Building Christians Up From The Foundation & Unto Perfection
Hebrews 6:1-3
Hebrews 6:1-3
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Before you read: This article is part of a larger series that builds on itself from the foundation up, with each study building on the last. If something in this article does not make sense to you or if you believe it to be incorrect please be sure you have read over the entire course before passing your final judgment. Also be sure to visit this page’s FAQ And Objections Page
It is indeed possible for a Christian to lose salvation. So there may be fear in the hearts of people who have been Christians, but who are fallen from grace. These are not people who simply sinned (because that isn’t what causes a fall from grace). These are people who have at one time been a Christian who have now rejected Christ.
Yes, there are those who were REALLY Christians that left the faith. There are a number of reasons they will give for their falling from grace. Some claim that God left them or somehow broke His word. The attack of Satan has caused them to harden their hearts towards God.
But once they come to a place where their heart can be softened again is there any hope of salvation? These people have tasted and seen that God is good and yet walked away from Him. No doubt, there are many asking how to come back to God after falling away.
The answer is yes! There is hope for those who have once been in the faith and yet left it. Some may think that is untrue because of certain scriptures such as Hebrews 6, which we will be talking about in this unit. But the truth is that even those who have known God but renounced the faith have a chance to return.
We spoke of what it means to be born again in unit 3:4b. It means the soul of a person, which was dead in sins and distant from God, has new life breathed into it. This new life comes from the Holy Spirit, which takes up residence within a person. At that point, a person has their own soul brought to life because the Spirit of God, which is the breath of life, is abiding with us.
Job 33:4
The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So if a person’s soul has been “born again” (had life breathed into it) what happens if that life breathing Spirit of God departs? Obviously, without the Spirit of God, which gives life, there is only death.
Now, I know I just hit a nerve with some people by using the words “Spirit of God departs.“ After all, Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us. This is the truth. Jesus did say that and His word is sure. It will not fail. If He said it then He meant it!
But what happens if WE are the ones doing the forsaking? That would mean the statement Jesus made has not been broken, and yet there is still a separation. God remains who He is, and where He is, but we are the ones who moved. We are the ones who rejected Him.
So even though the Spirit of God Himself will not leave you it doesn’t mean that you can not depart from Him. Of course, there is still another objection about this that someone may try to raise, which I would like to answer now as well.
John 10:27-30
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Romans 8:35 And 38-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Many believe these passages are great scriptures to prove that once a person is saved they can not lose salvation. They also believe these verses show that we can not walk away from God through our own will. They say there is no escape from the hand of God.
This does seem logical, in a certain way. Since God is all powerful there is no way that ANYTHING could escape His grasp. But does that mean He will not allow us to walk away? No, He WILL allow us to do that.
In earlier units, we already spoke of the difference between the promise and the reality of salvation. We also gave verses which show without a question that even a Christian can become lost. That is obviously a direct contradiction to the thought that we can not walk away from God if we so chose.
So let’s examine the scriptures above and see if they really do say what some people believe them to say.
John 10:27-39
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,” Jesus is speaking of the sheep that follow Him. Thus, those who FOLLOW Him are given eternal life and they will never perish. Remember, we have the promise of eternal life when we follow Jesus, but the reality has not yet come to pass until we are actually raised from the dead.
“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” This is not saying a person can not leave on their own freewill. It says no man can pluck them out of my hand. In other words, it is saying no outside force can snatch you away (plucked out). This does not, however, say that no one on the INSIDE can remove THEMSELVES from God’s hand.
Verse 29 follows the same thought. No outside force can remove you from the hands of God. But, it does not say that God will deny a person the right to leave, on their own freewill.
Romans 8:35 And 38-39 also speak of an outside force. It does not speak of someone on the inside being held as a prisoner. The hands of God are protection, not prison. Another thing to note is that you can love someone even if they are lost. The love of the Father, which is also in Christ Jesus (as they are one), is not dependent on a person being righteous or not.
You can love what you hate. The two are not incompatible. A person may love food, but hate it at the same time, because even though they enjoy it they do not enjoy what it does to them. A parent can love their child and yet still hate them at the same time because of their actions. You can love and hate at the same time. Hate is not the opposite of love.
