Can a true believer in Jesus Christ loose his or her salvation? How do we understand the texts that speak about assurance and those that seem to talk about some who leave the faith? Here in this message, Steve Grutzius speaks of God's eternal purpose in the perseverance of the saints. He clearly shows us, through many different scriptures, that once a person is truly saved, they cannot turn away, for whom the Son has set free is free indeed.

I will go ahead and continue in Romans 8. I will go ahead and read our text, verses 28 to 30, for the 11th time. So I should know it by now, right? And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren.

And these whom he predestined he also called, and these whom he called he also justified, and these whom he justified he also glorified." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we rejoice in You, we rejoice in Your word, we rejoice in Your Holy Spirit who guides us and leads us into truth. Father, as we approach your word today, fill us with wisdom and insight from above and guide us we pray in Jesus name. Amen. So we're going to continue discussing some controversial passages.

Four points to cover. First, talk about falling from grace, a term that's used many times, infer that someone can be truly saved and then fall away from grace. Then we're going to look at some passages and begin to just walk through them a little more thoroughly. We'll look at 2 Peter chapter 2, Hebrews Chapter 6, and then we'll close with discussing some of the warning passages. So last week, or really two weeks ago, we began the study, but last week we began to look at some of the passages that seemed to say someone can be truly saved and then lose their salvation and suffer eternal punishment.

Now, we were able to look at some passages last week on shipwrecked faith, disqualifications, and God's discipline. We then looked at some passages referring to roots, trees, vines, and branches, a few of those passages together, and we looked at most of the conditional if passages that were sent in. Most importantly, we were able to do a more thorough exposition of several of the passages that seemed, that were sent in by the congregation. These are the ones that topped the list. Those are the ones I said I would try to look at more thoroughly.

First Timothy 4.16, John 15, 1-6, and then Romans 11, 20-22, we looked at last week. Here's some of the things we learn. First, by placing the passages in their immediate context, Taking notice of the theme of the larger context, the surrounding chapters, the major theme of the author, we discovered that all of them were speaking of true and false conversion, disciples in appearance only. For example, we looked at John 15, 1 through 6. In the context of that book of the Bible, the Gospel of John, as well as his epistles, John is concerned with true and false disciples.

If you read his epistles, there's all tests of if someone's truly a Christian. If you read the Gospel of John, you'll find many references to people who said they believed and then no longer continued with them, or people who said they were his disciples and then no longer continued with them. So John as an author, and the book, the Gospel of John in particular is concerned with true or false disciples. The chapters leading up to the text, Chapter 15 had the same concern. There were many examples of those who said they believed in him but no longer continued with them, and those who claimed to be disciples no longer continued with them.

As a matter of fact, Judas is mentioned twice before chapter 15 as someone who was with the 12, numbered with them, yet turned away. We address the concerns in the passage of every vine in me and you are all clean, which are the two things that would lead you to believe that these were true disciples. But what secured the proper interpretation for us, and this is something we want to notice whenever we're looking at these passages, was Jesus's own explanation of what he meant by the branches in the vine. So whatever controversy there may be over what Jesus meant by you are all clean, or every branch in me, he stated explicitly what he meant in verse 8. All you have to do, and again, take note of the surrounding text and you usually find the answer to something that seems unclear.

In John 15, 8, Jesus said, my father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Those who bear fruit are truly his disciples, those who don't only appear to be his disciples. The second thing we learned is that the conditional if passages prove two things. First, they completely contradict the false doctrine of eternal security. If you remember, we talked about it a little last week, eternal security says because I made this act of faith, which is usually a sinner's prayer, it doesn't matter what I do after that point.

As a matter of fact, strong proponents of eternal security say you can actually get saved, then continue in sin, and even go so far as denying Jesus Christ and still go to heaven because you had that initial act of faith because it's not based on works it's based on faith. So but every one of those if passages those conditional passages disproves that because we're partakers of Christ if we continue steadfast to the end. So it disproved them. But secondly, those same passages affirm and substantiate the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints because the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints say that only true faith will justify you and only true faith will persevere. So every one of those conditional passages lined up with perseverance in the saints because only true believers will persevere to the end.

So now let's turn to our first topic of today and we're going to look at basically three or four passages and look at them a little bit more thoroughly today. The first term we want to talk about is falling from grace and And people use this term and what they mean is that someone who is really saved can then fall from God's grace and lose their salvation. Well the biggest problem with that is the nature of grace itself does not allow a departure from it. That's the nature of God's grace. Sin cannot remove us from God's grace because where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.

Unbelief cannot remove us from God's grace. Now, it may keep us from ever experiencing God's grace, but we all live our lives with a certain level of unbelief. There's always things I'm believing God for that I'm not there yet. We all live with a certain level of unbelief. So unbelief can keep you from ever experiencing God's grace, but once you've been justified, you're in a position of grace and that position cannot change by definition.

In Romans 5 verses 20 to 21, it says, the law came in so that Transgression would increase, but where sin increase, grace abounded all the more. So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign, rule over us through righteousness to eternal life, all the way to the end through Jesus Christ our Lord. So When you're in this position of grace, it rains in your life until glory, through righteousness to eternal life. So the term fallen from grace, it's only found one place in the entire Bible. There's only one place that that term is used.

