Please join me in your copy of God's Word in Hebrews chapter 6.
As we continue our verse-by-verse study of the book of Hebrews.
! Our text for today is Hebrews chapter 6 verses 1-8.
Before I lead us in reading this, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 and following.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.
Not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.
And of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
And this we will do if God permits.
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.
For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it,
and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated,
receives a blessing from God.
But if it bears thorns and thistles,
it is worthless and near to being cursed,
and its end is to be burned.
Preaching is always a serious task.
If preaching is approached properly,
we are picking up weighty things.
Eternal matters.
This should not be a time of silly frivolity.
Texts like this make me especially feel the weight of the task before me,
because its topic is especially weighty.
The author of Hebrews is writing to a beleaguered church,
a church that has suffered much,
a church that was being tempted to forsake following Jesus Christ,
in order to alleviate their suffering.
We chose to study the book of Hebrews in part,
because we believe that it is going to become increasingly uncomfortable
to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ in the age we live in.
There are and will be pressures on every side to forsake the following of Jesus for the sake of comfort.
For the Hebrew church,
the temptation was to return to Judaism.
They were accepted as Jewish worshipers of God by Rome.
But as Christ followers,
as followers of the way,
they were suffering much.
For us,
the temptation is and will be
to become cultural Christians.
Cultural Christians are, in fact,
not Christians at all.
They worship a God of their own making,
not the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ.
They believe that they are generally good enough to gain heaven
and need only to make a decision to add a little Jesus to their lives,
to live their lives more fully.
Their religion is focused on them,
how it benefits them,
how it makes them feel.
They have not encountered the risen Christ.
They know about Him,
or at least some version of Him,
but they do not know Him
and are not known by Him.
These people have been led to believe
that they are Christians
when they are not.
And this is a rampant problem
of our day.
This is quite possibly a problem
in our midst.
I fear that false conversions
are the greatest issue
of the church in our day.
The need to rightly preach the gospel
that people will not be deluded into thinking
that they are in fact in Christ,
that they are safe,
that they will be carried through the storm
is the most concerning matter.
Every generation has had to reassert the gospel,
has had to recapture it,
re-clarify it.
And we are not different in our day.
Listen to what Paul wrote
to the Galatian church
in chapter 1, verses 6-9.
If you're familiar with this letter,
you know that the Galatian church
was being tempted by
what we've called the Judaizers
to pick up, as Gentile believers,
Jewish practices, laws,
and keep those laws
in order to have their acceptance.
To forsake the gospel
that says we're saved by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone,
and to add to that works.
And he said this,
I am astonished
that you are so quickly
deserting Him who called you
in the grace of Christ
and are turning
to a different gospel.
Not that there is another one,
but there are some
who trouble you
and want to distort
the gospel of Christ.
But even if we
or an angel from heaven
should preach to you
a gospel contrary
to the one we preach to you,
let him be accursed.
As we have said before,
so now I say again,
if anyone is preaching to you
a gospel contrary
to the one you received,
let him be accursed.
It was a serious matter
already in the first century church.
This idea of distorting the gospel.
He says as if there is another one.
Those were preaching
that you can be justified
in any other way
but by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone.
This was the gospel
that Paul had preached
and he says even if I come
and preach to you
a different gospel
or even if an angel
from heaven comes
contradicting this gospel,
let us and let him
be accursed.
The gospel that we are saved
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone
is the narrow path
that leads to life now
and life forever.
All other so-called gospels
are the wide path
that leads to destruction.
And there is much of that
in our day.
Preachers who will say
just enough
that sounds good and true
but not press all the way,
not present the gospel
in its entirety
and in great clarity.
So if you're in my hearing
and claim to be a Christian,
you're here this morning
and you're saying,
I am a follower
of Jesus Christ,
you will find yourself
in one of three categories.
If you claim to be a Christian,
you could claim
not to be a Christian,
that would be an entirely
separate category altogether.
If you claim to be a Christian,
a disciple of Jesus Christ,
you will find yourself
in one of three categories
this morning.
