Wrestling with Hebrews 6

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned."
Hebrews 6: 4-8

A brutal and sobering passge of scripture. It seems to be saying that it's impossible for us to bring certain people back to repentance. And if repentance is impossible, you are in a place that is beyond salvation. People who were once amongst God's people, tasted the goodness of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and then fell away. There are two points that come to mind:

1. Were these people genuine Christians?
2. This word "impossible" is, in either case, very scary.

It makes reference to people who have previously repented. People who were enlightened, and even shared in the Holy Spirit. Does this mean they were genuine Christians? One thing's for sure: they outwardly appeared to be so, had partaken in the Christian life, and shared a degree of enlightenment. Having had all this they then decided that the world was better than Christ and returned to their previous way. In this they openly and publically shame Christ, bringing disgrace to His name, wounding the gospel and it's effectiveness in those around them.

In Jesus' parable of the sower there is seed which takes root and quickly springs up but is in shallow soil and dies; and also seed which is choked by thorns and thistles. In both cases there is a response to the gospel, and there is new life which springs out, but then dies away. This to me makes the most sense in interpreting Hebrews 6. I think faith often comes by degrees. A tree when it first grows is nothing but a tiny plant. Step on it and you squash it. But gradually, when protected, it grows and grows, over time it becomes established and forms an immovable living entity. A massive oak tree is hard to push around.

It almost seems like there's this transitionary period that's critical in a new believer. It's like becoming a Christian isn't merely flicking a switch, but a gradual process of roots going down and life springing up. There's a testing of faith over time, and some faith doesn't survive. So are these people true Christians? Hebrews 3:14 says "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." The test of truly authentic faith is that it perseveres to our last day on Earth. A person can therefore have many spiritual experiences and blessings, claim to be a Christian in all the right ways, and yet fail this long test of faith.

The most difficult word in all of this is the word "impossible". It's incredibly scary, but it's right there, in the Bible. It says some people can't be bought back to a place of repentance. Being in a place where you are unable to repent puts you beyond salvation. Very, very sobering should any of us fall into this pit, showing utter distain for the cross of Christ, and proving we were never of Him.

"Whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
John 6:37

This last point is an important one. God will never reject anyone who repents. Should a backslider return to Christ in humble repentance, they are guaranteed acceptance. The question is whether or not they themselves can repent.