(Concluded.)
There are yet some passages, however, which require special notice. Thus undoubtedly, Heb. 6:4-84For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:4‑8) furnishes us with the example of hopeless apostasy; and the previous condition of these apostates is described, in terms, which appear to many altogether too strong, to apply to unconverted professors merely. They “were once enlightened,” had “tasted of the heavenly gift,” and been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” bad “tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.” It is just this which makes their case so hopeless, that all the goodness of God, as displayed in Christianity, has been, so to speak, spent in vain upon them. Or rather, it has been as rain from heaven nurturing only thorns and briars in the unfruitful soil. Yet, the apostle adds, as to those in whom He had seen fruit (verse 10), “beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things which accompany salvation, though we thus speak,” (9). Thus, again he carefully guards himself from being misunderstood to mean that those whose faith had works, and had thus proved itself a living faith, could so fall away.
This alone for really simple souls, might suffice as to the whole passage. It surely ought to be enough to hear the apostle say, that, although he is speaking thus, he is persuaded better things of those who have shown “work and labor of love toward His name.” Yet it is all well to inquire, in its place, from what the men bore us here apostatize. But observe again, then, there is no mention of their having been born again, or converted, or justified, or saved; or having had forgiveness of sins, or eternal life. Of none who are declared to be in that condition is there ever any doubt of their security, or any hint that after all they might be lost. On the contrary, the thought is carefully guarded against, as we have seen.
But as to these: — They were “enlightened.” And “the true light lighteth every man which cometh into the world,” (John 1:99That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9)); but that that is not necessarily saving knowledge is plain. There may be conviction where there is no conversion, as every day shows. Yet how perilous to turn from the light which has thus borne witness to our souls!
They had “tasted of the heavenly gift,” and “of the good word of God.” But so had he who received seed upon the stony ground: he “immediately with joy received it.” We see that too, often. The word is welcomed; it is not understood. Only “he who received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it” (Matt. 13:2323But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23)). It is possible thus to have a false peace patched up, and to find joy in a gospel, which after all has never been apprehended by the soul, and has never brought forth fruit in it at all.
Besides this, they “were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” and had tasted of “the powers of the world to come.” This last expression refers to miraculous powers, and the “world to come” is literally the “coming age.” Here, as elsewhere, it refers to the millennium, when the signs and wonders which signalized the early days of Christianity will be repeated. The prophet Joel (2: 28, 29) witnesses of this; and his prophecy the apostle Peter could take up at Pentecost, and apply to what God did by His Spirit at that time. Yet the prophecy itself, however much it might take in Pentecost, goes on to the restoration of Israel in the last days. Miracles could therefore fitly be called “powers of the coming age.” But we have the Lord’s assurance that men might thus be “partakers of the Holy Ghost,” — prophecy and do miracles, (which could be done only through the Holy Ghost) — and yet after all He might say to them, “I never knew you,” (Matt. 7:22, 2322Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22‑23)). It is clear, therefore, that in this sense they might be “partakers of the Holy Ghost” and yet be lost. The spirit crying “Abba, Father,” in us, is another thing. Those who are thus “sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise,” are sealed to the day of redemption, (Eph. 1:13, 4:30). In this case, therefore, there is no possibility of being lost.
We see then, that what we are assured by the constant tenor of the word of God, and by the very context of the passage itself, must have been the condition of those who are spoken of as drawing back to perdition, is confirmed by the very terms by which they are described. For none of these imply that they were either born again or justified. They had now openly given up God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” It is open apostacy that is in question, going back to the Judaism out of which they had come, and what hope could there be for such?
The “willful sin” of chapter 10:26, is plainly of the same nature. People were forsaking the Christian assembly, (verse 25), taking the place of “adversaries” to Christ (27), treading under foot the Son of God, counting the blood of the covenant by which they had been “sanctified,” (or set apart as Christians,) an unholy thing. They might say perhaps, “Well, after all we have God’s own appointed, Sacrifices still.” But the apostle answers, that upon that ground “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” nothing that has virtue to cleanse a sinner, but on the contrary “a certain fearful looking for of judgment and of fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.”
