What is the faith that James is referring to in James 1:3? This is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, that He shed His blood for the remission of our sins so that we could be made right with God apart from our works. Jesus bore the sins of our entire lifetime. He died once, 2000 years ago, for every sin we have ever committed or ever will commit and has laid our sins aside and is not dealing with us according to our sins. This is the righteousness of God or our right-standing with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He comes to live in us. We have peace with God.
Our faith is tested or tried because we live in a body that is not yet redeemed and we have a conscience that condemns us. As we hold on to the gospel or word of righteousness through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, God cleanses our conscience on the inside. This causes us to draw near to God in peace and joy. As our conscience is cleansed from guilt and shame, God teaches us to express His love in our lives and not to live our lives in selfish desires. This is the theme of the book of James.
James 1:1-4 "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
The various trials that James is referring to are the temptations to sin in James 1:13-15. When we encounter these trials or temptations, we are to count it joy. How? We are to hold fast to the gospel, the word of righteousness apart from our works, trusting in what Jesus did for us. In the midst of temptation, we are to be patient in holding fast to the fact that Jesus shed His blood and paid for our sins and made us right with God, even when we fail and sin. We are to let that patience in the gospel or word or righteousness have its perfecting work in our lives, that we may be perfect or mature and complete, lacking nothing. In other words, as we see that Jesus lives in us and He is not holding our sins against us, we are to grow up and learn to walk in holiness and let His love, peace and joy be expressed through us to other people.
James 1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; for he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
What wisdom is James referring to here? It is the same wisdom discussed in James 3:13-17, the wisdom to walk in purity and gentleness and peace and let our faith be expressed in our good conduct. We are to ask God for this wisdom in overcoming fleshly temptations and any condemnation in our conscience. God will give us this wisdom. But we are to ask in faith, holding fast to the idea that we are right with God by what Jesus did for us, not by our own good works. For he who doubts his right-standing before God based on his own performance or failures is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind in the midst of temptation to sin. We are to trust that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and that we are made right with God by what Jesus did for us, even when we fail. If we do not, we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord because we are double-minded, unstable in our foundation of righteousness before God through Jesus. Without knowing that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, we will be unstable.
James 1:9-11 "Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits."
Whether we are poor or rich, our body is not yet redeemed and we will eventually grow old and die. We should not trust in uncertain riches but in our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether rich or poor, we all face the same temptations to sin because our body is not yet redeemed.
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
This crown of life is not something we will receive in the future. It is a crown of life. We receive it as we hold onto the word of righteousness in this present life and overcome temptation. Romans 5:17 says "For if by one man's offense (Adam) death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." We are meant to wear our crown of life and reign in this life through receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness from our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:13-15 "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
Our bodies are not yet redeemed, even though we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. James tells us that the temptations that Christians face come from our flesh, which is not yet redeemed.
James 1:16-17 "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
We should not be deceived away from God's goodness and mercy and grace that He has for us in Jesus. What are the good and perfect gifts referred to here? They are the gifts of grace and right-standing with God apart from our works. Jesus shed His blood to pay for the sins of our entire lifetime. That is His gift of righteousness or right-standing with God to you and me. He comes to live within us. He teaches us to walk in purity and peace and love. That is the perfect gift that James refers to in James 1:4, where he tells us to let patience have its perfect work, that we might be perfect or mature and complete, not lacking any wisdom in how to walk in holiness and love. The shadow of turning is referring to a sun dial, where the shadow turns as the sun moves throughout the day. God is not like that. He does not take away our righteousness before Him based on our performance. It is a free gift.
James 1:18 "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures."
He has caused us to be born again by hearing His word of truth, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus born our sins in our place. When we believe it, we will never face punishment for our sins. We receive His righteousness or right-standing with God.