So now that we have addressed that issue we can move on.
When a person chooses to deny the faith that they once had they depart from God, and fall from grace. This causes their soul to, once again, take on death since they have left the source of life. The Holy Ghost is no longer in communion with their soul.
There are many verses which speak of the Holy Spirit as being a seal that preserves us. It is called the earnest of our inheritance. This means as long as the Holy Spirit is within us, breathing life into our souls, we are protected from death.
Again, God will not forsake us. But, He will not imprison us either. If we forsake Him then He will not force us to remain with Him. He will let us walk away.
Judges 10:13
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
2 Chronicles 15:2
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
So again, WE forsake Him and He LETS us walk away. This is why the Bible says that IF WE forsake Him HE WILL ALSO forsake us. Not because He chose to do so, but because we forced Him to no longer be with us by walking away. He will let us go (forsake us) if we chose.
There are some verses that may seem to imply that a person who has left the faith can not return to God.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 10:17-18 and 26-31
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
These are some very powerful verses. They really do seem to imply that if a Christian departs from the faith then there is no way to return to God. But this is not actually what they say. We will examine them closer (as we did above with John 10:27-39) to see if what we THINK they say is REALLY what they say or not. Because often we read more into things than is there.
But first, let me provide some other verses which would seem to contradict this thought if it is correct.
Revelation 2:4-5
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Jesus Himself was speaking to a people who had left their first love, and who had fallen from grace.
Some believe the first love it speaks of here is evangelism rather than Jesus Himself. This belief doesn’t hold up under examination though since you must love Jesus FIRST before you can love evangelism. This is the reason the greatest of the commandments begins with loving God first, and others second.
Also, in Luke 15 we find the story of the prodigal son. This was not a servant or someone unknown to the father. This was a son. The SON left his FATHER. But when he remembered from where he was fallen he repented and came to his father, now humbled. His father accepted him back as one who was dead and now alive.
This story told by Jesus does not begin with the son already out in the world. It begins with him being in his father’s household. This is one way we can know that Jesus is not speaking of someone who never knew their father.
The wonderful thing about it is that the son who had left his father came to his senses later on. His hard heart was turned back to his father and he repented. His father did not reject him when he returned but instead took him back as his son. It was as though he had never left. It was as though his son had simply died, and was now alive again.
So if these things speak of returning to God AFTER FALLING FROM GRACE then how can it be saying a person can not do so in the book of Hebrews? The simple answer is that it DOESN’T say that in Hebrews. We just read something into it that isn’t there.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Here we see it say in verses 4-6 that those who have known God and been Christians can not be renewed UNTO repentance. The word “renewed” means to “begin again, or start over from the beginning.” The word “unto” is like saying you are “going unto the end“. It simply means “to cover a distance until you reach a destination.”
So these verses say that a person who once knew of God and became a Christian can not go all the way to the beginning. They can not begin again as though they never knew God.
Like the prodigal son. He could not go back to his father and become a servant because it was impossible for him to be less than the son of his father. He could never say he did not know what it was to be a son.
This is why verse 6 also says that doing so would “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Because it would be like saying they never knew Jesus, even though they once were Christians. It would be a denial of everything they once knew of their Father. Thus, it would be an open shame.
So these verses do not show that a person can not repent. They only show that a person can not become as if they never knew God in the first place. They can not simply have their memory wiped clear. So they don’t start over. They just return again as though they had never left.
They can not have Jesus purchase them again by His blood since He already paid the price. He doesn’t have to pay again for what is His in the first place. He can revive his “dead son” but he can not pretend the person was never His son in the first place.
Hebrews 10:17-18
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
In 17 we see God say that He will no longer remember their sins. This is because they are forgiven and “swept under the rug” so to speak. This is also known as “remission of sins.” So in verse 18, when we see it say that there is no more offering for sin, we have to ask, “Why would we need another?” Our sins are forgiven through Jesus, and if our sins are forgiven we no longer need a sacrifice to forgive us of something already taken care of.
