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From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Friday, June 20, 1997 12:30 AM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Salvation -- Part III



From: drleves@ibm.net
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com

Subject: Chapter 2


Chapter Two

Honest Questions And Honest Answers


First lets deal with Hebrews 6 where much of the false doctrine of losing your salvation is based. The Hebrews who had entered into the new
covenant had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit (6:4), so that they saw that the sacrifice had been done away with at the Cross, and that the
New Testament sacrifice was the only way of salvation. They had acted upon it and had abandoned their dependence upon the old sacrifice, and
had made a profession of faith in the New Testament sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  But under persecution (10:32-34) they were leaving the
principal of the Good News, and were wavering (10:23), literally "leaning." That is, they were leaning toward the Levitical system again,
and letting New Testament truth slip away (2:1). The result was that their spiritual perceptions were dulled and they again became religious
(5:11).  We must be careful to understand that these Hebrews had not yet finally discarded the Gospel. If they had, they would have been
reprobate, and like the ancient children of Israel in the wilderness, they would have never entered into the rest that is mentioned for the
believer. The tendency was that way, and now the writer of the book to the Hebrews was attempting to reach them. If they would go back to the
Old Testament system of sacrifices, they would be laying again the foundation of the First Testament, and building upon it again. Earlier
we mentioned in Eccl 3, that we cannot add or take away from what God does.  Now should the Hebrews refuse the faith by which they could lay
hold of the High Priest (Jesus) as their savior, and return to sacrifice, it would be impossible to bring them back to the act of
repentance again. And as we have seen, the impossibility would suppress their own spiritual condition, would not obstruct the grace of God.
In connection with this solemn warning, the writer reminds these Hebrews of all that a loving God had done for them. They were once enlightened.
The word translated "once" is literally "once for all," and is used to show what is done as to be of perpetual validity, and never needing
repetition. As these Hebrews listened to the message of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit enlightened their minds and hearts to clearly understand it.
The work of the Spirit with reference to their understanding of the Gospel truth had been so thorough that it would never need to be
repeated for the purpose of making the truth clear to them. These Hebrews were like the spies at Kadesh-Barnea who saw the land and had
the very fruit in their hands, and yet turned back and did not enter in the blessing and the inheritance, were kept in the wilderness forty
years by the Lord.

They were not lost, but forsook the blessing of Canaan for a wandering life in the wilderness. Will these people mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-8 
perish? Read from verse one to verse eight of Hebrews Chapter 6. 

"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the
heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they
fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the
earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from
God;    but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned." Heb 6:1-8 NKJ).

After reading verses six and eight, some scholars conclude that this class of people are lost. Who are they? According to verses four and
five they are people who fall away from the truth after they have experienced four things.

(1) They have once been enlightened.
(2) They have tasted of the heavenly gift.
(3) They have also been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.
(4) They have tasted the good Word of God and the power of the age to come.

Their consequence will be that they are "rejected and nigh unto a curse, whose end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6:8). Basing their conclusion on
this last verse, some judge that this class of people are not saved. If such is really the case, then a person who has eternal life is able to
lose it, which is to say, that he who is saved may be "unsaved". Not so!

But how can it be explained?

Let us first understand what the book of Hebrews is talking about.

Hebrews speaks about  "pressing on,  "going forward"; and our progress of pressing onward is twofold:

(1) A Christian must grow, and be able to teach. (Hebrews 5)
(2) Those who teach others must grow also. We Christians should know the Lord progressively more and more every day.

Chapter five deals with these people who should be teaching after being taught, while Chapter six is addressed to those who teach. In their
teaching there should be revelation and progress instead of confining it merely to the six elementary doctrines of repentance from dead works,
faith toward God, teaching of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. So we may plainly see, that Hebrews
6:1-8 does not deal with the problem of initial salvation but with the problem of progress. The aim of this letter to the Hebrews is to point
toward progress, not toward salvation.

In verse one and three, the word "Not again" is in reference to six things: namely, repentance from dead works, faith toward God, teaching
of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. We are told not to lay again the foundation, these six items
are the foundational truths. Since the foundation is already laid, it need not be laid again. Whoever builds a house by laying the foundation
all the time. Unfortunately many churches are constantly laying this foundation over and over, and never going forward to "deeper things".

The word "impossible" found in verse four is a most solemn warning to those who would persist in their leaning toward the Old Testament, that
it would be impossible to renew them again to repentance. The Greek word "Impossible" cannot be diluted to mean "difficult." The same word is
used in Hebrews 6:18, 10:4, and 11:6, where it can only mean not able to be accomplished. Likewise the Word "renew" must be taken in its full
context. If one sinned, being interpreted as losing one's salvation because there would be no chance of repentance, it would be impossible
to renew one back to the faith. Can we be born again and then be unborn? Can we be renewed to repentance and be reborn? The repentance in verse
six is the identical repentance as in verse one, so it is repentance as a foundation. This does not suggest that one should not repent again; it
only affirms that no one could go back to the foundational position and renew himself to repentance. This, then is the big difference. Take
special note of the word "again" --renew again to repentance, laying again a foundation of repentance. Why not "again?" Because it's
impossible, it was finished once  and for all on the cross forever. Therefore, this passage does not show us that if a person falls after he
has received spiritual benefits he must renew his original repentance and lay again the foundation. Regeneration happens only once. Who will
start all over again if he merely falls on the way? Unfortunately, many people entertain such a misconception.

