in God's grace hello and welcome to wretched my name is Tod free old I am your host the wreck of the song refers to Ken a Christian lose his or her salvation one moment having repented and put their trust in Jesus Christ they're on a highway to heaven but then they backslide and they're going to spend eternity in a lake of sulfur can that happen in variably the section of scripture that most people would run to to support the idea of a Christian losing his or her faith would be Hebrews chapter 6 and I grant you it looks like a Christian can lose their salvation until you remember a key hermeneutical word context when you and I fail to remember context inevitably we're going to read a Bible verse we're gonna go well there it is it's really really clear but when we read all around it it brings clarity to a verse that seems a little bit confusing it is my contention that too many Christians are miserable lacking assurance because of Hebrews chapter 6 and too many people are using Hebrews chapter 6 to say don't you backslide because if you do you could be a Christian one moment and then a child of the devil the next let us take a very careful look at Hebrews chapter six and see if that is what it is teaching because I would like to suggest to you emphatically it is not let's read through that text Hebrews chapter six therefore what's that therefore therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ let us press on to maturity not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God of instruction about washings laying on of hands the resurrection of the Dead and eternal judgment this will do if God permits for in the case of those who have once been enlightened who he must be talking about Christians not so fast and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit that sounds like a Christian and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away here it is it is impossible to renew them again to repentance before we finish the verse let's be clear about this if those preceding verses we're talking about a Christian who has been a partaker of the heavenly gift and then loses it then indeed that person has no hope in the future they're done they can't get saved again if Hebrews 6:1 through 4 if that's what it's talking about if back to our text it is impossible to renew them again to repentance since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame now an analogy for ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it was also tilled receives a blessing from God but if it yields thorns and thistles sound like a parable it is worthless and close to being cursed and it ends up being burned sounds like a Christian who lost his or her faith and now is going to be burned what is our key hermeneutical word context context context that's what the therefore is therefore in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 what are the preceding five chapters about in the book of Hebrews if we don't remember that I agree with you we're going to read Hebrews chapter 6 and say that's talking about a Christian who loses his faith and now he has no hope is going to help but when we remember the first five chapters to whom the author of Hebrews is writing I think it tells a different story to whom is the author of Hebrews writing three groups of people he's addressing Hebrews people who are well-acquainted with the Old Testament and they appear to be in some sort of Christian community but it's very clear as you read through the book of Hebrews he's addressing three types of Hebrews the first is the individual who is genuinely saved you see those verses you are saved you have repented you are going to heaven but then there's a second group you're you've been enlightened you know what the Bible is about you know the teachings about Jesus you've seen the power of miracles and the power of the word preached but you're not saved and the third group is even worse you kind of got one foot in and one foot out the first group of people saved the second groups of people the second and third group they're not saved that raises the question to which group of people is he talking about in Hebrews chapter six verses one through three I think our text will make it clear when we remember what the therefore is therefore what had the author of Hebrews been writing about in the first five chapters that Jesus is better than what he's better than angels he's better than that high priest Melchizedek he's better than all the priests he's better than the Sabbath it was a it was a type remember types and shadows we talked about this in Jesus unmasked that in the Old Testament it's a Hall of Mirrors reflecting Jesus that there are fuzzy pictures of physical things like the Sabbath or the tabernacle that were pictures to point us to Jesus all throughout the first five chapters the author is saying in the Old Testament there were fuzzy pictures the Ark the manna the tabernacle the Sabbath the festivals all of those things were fuzzy pictures that should be pointing like a spotlight hey there's a better thing coming there's a fulfillment coming Jesus Christ is coming that's what the therefore is there for if you and I forget what the author was talking about we are not going to understand those verses and I fear it has been the shipwreck of way too many Christians when we come back on wretched now that we've set the table we're going to make our way through these verses and you I hope are not only going to be encouraged and you're going to conclude if I'm saved I can't lose my faith but more than that if you're not saved these verses are actually for you next on wretched today's show is brought to you by wretched producers of christian media including wretched TV and wretched radio DVD and audio resources such as the biggest question drive by theology Jesus unmasked and Biblical manhood ratchets purpose is to equip believers in evangelism theology church history marriage parenting and much more for more information our web site is wretched TV wretched amazing grace amazing gospel you can a genuine Christian and genuinely lose his or her salvation welcome back to our wretched Hebrews chapter 