Take note in these verses that it does not say a person can not be forgiven if they walk away, nor does it say that another sacrifice would be needed if they did. It simply says that since our sins are forgiven we do not need another sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:26
26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Again, we see here that there is no more sacrifice for sins even if we walk away. What does this mean? We can take this to mean that the blood of Jesus is no longer able to cover us, or we can take it to mean that there is no OTHER sacrifice that can cover us.
Hebrews 10:28-29
28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
First, let’s look at verse 28. What was Moses’ law in relation to sacrifice? It was that if you sinned you would need a sacrifice to be forgiven of that sin. So, how could someone despise this? Simply by sinning without offering a sacrifice. Thus, they would be in disobedience by not only committing sin but also by not believing (or caring) that God would forgive them through a sacrifice.
Going on into verse 29 we will remember the context of verse 28. What does it mean for someone to “trod underfoot the Son of God?” It means that person counts it to be of little value (or beneath them). Going on from there we read the rest of the verse.
“And hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing,” Again, this person counts the blood of Jesus as having little value and unable to save them.
From there we read “and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” Despite means “without being affected by; in spite of or contempt; disdain.” In short, a person who has done despite unto the Spirit of grace has treated the grace (goodwill) of God with contempt and counts it as ineffective.
In all of those verses, there is NOWHERE that we find the Bible say that the blood of Jesus is not enough to cover someone who has left the faith. We find NOWHERE that it says a person can not return to Jesus, as the prodigal son who was alive, then dead, and now alive again.
In fact, it says the opposite! It says that if you count the blood of Jesus as not being enough to cover ALL sins, even of someone who once walked away, then you have done despite unto the Spirit of grace.
These are not verses which say you can not be saved from hell. These are verses that say only those who count God as unable to save them from hell can not be saved from it!
It is blasphemy to say God cannot, or will not, save the repentant soul!
So to sum this all up, we have discovered that even a Christian who has left the faith can indeed return to Jesus through repentance. They can not begin as though they never knew Him to begin with, though. They simply come to their father and ask for forgiveness. Once again, the Holy Spirit abides in them as the son of the Father and breathes life into them.
THERE IS HOPE!
In the next unit, we will be talking about one more thing that affects the topic of forgiveness and salvation. We are going to address what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of someone never having forgiveness if they blaspheme the Holy Ghost.
Continue To Unit 3:4f – What Is the Unforgivable Sin OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 3 – Repentance and Salvation
June 23, 2016 at 6:51 pm | | 115 comments
Jason, God woke me up and started working on me about 5-6 years ago. I could hear Him, feel the Holy Spirit and also feel Him grieve when I sinned. He gave me power to witness, started working on me, about 3 sins at a time to change me…but I constantly doubted if I was or ever would be saved bc I saw how much was wrong with me and had never had that “washing/cleansing” experience true Christians talk about having. I also started rebelling against a couple things He wanted me to do to stop sinning. I suddenly acutely felt cut off. Immediately I felt terror pour into me. The same thing happened to my daughter who was about 4 yrs old at the time. God used to speak through her to me and she felt suddenly terror and started screaming and crying. Her personality changed after that and she became more sinful. The fear has been so extreme for me that I couldn’t function hardly. I wake up afraid and begging Him to take me back. It’s been 4 yrs. Spiritually I felt like a branch dying over the course of a year until there was no life of Him left in me. I have almost no feelings now, can’t feel conviction of sin like before, fail many times when I attempt to repent of the things He had shown me before. It’s like I’m being toyed with by demonic presence. I see series of numbers all the time like 4’s and 11’s, which is not how God communicates and I looked up and saw that is demonic related activity. I am desperate bc I know He’s coming back soon. I have been trying fasting, praying, reading the Bible, praying promises back to Him, trying to repent, can’t hear/feel Him lead so darkened in my mind again it’s like wanting around in a forest and I don’t know which way to go. After I felt cut off, all of a sudden my unbelieving husband started liking me again. Please help!
I’m sorry it has taken so long for a reply. 4 years in fact. I have had some trouble with my health. But I wanted to reach out now in case it may still be of help. I hope things have gotten better for you over the last 4 years. But I know from personal experience the night can last for so long.
