So I'm breaking in kind of here
in chapter 5 because of the length of the text But I hope we be
able to pick it up so in chapter 5 Hebrews verse 11 all the way
through to verse 9 of chapter 6 I call this a digression, so
do that of theologian and exegete. So here we are, verse 11, of
whom we have many things to say, that is Melchizedek. Melchizedek
name has come up, the prophecy has come up, Paul, or the author,
says to them, we have many things to say concerning him, hard to
be uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing. For when the time
you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you
again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are
become as such who have need of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is
unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. but strong
meat belonging to them that are of full age, even those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil. Therefore, leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on under perfection or
maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from
dead works and of faith toward God. of the doctrine of baptism
and laying on of hands and of the resurrection of the dead
and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit. Now watch this. For impossible
for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted
the good word of God and the powers of the world to come,
if they shall fall away, to renew them again under repentance,
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh
the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth herbs of
meat for them for whom it is dressed, receives blessing from
God. For that which beareth thorns
and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end
is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak." Now, we'll be in verse 4 through verse 6 a
lot today. Let me add now, there are two
other passages of Scripture that will come before us. One is in
chapter 10. and the other is in 2 Peter,
the second chapter. They will come before us during
the course of our study. Now, we now change our course
a bit in this study of the perseverance of the saint. For up to now,
we have concentrated principally upon the great truth that those
that are chosen in Christ and that are redeemed by his blessed
death, called by the Spirit, and converted unto Christ, unto
salvation, will be kept by the power of God until the final
end of their life. In 2 Peter chapter 2, 1 and 1
through 5, you remember, we had an earlier study that grace will
sustain them and keep them in their faith. that none that Christ
died for and that he has given eternal life to can or shall
ever perish. That Christ will never leave
them and never forsake them because he is the same yesterday and
today and forever. Hebrews 13 5 and Joshua chapter
1 and verse 5. But now we come to a question
under consideration. What about those who make a profession
and seem fair in their way and seem to hold to Christ and to
the truth of the gospel and seem to be genuine Christians and
then they endure for a while, but then they throw it all away
and go away and walk no more in the way of Christianity. What are we to make of them? For they seem so genuine at a
time and for a time. What are we to make of them that
do that, maybe last or linger in the way for a while? Now,
I bring it up because their number is actually great. There are
many in the course of history who have done this, and they
are a blight upon Christianity and a stain upon and against
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the question is, what then
is their state? Scripturally, can we define and
understand their state or their status? Are they saint or are
they sinner? Have they ever been a saint or
have they always been a sinner? Or may we categorize them as
a backslider, which is a familiar word used among the Baptists
now, I don't know how many people I've had tell me over the years,
well, I guess I'm just an old backslider. Others there are
who speak of getting away from the Lord. for a while. And this is how some handle it,
that these are backsliders and they need to rededicate their
life or to come back unto the Lord. Or, on the other hand,
could it be that they are such as were never real Christian
at all, notwithstanding their demeanor and their behavior for
a time. Were they not real Christians
at all, who fell away, or such as fell away, and lost their
salvation? Who, if in that state they died,
would actually go down unto destruction. Once they would have gone to
heaven, but now, if they die, in their fallen estate, they
would go to heaven. And these would be such as might
reverse the song, I once was found, but now I am lost. We do not deny that there are
not a few professors who do indeed fall away. The question is not,
do some professors fall away? The question is, were they ever
real, true, genuine believers at all? We have many examples
of it in the scripture. We have a lot of warnings of
it in the scripture. We have all seen it with our
very own eyes, and it has been the case from the beginning of
the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it was so in
the midst of Israel that there were many who were not true and
genuine believers. So the question is this, are
those who go away and walk no more with Christ and in the way
of the gospel, were they ever true believers to begin with? Was their faith genuine? Was their confession real? Were
they born again? Did they have once at one time
