Reply to Paul Wilson  Re: Hebrews 6 rethink

You wrote: "What if Hebrew 6 is not a hypothetical or talking about sinning but what if it is conditions set down by God for any who want to willingly leave the faith??? Since we have free will would that mean that one could choose to leave the Lord??? I don’t mean by just backsliding but willfully choosing to leave. what if Hebrews 6 is saying ‘ok if you want to leave having known the truth you can BUT be advised you can NOT come back for to allow you back would mean Christ would have to be crucified again.’"

Hi Paul,

Hebrews 6:4-6 KJV "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, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away (from the true faith), to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame."  

I agree that this is a warning not to apostatize (i.e. renounce Christ), because renouncing your faith is permanent. You can not be born again a second time. However, I believe most of the people that appear to do this were never really born again Christians at all. But, the warning stands. If a truly born again believer were to apostatize and leave the faith they can not be saved again. This is one reason for the Mark of the Beast in the Great Tribulation. Any born again believer who worships the Antichrist and receives his mark would lose their salvation and could not get it back.

Prior post on this subject: http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/march2011/billg37.htm

YBIC,

Bill Griese