Nov 4 Ezekiel 4, Ezekiel 5, Ezekiel 6 Hebrews 5:11-14, Hebrews 6:1-12 Proverbs 26:23-28, Proverbs 27:1-4
Heb 6:4-6
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, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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.
This verse is a challenge indeed. But the point is a huge one. How can someone who has been enlightened turn away? How can someone who has seen the goodness of God turn their back on Him?
Yet it happens. I don’t know how, but it happens. How is it possible for them to be restored?
It throws up a lot of questions – a surface reading of this would tell you that if you fall away you can’t get back. Is this about sin, or backsliding, or is it about apostasy? The Greek does seems to suggest that the meaning is apostasy, not just falling away but turning away from or recanting Christ.
This is similar to the unpardonable sin – to sin against the Holy Spirit.
This isn’t something light or easy to do – but something that does happen. If you’ve received the Gospel, then reflected the gospel… there’s no way back.
It’s a sobering though.
This isn’t about drifting or failing – but turning away. You don’t do that by accident. The writer is speaking hypothetically – he’s not having a go at someone in particular – but be sober minded with your faith. Don’t turn your back on the grace you have been given.