eternal life? Or were they never a true believer? And then the question enters
our mind, can such make such an advance in the things of Christianity
and not be a real Christian at all? Now we have read this morning
a very complicated and with some a very controversial passage
of the scripture. There are multiple interpretations
of these things that we have read today and one that those
who believe in falling out of grace might provide a strong
proof text for their position that here are some enlightened,
tasted of the gifts of God, and saw the powers of the age, and
then fall away. So let's look, if we might, at
verse 4 and verse 5 again. For it is impossible for those
once enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, made partakers
of the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God, and the powers
of the world to come. For it is impossible. Now, if we fall back to chapter
5 and verse 11 and look at that text in a dual light. Number one, we consider it in
its scriptural context, that is, in the flow of thought of
the Apostle as he writes these things. Secondly, we look at
it in the historical setting of this, the historical setting
of of the things at the time that he wrote this epistle and
the circumstances that prevailed among them. Now, I agree with
those, as I mentioned, that those who think that this is a digression
by the apostle, that it begins at chapter 5 and verse 11. Owen the Puritan called it, quote,
a designed digression," unquote. John Brown called it, quote,
a cautionary digression, unquote. From verse 11 of chapter 5 to
the end of chapter 6 is the digression wherein he rebuked them for their
ignorance and for their indifference to the things of Christ beyond
the beginning, the first thing, the elementary things of the
gospel and of Christ. And the present subject is that
Christ is a priest forever. not just forever, but after a
specific order, and that after the order of Melchizedek. And this is quoted from Psalm
110 and verse 4, and it appears at least seven times in this
section on the priesthood of Christ in the book of Hebrew. It is in chapter 5, verse 6 and
10, chapter 6 and verse 20, chapter 7 in verse 11, 15, 17, and 21. Those seven quotations
of that scripture out of the 110th Psalm. Now Melchizedek,
Paul or the author said, I've got many things to say concerning
him. Now Melchizedek was a priest
of the most high God. You find that in Genesis chapter
14. He's the one met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the king and the rescue of his nephew
Lot. Now Melchizedek was a priest
after a most unique order or arrangement, different from that
of Aaron and the Levitical priests, mainly in this fact that Melchizedek,
like Christ, had an in-transmissible priesthood. He did not get it
from another, and he did not pass it on unto another. And so, we have to understand
the order of the priesthood of Melchizedek as he was typical
of our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the apostle,
having mentioned the priesthood, of Melchizedek, he now writes
in chapter 5 and verse 11, of him we have much to say. It is hard to be uttered or explained
or interpreted. not only any lack of the Apostles
part, but since you have become dull of hearing, since you have
made little advance in the things of Christ, since you are still
stuck on the first principle, the elementary things of Christ. So the reason for the difficulty
is was neither because it was past finding out, nor was it
the inability of the teachers to explain it and open it up,
but it lay in the dullness of the hearers, those who had made
a profession. that for the time that they had
been exposed to these things and had heard them preach and
teaching, they should have become able to teach others themselves,
and yet here they are in need of a rehearsing and refreshing
course on the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. They
needed to be retaught the elementary thing, the beginning lessons
of faith. They needed again, for they were
still on milk and could not tolerate strong meat or solid food. And since, verse 13 and 14, everyone
requiring milk is a babe and is unskilled in the word of righteousness,
that is, they are without experience, while strong meat or solid food
is for the full-aged and for the mature who have the discernment
and are able to distinguish between good and evil and between truth
and error. Now this note in connection with
this in the later ages after that time. How many in so-called
Christian churches can hardly give an account of the beginning
of the Christian faith, and are yet on milk, and are yet weak,
and need milk and a pacifier rather than to tolerate the strong
things of God, not able to digest the deep doctrines and the things
of Christ, not able to give a reason of the hope that is within them
as 1 Peter 3 and 15 require. Yet have they been years in their
profession, and yet I think part of it is the shallowness that
is now in so many of the pulpits in the land, and even heresy
is being preached in many places in our day. Now part is the dullness
of the ears of the hearers regarding the things of God. Contrast,
if you might, 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 1 and verse 2, where
Paul speaks much upon the same subject. But now coming to chapter
6, of Hebrews, again, a difficult passage as we look at it, for
many, if they ignore the two things that are mentioned here
earlier. Number one, the context and the
flow of thought. the thought of the apostle as
he develops the doctrine for them. And number two, again,