Number one,
a confident Christian.
You will have a surety
of your salvation.
You will say,
yes, I know
that I am in Christ.
I have been saved
by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone.
Secondly,
you may find yourself
as an unconfident Christian.
You may find yourself
truly a follower
of Jesus Christ,
but not having the assurance
that we would all hope
you would have.
That kind of confidence
that we want you to enjoy,
knowing that you have been saved
by God
and that you are kept
by God.
And the third,
possibly,
that you're not a Christian
at all.
It is very possible
to say that you're
a Christ follower
and to not be
a Christ follower.
And the Bible
is helpful to us
in this.
It's not silent
on this topic.
It has much
to say
about this topic.
How do we know?
How can we press on
in knowing
that we are,
in fact,
secure
in Christ?
That His righteousness
is ours.
That our punishment
due our sin
He took
on the cross.
How can we
know this?
Our text
this morning
is helpful
to that end.
Our text
this morning
is a warning
not to be found
in this third category.
To not be one
who says
they're a Christian
and proves
not to be.
Next week's text
as we continue on
in chapter 6
will be an encouragement
to be found
in the first category.
To not have
false assurances
today,
next week,
is to have
good and proper
and true
assurance.
How can we know?
So today
is primarily
about the
negative
side of that.
And our text
this morning
begins in verse 1
with the therefore.
So we must
always consider
when the therefore
is there,
why is it there?
What is it there
for?
And so
last week's text
which started
chapter 5
verse 11
and went through
verse 14
Reese Winkler
labored
to preach for us
and did a wonderful
job explaining
the text
for us.
We saw the
only rebuke
in the book
of Hebrews
that these
Christians,
this beleaguered
church that this
author is writing
to,
had become
dull
of hearing.
And then we saw
in the text
an exhortation
toward
maturity.
So,
you have become
dull of hearing
and he says
this should not
be so,
so let us
press on,
right?
Let's grow up
into Christ.
So let me read
verses 11
through 14
before we move on
in our text today.
Author of Hebrews
wrote,
we're getting
verse 11,
about this
we have much
to say
and it is
hard to
explain
since you
have become
dull
of hearing.
For though
by this time
you ought to
be teachers,
you need
someone to
teach you
again the
basic principles
of the
oracles of
God.
You need
milk,
not solid
food.
For everyone
who lives on
milk is
unskilled in
the word of
righteousness
since he is
a child.
But solid
food is
for the
mature.
For those
who have
their powers
of discernment
trained by
constant
practice
to
distinguish
good
from evil.
So there's
this exhortation
found in this
to not be
children any
longer,
but to
grow up
into maturity.
And it's
with that in
mind that he
says,
therefore,
let us
leave the
elementary
doctrines of
Christ and
go on
to maturity.
Grow up.
And here
he refers
to these
elementary
doctrines
of Christ.
Not laying
again a
foundation of
repentance
from dead
works and
of faith
toward God
and of
instruction
about washings,
the laying
on of
hands,
the resurrection
of the dead,
and eternal
judgment.
There are
six doctrines
here that
the author of
Hebrews calls
the elementary
doctrine of
Christ.
Now,
most New
Testament
scholars agree,
and there's a
lot of
disagreement
about this
particular text,
but most
New Testament
scholars agree
that this
list of
doctrines we
find in
verses 1
and 2
were an
early form
of catechism
for Jewish
converts
to Christianity.
So people
who professed
faith in
Jesus Christ
were taken
through a
series of
teaching.
Let us
help you
understand
this way
that you're
now claiming
to follow.
And it may
have taken
the form
of a
catechism
like we
have today
with a
question
and an
answer,
or it
may have
just been
a structured
teaching.
But most
agree,
that's what
here the
author of
Hebrews
is referring
to,
kind of a
packaged
teaching
for those
who are
new
to the
faith.
And so we
see first
some reference
to the
law.
Jewish
converts
would have
been very
familiar with
the Old
Testament
law,
the civil,
ceremonial,
and the
moral law.
