An exposition of Hebrews 5:11 thru 6:1-12, the Apostasy, by Bill Rhetts

The next three verses (all one passage) are probably one of the most controversial in the NT. This passage has been interpreted by some, to say they can lose their salvation. I was once upon a time of that belief, but by Gods grace I no longer am.

Vs 4-6 “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, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 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.”

This passage is excellent to prove there are false converts.

In vs 4-5 it says they gave the appearance of ‘tasting salvation.’

They may have even performed some sort of ‘work’ like repeat a sinner’s prayer, or “accept Jesus,” or make a decision, or raise their hand in church, or walk forward in an altar call. But all of those are unbiblical soteriologies.

They may have been baptized, they might have received communion, perhaps even experienced what was thought to be a gift of the Holy Spirit. 

This is why it is highly unbiblical to declare an alleged new convert “saved.” Their fruit must be examined through an extended period of time, and if they truly endured to the end, then they were His.

Arminian churches and their professing Christians are partially responsible for the apostacy, that is because of them unbiblically declaring the unregenerate saved; hence creating false converts that do not endure to the end.

In vs 6 Paul even noted that it was impossible to restore them to repentance after falling away.

An Apostate are those who made a profession of faith, they might even identify with a local church. But either they abandoned their profession, or their lifestyle is evidence they’ve abandoned the faith. 

And the reason why they could not be restored, is because they were never saved to begin with. They gave the appearance of salvation, they may have professed with their lips, but they had no regeneration of the heart.

There is a Biblical repentance that is salvific, and that is granted by God to His elect, but there is also a worldly repentance that only looks good from the outside.

It says in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

John warned of false converts in 1 John.

He said in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

The doctrine of the ‘Perseverance of the Saints” is all throughout the Scriptures, as well as our confession.

Chapter 17; Paragraph 1 says (in part),

“Those whom God has accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved…”

Paragraph 2 says “This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him, the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.”

Jesus said in John 10:28-29, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

It says in Romans 8:28-30 (aka the ‘golden chain of redemption’),

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”