There may be those who read this, who may be otherwise troubled at these verses, and I cannot refrain from adding a word for such. Many do not see that the hopelessness of the state of those described consists in this, that they have given up the only ground upon which salvation is possible. It is not mere failure, getting into the world or into sin, that these verses speak of. It is the willful rejection of Christ as Saviour. They crucify Him afresh, trample Him under foot, count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. In a word, it is not any mere ordinary back-sliding, as I have said, but apostacy from Christianity itself; and that is hopeless.
Beside this, there is another thing. The “impossibility spoken of in. Heb. 6. is impossibility to renew them again unto repentance. There was no impossibility in their being saved if they did repent. The word rains ever true for all, while this day of gospel grace lasts, “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” If anyone will, therefore, he may. No sin is unpardonable to such, or can shut him out from the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.
But I pass on to the consideration of another example of apostacy which is given in 2 Peter 2:20, 21: “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. But it is happened unto them according’ to “the” true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Now here again there is said to have been “the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ “in those who, without doubt, “draw back unto perdition.” And not only so, but this knowledge had had effect upon them, for it had drawn them out of the “pollutions of the world.” Yet it does not require any very dose attention to the apostle’s words to discern here also how little he conceived these apostates to have ever been true Christians. Why had it passed into a proverb that the dog would return to his vomit again, and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire? What did such a proverb mean, but that a washed sow remained all the while a sow, and that, inasmuch as the washing had not changed her nature, she would go back as a matter of course to her old habits? It was simple enough to know she would. And so one who had in the same way been merely washed from the pollutions of the world — from defilements from without, —but whose nature was never changed, might be expected to fulfill that proverb.
But now mark the difference, as pointed out in this same epistle, where there was true faith. Speaking of those to whom that knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord was indeed eternal life, he describes them as “having escaped,” not the pollutions merely, but “the corruption which is in the world through lust,” (chapter 1:4). Here the need of the soul had indeed been divinely met. It is not in this case external pollution merely, but the “lust,” the internal corruption of the heart, that is dealt with. Christ is known as the rest and satisfaction of the soul. The heart is changed; with a new nature, new desires, new affections have come in; and there is no proverb, that if a sow be turned into a sheep it will go back into the mire.
Thus then, we have looked at the most prominent of the texts, which might seem to imply the possibility of the soul being finally lost that has once believed unto salvation. It is not likely that other passages will present much difficulty, if the truth as to these is once distinctly seen. There is but one other text which I would briefly, in closing, remark upon: first, because it furnishes the very expression, “falling from grace,” which is the technical one with many for their whole doctrine; and secondly, because there is not a passage which more distinctly marks the deeply important principle which is in question. The words in full are these: “Christ is become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the LAW; YE are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:44Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)).
The mere quotation of the passage ought to be enough, one would think, to expose the common misapplication of it. It is he who goes back from the grace of the Gospel to justify himself by the deeds of the law — it is this man, the legalist, and not the one fallen into immorality, or gone back into the world, who is “fallen from grace.” And the meaning is not that even to such God ceases to be gracious, but that the man has left that ground himself.
Now it is just the principle contained in this, that is so important. What is it to be “justified by the law?” Does he who maintains that “man must do his part and God will do His,” approach or not that ground of being justified by the law?” Law works are not bad works. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” is its first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Thus the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Yet “as many as are of the works of the law,” — standing upon that ground before God — “are under the curse.” Where then are they who suppose that their love to God or man, their maintenance of good works, will have something at least to do with their final salvation? Doubtless with many the language of their heart is beyond that of their creed. And there we must leave it.
Let us close with the confident assurance of the apostle’s words, — the words of the Holy Ghost by him: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. MUCH MORE THEN, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we, shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:8-108But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:8‑10)).
Christian reader, is that your assurance?
Shall we find that we have experienced all Christ’s love here, when we meet Him in Heaven.
There is no place where a wearied creature can find a bit of light save in Christ, looking up and finding it nowhere else.