Can a believer lose their salvation according to hebrews 6:4-6 ???
Discussion
51 comments
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Context, context, context! He( paul) was talking to the hebrews who wanted to return to sacrificing animals at the Temple ( Jesus+something else)
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I understand this to mean that someone who has been given the Gospel message but for whatever reason returns to the law (animal sacrifice, etc) as a means of earning their own salvation. I would start in chapter 5 and read up through this.
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Just some thoughts! You can’t lose it like you might lose a piece of jewelry but you can reject the gift if you so choose. We still have free will.
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You can loose your salvation. The doctrine of once save always save doesn’t exist in the Bible.
Jesus was made the author of salvation to THOSE WHO OBEY HIM.Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.
You have to bear fruit of true repentance and do the will of God.
You have to walk on the narrow path and follow Christ. It doesn’t help you if you did the sinners prayers for 25 years ago and walked with God in the beginning and now walked away from God.God doesn’t take away our salvation the thing is that we have to be in Christ.
Outside Christ there is no salvation. You can voluntarily choose to walk away from God.
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Yes. You can purposely reject the sacrifice that was once accepted by you, and choose not to repent. Revelation 22 speaks of the possibility of having a name blotted out of the book of life
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A “believer” can never lose his Salvation. “He that believeth on me shall never perish “
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Hebrews 6:4-6 New International Version (NIV)
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[a] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,==spectator unbelievers -this is for UNBELIEVERS who join a christian church but never believe
who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,-those went to church and experience GOD’s Miracles was convicted by the Holy Spirit still they REJECT the salvation of JESUS
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God — experience the Grace of GOD the TRUTH of his salvation—head understanding no mouth and heart confession romans 10:9
the powers of the coming age–GOD’s judgement is revealed to the unbelievers
and who have fallen away,–totally reject the salvation of God–
To their loss-Matt 12:30-31 they became CALLOUS HEARTS —
they are crucifying the Son of God all over again== they also became so wicked they knew JESUS is willing to pay for their sin–continous rejection and willful to sin
and subjecting him to public disgrace.– they continue to mock and scoff GOD like in the days of Noah
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If you are a true believer don’t rob your joy with obscure passages. Those are one of the obscure passages. Those people who are tasters or professors not possessors. Focus on the next impossible by keep reading verse 9 onwards. But beloved (believers)…
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No. You cannot lose your salvation.
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The historical background of hebrews speaks to
3 SPECIFIC PEOPLE
1. Greek and Hebrew Believers
2. Greek and Hebrew Unbelievers
3. Greek and Hebrew Spectators and Luke-Warm people “cannot decide to believe because of fear because it is a time of persecution”Hebrews 6:4-6 is talking about unbelievers
Hebrews 6:9 is talking about believers -
Lose no abdicate yes .. will God accept the bill of divorcement? Not until your last breath
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Someone says…. this words
Thank God that salvation is not in my hand nor I would have lost itIn book of John Jesus said this words…
my sheep here’s my voice and follow me I give them eternal life and No one can snatch them away from my hand -
A person can give it up, though
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Of course not, jesus will not lose even one of those the father has given him. Don’t form doctrine from one verse.
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To believe that salvation can be lost is to believe that the seal of the Holy Spirit (eph1:13) is weak or meaningless and that there is a return policy on the cross. Ridiculous conclusions.
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Ephesians 1:13 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is the GUARANTEE of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
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The gift of salvation was given to us while we were dead in our trespasses. But by grace alone we are saved through our faith in Christ. Once saved nothing can separate you from God. It is finished!
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It wouldn’t be eternal life if it can be lost. It would be temporary conditional life!
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Paul (who I believe wrote Hebrews) is making a rhetorical statement demonstrating it is impossible for Christ to be re-crucified. These verses need to be compared with the rest of the Bible that the perseverance of the Christian is an act of God, not by human effort.
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Hebrews 6:4–6 states, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.” This is one of the Bible’s most difficult passages to interpret, but one thing is clear—it does not teach that we can lose our salvation. There are two valid ways of looking at these verses:
One interpretation holds that this passage is written not about Christians but about unbelievers who are convinced of the basic truths of the gospel but who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. They are intellectually persuaded but spiritually uncommitted.
According to this interpretation, the phrase once enlightened (Hebrews 6:4) refers to some level of instruction in biblical truth. However, understanding the words of Scripture is not the same as being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. For example, John 1:9 describes Jesus, the “true Light,” giving light “to every man”; but this cannot mean the light of salvation, because not every man is saved. Through God’s sovereign power, every man has enough light to be held responsible. This light either leads to the complete acceptance of Jesus Christ or produces condemnation in those who reject such light. The people described in Hebrews 6:4–6 are of the latter group—unbelievers who have been exposed to God’s redemptive truth and perhaps have made a profession of faith, but who have not exercised genuine saving faith.
This interpretation also sees the phrase tasted the heavenly gift (Hebrews 6:4) as referring to a momentary experience, akin to Jesus’ “tasting” death (Hebrews 2:9). This brief experience with the heavenly gift is not seen as equivalent to salvation; rather, it is likened to the second and third soils in Jesus’ parable (Matthew 13:3–23), which describes people who receive the truth of the gospel but are not truly saved.