And so he
references
repentance
from dead
works.
They would
have had to
learn,
just as we
have to
learn to
come to
faith in
Christ,
that we
can no
longer work
at self
salvation,
that this
is an
impossible
thing to
do,
no amount
of keeping
of the
law is
going to
help us
find favor
with Christ,
because we
can never
do it
perfectly,
and this
is what
the law
requires.
They did
and we
will fall
short of
the righteous
requirement
of God
found in
the moral
law.
We cannot
do it.
We may
keep part
of it,
and even
the parts
we will
keep
imperfectly.
We will
be mixed
with messes
of motivation.
We cannot
keep the
law
perfectly.
And so,
we must
repent.
We must
confess that
we have
failed to
keep the
law.
They were
taught to
repent
from dead
works,
to do that
negative act
of repentance,
and then
to do the
positive act
of placing
their faith
in God.
The text
says,
of faith
toward
God.
That God
could save
them.
Sola
fide,
by faith
alone.
By placing
all of their
trust in the
person and
work of
Jesus Christ.
So,
we have in
these first
two doctrines
a soteriology.
How is it
that we
are saved?
Nixie
references
Jewish
cleansing
rites,
which they
may have
still been
practicing
as a
New Testament
church,
but certainly
Jews in
their day
were practicing
these rites
of washings
and the
laying on
of hands.
And so,
most likely
their instruction
about washings
was about
baptism,
New Testament,
regenerate
baptism into
the fellowship
of a church
and in
baptism of
the Holy
Spirit.
They would
have come
to understand
what it
means to
be truly
cleansed.
Not to
just bear
an outward
sign of
it,
but to
be regenerate,
to have
the Spirit
of Christ
come into
you and
make you
new,
make you
clean
forever
because you
have His
righteousness.
And the
laying on
of hands
likely would
have been
taught about
the commissioning
and empowering
Christians for
Christian service,
like when Paul
and Barnabas
were prayed
over and
sent on
their
missionary
journey.
So the
church is
used in
this way
to send
Christians
by the
power of
the Spirit.
And so we
see in
these next
two,
a
pneumatology,
right?
Some doctrines
about the
Spirit of
Christ.
And then
he picks
up lastly
a couple
of Old
Testament
concepts,
like the
resurrection
of the
dead
and
eternal
judgment.
And in
Christ,
these Old
Testament
teachings
have
their
realized,
their
fully
fleshed
out
meaning.
So they
would have
come to
understand
the
resurrection
of Christ
and what
that means
for us,
our future
resurrection
in Him.
And they
would have
been instructed
in eternal
judgment,
a final
judgment
that Jesus
presides
over as
the judge.
And so
this
catechism,
this early
Christian
teaching,
contained
within it
also an
eschatology.
So a
simple and
basic
soteriology,
pneumatology,
doctrines of
the Spirit,
and eschatology,
doctrines of
the end
times.
So those
are important
things.
The author
of Hebrews
says,
therefore let
us leave
the elementary
doctrines of
Christ and
go on to
maturity.
It would seem
that he's
saying they're
not important
anymore,
but they
are.
He's not
saying let's
forget these
doctrines.
We have
outgrown these
doctrines.
We never
outgrow our
need of
them.
He is merely
asserting that
they should be
settled in
their
understanding.
And they
should be
living in
light of
them.
They should
be building
lives on
the foundation
of these
doctrines of
Christ.
They should
be going
on in
maturity,
not having
to be
again
reminded,
brought back
to the
milk,
the basics
of Christian
faith.
They should
be building
upon that
and maturing
in those
realities.
And this
is what he
means.
This is the
press.
This is the
drive of
the text.
And then he
says in
verse 3,
and I like
the interjection,
and this
we will do
if God
permits.
We have
been saved
by grace
alone,
through faith
alone,
and we
will finish
by grace
alone,
through faith
alone.
Having been
saved by the
Spirit,
we are not
now being
perfected
by the
flesh.
We pay
a part
in our
growing up.
These
Christians are
rebuked for
being dull
of hearing.
The positive
of that is,
so here,
they have to
participate
in that
process.
We don't
just obey
when we
feel like
obeying,
when we're
compelled to
obey.
We obey,
because we
know it's
good and it's
our part
to play
in our
growing up
and in
our
maturing,
but all
along,
we praise
God for
the grace
he gives
us for
obedience.
God saves
us and
God keeps
us,
and we'll
see much
more about
this later
as we
continue to
study.
But at
this point
of verse
three,
and this we
will do
if God
permits,
I want to
read a
really brief
excerpt of
a poem
written by
John Bunyan,
author of
Pilgrim's Progress.
This is not
in Pilgrim's Progress,
but he wrote,
Run,
John,
run,
the law
commands,
but gives
us neither
feet nor
hands.
Far better
news the
gospel brings.
It bids
us fly
and gives
us wings.
All that
God commands
of us,
he provides
the necessary
means to
fulfill.
those
commands.
Now,
in verse
four,
we come to
the most
complicated
and contested
part of
our text.
For it is
impossible,
the author of
Hebrews says,
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.
The most
complicated and
most contested
part of our
text.
Three views
have commonly
been held of
this text.
I'm going to
give you brief
summaries of
the first two,
why they're not
the proper
views,
and then
I'll present
the third
view and
support it
at length.
The first
view,
erroneous
view,
is hypothetical.
The author
of Hebrews is
presenting a
hypothetical
case.
This view
says,
it's referring
to a
situation
that could
not really
happen.
This view
should be
rejected because
it is just
unreasonable.
If the
sin could
not be
committed,
then the
writer would
have no
reason to
warn his
audience to
avoid it.
What is the
point?
Why waste
the precious
parchment and
ink warning
against a
sin that
cannot be
committed?
I would
suggest to
you that it's
not a
hypothetical at
all.
Secondly,
erroneous
view,
the actual
view.
This view
holds that
God provides
the grace
for salvation,
that perseverance
though, the
keeping to
the end,
is entirely
up to the
individual.
So God
can save
you, but
he cannot
or will
not keep
you, and
you must
keep
yourself.
This view
sees individuals
spoken of as
actually in
the faith.
They are
in fact
Christians,
but having
the ability
to lose
their salvation.
I don't
know anybody
in our
day that
likes to
believe that.
They would
never say
they do,
although they
may functionally.
This view
says that
these people
may have
had all the
appearances,
been found
in the faith,
but yet they
can reject it,
having been in
it.
this view
should be
rejected because
it is just
flatly
unbiblical,
which I'll
show you
momentarily
with a
third view.
The third
view is
the apparent
view.
This view,
the proper
one,
holds that
anyone who
falls away
from the
faith were
not truly
believers to
begin with.
They weren't
actually in
the faith
to begin
with.
They may
have had the
appearance
of faith,
but were
not,
in fact,
Christians.
I'm going
to give
you a few
reasons why
I believe
this is the
right view
of this
text.
First,
this idea,
the ideas
presented
forth that
these people
had been
enlightened,
they had
tasted,
they had
shared.
Remember our
audience?
These are
Hellenistic
Jews,
people who
are practicing
Jews,
familiar with
their old
Testament,
would have
been familiar
with the
story of
their predecessors,
their people.
The children
of Israel
had a
privileged
position as
they encountered
God in
the wilderness.
They had
followed the
instructions with
the Lamb's
blood on
their doorposts.
They had
been spared
the Passover
judgment.
They had
miraculously
crossed through
the Red Sea,
had seen the
pillar of cloud
and the
pillar of fire.
They had
tasted the
miraculous waters
of Marah,
ate daily
manna.
They had
heard the
voice of
God's thunder
out of the
clouds at
Sinai.
They had
all the
same spiritual
benefits,
but not
all of the
children of
Israel
believed.
These
original
hearers would
have been
very familiar
with this
as he
employs
language like
enlightened
and tasted
and shared.
That they
were a
people that
had the
spiritual
benefit of
God,
but had
yet not
believed.
And he's
warning against
that in
our text.
This is the
point that the
author of
Hebrews is
making in
chapter 3.
You can recall
our study
there.
As he speaks
of those
unable to
enter the
promised land
into the
rest of
God,
and then
he says
in Hebrews
3 verse
19,
so we
see that
they were
unable to
enter because
of unbelief.
Because they
weren't faithful
to the God
that had
called them
and had
provided all
of this
spiritual
benefit.
Positive
spiritual
experiences
do not
make for
salvation,
but only
a trusting
in Christ
alone,
by grace
alone,
through faith
alone.
Throwing
your whole
self on
him,
that he
fulfilled the
righteous
requirement of
the law,
that he
paid the
debt of
your sin.
No amount
of
thelies
when you're
part of a
church
saves you.
It's faith
in Christ
that saves
you.
So this is
consistent.
His language
is extremely
consistent.
We just
have to
get our
21st century
minds to
catch up
to the
text.
Secondly,
I think this
apparent view
is correct
because of
the parable
of the
sower.
Jesus gave
us instruction
about these
types of
people.
It should
grieve us,
it should
make us
very sad,
but Jesus
wants us to
understand what's
happening when
we see people
who claim
to be in
the faith,
who by
all measurable
means seem
to be in
the faith,
and then
forsake it
altogether.
As he tells
this parable,
he tells the
parable of the
sower going out
and sowing the
seed.
The gospel of
Jesus Christ.
And we see
that different
soils receive it
and respond to
it differently.
And there's a
particular soil
that speaks
into this text.
It's the rocky
soil,
that rocky
ground.
Jesus explains
it in Matthew
13,
20-21.
He says,
For at what
was sown on
rocky ground,
this is the
one who hears
the word,
and immediately
receives it
with joy.
Yet he has
no root
in himself,
but endures
for a while,
and when
tribulation
or persecution
arises on
account of
the word,
immediately
he falls
away.
So,
it's the
person who
says,
this sounds
great.
Eternal
life?
I like
it.
What must
I do?
Walk the
aisle?
I'm there.
And that as
soon as things
get tough,
as soon as
the suffering
of this world
comes,
and it
will,
as soon as
discomfort
because of
a belief
in this
word,
this gospel
comes,
they turn
away.
This is
exactly what
was happening
in this
little fellowship.
They had
suffered for
the sake
of the
gospel.
And because
these individuals
didn't treasure
Christ the way
people who are
in Christ
treasure Christ,
they rejected
him.
The measure
of faithfulness
is fruitfulness.
You're
instructed
again and
again in
the Scripture
that good
trees bear
good fruit.
Bad trees
bear bad
fruit.
Beloved, we
ought not tie
our salvation
to an event
in our life.
God saves
people in
and at
events.
praise God,
should tie
our salvation
to his
active working
in our
lives.
Proofs out
who we
are.
I have
been saved
by the
righteousness
of Christ
and his
sacrificial
death on
my behalf.
And because
of that,
faith in
that,
I have the
spirit of
Christ who
causes me to
walk in
his ways.
this is
something that
can be
observed.
It's
fruit.
It's
tangible.
It can
be seen
and smelled
and tasted.
The author
of Hebrews
does this
very thing
in verses
7 and
8.
He picks
up this
consistent
Bible language.
He says,
For land
that has
drunk the
rain that
often falls
on it,
and produces
a crop
useful to
those for
whose sake
it is
cultivated,
receives a
blessing from
God.
But if it
bears thorns
and thistles,
it is
worthless and
near to
being cursed,
and its
end is
to be
burned.
Agrarian
people understood
these metaphors
so readily.
I hope your
brain is
catching what's
being said
here.
Beloved,
if we are
not pressing
on in
holiness,
and we
don't do
this with
perfection,
remember
that second
category?
That Christian
who's just
not sure?
We have
days.
Where we
act as if
we are not
sons and
daughters of
the Most
High.
We in
every way
reject His
good rule.
But we
ought to be
able to see
a general
life,
a general
trajectory
towards
holiness,
a hating
of sin,
and a loving
of righteousness.
This ought to
be true of
us.
And I will
tell you
this,
you should
not be
left alone
to figure
this out.
You will
either think
too much
of yourself,
or you
will think
too little
of yourself.
God has
saved a
people.
He's given
power to
the church
to do
this work
together.
We would
press one
another in
holiness.
That we
would call
each other
out in
our sin.
That we
would repent
and turn
to Christ
and grow
on in
our faith.
So the
parable of the
sower is the
second reason I
think that the
author of Hebrews
is talking about
apparent
Christians.
And then
thirdly and
most fully,
the Bible
doctrine of
the perseverance
of the
saints.
Which says
that those
who are
saved by
Christ will
persevere
to the end.
Will remain
in Christ
to the end.
That this is a
sure thing.
If he has
saved us,
he will
keep us.
The good
old southern
version of
this is once
saved,
always
saved.
In my
younger years,
wrestling with
doubt,
the doctrines
of grace
became a
great rest
for me.
There's
nothing I
could have
done to
save myself.
I did
not make a
decision for
Christ.
I rejected
him at
every turn.
I was a
wretched
rebel
against God.
but God,
because of
his mercy,
because of
his great
love for
his people,
saved me.
As much
as I may
have tried
to gain
acceptance
before him,
I could
not be
accepted
except to
be clothed
in Christ.
To fully
believe in
his righteousness
and his
sacrificial
death for
the salvation
of my
soul.
This is a
working of
God.
Every time
these things
are taught
in the
scripture,
it's taught
as a
comfort to
us.
It's not
meant to be
a thing we
beat others
up with.
It's meant
to be a
comfort to
us.
God has
saved you.
God will
keep you.
Richard
Baxter once
said,
this is on
your bulletin
if you
happen to
have one
this morning,
in our
first
paradise in
Eden,
there was
a way
to go
out,
but no
way to
go in
again.
But as
for the
heavenly
paradise,
there is
a way
to go
in,
but not
way to
go out.
Praise
God.
So I'm
going to
take you
through
just a
few
texts
that speak
to this,
to make
this point,
that if we
are saved
by Christ,
we are
kept
by Christ.
In
Philippians
chapter 1
verse 6,
Paul declares
with great
confidence,
I am sure
of this,
that he
who began
a good
work in
you will
bring it
to completion
at the
day of
Jesus
Christ.
He started
it,
he is
going to
finish it.
In
Romans
chapter 8
verse 38
through 39,
Paul again
says,
for I am
sure that
neither
death
nor life,
present
lived life,
nor angels
nor rulers,
nor things
present,
nor things
to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor anything
else in
all creation,
including
your will,
will be
able to
separate us
from the
love of
God in
Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Earlier in
chapter 8,
Paul wrote
verse 29
through 30,
for those
whom he
foreknew,
he also
predestined to
be conformed
to the image
of his
son,
to grow up,
to be
matured,
to look
more like
Christ.
And those
whom he
justified,
he also
glorified.
in the
work of
justification,
there's a
guarantee
of
glorification.
Saves
us and
keeps
us.
Peter says
in 1 Peter
chapter 1
verse 4,
that we are
saved to
an inheritance
that is
imperishable,
undefiled,
and unfading,
and that it
is kept
in heaven
for you.
Jude
in Jude
verse 24,
has great
confidence
in God
in his
benediction
where he
writes,
now to
him who
is able
to keep
you from
stumbling
and to
present you
blameless
before the
presence of
his glory
with great
joy.
And he
goes on
to give
him glory
for that.
Right?
God is
able to
keep you
and present
you
blameless.
Paul tells
us in
Ephesians
chapter 4
verse 30,
that the
Spirit seals
us for
redemption.
He writes,
and do not
grieve the
Holy Spirit
of God
by whom
you were
sealed
for the
day of
redemption.
John,
in 1 John
chapter 2
and verse 19,
states of
those people
who have
left the
fellowship of
the church,
they went
out from
us,
but they
were not
of us.
For if
they had
been of
us,
they would
have continued
with us,
but they
went out
that it
might
become
plain
that they
all are
not
of us.
Jesus
teaches in
Matthew
chapter 24
and verse
24,
that it
is impossible
to lead
the elect
astray.
He says,
for false
Christ and
false prophets
will arise
and perform
great signs
and wonders
so as to
lead astray,
if possible,
even the
elect.
He states
that it's
impossible
for this
to happen.
And in
John
chapter 6
verse 40,
Jesus says,
for this is
the will of
my Father,
that everyone
who looks
on the Son
and believes
in Him
should have
eternal life,
and I will
raise him
up on the
last day.
And in
John
chapter 10
verse 27
and 28,
my sheep
hear my
voice,
and I
know them,
and they
follow me.
I give
them eternal
life,
and they
will never
perish,
and no
one will
snatch them
out of
my hand.
So what's
being taught
here,
if you
understand it
by this
apparent
view,
it squares
firmly with
the doctrine
of the
perseverance
of the
saints.
And this
is just
a sampling
of the
text.
There's so
many more
that speak
to this.
God saves
us,
and God
keeps us.
And so
those that
are being
referred to
in our
text,
those who
have shared
and tasted,
weren't
Christians
to begin
with.
But then
we get to
verse 4,
this little
phrase at
the very
beginning
that says,
for it
is impossible,
and then
later in
verse 6,
to restore
them again
to repentance.
If they've
experienced
this and
then have
fallen away,
it's impossible
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.
We must
understand
what that
means.
We must
wrestle with
that language.
It is a
difficult
passage
to wrestle
with.
We've
said before
that this
is the
most
complex
Greek
in the
New
Testament.
It's a
beautifully
written
book,
but it
contains
some
turns
of
phrases
in it
that
are
quite
hard.
We've
got this
wonderful
resource
that's
the
New
Testament
in the
Greek
text,
sentence
diagrammed.
And this
one,
usually I'll
print those
things out
and I'll
tape them
together
and I'll
put them
out of
my
desk
and I
go,
oh,
aha.
This
one turned
my head
around and
around.
So the
simplest thing
for us
to do,
and for
the sake
of time,
is to
place it
in its
larger
biblical
context.
Let's
say,
is it
possible
that we
would
commit
a sin
that
cannot
be
forgiven?
If you
are much
of a
student
of the
Bible,
you will
know that
there's
a sin
called
the
unpardonable
sin.
There's
much
debate
about
what
that
is,
but I
would
suggest
to you
that that's
what they
have
done.
They
have
committed
the
unpardonable,
sin.
And Jesus
speaks about
this in
Matthew
chapter 12.
And in
Matthew
chapter 12,
he's healed
a man
who's demon
possessed
and mute.
And when
that happens,
the Pharisees,
the Jewish
people,
who have
experienced
the benefit,
the spiritual
benefit,
of being part
of the
community
of God,
they had
the Word
of God,
they had
all the
signs and
wonders,
that they
were being
pointed
to
Christ.
These
men
rejected
the work
of Jesus
as coming
from God
and they
attributed
it instead
to
the
Elizabeth.
They
attributed
it instead
to
Satan.
They
had been
given
every
benefit
and yet
they
didn't
believe.
Jesus
says,
verse 31
and 32
of Matthew
12,
therefore I
tell you,
every sin
and blasphemy
will be
forgiven
people,
but the
blasphemy
against the
Spirit
will not
be
forgiven.
And whoever
speaks a
word against
the Son
of Man
will be
forgiven,
but whoever
speaks against
the Holy
Spirit
will not
be forgiven,
either in
this age
or in
the age
to come.
Jesus is
not talking
here about
taking the
Holy Spirit's
name in
vain.
This is
not what
he's saying.
What he's
saying is,
those who
see the
work of
the Spirit
of Christ,
this part
of the
triune
God
working to
bring benefit
to you,
to lead
you spiritually
to faith
in Christ,
who reject
Him
absolutely
to the
end,
they cannot
be saved.