6 verses 1 through 8 has been a stumbling block for far too many Christians who had some sort of religious experience maybe saved maybe not but then went through a season of doubt or sin and then read Hebrews chapter 6 and when I can't get saved again there's nothing I can do about it I'm without hope no you are not Hebrews chapter 6 verse one starts out with a therefore because Jesus was revealed in the Old Testament to you Hebrews there were types there were shadows therefore don't return to the shadows he's saying you have the substance Jesus why would you want to go back to the pictures that pointed to Jesus when you have the real thing why would you want to go back into the wall we don't know for sure what he's like and we've got to do all of these things and they're just fuzzy pictures when you can have the real article Jesus remember the author of Hebrews was writing at different times inside of the book of Hebrews to three different groups of people sometimes he was aiming his remarks at true Christians in this instance I contend that he is actually writing to the other two groups of people inside of the church both of them are unbelievers some a little bit more serious some less so but both of them not Christians and Hebrews chapter 6 is addressing them you understand all of this Old Testament stuff you get all of this why would you want to go back and then he starts to list why would you want to go back to repentance from dead works faith toward the Father why would you want to go back to ceremonial washings to the laying on of hands to the resurrection and judgment things in the old why would you want to go back to this you need to move forward that's what he's saying not to people who are saved but to people who are not so here's the struck therefore I want you to do something and not go back and he lists these six things let's make our way through these first few verses with all of this in mind and I think you're going to conclude hey he's not talking to Christians at all instead he's talking about people who need to get saved let's make our way through Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 therefore and we know what that therefore is therefore because Jesus is better leaving now this this isn't forsaking it's not never remembering again but moving forward the elementary teachings specifically the Oracles of God in the Old Testament you know all of those things we don't want to abandon those we don't want to tear out our Old Testament and never read it but we're going to move forward from that that's the starting place now we're gonna move toward something and where does the author want these people to go let us press on to maturity this is a phrase that does not mean to become more theologically wise or more sanctified it's written in the passive tense which means let us be carried on to salvation in other words to those two groups of people who weren't believers in the church you understand the Old Testament that's a good place to start but we're moving forward and you would need to move into the direction of salvation you've got to get saved now that you get that don't go back there don't live there because you like the smells of the sacrifices or because everybody in your village they're all into the same customs you've got to leave that and get saved ah let us be carried to salvation not laying again a foundation in other words not going back to the types and shadows of the Old Testament not going back to the pictures of Jesus we're not going we've done that already we're not going back there and now he lists all of those types and shadows that he's referring to that list of six we're not going back to repentance from dead works this could be a couple of things it could be the old and commands to be pure you're not going back there or it could be their attitude if I do good works that's going to save me no they leave to death we're not going back to trying to do stuff to going back to the ceremonies to going back to thinking we can earn our way to have we're not going back there he continues and of faith toward God who's he referring to in the Oracles of God well he's returning if you will referring if you will to the father we're not just going back to understanding the father we now understand really clearly the pictures been made clear Father Son and Holy Spirit let's not go back there the father is revealed through the son it continues let's not go back to instruction about washings this is written in the plural this is not referring to individual baptism in order to get regenerated this is referring to ceremonial washings when you read through Leviticus all this do you want to be clean your sinned you got to do this you see you got to do that to be ceremonially clean we're not going back there we've got Jesus who made us clean he continues with the lists and the laying on of hands well you know what that's referring to the day of atonement when the priest would lay his hands ceremony ly symbolically on to the under the Sheep or onto the RAM transferring the sins of the people to the animal as a picture of a lamb sacrifice to come who would take away the sins of the world don't go back there don't go back to doing that that was just a picture of the Lamb of God all of those lamb sacrifices they were pointing toward the fulfillment in Jesus Christ why would you want to go back there and then two more in his list and the resurrection of the Dead and eternal judgment what was he saying here and to whom was he saying it almost certainly to the Pharisees who had gleaned from the Old Testament there's a resurrection and there's a judgment to come you you Pharisees who loved your Old Testament you're not saved you need to be carried on toward salvation he's not talking to people who are saved who can lose it he's talking to people who have never got it who need to get it no I know what you're thinking you're thinking what about verses four through eight when he talks about people who are enlightened they tasted of the heavenly gift they've been partakers and they've tasted that sure seems like he's talking about Christians we'll hold on verses 4 through 8 and verses 1 through 3 did you notice we're missing verse 3 here's what it says and this we will do if God permits next see what I did there wretched turn on the evening news if you dare and you'll notice the world is in sorry shape war divorce violence and immorality the thought of preaching the gospel to this sin-sick world is nothing short of terrifying if you're like most of us you'd rather not confront the darkness that's why wretched produces DVDs like terrified - and wretched radio and wretched TV wretched Amazing Grace amazing gospel you you cannot lose your salvation and Hebrews chapter 6 proves it welcome back to wretched taking a look at a very what appears to be a confusing section of Scripture Hebrews chapter 6 which is built on Hebrews chapter one through five types and shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament now that you get that all of those things in the Old Testament were pointing to Jesus in the new now you need to leave those things behind never forgetting them but you're going to press on toward salvation in the one to whom those types and shadows pointed up that is what Hebrews six is teaching but I know the challenge of this because the verses continue if from four through eight and it talks about this same group of people you're enlightened you've tasted the heavenly gift you've been partakers of the Holy Spirit you've tasted of the word of God and you think well that really sounds like Christians not so fast remember our first few verses here he's telling them press on to salvation press on to the fulfillment press on to the substance press on to the real press on to Jesus press under resting from your works you people who are inside of the church you two groups of people you're kind of convinced but not totally and you're not really but maybe just a little bit you need to get saved now with that context let us tackle verses four through eight which appear to be talking to Christians here we go this is verse four of Hebrews 6:4 in the case of those who have once been enlightened specifically they've been made aware they've been informed but didn't act on it for instance if I said to you there's a really big sale going on at Target you've been enlightened but if you don't go to Target and participate in the deals well you knew about it but you didn't move into if you will believe and the Bible talks about this regularly do you remember all of the people who follow Jesus and the Bible said they believe but Jesus didn't entrust himself to them because they didn't really believe because the Bible talks about spurious faith different types of faith to remember the soil the parable of the soils that there are some people they received they've been enlightened but then they foot they go if it cares in the world they get busy with stuff they don't put their hand on the plow they want to go back and bury the dead they want to go back and finish taking care of the land they were never really saved even though they were and light and he continues to that group of people you've tasted of the heavenly gift remember tasting is temporary like Jesus he tasted of death okay you've heard preaching you've tasted it but it didn't last like Jesus dying he rose from the dead and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit in other words they've seen the power of the Holy Spirit manifested yeah that looks good I like that sort of like Simon Magus back in Acts chapter 8 who wanted to purchase the Holy Spirit but he was revealed as a false convert that's who he's talking to here not believers it continues and you've tasted the good word of God like Herod Herod loved to hear the preaching of John the Baptist he tasted the good word of God he listened to sermons but he sure didn't get saved clearly the author here is not talking to genuine converts he's talking about people on the fringes checking it out the people who are I'm considering Christianity that's who he's talking to it continues you've tasted of the powers of the age to come in other words they've witnessed miracles what were miracles for to attest to the preaching of the preacher you see a miracle and somebody preached the Word of God and it's a genuine miracle you have no finer proof this is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 12:22 the people who saw him do miracles and then said I think that comes from Satan Jesus said you've committed the sin against the Holy Spirit and he warns them don't be that guy or gal verse six and then you fall away from the fringes it is impossible just like it's impossible for God to lie not a possibility it's impossible to renew them again to repentance since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame this is the person who has all the knowledge and proof needed and says I don't think so you are without hope and for you you have hardened your heart and you can look forward to not getting saved again because you were never saved in the first place you had every opportunity everything available to you and you said no it is impossible for you to get saved and the writer now concludes with a warning to that group of people and I wonder if this warning is for you on foreground 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 to you people who have been partakers you've been enlightened you've had the rain fall on you maybe it kind of started and started to produce a little bit of fruit but you fall away you have nothing but anticipation of eternal fire don't be that guy don't be that gal if you have repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ you are saved and you cannot get yourself unsaved but if these verses are talking to you you get it you understand it and you reject it please flee from the wrath that is to come before it is too late repent and put your trust in the substance Jesus Christ today and he will save you forever and until tomorrow go serve your king

Channel: Wretched

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Keywords: Todd Friel, Wretched TV, Wretched Radio, Evangelism, Gospel

Id: yUobBStX5BM

Length: 22min 51sec (1371 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 01 2016