“I believe the heavenly Father has forgiven me …”
September 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine
QUESTION: I believe the heavenly Father has forgiven me like the prodigal son. But I still wonder, since passages such as Hebrews 6:1-6 and 10:26-31 speak about the impossibility of coming back to God. Can you help me?
ANSWER: You have raised a good question, which shows that the Spirit of God is at work in your life. You mentioned Hebrews 6:1-6 and 10:26-31. That you bring these verses up and are sensitive to the convicting work of the Spirit is proof that these verses do not apply to you. Let’s concentrate on Hebrews 6:1-6, particularly the last three verses.
We must first notice that the passage makes no reference to salvation. There is no mention of justification, sanctification, the new birth or regeneration. Those who are enlightened are not spoken of as born again, made holy or made righteous. None of the normal terminology for one who has been saved or born again is used here. In fact no term that is used here is used anywhere else in Scripture for salvation.
The term “enlightened” in verse 4 (NKJV) has to do with the intellectual perception of spiritual, biblical truth. This word has the idea of giving light by knowledge or teaching. It refers to being mentally aware of something, to be instructed or informed, but it does not carry any idea of a response of acceptance or belief. Seeing the truth and accepting the truth are two different things. In Matthew 4:16 we hear the Lord Jesus quoting from Isaiah 9:2, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” All who saw and heard the Lord Jesus saw “a great light,” but not all who saw and heard were saved. Seeing God’s Light is not the same as accepting it! All who saw and heard the Lord Jesus were enlightened, but not all accepted Him (Jn. 12:35-40). What we have in Hebrews 6 is very much the same.
We also read in Hebrews 6:4 that they had “tasted the heavenly gift.” First, let me say that tasting and eating are two different things. We may ask, “What is ‘the heavenly gift’ referring to?” The Holy Spirit is referred to as a heavenly gift in Scripture, but since He is mentioned in the very next verse, I don’t think this would be referring to Him. Instead, it would seem that it would be referring to the greatest gift of all: the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 9:15) and the salvation He brought (Eph. 2:8). But we must remind ourselves: those in Hebrews 6 only tasted, they did not eat. Eternal life comes from drinking and eating (Jn. 4:10,14, 6:51,35).
The next perplexing part of Hebrews 6:4 is that they were “partakers of Holy Spirit.” The word “partakers” has to do with association, not possession. These Jews had never possessed the Holy Spirit, they were simply associated with Him. They were around to see the results of the Holy Spirit at work, but there was no reality of His presence in them. The Bible never speaks of Christians being associated with the Holy Spirit; instead they are described as being indwelt, sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:13-14, 5:18).
In Hebrews, they had “tasted the good word of God” (6:5). The Greek word used in this verse for “the word of God” is “Rhema,” which emphasizes “part” rather than the whole. They had heard specific parts or utterances of God’s Word, but they were not like Jeremiah, who said, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jer. 15:16). Herod, in Mark 6:20, was like the people referred to in Hebrews 6. Tasting is the first step toward eating. We taste something to see if we want to eat the whole thing. David encouraged us to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Ps. 34:8).
Those in Hebrews 6:5 also “tasted … the powers of the age to come,” which refers to the future kingdom of God. They saw evidence of this power perhaps in miracles and in other ways.
The individuals mentioned in Hebrews 6 are not those who ate or possessed; they simply professed outwardly, but there was no inward reality. They turned their backs on the gospel and on Christ. This is why it was “impossible” (v.4) to come to a point of repentance. The word here means “impossible,” not “difficult” as some translate it. The same word is used of God Himself, “It is impossible for God to lie” (6:18, see 10:4, 11:6).
The word “renew” (6:6) means “to restore,” “to bring back to an original condition.” For them this would be an excitement about the gospel as when they first heard it, which would open the door for repentance.
The people in Hebrews 6 were different from the prodigal son in Luke 15. That son was always referred to as the “son.” Even during the son’s wayward condition, the father seemed always to be waiting for his return!
That these things concern you and that you are convicted in your own soul is evidence that you are not what is referred to in Hebrews 6 and 10. By the way, another important point to add about the people in these chapters is that they were Jewish and had turned back to Judaism.
I suggest that you saturate your mind and heart with the Word of God. Be occupied with what God’s Word says about you as one who has professed the Lord Jesus Christ! Read through Ephesians and then Colossians. Take a notebook with you as you travel through these books and write down everything God’s Word says you are in Christ. Then memorize it; and every time an accusing thought comes to your mind, quote these verses. Remember, the Devil is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). Just as he tried to accuse Job before God (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7), he will seek to accuse us. Keep Romans 8:1,34 and 1 John 1:9, 2:1-2 in your mind.
Answered by Timothy P. Hadley
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. —Romans 8:1Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. —Romans 8:34 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:9My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. —1 John 2:1-2