James 1:19-20 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man (believer) be swift to hear (the word of righteousness), slow to speak (don't say that we are not right with God, even in the midst of failure), slow to wrath (don't judge or condemn ourselves or others), for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
James 1:21-26 "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word (the word of righteousness with God apart from our works, the gospel), which is able to save your souls (it will cleanse our conscience and thinking). But be doers of the word (the word of righteousness), and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty (the gospel or the righteousness of God by faith apart from our works) and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
This is the wisdom that James spoke of in this first chapter. We receive the gospel, the fact that Jesus bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. This brings us peace with God and begins to cleanse our conscience from guilt and shame and any condemnation. This should then lead us to change our conduct. We don't change our conduct to be right with God. Jesus accomplished that for us in His death on the cross. He paid for our sins. We have peace with God. We begin to recognize that Jesus lives in us. We begin to express His love, joy and peace to others. If this process does not take place, we are then deceiving ourselves. We look into the New Testament of grace and see our sins are forgiven and He has come to live in us. If we then do not walk that out in our conduct, we have not lost our salvation. We have forgotten who we are on the inside.
James 1:26-27 "If anyone among thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
To bridle our tongue means to train our tongue. We as Christians have accepted what Jesus did for us. He bore our sins so that we are made right with God. When we face temptation to sin, we must begin to train our tongue to speak righteousness. In the midst of temptation or after we fail, we speak that we are righteous with God apart from our works. We speak that Jesus lives in us, even when we fail. As we train our tongue to speak righteousness, it will continue the process of transforming our thinking and therefore our outward actions. We will begin to act like who we are on the inside. Pure and undefiled religion is expressing kindness and compassion to those around us, such as orphans and widows, and walking in outward holiness and love in our conduct before others.
James 3:2 "For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word (the word of righteousness), he is a perfect man (mature person), able also to bridle the whole body." James is letting us know that when we have bridled or trained our tongue to speak righteousness, we will also be able to bridle our body or change our outward actions.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Part 2 What do the warning passages of Hebrews chapters 6 and 10 mean? How do these ideas affect the spreading of the gospel?
Let us examine Hebrews chapter 10 in this segment. This is another chapter that has caused fear and bewilderment among believers. Let us examine it in context to see if we can discover the truth of these verses.
Hebrews 10:22 - 33 "let us draw near with a true heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us HOLD FAST the confession of our hope (that our sins have been purged: Hebrews 1:3) without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully ( let go of the confession of our hope that our sins have been purged) after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins (in our own thinking), but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose will he be thought worthy (in his own reasoning) who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing (as common as the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Covenant) and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." says the Lord. And again "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, YOU ENDURED A GREAT STRUGGLE with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations ......"
God wants us to draw near to Him in full assurance of faith. Our hearts are cleansed from an evil conscience as we hold fast to the idea that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever and has purged our sins, once and for all time. If we believe that only our past sins have been purged, but our present and future sins could somehow separate us from Him and we could lose our salvation, then we will have insecurity. Yet Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus entered into the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us.
In context, I believe it is clear that the sinning willfully mentioned in Hebrews 10:26 refers back to verse 23, not holding fast to the confession of our hope, that our sins have been purged once and for all. If we let go of the gospel, we then move back to the Old Testament view of Moses' law and judgment. What will this cause within us? Fear and expectation of judgment. Hebrews 10:4 says that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. This is what it means that there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. If we let go of what Jesus did for us, shedding His blood for the remission of our sins, then there is no longer a sacrifice for sins in our thinking.
Under the Old Testament Law, there was daily shedding of the blood of animals. Hebrews 10:3 says that in those sacrifice there is a continual reminder of sins. Our conscience will never be perfected and cleansed before God that way. The book of Hebrews is contrasting that daily shedding of the blood of animals with the single sacrifice for sins by Jesus once and for all. When we count Jesus' blood as common as the blood of animals, we are moving back to receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. Religion doles out forgiveness one sin at a time or at best one week at a time. God did not do that. He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future.