And it doesn't mean losing your salvation, but rather it means cutting yourself off from the only way to be saved. The passage is used, that phrase is used in Galatians 5 verses 2 to 4. And this is a passage that many of you sent in. It says, behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. He's talking about people who want to be justified by the law.

And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace." What he's saying here is, first of all, if you're seeking to be justified by the law, are you justified? No. You can't be justified by the works of the law. So if you're seeking to be justified by the law, you're not justified at all.

So, But how is one justified? You're justified by faith in the work of Jesus Christ. That's the only means of justification. So what he's saying is if you're attempting to be justified by the law, you're not connected to Christ. You're not participating in the grace that's being offered.

So he's not referring to someone who had true faith, was justified and then fell away. Rather, he's speaking to someone who was never justified at all and is now rejecting the only true means of salvation, which is faith in Christ. Now Paul uses two very strong terms in this case. He says you've fallen from grace and you're severed from Christ. And here's the point.

If you're trying to be justified any other way, I don't care what it is. If it's believing in Jesus plus I have to do this. If it's believing in Jesus plus I have to do that. Or if it's some other way or means of being justified. You're not part of Christ, you're severed from Christ.

You're not participating in grace, you're fallen from grace. So he uses very strong terms because he's dealing with people. If you remember the whole book of Galatians is about people who wanted to go back to circumcision, people who wanted to be justified by the works of the law. But this is a cause for self-examination for us. We have to ask ourselves the question, am I trusting in anything other than the work of Christ for my justification?

Is there something I'm counting on besides his work? If I am, I'm not justified. I'm severed from Christ. The next passage we want to look at is, they're both found in 2 Peter. There are a few verses in 2 Peter 2 that at least seem to imply that a true believer can fall away to a point at which they reject Christ and thereby lose their salvation.

Right at the beginning of 2 Peter chapter 2, the very first verse, it talks about false prophets who arose among the people just like there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought them or the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. So, the idea here is that someone who is bought with the blood of Jesus could deny him. That's the idea in that first passage. The second one is towards the end of 2 Peter, and that's verses 20 to 21. It says, for if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteous than having known it to turn away from the holy commanded, hand it to them. So those are the two passages that seem to say that someone can truly save, be a blood-wrought Christian, and then deny the Lord Jesus or become entangled in sin and fall away. So let's start verse 20 and we'll work our way backwards. Because this seems to have, that was the top of the list. Ones with the most concern for people.

So Paul makes the statement, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome. The last state has become worse for them than the first. Now the assumption is that escaping the defilements of the world by the knowledge of Christ means you're truly saved. That's one of the assumptions. The next assumption follows.

It says that the entanglement and Turning from the Holy Commandment means loss of salvation, because it would have been better if they had never known the way of righteousness. So, it's a loss of salvation at that point. So, what we want to do is place these two verses in their immediate context of both previous verses and verses that follow. And that'll shed a lot of light on what the author's intended meaning was. Which is not you can be truly saved, get entangled in sin and then lose your salvation.

That's not what he's saying here. We want to get to the heart of what he is saying here though. We want to do it by putting it in context. The passage starts out, and this is the beginning of verse one, it says, but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will also be false teachers among you. So right off he's talking about false prophets and false teachers in this passage.

And if you read all the way down, he's describing the false prophets and the false teachers. He said there, he describes them as rain clouds with no rain, as springs with no water in them. So in other words, they look like something on the outside, but It's something different on the inside. This is how these false teachers are being described. And you can read from verse one all the way to the end, and you see them being described like that.

Now what's interesting, just a few verses before the text we're looking at now, verses 20 and 21, there's a description of these teachers given. It says, they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by what a man is overcome by this he is enslaved." So they're promising freedom to people but they themselves are slaves of construction, corruption. So we have this interesting description. They're all slaves of corruption.

Now corruption is used a little earlier in the same book, in the same letter, in 2 Peter chapter 1. It says, for by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. So at the beginning he's talking about people, and these are true believers, who've taken advantage of these great and precious promises and they've escaped corruption. The false teachers are enslaved to corruption. So now we have to ask ourselves another question.

What is the difference between escaping the corruption in the world in 2 Peter 1.4 and escaping the defilements of the world in 2 Peter 2.20? Because that's what it says about these false teachers is that they've escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Well the Greek word translated defilements or in the King James version it's translated the pollutions of the world. It has to do with outward contamination or tainting. If you remember the Jews, they were very careful about not getting defiled, which meant touching an unclean thing, a dead body or something like that.

Pollution carries the idea of if you stick your hand in polluted water and pull it out, guess what? You've got dirty water on you. You're contaminated by that polluted water. And that's what this Greek word means. It's an outward contamination, an outward defilement, or pollution.

The Greek word translated corruption has to do with inward corruption. This is who you are on the inside. What we are on the inside versus how we look on the outside. So even though they looked good, they've escaped defilements through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that can be many things. It can be just knowledge of the work of Christ, the teaching of Christ, of who Christ is.