the historical setting, the Jews' relationship unto Christ and
unto the gospel and his office as the great high priest stumbled
them was a stumbling block unto them. For those Jews did not
receive and did not understand the priesthood of Christ, and
if not, then they could not understand the salvation that is in the
Lord. And so if they let go of Judaism,
they were adrift and did not want to. The truth that Christ
is a great high priest after the order not of Levi but of
Melchizedek is inseparable from the gospel of salvation. This is the only high priest
of Christianity. The only high priest of our profession
is Christ and he's not in an earthly tabernacle. He is in
heaven at the right hand of God. Now, let's dive in to this rather
complicated and mysterious passage. John Gill said here on chapter
six that the apostle is exhorting the Jew not to rest in the rudiments
of the Christian religion that they had learned, much less to
lay them again After the Jewish manner as in the particulars
that he give in verse 4 and 5 and look at that once enlightened
tasted of the heavenly gift partakers of the spirit Tasting the good
word of God and the powers of the world Literally the age that
was to come now while many there are who would insist that these
two things these things are can only be describing a true Christian. And if so, then it is proof that
such a one may fall away and may perish without remedy. So
if these are true Christians that are being described in this
text, then it is a proof text for falling away. We should remember,
I think, a point made by A.W. Pink and A. Saffer on their Hebrew
commentary. I've read every one that I could
think about. Quote, these things must be viewed
in connection with the then special circumstances of the Jew, unquote. And I think if we lose sight
of that we may lose sight of the text. And what might that
be? What was the circumstances of
the Hebrew in that particular time of this writing? They, as
it were, stood between the two covenants, the old and the new. and two priesthoods and two sacrifices,
the old way and the new, and to espouse Christ and the Christian
gospel, and to embrace Christ as the great high priest, and
his sacrifice as the great sacrifice for sin, required them to give
up Judaism, for it died when the Lord Jesus Christ died upon
the cross, and the temple veil was rent from top to bottom,
and the sacrifices and the animal Passover would be no more. But on the other hand, to remain
in Judaism would be to hug a dead corpse, if I may express it. And as Pink and Safford put it,
there is no other alternative but to embrace Christ as high
priest or maintain conscious enmity against Christ, and no
other alternative. Generally, there are three sorts
responses by the Jew in that age to Christ and the gospel. Looking at it now historically,
and we see three different but distinctive responses to Christ
and the gospel. Number one, that of Paul, that
of Timothy, and countless others who did fully by faith embrace
Christ and Christianity and and counted all, including Judaism,
but dung, and gave it up. Secondly, that of the larger
portion of the nation of Israel to cling unto Judaism and hold
in their full enmity against the Lord Jesus Christ in the
hardness of their heart and then perish without a remedy for there's
no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be
saved Acts chapter 4 I believe verse 12 and then thirdly some
had embraced the new way and joyfully and enthusiastically,
and they had made some progress in that way, and as John Brown
put it, quote, engaged or rather enjoyed great privileges and
made considerable attainment in religion, unquote, but who
then went back to the empty shell of Judaism for one reason or
another. These are described in our text
this morning. They are somewhat enlightened. They are to a degree enlightened.
They're given a measure of understanding of the things of Christ in the
gospel. The apostle said they tasted
the things of God. They saw and they heard the wonders
of that age. Connected to the death burial
and resurrection of Messiah and they saw the character of the
coming age of the gospel and the promise of the glory that
was to follow a degree of knowledge of the truth and here's where
2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 20 and through 22 come into play. 2 Peter 2, 20 through 22. It speaks here of some who escape
the pollution of the world, how they do that? Through the knowledge
of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and had come to know
the way of righteousness, and then to again be entangled Their
latter end will be worse than the beginning." And this statement,
it would have been better for them. not to have known the way
of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn from
it. And then the apostle likens them
who do such to a washed sow, that's a hog, who returns to
wallowing in the mire, and a dog returning again to lick up its
vomit after having regurgitated it out. These are two unclean
animals in the sight of the Jew. And so the washed sow jumps back
in the mud and the dog that is thrown up goes and licks it up
again. I'm sure we've all seen that.
From Proverbs chapter 26 and verse 11. It shows that their
knowledge and their profession was only superficial. that it was not genuine, and
that apostasy from the way of truth increases the guilt of
such as fall away, had been better not to know it than to know it
and to turn away from it. John Gill expounded on this passage,
making three points that I'd like to share with us today.
