Series: Warning Passages
Sermon: Falling Away
Bible Passage: Hebrews 6:4-8
I. The intent of this passage
1. Pastoral warning against intentional sins
2. Prodding believers to persevere to maturity
3. The passage is not soteriological or salvation related; but it is believers’ sanctification related
4. The spirit of this passage is not condemnation, but proactive pastoral correctional
II. Verses 4-6 (six traits of the recipients of the book of Hebrews!)
1. Who have been enlightened
a. Those who were intellectually informed about the redemptive work of God in Jesus Christ
b. Those who were transformed by the Gospel from the dark sides of their heart and mind
c. Most likely, they were turning to life of darkness or willfully choosing to lead a Christless life
2. Who have tasted the heavenly gift
a. Metaphorically, it refers to the personal experience of Jesus, the heavenly gift
b. Jesus is the food from heaven, the heavenly manna that sustains believers in their journey
c. Jesus is the only satisfying food of the journey
d. It looks like their spiritual appetite was lost thereby they were feeding on food other than Jesus
3. Who have become partakers of the Holy Spirit
a. It was through the Holy Spirit’s regenerative work, they became believers
b. They were sealed by the Holy Spirit
c. For period, they were bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit
d. But, now they were not walking by the Holy Spirit, but were walking most likely by their flesh
4. Who have tasted the good word of God
a. They were nourished by the teaching and preaching of the Word
b. They lost their appetite for the Word
c. They no longer expose their lives to the convicting power of the Word
5. Who have tasted the miracles of the coming age
a. They experienced the miracles that belong to the future
b. Despite the powerful miracles like manna, water, etc., in the wilderness, they murmured against Moses and God
6. Who have fallen away
a. Some drifted away (2:1) and some have hardened their hearts (3:12-13)
b. Their enthusiasm to persevere in their relationship with God grew weak and did not invest to strengthen their relationship
c. Instead they murmured about their faith, did not cooperate with their leaders, and worked contrary to the plan of God
d. They lost the purity of their doctrine; most likely, started sailing in two boats
e. They fail to press on to maturity through disobedience to God’s Word and will
f. They became spiritual causalities
i. Example Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-24) He professed belief in Jesus, was baptized and yet was severely rebuked by Peter because his “heart was not right before God”
ii. Judas was with Jesus, exposed to the Truth itself, but did not have transformation in his life
7. It is impossible to renew again to repentance (verse 6)
a. Problem:
i. Some people think that this is referring to “losing of salvation”
ii. Some others think that these people were not believers but had some superficial understanding and response, but necessarily believers
b. These were truly born-again Christians who were not persevering to maturity by indulging in deliberate acts that were not suitable for a follower of Jesus Christ
c. These are done intentionally, ignoring the prompting of the Holy Spirit, disregarding the teachings of the Scripture, and defying the power of God in their life in the journey of sanctification
d. These intentional deeds brought God dishonor almost like the crucifixion of Jesus again—”To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (verse 6b)
e. These intentional deeds put Jesus to public shame because their claim is contrary to their behavior (deeds and profession are contrary to each other)
III. Such intentional deeds do not lead to renewal to repentance, except through divine punishment:
1. Verse 7 is an analogy from nature: Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God
2. Verse 8 describes the threefold result of the land that brings forth “thorns and thistles”
a. it is “worthless
b. in danger of being cursed,”
c. “in the end it will be burned”
3. In other words, the people in consideration were not bearing fruit for God
IV. Lessons
1. Christians can willfully prefer sin over pleasing God
2. Willful preference of sin prevents Christians from progressing towards maturity
3. Willful preference of sin brings dishonor to Christ
4. Willful dishonor to Christ calls for divine punishment as a correctional measure
5. God deserves spiritual fruit from Christians as a reciprocation for His goodness in their lives
6. If Christians reciprocate God with carnal fruits instead of spiritual fruit, they will receive appropriate correctional measure from God
Take Away:
Persevere to spiritual maturity by rejecting sinful preferences