They've got an outward cleansing, but inside they're slaves of corruption, these people. So these false prophets have escaped some of the outward contaminations of the world by their knowledge of the Lord Jesus, by being associated as a follower of Christ, by appearing to be a disciple of Christ, by teaching the teachings of Christ, by having the knowledge of him, they escaped some of the outward contaminations. So they made some outward changes. But inwardly they were still slaves to corruption. And this is really confirmed by the very next verse.

Because Peter in 2 Peter 2 22, the very next verse, it says, it has happened to them according to the true proverb. A dog returns to its own vomit, and a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire. So you can clean up a sow, but it's still a sow, and he goes back to it. The dog goes back to the vomit. So what he's talking about here is people, these false teachers, they've cleaned up on the outside the contaminations of the world.

They look good on the outside. Inside they're slaves of corruption. And So what happens is they will return to that corruption, just like the sow and just like the dog. So when Peter says that the last state has become worse for them than the first, and that it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn away, what he's doing is he's showing their culpability. In other words, it would be better that they had never known the truth than to know the truth and turn away.

So these false teachers are not only do they know what the truth is, they're teaching it to people. But they themselves are slaves of corruption. You'd be better off not knowing the truth. And this is said elsewhere in scriptures, in the gospels, that there's greater punishment for those who have knowledge of the truth or know to do good and don't respond to it than for those who've never heard the truth. If you remember Jesus talking about the different cities that rejected his teaching.

He says, I say to you, it will be more, and this is Luke 10, I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you, and you Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?

You will be brought down to Hades. So what he's saying is, hey, if I would have done these miracles in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented. But I did them here and you did it? It's going to be more tolerable for Sodom. So this is what he's speaking here.

It would have been better if they'd never known the truth than after knowing it to turn away from it. So let's go back to the beginning of the chapter and look at another verse that's caused some confusion. 2 Peter 2.1. Again, false prophets arose among the people just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Now the assumptions are this.

First of all, that the Lord who bought them refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because it says the Lord who bought them, it refers to someone who's been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second assumption is that these true believers continue either in sin or unbelief to the point that they deny Christ and lose their salvation and suffer eternal destruction. So that's how they read their first verse. So again, this is a place where understanding the audience, the context, comparing scripture with scripture, they all play a big role in understanding Peter's original intent.

Now, a lot of help for this passage came from a Old Testament scholar from the 1800s named John Gill, who has written a book that has a lot of teaching in it about customs and how people in first century Jews would look at certain phrases. But it's important to know our audience and who it's being written to. So Lord Jesus Christ, or the purchase of a believer by his precious blood, is not what is meant by the phrase, the Lord who bought them. I'll give you several reasons why. So I'm not just making that statement, I'll just give you the reasoning why it's not.

First, Peter is speaking, first of all, about false prophets, not true believers at all. We see that at the end of the chapter. They're not true believers at all in this passage. This is his theme right through to the end of the chapter. He makes statement after statement how they look good on the outside, but they're not true believers on the inside.

Second, every time, and this is something, go check it yourself. I want to thank everyone for allowing me to do this because I got to read Hebrews again. I got to read the Gospel of John again. I got to read 1 and 2 Peter again. I've been reading more scripture than I normally read.

So it's been good. But every time the redemptive purchase of Christ is referred to with a true believer, there's always a price mentioned. Never just says he bought. It's either you're bought with a price, you're bought with the price of his blood. Just never uses that term bought.

So Acts 20, for example, be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of God, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood." So the price is mentioned. In 1 Corinthians, it's done twice. I only put one of them there. You've been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body. So when he's referring the redemptive work of Christ in a believer's life, the price is mentioned.

We've got it elsewhere, Ephesians 1.7, in him we have redemption through his blood. In 1 Peter 1.18 and 19, a little earlier, you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life, inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." So the price is mentioned. And even in Revelation, worthy are you to take the book and to break its seal. For you were slain and purchased for God with your blood, men from every tribe, tongue, and people. So when the purchase or the buying is mentioned in regards to redemption, the price is always right beside it.

And I don't believe this is just an instance Peter left out the price. Third, I've got to get this, my throat's drying out here. Third, not only is the verse not referring to the purchase of Christ, the word Lord there that's used doesn't refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. It refers to Lord God the Father. The Greek word translated Lord or Master in verse 1, some of your translations might say master in there, is despotos.

It's used only in reference to God the Father, never to the Lord Jesus Christ, or it's used in reference to an earthly master, a slave to an earthly master. Every time the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to, the Greek word is kyrios that's used. It's not despotos, it's kyrios. It's always used. So this verse does not refer to Jesus or to someone being purchased at least by his blood.

It has something else in mind when Peter's writing it. So why does Peter use the phrase, God the Father who bought them, or Lord the Father who bought them. Part of the context is understanding the audience to whom Peter's writing and what they would have understand that particular phrase to mean. Like his first letter, Peter's first letter, it was written to the dispersed Jewish believers. It's who the letter's addressed to.