Number one, that these did fall away from what they once professed,
and they became more wretched. Number two, Nothing is said about
them, said Gill, that discovers them to have been true Christians
or believers. And number three, here's a quote
from Gill published about 1733 to 1738 somewhere. in that time frame. Quote, it
is possible that some may escape from idolatry and embrace a form
of sound doctrine and also reform and withdraw from open and profane
and scandalous centers and yet not be true believers. End quote. John Gill. As proof
of that, I give you Judas Iscariot, an apostle and associate of our
blessed Lord. He was chosen by Christ to be
an apostle, Luke 613, 670. And in Acts 1 and verse 17, he
was numbered with us, Peter said, and he obtained part this ministry
how also he was had apostleship Acts chapter 1 and verse 25 and
the verse also said that it was from the ministry and the apostleship
from which Judas by Transgression fell that he might go to his
own place not falling from faith or salvation but falling from
ministry, and apostleship. But back to Hebrews chapter 6,
whether we are bound to consider verse 4 and verse 5 as describing
true believers or a natural man, non-savingly enlightened. And I favor the latter. And so
did almost every Calvinistic expositor that I've read. A.W. Pink in his commentary on
Hebrews verse 4 through verse 6 said, has a chapter on the
twofold working of the Spirit on verse 7 and verse 8. The two
classes of professors. in verse 8 and in verse 9, and
he no doubt got that from the earlier writers, for he knew
and read them all. Gill, I mean, yes, Gill and Brown
and those men, Owen and such like. That is, Gill wrote, there
are two sorts of enlightened persons, unquote. A. There are those in Hebrews 10.32
who are savingly enlightened, including regeneration, effectual
calling, and conversion. They embrace Christ as the only
and the all-sufficient Savior and High Priest. And like Peter,
they confess him to be the son of the living God who hath the
words of eternal life. But then be there are those who
are only somewhat enlightened, but not savingly, as an apostle
in Hebrews 6, 4 through 6, is describing a person in that age
who had been somewhat influenced by the gospel, having some understanding
and a partial revelation, some notion of the way of righteousness
and some knowledge of the way of truth and a measure of repentance
and reformation, but not a new creation in Christ Jesus, not
new and not made whole. Or, as one of the aforementioned
authors wrote, In that age, there were those who at times were
professors of the gospel truth, even finding a temporary delight
in it, but who then put it away. And I certainly believe that
that describes people in all Asia. And it's John Owen, a very
prolific writer on the epistle of Hebrew, probably the best
commentary apart from the Bible. Not all tasting leads to eating
and digesting was a point that Owen made. Not all tasting leads
to eating and full digestion. So let's make our focus the word
impossible here in this verse or passage of the scripture.
In verse four through six, we now look at the word impossible. For it is impossible. impossible. There is an impossibility that
is connected to this. Now, I noticed something in studying
the various translation and expositors, and that is this, that some put
the word impossible in verse four. Some have it in the fourth
verse. Others put it in the sixth verse. Change is not the meaning at
all, for the impossibility is emphasized. The NASB, for example,
puts the impossibility in verse 6, but the meaning is the same
as the author described the one and the situation to which the
impossibility refers and has referred, as well as to explain
the reason behind what he had just written, and especially
in Hebrews 6 and verse 1. Leaving the beginnings, let us
go on unto maturity. For, or since, or because, in
the case of those described in verse 4 and verse 5, they have
fallen away, it is not possible to renew them again unto repentance
and John Brown just came out and said it would be a waste
of time as the Apostle desired to lay out to them the great
doctrine of the high priesthood of Christ after the order of
Melchizedek. But there were some that had
a need to relearn the first principle and the Apostle seems to feel
statement and argument would be entirely lost upon such person. It is impossible to again renew
them unto repentance because as Hebrews 10 38 and 39 They
draw back unto perdition. Not holding by faith, but draw
back unto perdition. Now, let's look at the last half
of Hebrews 6 and verse 6. For here the apostle gives two
things. Number one, that which makes
renewal impossible. And number two, the nature and
the heinousness of their sin. That which makes renewal impossible
and the heinousness of their sin. Watch this. It is impossible
to renew them again unto repentance, seeing, seeing. It is from the
word that means sense. It is impossible to renew them
under repentance since, or it could mean because, or for as
much, or literally for. It is impossible since or because
for as much. as they crucify to themselves
the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. Now at this point, let's bring
together a portion of chapter 10 here with chapter 6 as they
have much in common and they speak much upon the same issue,
and that is apostasy. So, let's flip to Hebrews 10
and read verse 26 through verse 29. Hebrews 10, 26 through 29. For if we sin willfully, and
we'll find out that willful sin is apostasy. After that we have
received the knowledge of the truth that remains no more sacrifice
for sin But a certain fearful looking for of judgment fiery
indignation Which shall devour the adversary now watch this