So if it can help now, I will reply to your comment. First, you spoke of a “washing/cleansing” experience. Let me tell you that the feeling of cleansing doesn’t happen to every born again believer. It is never promised in scriptures. And, it is never an indication of anything except how one feels.
I council people almost everyday that tell me they can’t feel the presence of God. Most are real Christians. But they struggle because their way of “knowing” God is based on feelings. These are like the wind. They come and go.
It sounds to me that you were in a state of such joy following Jesus that sin was something you wanted to cut out entirely. Then you sinned in some way. That acute feeling of being cut off is what we call guilt. With guilt comes terror. This will spill over into your family life affecting your daughter and husband.
But, this is a trap! The mercy of God is eternal. His blood is enough to cover all sin. Let me tell you the course of events and how Satan tries to destroy you.
The accuser came to you and you felt the guilt of sin. This is where the trap begins to close in. That feeling of guilt is overwhelming. The fear of judgment sets in. Before you know it you are basically choking on it.
You struggle to get out. You cry for help to God, but the fear makes your voice so small. Will He hear you? Will He save you? Your faith runs out the longer you feel the guilt. Then over time you go numb to the pain and fear. You have no conviction over sin because why would you? You already feel dead anyway.
And so you harden your heart against God. You turn your back on hope, and walk away from the God you loved. All of this because of the feeling of guilt.
That is the process Satan uses. It’s one of His traps and that is how it works. But there is a way out. There is a way of escape even if you have hardened your heart to stone.
The way out is trusting in what God has said OVER what you feel. He said if you come to Him He would forgive and in no way cast you out. Guilt fades after being forgiven. But only if you believe it.
The way out is disregard for your feelings. Disregard for what things seem. Disregard for anything other than what God has said. That is how faith becomes strong. It is when you can stand on His word even if you FEEL like you are being swept away. Say it with me. God said that if I call on Him for forgiveness He would forgive me. I will trust His word and accept that I am forgiven no matter how I do or don’t feel. Because His word is truth, and anything else is a lie.
As for your family, it’s good that your husband likes you. But, I’m sure there’s a reason you don’t believe it to be good. Let me say that learning how to be at peace with an unbelieving husband is important. You can communicate with him on his level and still hold onto Jesus. There is a way to go about that which I do not have time to write at this moment. But, if needed I can recommend a book or two.
I can relate to so much that has been shared here. Thank you to everyone’s honestly and openness. I have several things I would like to share but would like to ask if this thread is still open for communication ?
Charley
In my freshman year of highschool (I’m a sophomore now) I was saved and Jesus was teaching me about holiness and righteousness at the time. I loved Jesus but I realized that my social life was weak and I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t like being friendless and wanted as many as possible so I began taking my focus from off of God and on to the world. I was using up all of my energy to gain attraction and attention from the people around me. And I was so obsessed with this, that I would allow myself to become worldly and hid the Christian side of me to gain the approval of worldly and evil people. Whenever my cousins or step siblings or anybody who come over I would put away the Bible and the videos about Christ because I was so afraid of them disliking me for loving Jesus. Now with All of this came the repeated conviction of the Holy Spirit. But whenever he would convict me of being like the rest of the world for fear of them thinking I’m weird for being Christian, I would harden my heart towards it.
One day I went to my cousin’s house and she recommended I get this app to text random people and make friends. The weird thing about it was she wasn’t really looking for friends it was more of a romantic relationship with whatever boy she found attractive. Due to my fleshly desires and wanted her to think I was cool or something, I did the same. We would take pictures in the mirror to send to these boys we were speaking to in hopes that they would find us attractive :(. Now looking back on those photos all I see is a worldly lost sheep. At some point we were laying down on her big bed and she was playing music on her phone. It was all secular wack music but she has a few gospel songs in there too. When a gospel song that I am familiar with came on I was afraid because I knew that the Holy Spirit was about to confront me for what I was doing. When that song played the Holy Spirit fell upon me like never before. I heard in the spirit, “why do you choose to please the people of this world over me? Focus on your relationship with me”. I began to be convicted about the apps we were on, the people pleasing and my worldliness. Deep down I wanted to stop what I was doing, repent, tell them to repent and worship the lord. But I stiffened my neck like a fool and ignored the message of God. He wasn’t even mad, this was simply a moment of mercy for me. But I declined. And ever since then my heart has been hard as a stone. No conviction of sin. No presence of the lord. No fruits of the spirit. Just an empty black hole.
Since then I have been in the longest season ever (6 months). And I have yet to feel the presence of the lord. In the beginning I was very upset about it, but now the only thing that keeps me going is keeping my mind on the lord, Jesus. And that brings me a bit of peace :). I know that in the near future I will receive everything I spiritually had once again. I just have to get my faith that has been trash, back to where it used to be. I stay in my word, avoid worldly people and keep my focus on the lord. This keeps me sane lol. God bless you all and please give me some advice on how to overcome doubtful and confusing thoughts.
I love that testimony! Yes, you will regain it all and more. You are already doing what you need to overcome. Stay your mind on the Lord even if you feel nothing. Feelings are nothing. His word is truth.
Hello,
I believe that there is something wrong with me spiritualy
Because I don’t feel the spirit like I used to when I first got saved as a boy. After I got saved I did not go to church or read the bible or repent of sin, becouse my parents didn’t do these things. I believe that I even fell from grace. Now I am trying to return to God but I feel that he is now rejecting me, and I don’t feel the spirit like I first did. Maybe Hebrews 6:4 means you cannot return, I hope your right, and that I still have a chance because the lake of fire sounds terrible. If you could please let me know why you think that God is rejecting me. Thanks, bye.
Richard, you remind me of David.
Psalm 6:1-7
O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. 3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? 4 Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
This is how David felt. This is how many people feel. They want to return to God but don’t feel Him. All they feel is groaning and sadness. David felt this. But one verse later he says this:
8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
His feelings didn’t change in that one second. But his faith did. In the middle of tears he declared the Lord has heard him.
David wrote the psalm where he spoke to his own soul. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
This is the answer. Your feelings may say one thing, but the truth says another. Speak truth to your soul. Speak that the Lord is with you even if you don’t feel it. His word is truth, not your feelings.
Hello, I wrote a comment here, but I don’t see it now and got no response. My question was how can the Holy Spirit leave someone then come back?? Is that what your article is saying? Or am I misunderstanding it?
The correct way to understand it is the PERSON leaves the Holy Spirit and then can come back. God has never changed. How many times has Israel walked away and yet they return? How many prodigal sons have walked away and yet returned? You are probably wondering if one needs to be “born again again.” The answer is no. Please see this page.
How can one come back to God after the Holy Spirit departs and one falls from grace? Seems like false doctrine here… please don’t give people false hope. So many have had the spirit depart and have not been restored in years. Very sad and scary.
One whom departs from the Holy Spirit (notice the difference) can return to the Holy Spirit. An example of this is given in the prodigal son. He departed from his Father and yet returned to his Father.
But I want you and everyone reading to notice something. “please don’t give people false hope. So many have had the spirit depart and have not been restored in years. Very sad and scary.”
Don’t give people hope… Think about who would say that. Many have not been restored… could it perhaps be because they believe they have no hope? Very sad and scary… fear is a very powerful weapon you like to use, isn’t it Satan?
You didn’t go into an explanation of Hebrews 10:27… Why would the only thing for them to have to look for is a fearful judgment? This is the only thing hanging me up now.
I did actually. I just didn’t single that verse out. I included it in it’s context.
But I will go ahead and edit a portion to include that in this reply.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Again, we see here that there is no more sacrifice for sins even if we walk away. What does this mean? We can take this to mean that the blood of Jesus is no longer able to cover us and we therefore fear judgment, or we can take it to mean that there is no OTHER sacrifice that can cover us.
Hebrews 10:28-29
28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
First, let’s look at verse 28. What was Moses’ law in relation to sacrifice? It was that if you sinned you would need a sacrifice to be forgiven of that sin. So, how could someone despise this? Simply by sinning without offering a sacrifice. Thus, they would be in disobedience by not only committing sin but also by not believing (or caring) that God would forgive them through a sacrifice.
Going on into verse 29 we will remember the context of verse 28. What does it mean for someone to “trod underfoot the Son of God?” It means that person counts it to be of little value (or beneath them). Going on from there we read the rest of the verse.