So these are Jewish people who the Roman government dispersed out into the different lands, and that's who he's writing to. So what would the phrase denying the Lord Father, who bought them, mean to a first-century Jew? Is there any statement in the Old Testament that's similar, or is there anything that an Israelite would have memorized or been familiar with that uses that phrase? The answer is there is. And you go back and read it for yourself.

Read Deuteronomy chapters 31 and 32. Now in chapter 31, before they're going into the land, Moses instructs, is writing a song for them and telling them to memorize this song. And this song is going to be a witness to them because when they get into the new land and they're prosperous They're going to deny God. Okay, so new to Miami 31 It says now therefore write this song for yourselves and teach it to the sons of Israel Put it on their lips so that this song may be a witness for me against the sons of Israel. For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers and they've eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, they will turn to other gods and serve them, spurn me and break my covenant.

So chapter 31, he's told to write the song. Chapter 32 is the song. And you can go read the song. So what I'm going to do is take phrases from the song and phrases out of 2 Peter. Chapter verse 1, as he's talking about the false prophets.

Deuteronomy 32 6, do you thus repay the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is not he your father who has bought you. Now, father he has bought you is referring to bringing them out of Egypt. Every Israelite, saved or not saved, was bought by God. They were brought out up by the land of Egypt.

It was a mixed multitude. Most of them were laid low in the wilderness and died and didn't make it because of unbelief, but they were all considered bought by the father. And then 2 Peter 2, 1, where it talks about even denying the father who bought them. Deuteronomy 32 5 says, they have acted corruptly toward him. They are not his children because of their blemish and stains, but are perverse and a crooked generation.

We read in 2 Peter 2.13, they count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they carouse with you having eyes full of adultery and never cease from sin. Deuteronomy 32.35, for the day of their calamity is near, and their impending things are hastening upon them. Second Peter 2, 3, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. So Peter was simply taking and applying the Song of Moses to these false prophets and showing almost point by point that these were not children of God, just like the song taught.

So this is something any devout first century Jew would probably have recognized. I say surely, but probably have recognized if they were taught the scriptures. We find evidence from the context, the theme of the entire passage, that neither the first verse nor verses 20 and 21 really had anything to do with a true believer falling into sin, denying Christ, and losing their salvation. They were false prophets, they were never true believers at all, is the thought. So now Hebrews 6.

Another statement that has caused concern for many Christians, it seems to say that one can be truly saved and then lose their salvation is found in Hebrews chapter 6, specifically verses 4 to 6. This was top of the list when I asked everybody to send in, so we're going to take a little time with this one. Once again, I believe if we take no to the context, the surrounding passages, we'll find a few things. That this passage will stand in opposition to eternal security. That it will affirm perseverance of the saints.

And I also believe it will become a source of great hope and comfort to all of God's children, all true believers. So we'll walk through it. So here's the text, Hebrews 6 verses 4 to 6. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repent and since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame." Now the assumptions, again, is that these certain people who have once been enlightened, made partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the heavenly gift, the word of God, and of the powers to come, were true believers who then fall away. They were true believers and then they fall away.

So at one point they were repentant, but since they fell away and put Christ to open shame, they rejected his blood, they will not either be allowed or able to repent again. So let's look at some of the wrong explanations. Now I believe one of the wrong explanations are those assumptions right there. I think those are assumptions made too quickly. That's what I think they are.

But here's some of the other wrong explanations. One that is often put forth is that this is merely a hypothetical situation and one that could never happen because a true believer would never fall away. Why I do believe a true believer can never fall away, I don't believe this is a hypothetical situation. This thinking that it's only a hypothetical situation is based on the King James Version rendering of verse 6 where they insert the word if, if they shall fall away. So they build their whole case on the word if, if they shall fall away.

Saying that this is strictly hypothetical because it says if. But the word if is not in the original Greek, it's not there. So, it's an unfounded way to explain it. It was inserted by the translator, so the argument is not valid. The NASB, which is the version I usually use, renders it, and then falling away.

And that's how it should be rendered. And then falling away. It's not if they fall away. It's talking about someone falling away, who's in this condition and falls away. Another interpretation attempts to detract from a phrase used to describe these certain people.

They say that these people only tasted salvation or the gospel. They never swallowed it. They only tasted it and spat it out and did not receive it into themselves. This is also invalid. First of all, it strips words of their original meaning.

That's not what the word meant. The exact same word is used of Jesus tasting death for every man and we can't minimize the substitutionary death of Christ. It's the same word used. So you can't just say they tasted it, spit it out, didn't swallow it. So what's the correct interpretation?

What's its intended meaning? What is the writer? We don't know who the writer is for sure. Some people think it's Paul. But what's the correct interpretation?

What did the author intend for his audience to get out of this passage. So let's first look at the context. And again, thank you. I was able to read the book of Hebrews again. I got to outline it again.

It's been a long time, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. So, like I said, this letter, although the author is uncertain, was written to Jewish believers. These Jewish believers were struggling with their faith. They wanted to go back to the rituals. They wanted to go back to the sacrificial system.

