Hebrews 6, Follow Up

Q

Regarding your study on Hebrews Part 4, Chapter 6.

What about a person who once believed in Christ fervently, but now has turned away from Him completely? Where it is no longer just a question of broken fellowship because of some present pet sin or weakness, but the person now believes Christianity is all a “sham”, and that they had been previously deluded? (I know such a person) Would not Heb 6 apply here? Does God have the responsibility to save such a person who now wants no part of Him, and actively rails against Him? What about the IF of Col 1:23 “IF ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” That seems to indicate a condition to me…a condition that one continue in the faith…that is CONTINUE to BELIEVE…what if one no longer continues to believe in Christ?

A

Lots of people rebel, and lots of people make emotional statements that they later regret. But according to the Bible, either your friend was never saved or else he/she is forever saved. It’s not our faithfulness that counts here it’s the Lord’s and He has promised never to lose even one of us. (John 6:38-40)

If you still think that Hebrews 6 applies to salvation, then you missed the point of the article, which was to prove that it doesn’t. Even if a person could reject their salvation, you can’t use Hebrews 6 to support it.

The Greek word translated “if” in Colossians 1:23 also means indeed, inasmuch, and since, so it’s not as conditional as the English makes it sound. When the devil said, “If you’re the Son of God …” In Matt. 4.3 it didn’t mean that Satan didn’t know who Jesus was and wanted him to prove his identity. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God and wanted him to use His powers to break His fast. Matthew used the root of the same word that Paul used in Colossians 1:23.

And just 10 verses earlier Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit is sealed within us as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Col. 1:13-14) It seems much more likely that he intended to convey something closer to “since” in verse 23 than “if”.