“And hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing,” Again, this person counts the blood of Jesus as having little value and unable to save them.
From there we read “and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” Despite means “without being affected by; in spite of or contempt; disdain.” In short, a person who has done despite unto the Spirit of grace has treated the grace (goodwill) of God with contempt and counts it as ineffective.
I’m a 17-year-old girl.
I was raised in an baptist home and know everything about the faith.
I was saved at age 11.
Recently i had a crisis of faith and questioned everthing in the bible.
I don’t know what to do because the bible isn’t precious to me anymore and i don’t see God anymore.
I’m afraid to die and to discover that God is really real and to be doomed to hell…
I don’t know what to do. I want my faith back but i’m afraid i can’t come back again.
One of the hardest things for me is to talk with someone and explain to them that there is hope, yet have them deny that it is true. Sadly this happens all too often. It gets to a point where they will even try to convince me that they are hopeless. Some even attempt to use scripture.
It amazes me how some will argue until they are blue in the face that they are doomed to drown while a life boat is right in front of them!
You have been given a measure of faith enough to believe in the mercy of God. Use it. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid God will deny you mercy? Are you afraid God will not care for the repentant? Are you afraid God is not who He is?
The only thing left for you to do is accept what you already know of God.
About a year ago I collapsed and looked around and “Committed” to Christ. I had just gotten done with a 4 year stretch of being a clingy, selfish, broken person. I got so obsessed with one person in particular that I lost 60 pounds over it. I’d never eat, and my heart would race constantly. After everything had fell apart, I asked for help. I’d rarely read my Bible and honestly never cared for anyone but myself. Next day I gave away almost a 1000 dollars in stuff and felt more alive than I’d ever been. 2 days later, I went off on someone and immediately felt horrid. And asking what I should do to God… that moment a therapy card was right in front of me.
To be clear, my life is a torture to me. My mom and dad are distant, and simple things like learning to drive or cooking are NIGHTMARES to me. I’m 25 and I live at home, and can’t drive. I’m not motivated and anytime I am I almost instantly fall into this “Going to Hell” rut the next day. The closest I’ve ever been to feeling happy is when I’m at my friends house. There’s no yelling there. There’s no drama there. Their animals are so sweet and I feel more loved there than I have anywhere else in my life. But there’s a problem. They’re gay. And all around me the church and another friend of mine protest.
Firstly, this other friend can quote bible like no other. He tells me that counting on therapy instead of God is a sin. How can I know the card isn’t the devil? And that it’s a sin to be with my friends. I’ve spent 8 months imagining John and Mike in Hell. And then me as well. So I just shut myself into my little room. Spent all my money on wasted pleasure trying to run from this disaster. And then I see Hebrews about tasting the gift and walking back into my mess and now I’m fearing I’m doomed to Hell. I’m scared to read the Bible. It’s hard to pray because I think God has forsaken me. I treat his mercy as infinite and I shouldn’t.
I hate rules. I hate the idea that when I temptation comes up I have to “pull out a verse” and fight it. I hate the idea that I am in a battle. One day when I was alone I looked at the stack of board games that easily total a grand. I’d bought them trying to lure my father into spending time with me. I told God I’d wasted his money he gave me. And then I told him that I would trade all the gold roads in Heaven and every sight I’d ever see for eternity just to spend time in a room with Him. Eventually I’d realize that the gold roads were for His glory and not mine, but the point remained. I’m lonely.
And then, a short while later I prayed that God “wouldn’t let me destroy myself”. Because I know me. I know I am deep down an Esau. That I’d trade anything for instant pleasure. I don’t know the roots of my heart. I don’t know anything. I went to therapy 3 times. The 2nd day, I brought in a TWENTY PAGE document on a legal pad. Two lines of writing per line on the page. It hurt, it hurt so much to spill the beans as it were. And the therapist looked at me like I’d done something nobody’d done before. But counting on therapy instead of God is a sin. How am I to know if it’s God or not?