he that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses of how much sorer punishment Suppose ye shall he be thought
worthy who had trodden Underfoot the Son of God hath counted the
blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing
and hath done despite under the spirit of grace now again the
sin is that of apostasy a particular kind of sin a forsaking a falling
away from from Christ and Christianity after having the knowledge of
the truth. And this is willful and deliberate. It is not unknown and it is not
accidental. It is willful and deliberate. And it makes the sin more heinous
and worthy of judgment, for it is a sin against light and against
reason, and it leaves us without a sacrifice for sin. This is a common failing of every
false and every Christless religion in our day. They have no sacrifice
for sin. They have none to propitiate
God in their behalf and bring them into the favor of God. And notice that each passage,
Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10, has an example for us that gives
us the direction of the thought. Hebrews 6, 7, and 8. The figure
or the emblem there is of two fields or plots of ground representative
of the two sorts of professor. Now, both plots of ground had
received often and plentiful rain, and they had been tilled
and such like, and one plot brought forth pleasant crops, blessed
of God, and the other brought forth thorns and briars and thistle
fit only for the burning even so as the true professor brings
forth fruit under the blessing of god the apostate is under
a curse for his apostasy then in hebrews 10 28 29 We have another
example. We have there a contrast, or
should I say comparison, between the law apostate and the gospel
apostate. He that despised Moses' law and
then he that despised the gospel. He that despised Moses' law. What was his or her fate? What happened to those who despised
the law of Moses? Well, we're plainly told they
were put to death. They were put to death without
mercy. They were put to death under the witness of two or three. They despised Moses and his law. They disregarded it. They set
it aside. They put it away. Now, the reason. How much worse the punishment. upon the gospel apostate, for
they have," notice chapter 10 and verse 29, "'How much sore
a punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing,
and hath done despite under the spirit of grace?' Now the gospel
apostate is deserving of a worse punishment than the law apostate,
for while the law came by Moses, the gospel concerned the very
incarnate eternal Son of God more imminent than Moses and
to turn again to the weak and the beggarly elements of the
world is to be in bondage Galatians 4 and verse 9 to turn from the
holy commandment once delivered unto them and 2 Peter 2 and 21. This puts them in the same class
with those who actually crucified the Lord. Consider, if you would,
the judgment of God upon the nation of Israel for their rejection
and their crucifixion of the Messiah. To turn from the gospel,
to trample upon the Son of God, is to devalue him in the same
way that a swine might trample upon a pearl if cast into his
pig pen. No, our Lord said, Matthew 7
and 6, cast not that which is holy to the dog, neither cast
your pearl before swine. Now again, they count the sanctifying
blood The covenant as an unholy thing Hebrews 10 and 29 they
give more Credence the Jew did to animal blood than to the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ We must remember that Christ's blood
is the blood of the everlasting covenant. It is not merely the
blood of a common man. It is the blood of the everlasting
covenant. Hebrews 13 verse 20, Matthew
26, 28. This is my blood of the new covenant
shed for many. And the apostate treats it as
if it were an unclean thing. As if it were but a common thing.
Not a sacred thing, but a common thing. And that is a grievous
sin. Now the apostate also insults
a second member of the Godhead. And notice, and done despite,
that is, having insulted the spirit of grace. For said Owen, the word means
to wrong with contempt. insulted the spirit of grace,
the spirit who brings the benefits, the goodnesses toward the children
of God. And I think that this is the
only time that this particular Greek word is used anywhere in
the New Testament. And how have they insulted the
spirit of grace or the spirit of God? How have they done that? What have they done that has
resulted in that? Well, let's count some of the
ways. We remember that it was the spirit
of God that conceived the humanity of our blessed Lord in the womb
of the chosen vessel. The Holy Spirit came in its fullness
by the death and glorification of our blessed Christ. The Spirit
had enlightened them for a while, had inspired the Apostle to preach
to them the things of God, had enabled many confirming works
to be done by the Apostle in that he was peculiarly sent and
given and bestowed to bear witness of the glorious person, doctrine,
death, and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. So to reject Christ
after trial and profession is also to insult the Holy Spirit
who bore witness of him, and it is furthermore to call all
preachers of the gospel a liar. Yea, we are found liars, said
Paul, if Christ is not risen from the dead. And if the gospel
is not true and is not of God, then all that preach it are liars,
and it results in a blatant denial of the Holy Scripture. So I quit. Conclusion. The punishment of
apostate will be horrible, as it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. worse the apostate than
the never-believer, worse the apostate than the idolater. To once profess Christ, then
to trample him underfoot and turn away and condemn him as
a false way leads one indeed unto a very, very So we see that
there is apostasy and yet there is the perseverance of the saints
of God.