You Can Fall Away

I don't understand people believing that once you are saved, you are always saved, no matter what.

In that case, what is the book of Hebrews for?  The entire book is warning after warning from cover to cover about how we can slip away from the faith.  In chapter 6, the writer makes it clear that not only have some slipped out of the faith, they cannot be brought back.


Hebrews 6:4–6 (ESV) For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

These are difficult words.  First, who wants to imagine anyone falling away from Christ?  Second, who wants to think that such a departure is final and irrevocable?  The writer makes clear these are not people who are apathetic or cooled off, they are people who are now hostile to Christianity. Notice his description of them:

Hebrews 6:8 (ESV) But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Peter says it would have been better if they never knew Christ than to have departed after coming to Him.

2 Peter 2:21 (ESV) For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

What are we to do with this?  

Hebrews goes on to give us an answer we don't expect but should:

We are to be positive about our future in Christ... 

Hebrews 6:9 (ESV) Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.

The answer to these warnings is not despair but rather confidence that in our case, better things are on the way.  How different things would be if we would embrace our future in Christ with a positive attitude.  If he began this work, he will be faithful to complete it!  

Amen!

PRAYER:

Father, give us faith for a better tomorrow in Christ.  Let us not wilt when the pressure is on, but let us press on and pursue you Lord with all our heart.  More than ever before.  Amen.