I have a dependency disorder.I also have an anxiety disorder. I’m also very lonely. And I’ve done very bad things. I’d become so clingy and awful to where there was physical discomfort at any sign of “abandonment” that led to me losing 60 pounds. I’d obsess over people. I almost killed myself only to make the other person feel sorry for me, and not doing so was agonizing to do. This was 4 years ago and to stop it I walked away from living my life. I’ve literally just worked and stayed home the last 4 years.
The reason I left therapy is that family and friends told me that relying on a doctor rather than God is a sign of unbelief and a sin. Then, reading through my Bible I find things like God not answering prayers if asked in the wrong heart, and then of course the story of Esau and Hebrews 6:4. From the parable of virgins filling oil too late to the idea that everyone around me that isn’t “Jesus Jesus” is going to burn for eternity (Cor 6:9). If I trust a wrong teaching, If I believe something that makes me feel better, I go to hell (2 Tim 4:3). I feel like Esau, and if I died today I feel like I’d burn, the Bible implies this heavily. Most times, I’d rather not be reading the Bible and doing anything else. It depresses me further.
My only real friend in all of this is a Gay man. Him and John have treated me better than I’ve ever known. They’ve taught me how to cook, drive, and I’ve felt more loved around them, more free… than anywhere else. The thought of them burning for eternity makes me HATE God.
I have this massive conviction that has fallen over me that no matter what I do, God is going to burn me in Hell for all eternity. That like Esau I’ve went over the line and can no longer return because my heart is so hardened. I have started to hate God. Mainly, I realized that I am under condemnation. It’s blatantly and patently clear. When I look around I imagine everyone around me burning. And burning. And burning. I am so lost and confused. And prayer is hard because I know I’m insincere on everything. The only prayer I can ever think of that was genuine is that God doesn’t let me destroy myself. The only reason I came back to you was that I think God sent me that therapy card. Like Bill says, I have no way of knowing if it was the devil or not.
Andrew Klavan doesn’t think Homosexuality is a sin. Hell. Ben Shapiro is Jewish. Hell. My mother and father aren’t devout Christians, Dad’s near faithless. Hell. John and Mike are gay. Hell. My co-workers are the sad broken people we all are. All going to burn all eternity. Cleveland cop who illed himself after killing a guy in a SWAT raid? Hell. Keith Comfort asks God why? Keith is questioning God’s authority. Hell.
“Let the dead bury their dead.”
The only things I can recall being God were those prayers answered I wrote in that legal Pad.
And then reading more and more of the Bible and it’s all Hell. Life is Hell. And there’s literally no escape. There’s no non-existence clause. Oh how sweet it would be to have never been born! But it’s clear that no one has a right to this life of mine but God.
And I’m unrepentant. And the only reason I want to repent is because I don’t want to burn.
When this started I was just ecstatic at the idea that the king of the universe wanted to be in my life. Then I learned about the cross. Lots more.
“27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.”
I am an enemy of God. This is how he’s treating me.I curse Him, he gives me another day. I use Him, He prays for me. If I hit him on one cheek, he turns the other to me. And he gives and never gets back from me!
The repentance and the cross go together. When I had that “moment” we talked about… I don’t think I had that at all. At least I hope not, because if I did then Hebrews 6:4-6 is my damnation. Then there’s the parable of the soils. And then there’s the virgins and the oil.
I don’t know what I’m doing. Everything’s been all over the wall for years. Forgiveness is dependent on belief. Belief is dependent on Repentance. Repentance is KNOWING that I am sinful and deserving of the burning fire pit of eternity and admitting it to God and looking in the gift of His son who’s blood covers me. I can’t accept that because I think it’s evil to look around and see everyone you know and love burning.
Something isn’t clicking. My mind has turned it into a mental exercise. “Ask God for the spirit” and “Pray that he won’t let you destroy yourself” and “write every preacher and person you know that may have went through this”
If the virus kills me, or I die in a car crash today… I go to Hell. God only knows if I’m going to be saved or not. And it’s only Him at this point that’s kept me alive this long. My heart has been racing for near a week now. I think if it keeps up I’m going to damage something permanently.
“It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.”
“It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”
“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and there is no rest, day or night.”
“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
“Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and hthe way is hard that leads to life, and ithose who find it are few.”