As you can see, after these Hebrews became believers in Jesus, they endured a great struggle with sufferings. They were being persecuted by those around them for their belief in Jesus. They had let go of the gospel or the word of righteousness apart from our works. When they let go of the gospel, the evil conscience within them was not cleansed. This caused them to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. Because of this, they were not strong enough on the inside to endure the persecution they suffered. They were still born again. They had accepted Christ into their hearts. The blood of Jesus had purged their sins, but they did not hold fast to that idea in their thinking.
As you can see, if we let go of the gospel in our thinking, we certainly won't be sharing that Good News with others.
I lived much of my life under this mindset. I believed my past sins were forgiven, but somehow any present or future sins put me out of fellowship with God. I was taught that He would not answer my prayers until I got all my sins confessed. This type of thinking will weigh upon us and leave us without joy and peace. I did not share my faith with many people because of this. Now that I have seen that Jesus made one sacrifice for the sins of my entire lifetime, I am sharing my faith with anyone who will listen. I know joy and peace. It causes me to reach out to others with His grace and mercy. I don't have to be pressured by any pastor or teacher to share my faith. I don't have to be convinced by some theological argument to talk with people. The Good News that Jesus shed His blood for the remission of the sins of my entire lifetime is the best news I have ever heard. The whole world needs to hear it. Those in areas of the world where there is intense persecution need to know of eternal redemption and joy unspeakable. This is the only way to have the strength within to endure the persecution from others as they share their faith.
Keith Oliver
Hebrews 10:22 - 33 "let us draw near with a true heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us HOLD FAST the confession of our hope (that our sins have been purged: Hebrews 1:3) without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully ( let go of the confession of our hope that our sins have been purged) after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins (in our own thinking), but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose will he be thought worthy (in his own reasoning) who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing (as common as the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Covenant) and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." says the Lord. And again "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, YOU ENDURED A GREAT STRUGGLE with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations ......"
God wants us to draw near to Him in full assurance of faith. Our hearts are cleansed from an evil conscience as we hold fast to the idea that Jesus made one sacrifice for sins forever and has purged our sins, once and for all time. If we believe that only our past sins have been purged, but our present and future sins could somehow separate us from Him and we could lose our salvation, then we will have insecurity. Yet Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus entered into the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us.
In context, I believe it is clear that the sinning willfully mentioned in Hebrews 10:26 refers back to verse 23, not holding fast to the confession of our hope, that our sins have been purged once and for all. If we let go of the gospel, we then move back to the Old Testament view of Moses' law and judgment. What will this cause within us? Fear and expectation of judgment. Hebrews 10:4 says that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. This is what it means that there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. If we let go of what Jesus did for us, shedding His blood for the remission of our sins, then there is no longer a sacrifice for sins in our thinking.
Under the Old Testament Law, there was daily shedding of the blood of animals. Hebrews 10:3 says that in those sacrifice there is a continual reminder of sins. Our conscience will never be perfected and cleansed before God that way. The book of Hebrews is contrasting that daily shedding of the blood of animals with the single sacrifice for sins by Jesus once and for all. When we count Jesus' blood as common as the blood of animals, we are moving back to receiving forgiveness one sin at a time. Religion doles out forgiveness one sin at a time or at best one week at a time. God did not do that. He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future.
As you can see, after these Hebrews became believers in Jesus, they endured a great struggle with sufferings. They were being persecuted by those around them for their belief in Jesus. They had let go of the gospel or the word of righteousness apart from our works. When they let go of the gospel, the evil conscience within them was not cleansed. This caused them to pull away from God due to fear of punishment. Because of this, they were not strong enough on the inside to endure the persecution they suffered. They were still born again. They had accepted Christ into their hearts. The blood of Jesus had purged their sins, but they did not hold fast to that idea in their thinking.
As you can see, if we let go of the gospel in our thinking, we certainly won't be sharing that Good News with others.