Many were desiring to either abandon faith in Christ as the only means of justification or add the Jewish rituals to justification. In other words, yeah, you have to believe in Jesus, but you have to be circumcised and do these other things. So here's a general outline of the book, and what I'm going to do is outline the whole book and give a little bit more detail right around Chapter 6. Because it's very interesting. If I had not done this, I would have not learned a lot of things.

It was very interesting. So chapter 1 is God is speaking, and he is speaking primarily through Jesus, through his son. Chapter 2 verses 1-4, listen. Listen to what he's saying. Chapter 2, 5-18 talks about the condescension of Christ.

Christ humbling himself, becoming man. Chapter 3, Jesus as our high priest. Chapter 4, verses 1 to 13 talks about the believer's rest, how We've entered into this rest. Chapter 4 verses 14 to chapter 5 verses 11, verse 11 talks about Christ and Melchizedek and this priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Right after verse 11, he shifts gears.

It's almost a sidebar. Cuz he says, there's more I'd like to tell you, but you're not ready to understand it. You need somebody to feed you milk again. So he's talking about going on to maturity. Then in verses four to six, he talks about those who are falling away, that aren't continuing on to maturity.

Chapter six, seven, and eight, he gives an explanation of those who fell away. Chapter 6, 9 to 12, he's got better things in mind for you, the people he's writing to. And then verses 13 to 19, he talks about a sure hope and a confidence. And then he goes back to Melchizedek. In chapter 6, 20, verses 7, 10, he's talking about this order of priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

So he starts with Melchizedek, realizes they're not mature enough to hear it all. Talks about going on to maturity. Talks about people who aren't going to go on to maturity. Gives them explanations and great hope and confidence, and then he goes back to talking about Melchizedek. Then He compares the Jewish priesthood to the priesthood of Christ.

He compares the old covenant with the new covenant. He compares the sacrificial system with the sacrifice of Christ. Chapter 11 is triumph and faith. Chapter 12, He compares Mount Sinai to Mount Zion. And then chapter 13, he gives us practice and a benediction.

Some practical instructions and a benediction. But what's surrounding chapter 6 was interesting because it's almost, it's a sidebar. He started to tell him about, He wanted to go right into Melchizedek. But he said, wait, we've got to break here for a minute. We've got to talk about maturity.

And so that seems to be the focus of that section. So the immediate context, chapter five verse 12 through chapter six verse 19 contrasts two types of people. Those who continue on to maturity or those who persevere and those who fall away, who don't persevere, who don't continue on to maturity. We pick up Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1. Now he just said you need to be taught the basic principles again.

You need milk and not meat. You should be teachers but you're not ready. That was at the end of chapter 5. So now he goes into chapter 6 verse 1. He says, Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, about the Messiah, let us, I want you to, I'm focusing on the word us, Let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying ons of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

And this we will do if God's permits. He goes on at the beginning of verse four. For in the case of those, okay, it's we and us and now it's those. In the case of those who have once been enlightened, and he goes on. So the contrary, there's a contrast being made here and it's an obvious one at the beginning of chapter six.

The us is those who go on to maturity, those who persevere, and the them or the those are those who fall away and don't persevere. That's the context. That's the framework we're in. With this contrast between us and them, mature, those going on to maturity and persevering and those not, let's begin to look at some of the statements that are made. So here's some of the statements.

Now, most of these terms have often been assumed to speak of a true believer. And all I'm going to say is you can look for these terms elsewhere in the Bible. There might be hints of them, but they're really not used elsewhere in the description of believer. Now, I can understand why you would assume that it's talking of a true believer because of the terms they use. But we have to ask ourselves a question, must these describe a true believer or is there another option?

Do these statements describe a true believer? Are these statements used anywhere else in the Bible to describe a true believer? If only true faith justifies and only true faith perseveres, is this true faith or a false conversion? You know, this is, again, we go from the clear to the unclear, and we're trying to get to the truth and the intent of the author. So in this context, what was the author's intended meaning for using these types of descriptions?

So let's look at them, and we'll talk about them. The first statement is those who have once been enlightened. The Greek word that's translated enlightened means literally to give light and maybe figuratively to give spiritual understanding. It's most often translated enlightened, but it's also translated to give light or to bring light or to illumine something. Many times it's just physical light.

In Revelation it talks about the light of God giving light to the city. But figuratively it's spiritual understanding is what it is. So does this describe someone who is born again or someone who's been given, just simply been given some spiritual understanding. Now I'm going to go back and this is all the places it's used in the New Testament. John 1.9 talking about Jesus as the light of the world.

It says, there was the true light which coming into the world enlightens every man." So enlightening can be believers and unbelievers, because it says the true light enlightens every man. In John 3.19-21, This is people reacting to the light. So light came into the world, it lightens every man. And then he goes on in 3 19 to 21, it says, this is the judgment that light has come into the world, men love the darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But he who practices the truth comes to the light so that his deeds may be manifest as having been wrought in God." So there's a light that comes to the world people respond to differently. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5, it says, ''Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's heart, and then each man's praise will come from God." Now that's the same Greek word that's translated enlightened. What it's talking about is bringing something that's hidden, bringing something to light. So these evil deeds on Judgment Day will be brought to light. Enlightened.

