Question: Greg,
I have a question about Hebrews 6:4, “restore again to repentance”.
I am not sure what this means. Is
it referring to apostasy, backsliding, unpardonable sin?
Ed
Answer: Dear
Ed,
The meaning of this passage is debated.
The dilemma is whether a Christian may fall away to such a degree or in
such a way that there is no further repentance possible.
If so, what about all the passages in the Bible that say that once God
gives us eternal life, it is just that—eternal? Does God, in fact, give us life which is actually
conditional, but instead, perhaps for marketing and promotional reasons, calls
it eternal? There are many passages
that speak to this—John 10:28-29 is simply one.
Most scholars agree that this statement needs to be seen:
1.
In balance with all other passages about salvation.
2.
In context of the chapter and book of Hebrews itself, which surely would
not
3.
Perhaps this “impossible…to be brought back to repentance” is
linked with
If these points are central to understanding this passage, and most agree
that they are, then we would understand the “impossibility to repent” as
being a choice taken by an individual, not an act of God whereby he “writes
off” the sinner. That is, any
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, any unpardonable sin, any impossibility of
repentance, would be decisions and conclusions reached by a human, not by God.
This would imply a willful, continual, knowing rejection of God.
The Bible does say, of course, that it is possible to reject God—humans
have that choice. That would seem
to be what Hebrews 6 is talking about. On
the other hand, the Bible consistently makes it clear that we can always “go
home”, as in the parable of the Prodigal/Lost Son (Luke 15).
Put simplistically, God will never reject us.
If we want to repent, if we genuinely want to be forgiven, God will
always forgive us. That’s one of
the attributes that make him God. Or,
stated another way—if we are concerned that we have turned our back on God, if
we worry that we have committed an “unpardonable” sin—then we have not.
There is no such thing as a sin which God will not pardon, no such thing
as a sinner who cannot be redeemed. There
is, however, such a thing as a human who will not seek God.
That is the consistent message of Scripture.
Hope this helps.
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht