Does Hebrews Scare the Hell Out of You?

Hebrews 6:4-6, "it is impossible...if they fall away to be brought back to repentance..." No matter what theological persuasion you come from this verse presents some great problems...that is, when it is taken out of context.

To be sure, this verse is enough to scare the hell out of the true believer. When I read this verse I automatically begin to wonder what must I do to do the works of God (see John 6)? Is there something more that must be done that I haven't already done? The author of Hebrews did not include this verse to scare us from hell but to draw us unto Christ.

Notice where my concerns lie in the words above. It is all about me. We are barking up the wrong tree if our response to these words immediately falls to the self. Interestingly enough, the entire book of Hebrews is about the priesthood and work of Jesus Christ--it is never about us. I know that this is not a very popular message in a post-modern, emerging, emergent, narcissistic church. Many of our fears concerning security in salvation are a result of our ego. I begin asking, "What must I do in order to know that I am saved?" Is this the response that the author of Hebrews was looking for from the tiny Jewish/Christian house church in the first century?

What usually happens in a discussion on this verse is that party lines are drawn and sides fall away to polar opposites. The Calvinist will argue that these people were never really Christians at all. Once saved always saved. The Armenian will argue that these people were Christians in that the description of enlightenment, tasting etc could not be more clear. Who does the writer have in mind? Simple. The early Jewish-Christians to whom he had sent the letter.

This is a warning to the Hebrews as it is a warning to the church today. The message is simple--continue to persevere and do not fall away from the faith. Make no mistake, it is impossible for a true believer to fall away even though they can fall into sin (John 6, John 10, Philippians 1 etc). But the warning is that there are many in the world who profess faith, yes, even take part in all the benefits of the Christian community, but never actually commit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This author is talking about those who renounce Jesus and are "crucifying the Son of God all over again".

The warning is for you and me. We can't simply call it a day when we call Jesus Lord. We must believe that he is Lord. If he is truly our Lord we must follow and submit to him as Lord. This is why Paul tells the Philippians to continue to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. Likewise, Peter says that we are to make our calling and election sure and that if we do these things, we will persevere!

This passage makes it oh so clear that some "Christians" are tasters, testers and players. They have tasted of the Holy Spirit without drinking. They have experienced the fellowship of believers without actually receiving the benefits of Christ. Their minds have even been enlightened to the truth but their heart has never committed to Christ. It is scary to think that I might be one of these tasters rather than a follower. But I would also suggest that by the very fact that I ask that question and that I continue to repent of and confess my sins and strive after the Lord that I am not a taster but a follower.