Same Greek word. In Ephesians 1 18 it says, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. Your eyes open to something new. So that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. Next place it's being used is in Hebrews 10, verses 32 to 34.

It says, but remember the former days when after being enlightened, you were enlightened. Now in this case, it really looks like these people are born again because it says after you were enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one." So we see this idea of looking to future glory after being enlightened. So in this case I would say it's talking to two Christians. And then you've got the reference in Hebrews 6.

But the only other references are in Revelation and they refer to light of God's glory bringing light to something and the light of heavenly beings and heavenly things like stars giving light, giving off light. So what weight can we give to this word? Well the most weight we can give to the word is that figuratively it means receiving spiritual insight. All men, saved or unsaved, can be enlightened and the response to this enlightenment will vary. Okay?

The next term is tasted and it's used in reference to the heavenly gift, the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come. The Greek word translated tasted means literally to taste, to perceive the flavor of, to partake of or enjoy it. So you're actually taking something in and you're enjoying it. And it's used figuratively of the Lord Jesus tasting death for every man. But the idea behind the word is that you're taking something in and you're chewing on it and enjoying it.

Or not enjoying it, I guess if it tastes bad. So is someone who has perceived the flavor of or partaking of and enjoyed this heavenly gift, the good word of God, the powers of the age to come, a true believer, or someone who's only had profound spiritual experience or exposure to these blessings of the church. We're unsure what the heavenly gift is. The term is found nowhere else in the heavenly gift is not found out anywhere else in scripture except in Hebrews. So we're not sure what it is.

It may refer to the Holy Spirit, because the statement reads, for in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. So your tasting of something is partaking of it, and you're also partaking of the Holy Spirit. But in any case, the heavenly gift, the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come are all things these people have tasted, perceived the flavor of, and somehow partaken of, taken into themselves and enjoy. It's The weight behind the word. The next term to consider is partakers, for these people were also made partakers of the Holy Spirit.

The Greek word translated partakers means, again, literally sharing in, partaking of, or a partner, a partner in a certain work or office. It's only used six times in the entire New Testament. Now, a different word is translated in First Peter where it says we're partakers of the divine nature. That's a different Greek word. But this Greek word that's used in Hebrews is only used six times in the New Testament.

Five of those times is in Hebrews. He really liked that word, whoever wrote Hebrews, whether it was Paul or some other author. He liked the word because it's used, out of the six times it's used in the whole New Testament, five of those times it's in the book of Hebrews. So let's look at those words. So what does it mean to have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit?

And this is the only place we find that phrase, partakers of the Holy Spirit. We don't find that anywhere else, that phrase. So we want to know what it means. All we have to go on is the six times it's used in the New Testament, five times in Hebrews, and the meaning of the word itself. So the first time it's used is in Luke chapter five.

And this is where they were out all night fishing, they caught nothing, and Jesus said, throw the nets on the other side. And Simon answered and said, Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as you say and let down the nets. When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish and their nets began to break, so they signaled their partners, that's the same word translated partakers, their partners, in the other boat for them to come and help them and they came and filled both the boats so they began to sink. So again, it has two shades of a meaning. This time the translator put partners instead of partakers.

Hebrews 1 8 & 9, actually in verse 9 it's used again in Hebrews chapter 1. It says, but of the Son, he says, your throne O God is forever and ever and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your partakers." Or in this case he translated companions. So The same Greek word for partakers. Hebrews 3, 1, and 2, it says, therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling.

Consider Jesus the apostle and high priest to your faith. So this time, it's like speaking of partakers of a heavenly calling. And in the context, it looks like these are Christians, these partakers of the heavenly calling. Next place it's used is in Hebrews 3, a little farther down in verses 13 and 14. It says, but encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." So again, you're made partakers of Christ if you hold your insurance steadfast, firm till the end. Then we see its use in Hebrews Chapter 6, where it says that these people have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Then the last place it's used is in Hebrews Chapter 12, verses 7 and 8, where it says, it is for discipline that you endure God deals with you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

So that's the extent of where it's used. Mostly, like I said, five times in the book of Hebrews, one time in the book of Luke. Here's how the word is used. It's translated partners or companions, and it means just that. They were partners in an effort.

They were partners in hauling the fish in. They were companions or friends. In Hebrews 1.8, we see it used as partakers of the heavenly calling, partakers of Christ, partakers of the Holy Spirit, and partakers of God's discipline as sons. Now we've defined the terms, all these terms that are before us. So the question is, are these statements speaking of a true believer?

That's the question we have to answer. I'm gonna start out with the answer, no they're not, and I'll give you the reasons why. Never just say no without a reason. Here's the reasons why I don't think they're talking about true believers. First, a true believer is not identified as a partaker of the Holy Spirit anywhere else in the scripture.

