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Podcast
Salvation From Hebrews
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Hi, I'm Dave DeWitt, and today I'd like to say a few words about salvation as discussed
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in Hebrews 6, 4-6 and 10-26. These are probably the two most difficult passages to understand
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if you hold, as I do, to the security of salvation. So first, let's look at Hebrews 6, 4-6. It
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reads, For in the case of those who have been enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift
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and have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted of the good word of God and
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the power of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them
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again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to
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guilt and shame. There are three interpretations given to
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this passage. Interpretation number one says it's about losing salvation. The problem with
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this interpretation is that it violates the basic reasons for security given throughout
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the Bible. Salvation is called eternal life. Salvation comes from predestination and the
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sovereignty of God. Salvation is recorded in the book of life. Salvation is always based
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on faith, judgments based on works. Also, if the phrase it's impossible to renew them
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to repentance is about losing salvation, then those who have fallen away could never be
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saved again. The repentance assumes the possibility of belief. For example, the prodigal son
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was allowed to return. If falling away is losing salvation, this would say that those
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who have sinned could not repent, and those who have stopped believing could not believe
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again. Interpretation number two says it's about
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unbelievers who were never saved. Now, the biggest problem with this interpretation is
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that Hebrews 6, 4 to 6 goes beyond any description of an unbeliever. Unbelievers cannot obtain
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those things by living in community with believers. And if they were never saved, what would be
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the point of saying that it's impossible to renew those who have fallen away? Where'd
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they fall away from? What are they being renewed to? Interpretation three says it's
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a warning for believers to not lose assurance of their salvation. This seems to be the best
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interpretation because, number one, the five characteristics of Hebrews 6, 4 to 6 describe
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a true believer. Two, falling away is the loss of assurance of salvation after sinning
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resulting in believers not entering God's rest as it's described in Hebrews 3 and 4.
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And three, impossible to renew means it's impossible to turn back the clock and deal
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with the problem by getting saved all over again. Sinning Christians must confess their
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sins and press on to maturity, not keep getting saved, renewed to repentance all over again.
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This seems to be the best view because it fits the context of the book and it's the
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subject of assurance and best explains the four issues emphasized in the text. Also notice
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that in Hebrews 6, 1, the author warns against laying again a foundation of repentance. Priory
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in his study Bible gives this example. It's similar to saying something like this to a
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class of students. It is impossible for a student once enrolled in this course if he
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turns the clock back, which cannot be done, to start the course all over again.
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Now let's look at Hebrews 10, 26, and 27. It says, for if we go on willfully sinning
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after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin
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but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.
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There are four interpretations given to this passage. Interpretation one, it's about losing
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your salvation. Again, the biggest problem with this view is that in Hebrews 6, salvation
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is called eternal life. Salvation is predetermined. Salvation is being recorded in God's book
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of life, and salvation is about faith, judgments about works. Also here in Hebrews 10, 14,
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the author says, for by one offering he is perfected for all times those who are sanctified.
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Interpretation number two says it's about unbelievers who are never saved. There are
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two big problems with this view. First, we, that is plural, who go on sinning willfully
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are those who have received the knowledge of the truth. In the case of those who receive
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the knowledge of the truth are those who stimulate one another to love and good deeds, and those
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who are not forsaken, forsaking our own assembly together. Our own, who has received the knowledge
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of the truth, does not sound like unbelievers. Received, the same way of receiving, is the
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basis for being a child of God in John 1, 12. And second, the phrase, there no longer
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remains a sacrifice for sin, cannot possibly refer to Christ's death, since as a sacrifice
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for sin, Christ's sacrifice for sin is not nullified by someone willfully sinning. The
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author says the sacrifice in question no longer remains, but Christ's sacrifice remains. His
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death for sin paid for all sin of all time, not just the sin committed before someone
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goes on sinning willfully. Interpretation number three, it's a warning
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for believers to not lose their assurance of their salvation. This view fits the subject
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of the book of Hebrews, assurance of our salvation. But the phrase, there no longer remains a
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sacrifice for sin, sounds like the sacrifice itself no longer remains. Interpretation
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number four, it's a warning against using temple sacrifices to resolve sin. This is
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the view I prefer. It says the phrase, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, means
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there no longer remains an animal sacrifice or grain offering or other Levitical sacrifice
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of the Mosaic law for sin. You cannot just go on sinning and expect to cover it with
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an animal sacrifice at the temple, because that older sacrifice no longer remains.
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The phrase, a terrifying expectation of judgment, focuses on the theoretical judgment of the
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believer who has nothing to cover his sin since he's ignored Christ's sacrifice and
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depends on an animal sacrifice which no longer remains. This view seems preferable because
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it has the advantage of being consistent with the author's warnings throughout the book
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about going back to the Mosaic law or mixing it with Christianity. It also allows a literal
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interpretation of the phrase, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, and it seems
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to fit well with the context following verses 26 and 27.
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So my conclusion is that Hebrews 6 says a believer cannot treat his sin by thinking,
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I'll just turn back the clock and get saved all over again. And Hebrews 10 says you cannot
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go back for an animal sacrifice for sin because there no longer remains an animal sacrifice
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for sin. Thank you for listening. A longer paper on this subject with footnotes for the
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quotes is available on our website relationalconcepts.org.