They cannot
be.
How can
one who
refuses to
place faith
in Christ
be saved?
And there's
a little bit
of a clue
to this
in our
text.
The author
of Hebrews
says,
since,
why is it
impossible
to restore
them again?
Since they
are crucifying
once again
the Son
of God
to their
own harm
and holding
Him up
to contempt.
What these
people are
doing who
appear to
have been
in the
faith and
have now
left the
faith,
is they're
saying that
this Jesus
who was
crucified,
laid to
death,
raised three
days later,
was not
in fact
the Christ.
He was
just a
man.
They have
lost their
faith in
Jesus being
the Jesus
He said
He is
in the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
They're
participating
in His
crucifixion
by simply
saying,
He's just
a man.
They held
Him up
to contempt.
Their
derision,
their
accusation,
they're
saying He
was justly
condemned
for claiming
He was
the Son
of God,
for claiming
to be
the Christ.
They became
participators
in that
and putting
Him to
death,
not believing
that He
was faultless,
that His
death on
the cross
was entirely
unjust because
He had
kept God's
law with
perfection.
That He
bore all
of the
wrath due
our sin
in Himself.
They're
rejecting that
and they're
rejecting it
with finality.
They've
altogether said
the person
and work
of Jesus
means nothing
to me.
So those
who appeared
to be,
who received
the benefit
of Christian
fellowship,
showed
themselves
not to
be,
because they
don't have
the salvation
of their
souls by
grace alone,
through faith
alone,
in Christ
alone.
And this
is the
great warning
of this
text.
It's the
warning for
us this
morning.
You may
have all
the spiritual
benefit of
growing up
in a
Christian
home,
being drug
to church
each and
every Sunday,
being forced
to sit
in fellowship
with your
parents,
being taught
the gospel
in your
home,
going on
mission trips
every summer.
You may
have all
of that
and not
be found
in Christ.
And so
the encouragement
for you
is to
self-examination
and to
church
examination.
to bring
others around
you that
will help
you consider
the fruitfulness
of your
life.
Because it's
that fruitfulness
that proves
out the
faithfulness.
Not that
we're saved
by works,
but works
evidence.
Right?
Our
unshakable
faith in
the works
of Christ.
So again,
if you're in
my hearing
this morning
and you claim
to be a
Christian,
you're going
to be in
one of three
categories.
A confident
Christian,
an unconfident
Christian,
possibly not
a Christian
at all.
And I would
just plead
with you
to really
consider
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
If it's not
abundantly
clear to you
that you're
in the faith,
talk to
someone
about this.
Come and
find me.
If I'm not
available to
talk to you,
there are so
many people
in this
fellowship
that would
gladly share
the good
news of
Jesus with
you,
that you
would repent
and believe
in Him.
If you're
an unconfident
Christian,
the kind of
wonderful thing
is that it's
still a call
to repentance
and faith.
Turn from
your sin.
Those sins
that you have
carried into
this room
with you
that feel
like an
unbearable
baggage,
confess them
to God
and turn
to Christ.
Run to
the cross.
If you've
been there
before,
go back
again.
You may
find it's
the first
time you've
ever been
to the
cross and
the burden
of your
sin is
loosed
from your
back.
I would
hope that
each of us
would find
ourselves in
that first
category,
having a
full assurance
of our
faith and
persevering to
the very
end.
In closing,
I'm going to
read to you
from 2 Peter
chapter 2
where the
Apostle Peter
writes in
verse 20
and 21,
For if,
after they
have escaped
the defilements
of the world
through the
knowledge of
our Lord
and Savior
Jesus Christ,
they are
again entangled
in them
and overcome,
the last
state has
become worse
for them
than the
first.
For it
would have
been better
for them
to have
never known
the way
of righteousness
than after
knowing it
to turn
back from
the holy
commandment
delivered to
them.
May we
not be
those
people.
Let's pray
together.