Now, that by itself doesn't mean anything, right? Because this could be just the first place the Holy Spirit wanted to refer to them that way. But what's interesting is when you look at all the other passages about the Holy Spirit, when it does concern a believer, there's a big difference in how the Holy Spirit is talked about. There's always a permanency measure, a perseverance mentioned, a bringing through to glory, a final redemption is mentioned where the Holy Spirit is used in reference to a true believer. In other words, the Spirit's work in the life of a true believer is to bring them to glory, not to allow them to fall away.

And I'll give you some examples, there's plenty of them. Romans 8 verses 9 to 11. However, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. So is being a partaker of the Holy Spirit meaning the Holy Spirit is in you?

Because if the Holy Spirit's not in you, you're none of his. It goes on, if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if The spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you." So the spirit dwells in you. It's your guarantee your body's going to be raised on the last day.

There's a permanency. There's a perseverance with that. We see in 2 Corinthians 1, 21 to 22. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. So being sealed with the Spirit, having the Spirit in your heart as a pledge of future glory is that the same as being a partaker.

This is what we're looking at. Because it's a term that's not used anywhere else. 2 Corinthians 5, 5. Talking about the resurrection of the dead. So that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. So we were prepared for this resurrected life. And he gave us the Holy Spirit as a down payment or a pledge of that future glory. Ephesians 1, 13 to 14, in him you also after listening to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory." So again, we're sealed with the Holy Spirit. He's given as a pledge to this future redemption of God's own possession.

Again, it's looking to for... They all have a permanency, a perseverance built into the passage. 2 Thessalonians 2, 13 to 14. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brother and beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this he called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So here again, the Spirit's sanctifying work is to bring you through to gain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So in all these passages Concerning true believers, the Holy Spirit is their pledge, it's some type of a guarantee, it's a sanctifying power that is going to get you to glory. In this instance, those who are partakers of the Holy Spirit fell away. They fell away. Second, if we say that being made a partaker of the Holy Spirit means being a true believer, just like being partaker of the heavenly calling or being a partaker with Christ, we run into another problem.

And here's the problem. These other two partaker passages carry the idea of perseverance or permanence with them. So there there must be something else meant by being partakers with the Holy Spirit since those who were made partakers then fell away. Let's look at the other two partaker passages Hebrews 3 1 to 6. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.

Consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. He was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was in all his house. For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all his house, but Christ was faithful as a son over his house. Whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm till the end.

So the partakers of the heavenly calling whose house we are, are those that hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end. So there's an idea again of permanency with being a partaker of the heavenly calling. Then in Hebrews 3, where it talks about becoming a partaker with Christ, this is verses 12 to 14. And there's a warning associated with this as well. It says, take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God, but encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." So in this passage, we become partakers with Christ if we hold firm to the end. So being partakers of the Holy Spirit can't be the same thing. Because in that text it says those who have been made, they were already made partakers of the Holy Spirit. And then they fell away. It's got to be something different.

Now I'm not saying what it is, but it's gotta be something, being made partaker with the Holy Spirit must be different from being made a partaker with Christ because we're only made partakers with Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end. Those who have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, it's a past tense, they were already made partakers. Those who tasted and took part in these wonderful spiritual blessings have subsequently fallen away. It's gotta mean something different. So here's a suggestion as to what it all means in the form of a series of questions.

And I believe this view will be established as we continue on in the passage. But here's some of the questions. Is it possible to be enlightened or have spiritual knowledge, even knowledge of Christ himself and not be true believers? Yes, we just discussed it in 2 Peter chapter 2. They escaped some of the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but they were not true believers.

Is it possible for the Holy Spirit to influence, empower, or use for His purposes someone who is not a true believer? Is it possible for the Holy Spirit to do that? Yes, we have examples of it. Judas was not a true believer. And Judas was sent out with the 70s, sent out with the 12, he healed the sick, he cleansed the lovers, he cast out demons, they obeyed him in his name.

He was used by the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Yet he was not a believer. Balaam's another example, and there's more. Is it possible to feast on good teaching of the word of God? To take it in every week, every Sunday?

Even agree with what's being taught and yet not be a true believer? It's possible, and unfortunately happens every Sunday in churches all across America. It's possible. Is it possible to experience the powers of the age to come and not be a true believer? I would suggest it is.

If you remember Matthew chapter 7, many will come to Jesus on the last day and say, didn't we cast out demons in your name and heal the sick in your name and in your name do many mighty works. These are all examples of powers of the age to come. What did Jesus say? He said he never knew them. Not that they were once truly saved when they tasted the powers of the age to come and then they lost their salvation.

He said they never knew them. Now they did those things, but he didn't know them. The point I'm making is that none of these statements of necessity mean you were a true believer and then fell away. When there's so many clear statements about the Holy Spirit and his work in your life saying that you won't, there's a possibility of another answer. Now, these would however describe someone who is not a true believer yet has fully participated in a church life, in spiritual blessings, in power.

I know people that are not Christians that lead Bible studies, have insightful wisdom in what they say, but their lives reflect they're not Christians. This explanation is consistent with what we read in the very next verses after this passage in Hebrews 6 verses 7 to 12. It says, for the ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those whose sake it is also tilled receives a blessing from God. But if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed and it ends up being burned. So the same water fell on all the ground.