I lived much of my life under this mindset. I believed my past sins were forgiven, but somehow any present or future sins put me out of fellowship with God. I was taught that He would not answer my prayers until I got all my sins confessed. This type of thinking will weigh upon us and leave us without joy and peace. I did not share my faith with many people because of this. Now that I have seen that Jesus made one sacrifice for the sins of my entire lifetime, I am sharing my faith with anyone who will listen. I know joy and peace. It causes me to reach out to others with His grace and mercy. I don't have to be pressured by any pastor or teacher to share my faith. I don't have to be convinced by some theological argument to talk with people. The Good News that Jesus shed His blood for the remission of the sins of my entire lifetime is the best news I have ever heard. The whole world needs to hear it. Those in areas of the world where there is intense persecution need to know of eternal redemption and joy unspeakable. This is the only way to have the strength within to endure the persecution from others as they share their faith.
Keith Oliver
What do the warning passages of Hebrews chapters 6 and 10 mean? How do these ideas affect the spreading of the gospel?
Two major passages from the book of Hebrews. specifically Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10, are used to teach that mature believers can lose or reject their salvation. Let us examine Hebrews 6 for now in context and see if that is the proper conclusion.
Hebrews 5:12 - Hebrews 6:8 "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is UNSKILLED in the WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (by faith apart from our works), for he is a babe (newborn or immature Christian). But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by REASON OF USE (of the word of righteousness) have their senses exercised to discern both good (a good conscience, desiring to live honorably before men: Hebrews 13:18) and evil (an evil conscience that causes us to draw back from God's Presence: Hebrews 10:22). Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection (maturity), not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they FALL AWAY (from the word of righteousness), to renew them to repentance (from dead works and faith toward God: Hebrews 6:1), since they crucify AGAIN (contrasting with the idea that Jesus was crucified one time for sins forever: Hebrews 10:12-14) for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."
The book of Hebrews is contrasting the Old and New Testaments. It is contrasting the covenant of Law in the Old Testament and the covenant of grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When we hear the gospel or the word of righteousness and believe it, we are born again. We are then encouraged throughout the book of Hebrews to HOLD FAST to the word of righteousness and not fall back to the Old covenant mindset of Law. Hebrews 1:3 says that "when He had by Himself purged our sins ..." This is past tense language. Jesus has purged our sins. Jesus died once, two thousand years ago. He is not dying over and over again each time that we sin. Every sin that you and I have ever committed or ever will commit were future sins when Christ died 2000 years ago. He did not die just for the sins from the time of our birth until the time we accept Him. He died once for the sins of our entire lifetime. This is in contrast to the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Testament Law. When we believe this good news of the gospel, we are born again.
By reason of use of the word of righteousness in our lives, we will discern an evil conscience and a good conscience within us. An evil conscience is described in Hebrews 9:14. Our conscience must be cleansed from dead works so that we may serve the living God. When we try to approach God by our own performance or anything other that the shed blood of Christ, those are dead works. As we hold fast to the word of righteousness, our evil heart of unbelief will be cleansed. We will also discern a good conscience, which Hebrews 13:18 describes as desiring to live honorably before men in all things.
This passage in Hebrews 6 is saying that if we fall away from the word of righteousness, we will be back to an Old Testament Law mindset. The Old Testament Law was a conditional covenant. If you follow God's commandments, you receive blessing. If you disobey, you are cursed. This is a summary of Deuteronomy 28. So, if you FALL AWAY from the word of righteousness, we will be back under the condemnation and guilt of the Law. We will draw away from God due to fear of punishment instead of drawing near to Him. It is not saying that you as a Christian will lose your salvation. It says if you fall away from the word of righteousness, it is impossible to renew you to repentance from dead works and faith toward God until you again hold fast to the word of righteousness apart from our works through the shed blood of Christ. If we crucify Christ again for ourselves and put Him to an open shame, we are saying that He needs to be crucified again and again because His blood did not cover the sins of our entire lifetime. Hebrews chapters 7-10 are then showing that Jesus only needed to shed His blood once, in contrast to the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Covenant. We should not count His blood as a common thing, as common as the shed blood of an animal. Hebrews 10:29.