I’m supposed to see sin for what it is. All I see is people burning. And I’ve spent so long fighting God about it, thinking it was honesty. Now I just see that I’ve shat on the only thing that mattered. And everyone and everything burns.
I wish I was never born. I would kill myself if it wasn’t for going to Hell. What do I do? Everything would be insincere at this point. On top of that, sin has started to not bother me. I’d notice starting to gossip, or starting to want to do something wrong… and by willpower not do it… but the guilt and shame is gone.
Keith, I know it’s been a long time since you wrote this comment but I’m going to answer it now for others to see that may be going through the same things. I’ll also email you.
I see a theme in your comment. There’s a few things you repeat and those are the things I want to address. I’ll quote you and then give my answer.
“Firstly, this other friend can quote bible like no other. He tells me that counting on therapy instead of God is a sin. How can I know the card isn’t the devil?”
Firstly, your friend may be able to quote the Bible but He doesn’t understand it all. I can quote it too. But I don’t understand it all either. What I do understand I will share with you though.
Proverbs 11:14
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Proverbs 24:6
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
The word therapist is synonymous with the word counselor. The job of a therapist is to listen to your problems and give you wise counsel on how to handle them. Your friend said listening to a therapist/counselor is a sin. But the Bible actually ENCOURAGES you to take counsel from others. Notice it said in the MULTITUDE of counsellors there is safety. The Bible doesn’t say it’s a sin. Your friend was wrong.
He asked how you can know it’s not the devil. That IS actually half true. How do you know your therapist is giving you Godly wisdom or if they are giving you wrong counsel? This is something you must determine. That’s why there are also verses in the Bible that speak of people sinning because of wrong counsel. But the fact remains that there IS Godly counsel in this world. There ARE people that are wise to counsel and God DOES encourage you to seek them out.
“If I trust a wrong teaching, If I believe something that makes me feel better, I go to hell (2 Tim 4:3).”
Read that verse again. It says “after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers…” It’s true that if you are seeking ways to feel better about sin and justify it then you are going to run into trouble. But, knowing the difference between something true of false is never given as a requirement of salvation.
Numbers 15:28
And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
Psalm 73:22-23
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Jesus made atonement for the things you believe in ignorance.
“It’s hard to pray because I think God has forsaken me. I treat his mercy as infinite and I shouldn’t.”
Here’s a few good verses on that subject.
1 Chronicles 16:34
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 86:5
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Yes, His mercy is infinite. Honor and treat it as such. Yes, God will also withdraw mercy. But He will always be ready to forgive and give it back. It all depends on one thing.
Psalm 33:22
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee
Are you willing to hope in Him? Hope in Him, trust Him, and His mercy will flow.
“I’m lonely.”
We were never meant to be alone. God gave Eve to Adam because it wasn’t good that man should be alone. We are told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together because there is strength in numbers. I understand the feeling. But there is a time and season for everything.
There are times we must walk alone (though God is not far from us). But there will be times we are not alone. Be strong.
“I know I am deep down an Esau. That I’d trade anything for instant pleasure. I don’t know the roots of my heart. I don’t know anything.”
Welcome to the human race. We are all Esau. All of our hearts are wicked.
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
“And then reading more and more of the Bible and it’s all Hell. Life is Hell.”
You are reading the Bible through the eyes of condemnation. It’s what you expect and therefore what you see. If you read it looking for mercy you will find it instead.
Take the flood of Noah. You can look at the 40 days and nights of rain. Or, you can look at the 2,000 years of mercy before that and pleading with men to repent.
“And the only reason I want to repent is because I don’t want to burn.”
Guess what. That’s totally acceptable.
Jude 1:23
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
“I can’t accept that because I think it’s evil to look around and see everyone you know and love burning.”
One of the hardest things as a Christian is to know the destination of those whom refuse the mercy of God. Even God doesn’t want this to happen. The Bible says it isn’t His will that any should perish. But we have our own will. We have our own choices to make. And sad as it may be sin has eternal consequence.
I encourage you to read https://onthelineministries.com/would-a-loving-god-send-people-to-hell/ as it explains why the judgment fits the crime.
Jason:
I desperately need your help. Please email me.
I had sent you an email but have not yet had a reply.