You can look at, you know, we talk some of the major themes, the visible church, fruit in your lives, interchange versus outer change. So if you Think of the visible church, you've got the same water pouring out, the word of God, to all the believers. Now you have different results though. It produced useful vegetation and it produced worthless thorns and thistles. The same experiences had different effects on the people.

It goes on in verses 7 to 12. I'm sorry, in the next verse it says, but beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way." So the writer of Hebrews knew that he had made some very harsh statements. And whatever all the previous statements meant, whatever the previous things were, the author is convinced of better things for those to whom he wrote, and things that accompany salvation. So the things he just mentioned didn't accompany salvation. And he's believing things that accompany salvation for his audience.

And then he goes on, for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown towards his name, and having ministered and instilled ministering to all the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." So he's encouraging them to continue on in the faith and not be sluggish, but to move on. He goes on, "'For when God made the promise, " and this is the encouraging part at the end, he wanted to encourage them and leave them on a strong no. He says, for when God made the promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself saying, I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you." And so having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. He's encouraging them to persevere and take hold of the promise.

But then he talks about how sure the promise is. He goes, "'For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as a confirmation is an end to every dispute." So they could be arguing about something and somebody goes, I swear on an oath. And it ends the dispute. Because it's a sure word. And he goes, in the same way God desiring even more to show the heirs of the promise, the unchangeableness of his purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, so he made an oath and it's impossible for him to lie.

We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast." So he closes that section with a full assurance of hope. Then he jumps right back to Melchizedek in verse 20. So I want to talk a little bit about the warning passages. If true faith justifies and true faith perseveres, What's the purpose of all the warning passages?

And there are many of them. We looked at some of them. First thing I'd like to point out is to remember the concept of the visible and invisible church. The epistles were written to the visible churches, The church at Ephesus, the church at Corinth. And in these churches, I mean think of the church at Corinth, there were many problem problems in the church at Corinth.

There were many false believers in the church at Corinth. And just like today, there's many people in the visible church who make a profession of faith, join the church, participate in all the things going on, yet inside they've never been changed. And so it's important because it reminds us that not every member of a local church is of necessity a true believer. There can be false faith, there can be dead faith, and neither one will justify or persevere. The warnings are to awaken the false converts.

The warnings are to open the eyes of people to their true spiritual condition. And this is also true of the if passages, these conditional passages. You'll be a part of your if. It opens your eyes. If you're not continuing on, If you're not steadfast in the faith.

If you're not bearing fruit. If you're not doing all these things, you need to reflect. Because there's a chance you may never have been changed on the inside. You may just be a professor of faith, making a profession of faith, and not a true convert. Second, it keeps us from presumption and using the grace of God as a license to continue in sin.

We're to rely upon God's grace, not presume upon God's grace. I think that's a mistake many people make. They just say, hey, doesn't matter what I do, I'm under the blood. Many people can intellectually assent to the gospel of grace and somehow reason that sin doesn't matter. But these verses will awaken us to our true condition, which is a dead faith.

A faith without works is dead. A branch that bears no fruit is dead. It's removed from the vine. All these passages come into play and it's to bring us to grips with our true condition. Third, these passages help us focus on an inward, essential change in our nature rather than an outward conformity to conduct and creeds.

Those false prophets looked good. I mean, they looked like rain clouds, they just didn't have any rain. They looked like springs, they just didn't have any water. They looked like a clean pig, but they were still a pig and went back. So it helps us to look at ourselves on the inside.

What is our essential nature? Have we had a change on the inside? And finally these passages force us to examine the fruit in our lives. Is there fruit as evidence of life? Are we alive?

Is there fruit being born in our lives? What type of fruit am I burying? Is it good fruit or bad fruit? Is it grapes and figs or thorns and thistles? What is the product of my life?

So in closing, I just want to restate the objectives that I gave when we started a few weeks back. I think if we're honest, if we look carefully at these passages, approach them in their context, we'll discover a few things. First, that The doctrine of the perseverance of the states comports or aligns with the conditional if passages and all the warning passages in the Bible without removing the force behind any of them. They're still just as powerful Because they're to awaken the false convert. All the conditional if passages contradict the doctrine of eternal security that says, I pray this prayer, it doesn't matter what I do.

And they affirm the doctrine of the perseverance of saints, which is only true faith justifies and only true faith will persevere. So my hope is not that I've answered all your questions, because I know I haven't, but my hope is that I've given you some tools to approach a difficult passage and to get to its intended meaning. I hope by example, I hope I provided you with that. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for your goodness, for your grace, for your mercy.

Lord, we don't have all the answers. You have all the answers, but you reveal to us only what you need us to know or want us to know. Lord, we pray that you would help us to grow in the grace and the knowledge of your son and to find the safety in knowing you as a person, the safety in knowing who you are and enjoying you forever. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

As we go to the Lord's Table, I'm going to leave us with just a couple questions to consider. One, do I take God's warning seriously? And secondly, is my hope in anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ? Let's go to the Lord's table.