The word "should not" found in verses seven and eight, means we should not continue to fall, we should not always sin, lest we seem to crucify
the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame. We will be disciplined if we do so. Some people have the wrong concept of sin, they
only look at the sins that are apparent in a person, what he is doing on the exterior, and never discerning what is going on inside the person.
Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full
of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter, that the outside of them may be clean
also." (Matt.23:35)  Some people assume that if a person sins after he is saved he will be unsaved. Other people believe that after one is
saved he will not be punished regardless of what sin he commits. Both of these views are incorrect. God expects a saved person to grow and to
make progress. Just as no one can go back into his mother's womb and be born again, so spiritually he cannot go back to lay again the foundation
if he ever falls away. But what if he really continues sinning? There will be three consequences; namely, (1) rejected, (2) brought nigh to a
curse, and (3) be burned.

1. REJECTED
This is the same word as the "rejected" found in one Corinthians 9:27. Here Paul describes how he buffets his body and brings it into bondage
lest by any means after he has preached to others he himself should be rejected. What is Paul afraid of? Paul is not afraid of becoming
unsaved, but he is afraid lest he miss the crown and the kingdom. To be rejected by God does not mean that a person has lost his salvation; it
only means that he is set aside by God and has thus become useless, To those believers who continue in sins, God discipline them by putting
them outside of His blessing, like Esau who sold his blessing. He puts them in outer darkness, without any part in the kingdom. This is what is
meant in Matthew 25:30.

2, BROUGHT NIGH TO A CURSE
It says "nigh" to a curse, not a curse itself. "Nigh to a curse" is different from a curse, it is not to be cursed. It is like the
difference between Chastisement and Punishment. The two are very close, but also very different. A man may punish his servants, but not his
sons; he chastises them. Let us be careful to think that no matter what a Christian does he will not be chastised.

A punishment is a penalty imposed as for transgression of law, while chastisement stresses training and correction, with sometimes verbal
reproof.

3. BE BURNED
This fits well with one Corinthians 3:15 which talks about God's fire burning up the person's works. Such a person is like living in a garbage
can in which are stored many unclean things that commonly will be purified through the fire.

We should rejoice on the one hand and be warned on the other. Our salvation is safe and secure on the one side, yet on the other side we
will receive chastisement, or loss.

In summary.  Hebrews 6:1-3 states that the foundation is not to be laid again; verses 4-6 explain that it is impossible to again lay the
foundation from whence a believer has fallen but there must be a rising up, since there is no possibility of going back to renew his first
repentance, and verses seven and eight conclude that one should not misbehave because he will be chastised by the Lord, (see Hebrews chapter
12).

Like so many people who have tasted the fruit of Canaan, (the Holy Spirit) and known the God of their salvation, but did not honor Him,
neither being thankful, they became vain in their imaginations, professing to be spiritual, and have become religious and humanistic,
giving themselves to worldly rituals, honoring the flesh rather than their creator. So the Lord gave them over to a carnal mind. Yes, the
Bible warns us about apostasy. Was not Israel warned about apostasy, and about the serious consequence that would take place if they failed 
to live in the requirements of the law? We are also required to live according to the will of God, for if we don't our evil works will
certainly be "burned up."  We shall be saved only because of His Grace and Mercy. Remember there is something that we earn when we sin, and
that, my friends, is death, for the wages of sin is death, "and whatever a man soweth that he reaps" (Gal 6:7). David the King who had a heart
after God, received the wages of his sin, and reaped much grief and sorrow in his life. So it is with the person who handles the grace of
God slothfully. He loses out now and will also lose rewards in eternity. No, this doctrine does not encourage sin, but it certainly encourages
the sinner that is constantly being lied to by the devil, who wishes to discourage anyone from walking in the Spirit by faith.

Salvation is perfect and complete

In the Gospel of John, our Lord cries from the Cross, "It is finished," (John 19:30). He is referring to His work of salvation, through the
blood on the cross. The entire tense is, "It was finished and as a result it is forever done." In Matthew 4:4, our Lord answers Satan, "It
is written." The perfect tense is used here, He quoted from the words written by Moses 1500 years before, but are still on record, the tense
reads "It stands forever." The words, "ye are saved by grace," (Eph. 2:8) are in the perfect tense, which is why the believer is saved not
now but in past time when he first believed, and as a result of that past acceptance, he, at present and in the future, always, is a saved
person. His present salvation is based upon one thing only, and this is what Christ did on the Cross for him once and for all. That is why the
Hebrews were told that there is no other means of salvation, or repentance for salvation, beyond the only and lasting sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

Another question arises concerning what wrote Peter in his second letter, "For if, after they have escaped the pollution of this world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them
than the beginning. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit," "a sow, having washed
to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Pet 2:21-22) In no way is Peter saying, that a person's eternal salvation would be lost, he his speaking
here about chastisement of those individual, who would again get entangled and overcome by sin and this world.

And again you may ask, What about Hebrews Chapter 10:26 where it states us that "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins?  Some people
believe that if you sin willfully after you're saved, you lose your salvation, this would mean that St. Paul lost his salvation also,
because he calls himself the Chief of sinners. He also states in Romans Chapter seven, "For not what I would do, that I do practice; but what I
hate, that I even do  . . .  For the good which I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I practice  (Rom. 7:15-24).   Does not
Paul confess that he does evil and he knows what he is doing? And has not Peter denied the Lord three times? From all this we can conclude
that this Scripture must mean something other than losing your salvation. What it rightfully means is that after the cross, nothing, no
sacrifice is ever needed again, it has been done forever.

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