Solid Biblical doctrine is based on a plurality of scripture. This falling away in Hebrews 6 is the same falling away that Jesus described in the parable of the sower and the seed. Luke 8:13 "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear (the gospel), receive the word with joy (which is the word of righteousness in Hebrews) and these have no root (they are not rooted in God's love or the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus), who believe only for awhile and in time of temptation FALL AWAY." Jesus said in Matthew 13:21 that when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word (word of righteousness), immediately he stumbles. Stumbling or falling away from the word of righteousness means we stumble in our thinking back to an Old Testament Law mindset of justice and punishment instead of grace.What is the tribulation and persecution? Tribulation takes place within us when we hear and receive the gospel. We must hold fast to the gospel until it cleanses our conscience. We are also dealing with our flesh, which is not yet redeemed. This is tribulation that takes place within us. Persecution is from other people, as we try to walk out our faith, believing that Jesus has paid for our sins.
Paul uses that same phrasing in Galatians 5:4 "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have FALLEN from grace." He did not say they had lost their salvation. He said if you attempt to be justified before God by the law, you have fallen from grace back to an Old Testament law mindset.
I believe you can see that these verses are not talking about a few people who might publicly renounce their faith in Christ due to some pain, tragedy, disappointment or outright disgust at things they have seen or witnessed. I believe these verses apply to hundreds of millions of Christians who have fallen away from the word of righteousness apart from our works. Because they have let go of the gospel or the word of righteousness, they are now living under some degree of guilt and condemnation. They will not share their faith with others. They are believers, but they lack the joy and confidence of their faith. As Hebrews states, they have not held the beginning of their confidence before God, that Jesus purged their sins, steadfast to the end.
This is certainly a reason why everyone in the world has not heard the gospel. If hundreds of millions of believers are not confident within themselves that their sins are purged and they are at peace with God, they will not share their faith with others. We also have ten of millions of believers around the world who face intense physical and verbal persecution from others. They need the assurance that their sins have been purged once and for all. They need to have joy unspeakable on the inside, so that they may endure persecution for the sake of the gospel.
A wise saint who has gone on to heaven, T.L. Osborn, said that we need to examine our religion and extract out of it the things that scare people. What a profound idea. Hopefully, this gives a different perspective on these scriptures from the book of Hebrews. I will examine Hebrews 10 in another blog.
Keith Oliver
Hebrews 5:12 - Hebrews 6:8 "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is UNSKILLED in the WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (by faith apart from our works), for he is a babe (newborn or immature Christian). But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by REASON OF USE (of the word of righteousness) have their senses exercised to discern both good (a good conscience, desiring to live honorably before men: Hebrews 13:18) and evil (an evil conscience that causes us to draw back from God's Presence: Hebrews 10:22). Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection (maturity), not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they FALL AWAY (from the word of righteousness), to renew them to repentance (from dead works and faith toward God: Hebrews 6:1), since they crucify AGAIN (contrasting with the idea that Jesus was crucified one time for sins forever: Hebrews 10:12-14) for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."
The book of Hebrews is contrasting the Old and New Testaments. It is contrasting the covenant of Law in the Old Testament and the covenant of grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When we hear the gospel or the word of righteousness and believe it, we are born again. We are then encouraged throughout the book of Hebrews to HOLD FAST to the word of righteousness and not fall back to the Old covenant mindset of Law. Hebrews 1:3 says that "when He had by Himself purged our sins ..." This is past tense language. Jesus has purged our sins. Jesus died once, two thousand years ago. He is not dying over and over again each time that we sin. Every sin that you and I have ever committed or ever will commit were future sins when Christ died 2000 years ago. He did not die just for the sins from the time of our birth until the time we accept Him. He died once for the sins of our entire lifetime. This is in contrast to the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Testament Law. When we believe this good news of the gospel, we are born again.
