ArchivedHebrews 6:4-6 and OSASHow many threads do we need to have open that discuss these verses and how they relate to OSAS? Your post is basically a carbon copy of what you posted in the eternal security thread.
The following is taken from Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible. It can be found online at http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries ... r=6#Heb6_6
v. 4, 5.
- (1.) They may be enlightened. Some of the ancients understand this of their being baptized; but it is rather to be understood of notional knowledge and common illumination, of which persons may have a great deal, and yet come short of heaven. Balaam was the man whose eyes were opened (Num. 24:3), and yet with his eyes opened he went down to utter darkness.
(2.) They may taste of the heavenly gift, feel something of the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in his operations upon their souls, causing them to taste something of religion, and yet be like persons in the market, who taste of what they will not come up to the price of, and so but take a taste, and leave it. Persons may taste religion, and seem to like it, if they could have it upon easier terms than denying themselves, and taking up their cross, and following Christ.
(3.) They may be made partakers of the Holy Ghost, that is, of his extraordinary and miraculous gifts; they may have cast out devils in the name of Christ, and done many other mighty works. Such gifts in the apostolic age were sometimes bestowed upon those who had no true saving grace.
(4.) They may taste of the good word of God; they may have some relish of gospel doctrines, may hear the word with pleasure, may remember much of it, and talk well of it, and yet never be cast into the form and mould of it, nor have it dwelling richly in them.
(5.) They may have tasted of the powers of the world to come; they may have been under strong impressions concerning heaven, and dread of going to hell. These lengths hypocrites may go, and, after all, turn apostates.
Now hence observe:
- [1.] These great things are spoken here of those who may fall away; yet it is not here said of them that they were truly converted, or that they were justified; there is more in true saving grace than in all that is here said of apostates.
[2.] This therefore is no proof of the final apostasy of true saints. These indeed may fall frequently and foully, but yet they will not totally nor finally from God; the purpose and the power of God, the purchase and the prayer of Christ, the promise of the gospel, the everlasting covenant that God has made with them, ordered in all things and sure, the indwelling of the Spirit, and the immortal seed of the word, these are their security. But the tree that has not these roots will not stand.
The writer of Hebrews is giving an example of what can happen when someone who is not truly saved turns away from the false faith that they had. Indeed, if you look at verse 9, you see that the writer says that these things are not things that accompany true salvation. "But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way." From John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, which can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries ... =6&verse=6
This (i.e. the falling away mentioned in vs. 6) is not supposed of true believers, as appears from Hebrews 6:9, nor is it to be supposed of them that they may fall totally and finally; they may indeed fall, not only into afflictions and temptations, but into sin; and from a lively and comfortable exercise of grace, and from a degree of steadfastness in the Gospel; but not irrecoverably: for they are held and secured by a threefold cord, which can never be broken; by God the Father, who has loved them with an everlasting love, has chosen them in Christ, secured them in the covenant of grace, keeps them by his power, has given them grace, and will give them glory; and by the Son, who has undertook for them, redeemed and purchased them, prays and makes preparations in heaven for them, they are built on him, united to him, and are his jewels, whom he will preserve; and by the Holy Ghost, whose grace is incorruptible, whose personal indwelling is for ever, who himself is the earnest and seal of the heavenly inheritance, and who having begun, will finish the good work of grace: but falling away, so as to perish, may be supposed, and is true of many professors of religion; who may fall from the profession of the Gospel they have made, and from the truth of it, and into an open denial of it; yea, into an hatred and persecution of what they once received the external knowledge of; and so shall fall short of heaven, and into condemnation.
So basically we can understand these verses to mean that if someone has a false faith in God but has not truly been born again (God knows the difference), and does good works that are associated with Christianity, but then falls away, it is impossible for them to be renewed to a true faith, because 1) it's impossible for them to draw themselves to God to get saved - God must do the drawing; and 2) God will not draw them to Himself because they have blasphemed Him by their false profession of faith.
I am about sick and tired of the lies being preached in this country! I honestly believe if they could they would remove the entire book of Hebrews from the Bible and anything else which disagree's with their man-made doctrine. But in all honesty they are doing something much much worse .
The same people that you accuse of "taking away from the Bible" are looking at you and wondering why you are adding to the Bible by claiming that there is an exception to Jesus' statement that " no man can pluck you out of my hand."
You can throw accusations around all you want, but until you prove it, it means nothing.
When have you seen a preacher preach pre-trib in the church and they always use 2 Thessalonians 2 but they skip verse 1 but always use the next verses 2 and 3 onward? Verse 1 has been removed from their Bible, Revelation explains exactly what removing from the Word will COST!
Would you mind explaining to me how 2 Thess. 2:1 proves that the rapture is not pre-trib?
When is the last time you have heard the entire book of Hebrews in your church being taught in context and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict as to what it is talking about?
My pastor did a weekly study on Hebrews (yes, the whole book - took a long time, too!) not too long ago. I'm pretty sure it was all in context, and He never once preached that you can lose your salvation.
..... or by "in context" did you really mean "as long as it teaches against OSAS because I don't believe God is strong enough to keep me saved, and I think He was just kidding when He promised that He would be faithful to perform the good work He started in me (Phil. 1:6)"?
| View Parent Message View dfilename Return Home |