Finally, this interpretation sees the “falling away” (Hebrews 6:6) as a reference to those who have tasted the truth but, not having come all the way to faith, fall away from even the revelation they have been given. The tasting of truth is not enough to keep them from falling away from it. They must come all the way to Christ in complete repentance and faith; otherwise, they in effect re-crucify Christ and treat Him contemptuously. Those who sin against Christ in such a way have no hope of restoration or forgiveness because they reject Him with full knowledge and conscious experience. They have concluded that Jesus should have been crucified, and they stand with His enemies. It is impossible to renew such to repentance.
The other interpretation holds that this passage is written about Christians, and that the phrases partakers of the Holy Ghost, enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift are all descriptions of true believers.
This second interpretation is based on an alternate translation, found in the KJV and a few others, in which Hebrews 6:6 begins with the phrase if they fall away, with the key word being if. According to this view, the writer of Hebrews is setting up a hypothetical statement: “IF a Christian were to fall away.” The point being made is that it would be impossible (IF a Christian falls away) to renew salvation. That’s because Christ died once for sin (Hebrews 9:28), and if His sacrifice is insufficient, then there’s no hope at all.
In this view, the passage presents an argument based on a false premise (that a true Christian can fall away) and follows it to its senseless conclusion (that Jesus would have to be sacrificed again and again). The absurdity of the conclusion points up the impossibility of the original assumption. This reasoning is called reductio ad absurdum, in which a premise is disproved by showing that it logically leads to an absurdity. The weakness of this view is that the Greek text does not contain a word equivalent to the English if.
Both of these interpretations support the security of the believer in Christ. The first interpretation, which has a stronger textual basis, presents unbelievers rejecting Christ and thereby losing their chance of salvation; the second, weaker interpretation presents the very idea of believers losing salvation as impossible. Many passages make it abundantly clear that salvation is everlasting (John 10:27–29; Romans 8:35, 38–39; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:4–5), and Hebrews 6:4–6 confirms that doctrine.
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Those who fall away had knowledge of the truth, but no possession of it.
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So there are people who think that they never can lose their salvation no matter what they do
or have they live. So you can be like the devil and continue to be saved. So the sacrifice that Chris payed is so cheap that people think they receive like a kind of salvation ticket and that they don’t need to repent and continue living like the world. -
If Salvation is dependent upon man we would have lost it along time ago.
Praise God that our Salvation is based on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. -
Hebrews 10 says that if you continue in sin there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin..
not that there never was.
Jesus said if you put your hands to the plow and look back your not fit for the kingdom
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 which is a letter to a church that if you practice homosexuality, drunkenness, and a few other things you won’t inherit the kingdom.
but I’m sure you Calvinist have a way of explaining those verses.
let the debate begin
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Lose your salvation? No a person can not lose their salvation, neither can it be taken from them by any person, force of evil, etc.
However, a person can walk away from it! Ezekiel tells us when a righteous man TURNS from his righteousness and does that which the wicked does in his wickedness shall he die. It flips as well and says when a wicked man TURNS from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right in his righteousness shall he live!
My belief is my salvation is secure as long as I keep my heart TURNED toward God, should I allow the things of this world to distract me, and my heart TURNS away from God I am at risk of eternal damnation.
I know you “eternal security” folks disagree, and others will say then a person was never saved. I would disagree with both those points of view -
How can you lose what God has saved? I believe in the chastening hand of the Lord. He corrects His own , disciplines the true child of God. There are those pretenders to whom He shall say,” Depart from me that worketh iniquity, I never knew you. “ Matthew 7.
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No once saved always saved
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It’s not “loosing” but
Does the individual (Christian) HAS it at first? Then we can debate on ” loosing”
Remember Jesus unequivocally, declared that no-one can snatch a Christian from his (Jesus) hand. -
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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Okay, I’ve battled with this for quite some time, and what I’ve learned about this is, please do input your thoughts in this.
1. First the idea of justification should be understood. Romans 4 and 5, we are justified by our faith and not of our own. The orthodox churches and the churches during the early times struggled with justification whether it is by faith of by personal works. Until Martin Luther stressed out more it is by His grace we are saved. (Justification is another big topic to be learned)
2. Since we are justified (after the chronological steps) we are already in our sanctification stage.
3. We live out our salvation with trembling and fear to reach the glorifying stage which will be in the future.
4. Now no one can say that everyone is secured, (Calvinist and Arminist teaching) even though we do know we have complete assurance in Christ knowing where we as believers can go.
5. Beother Jacob O’Neill mentioned something verses which are not out of context and there are more. Let’s see revelation 3 regarding how a believers name is blotted out from the book of life.
6. Who are we to judge a person whether he or she walks out of the faith? Shouldn’t we encourage and give faith and pray regarding that person? There’s still hope to those who prays.
7. God is not and never impartial. This is a big trial and test for everyone. I see people walk out from churches just because they couldn’t find anyone explaining the things that they want to hear.