By reason of use of the word of righteousness in our lives, we will discern an evil conscience and a good conscience within us. An evil conscience is described in Hebrews 9:14. Our conscience must be cleansed from dead works so that we may serve the living God. When we try to approach God by our own performance or anything other that the shed blood of Christ, those are dead works. As we hold fast to the word of righteousness, our evil heart of unbelief will be cleansed. We will also discern a good conscience, which Hebrews 13:18 describes as desiring to live honorably before men in all things.
This passage in Hebrews 6 is saying that if we fall away from the word of righteousness, we will be back to an Old Testament Law mindset. The Old Testament Law was a conditional covenant. If you follow God's commandments, you receive blessing. If you disobey, you are cursed. This is a summary of Deuteronomy 28. So, if you FALL AWAY from the word of righteousness, we will be back under the condemnation and guilt of the Law. We will draw away from God due to fear of punishment instead of drawing near to Him. It is not saying that you as a Christian will lose your salvation. It says if you fall away from the word of righteousness, it is impossible to renew you to repentance from dead works and faith toward God until you again hold fast to the word of righteousness apart from our works through the shed blood of Christ. If we crucify Christ again for ourselves and put Him to an open shame, we are saying that He needs to be crucified again and again because His blood did not cover the sins of our entire lifetime. Hebrews chapters 7-10 are then showing that Jesus only needed to shed His blood once, in contrast to the daily shedding of the blood of animals under the Old Covenant. We should not count His blood as a common thing, as common as the shed blood of an animal. Hebrews 10:29.
Solid Biblical doctrine is based on a plurality of scripture. This falling away in Hebrews 6 is the same falling away that Jesus described in the parable of the sower and the seed. Luke 8:13 "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear (the gospel), receive the word with joy (which is the word of righteousness in Hebrews) and these have no root (they are not rooted in God's love or the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus), who believe only for awhile and in time of temptation FALL AWAY." Jesus said in Matthew 13:21 that when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word (word of righteousness), immediately he stumbles. Stumbling or falling away from the word of righteousness means we stumble in our thinking back to an Old Testament Law mindset of justice and punishment instead of grace.What is the tribulation and persecution? Tribulation takes place within us when we hear and receive the gospel. We must hold fast to the gospel until it cleanses our conscience. We are also dealing with our flesh, which is not yet redeemed. This is tribulation that takes place within us. Persecution is from other people, as we try to walk out our faith, believing that Jesus has paid for our sins.
Paul uses that same phrasing in Galatians 5:4 "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have FALLEN from grace." He did not say they had lost their salvation. He said if you attempt to be justified before God by the law, you have fallen from grace back to an Old Testament law mindset.
I believe you can see that these verses are not talking about a few people who might publicly renounce their faith in Christ due to some pain, tragedy, disappointment or outright disgust at things they have seen or witnessed. I believe these verses apply to hundreds of millions of Christians who have fallen away from the word of righteousness apart from our works. Because they have let go of the gospel or the word of righteousness, they are now living under some degree of guilt and condemnation. They will not share their faith with others. They are believers, but they lack the joy and confidence of their faith. As Hebrews states, they have not held the beginning of their confidence before God, that Jesus purged their sins, steadfast to the end.
This is certainly a reason why everyone in the world has not heard the gospel. If hundreds of millions of believers are not confident within themselves that their sins are purged and they are at peace with God, they will not share their faith with others. We also have ten of millions of believers around the world who face intense physical and verbal persecution from others. They need the assurance that their sins have been purged once and for all. They need to have joy unspeakable on the inside, so that they may endure persecution for the sake of the gospel.
A wise saint who has gone on to heaven, T.L. Osborn, said that we need to examine our religion and extract out of it the things that scare people. What a profound idea. Hopefully, this gives a different perspective on these scriptures from the book of Hebrews. I will examine Hebrews 10 in another blog.
Keith Oliver
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