8. This debate between whether we lose our salvation has been going on for centuries and has 2 school of thoughts till now. It is been taught in seminaries also. We ought to pray more for people and to be spiritually mature in handling these things.
I really like how the way brother Jacob O’Neill is handling some of the comments here. God bless each and everyone of you.
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Yes. Hebrews 6 makes this very very clear.
People can freely accept, reject, or return a gift.
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What i know is that God gave out a call for us to respond to salvation. We choose to accept it. He doesn’t make choices for us…
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To believe that salvation can be lost is to also assert that Christ’s death and resurrection didn’t actually accomplish anything, rather it merely made an option available. No security, no hope, no promise can be made if we are the arbiters of faith.
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no they can’t loose it, but they can choose to give it up
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NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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If Salvation is a free gift, then we owe God nothing for it! If our Salvation rests in ANY WAY on our behavior, then it is no longer a free gift. All obedience, growth, and movement towards holiness is the RESULT of our Salvation, not a way to earn it nor to keep it. We will never be able to take credit for any of it. Not earning it and not keeping it. This is all of God. For His Glory alone.
God is not a petulant child who takes His ball (eternal life) and runs home when we fail. If Salvation depends on us, in any way, we are ALL lost. How is that good news?
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.Romans 8:38-39
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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -
1 John 2:19
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 they might be made manifest, that [NONE] of them were of us. -
YOU CANNOT LOSE YOUR SALVATION!!!
By Roxy Wade, Apologist1 Peter 1:3-5
A Heavenly Inheritance
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again >>>to a living hope<<< >>>through the resurrection of Jesus Christ<<< from the dead, 4 >>>to an inheritance incorruptible<<< and >>>undefiled<<< and >>>that does not fade away,<<< >>>reserved in heaven for you,<<< 5 >>>who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation<<< ready to be revealed in the last time. ---A guarantee from God to us!--- REGARDING YOUR SALVATION: Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the >gift< of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Romans 11:29 For the >gifts< and the >calling< of God are >>>Irrevocable.<<< 1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were >called< into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ---Irrevocable: Not able to be changed or reversed, FINAL.--- ALL CREDIT, ALL GLORY GOES TO THE SAVIOR ALONE! When we see people question God's ‘irrevocable gift,’ in almost all cases, the heart of the problem is the heart of the person. At some level, the person believes they have to do something to gain and/or maintain their salvation, this is Christ insufficiency, the false belief in a so-called Jesus who did His best and you do the rest. This is a Jesus of one’s imagination, NOT the Jesus of Holy Scripture! Salvation is a ‘gift of God’ – NOT a gift of self! Salvation is NOT of works – NO work you do will gain or maintain your salvation! Salvation was NOT your doing – it WAS and IS, His! Should a saved person [a Christian] display the fruit of salvation? Absolutely, but our Faith and our Trust in that salvation is in JESUS CHRIST ALONE!
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hmmm. please this is a very serious issue. A MAN CAN LOSE HIS SALVATION if he doesn’t run according to the rules. 1 Peter 4: 18 says, And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
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Romans 11:29
For >>>the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.<<< Ephesians 2:8 For >>>by grace you have been saved<<< through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is >>>the gift of God,<<< Irrevocable: Not able to be changed or reversed, FINAL. The gifts God are irrevocable … saved by grace (the gift of God). -
I scroll through the comments and all the references to Scripture.
This I tell you.
I am struck within my heart with a screaming horror at the mere thought.
I love God. I love Him so much. I don’t want to leave His side. I am so grateful for The Holy Spirit
and as I lean on God and seek His heart, He reveals Jesus more and more to me.
I cannot use Scripture like other Christians. I cling to God and entrust myself to Him. I cannot secure my salvation nor can I keep it. All I can do is lose it if possible.
That is why I need God to keep me. And for me, salvation is a gift but being loved and treasured by God is all I want. -
Salvation is free. Grace is but remember Jesus also said, ” he who endures to the end shall be saved”. please let’s not handle this carelessly and lose eternity
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Hebrews is not talking about losing your salvation like it was some bauble you found on the street, sent down one day and forgot where it was. It is not talking about waffling back and forth one day saved, the next not like some deranged schizoid Armenian. You can get out the same way you got in, no return if you do.
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What I means is this is the life of Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Jesus. He saw every miracles what Jesus did and he heard very sermons.
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You can’t lose it you walk away from it… this is a part of quenching the spirit and walking the middle …
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John 15:5-6 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you
remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from
me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are
like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches
are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned”. -
Let me throw this out there> I have suspected that the Spirit will take someone as far as they are willing to go. I believe this is what Hebrews is talking about. Those that have the spirit are the one that will go all the way, that will remain steadfast till the end.
An example is the Israelites that God delivered from Egypt promising to take them to the land of promise. They wire willing to go so far though they never totally trusted the Lord. Only Caleb and Joshua did.
Heb 6:4-6 and the parable of the sower are examples of this. these people have real experiences of God working with them but never had true saving faith, have never experience the new birth. -
no
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1) When you already gave the gift to someone, will you take it back? 2) What kind of character you have if you take back that gift which you already gave?
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