impossible to renew unto repentance (Heb.6:3-6) (believers, scriptures, prayer)
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I read the link, but the author is not talking about universalism. What exactly is the argument saying it is opposed to UR?
The author, Matt Slick the Calvinist of CARM, says at the link:
"A sinner who has genuine sorrow over sin shows that the Holy Spirit is working in his heart and is not forever lost. But those who have indeed fallen away completely are impossible to restore, and God will not permit those who have committed such apostasy to come to repentance."
As to those existing who think Heb.6:4-6 opposes UR, you only need to read as far as the second post in this thread.
The author, Matt Slick the Calvinist of CARM, says at the link:
"A sinner who has genuine sorrow over sin shows that the Holy Spirit is working in his heart and is not forever lost. But those who have indeed fallen away completely are impossible to restore, and God will not permit those who have committed such apostasy to come to repentance."
As to those existing who think Heb.6:4-6 opposes UR, you only need to read as far as the second post in this thread.
The only unforgivable sin is a failure to love because love IS the Holy Spirit of God. A lack of love is the only way to be separate from God.
1 John 4:7-8 (King James Version)
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
It is definitely speaking about the unforgivable sin.
Matt 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
So until Jesus returns it will not be forgiven, it will not be forgiven in the millenial age, but after the 2nd resurrection then it will be forgiven.
What is speaking against the holy spirit? Where does the spirit come from? God, so after knowing the truth, you turn around and preach against the truth...unforgivable.
Paul spoke of those that were that were teaching no resurrection or Jesus already returned.
It is definitely speaking about the unforgivable sin.
Matt 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
So until Jesus returns it will not be forgiven, it will not be forgiven in the millenial age, but after the 2nd resurrection then it will be forgiven.
What is speaking against the holy spirit? Where does the spirit come from? God, so after knowing the truth, you turn around and preach against the truth...unforgivable.
Paul spoke of those that were that were teaching no resurrection or Jesus already returned.
Could be. This makes more sense to me because this scripture leaves no doubt that some serious falling away from faith has happened and that there is no repentance for it. I personally believe God is the one who grants us both faith and repentance. I am always stunned when I hear someone say they were once a true believer in God but now are atheists and some very angry and evangelical atheists. For this reason, I never try to persuade an atheist to have faith. This doesn't mean I do not believe atheists can come to Christ, in fact, I know of many cases. However, the ones who say they once believed and never will believe again - I take them at their word and leave it alone.
The only unforgivable sin is a failure to love because love IS the Holy Spirit of God. A lack of love is the only way to be separate from God.
1 John 4:7-8 (King James Version)
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
I think the bible is clear that the unforgivable sin is calling God evil -- teaching that God is evil and that God is doing evil things. There are a lot of Christians who fall into that category. They are deceived, but so was Adam. Those who are convinced that darkness is light, Jesus said "how great is that darkness". I think they will find forgiveness in another age, but not in this age because the thing they do is the most offensive thing we can do, i.e. speak of God as an evil deity and demand that it must be believed for salvation. It is very crafty - just like the devil. Very clever. And spiritually deadly. There is evidence of this all around in society.
This is a sticky topic and perhaps the moderators should add this topic to sticky topics.
This issue is hotly debated but I'll just keep it simple and break it down so that it is easily understood.
This topic goes along with eternal sin. So I'll post the passage from the KJV first:
Hebrews 6:4-6 King James Version (KJV)
Quote:
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Now from the NMB (New Matthew's Bible -- an update on spelling and grammar):
Hebrews 6:4-6 New Matthew Bible (NMB)
Quote:
4 For it is not possible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come, 6 if they fall, to be renewed again to repentance, seeing they have (as concerning themselves) crucified the Son of God afresh, making a mock of him.
Both KJV and Matthew's Bible agree. But to arrive to the correct interpretation we need to examine another very important verse where the Geneva and KJV scholars messed up on:
Ephesians 4:19 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
Quote:
19 Which being past feeling, have given themselves unto wantonness, to work all uncleanness, even with greediness.
Ephesians 4:19 King James Version (KJV)
Quote:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Now for the Matthew's Bible:
Ephesians 4:19 New Matthew Bible (NMB)
Quote:
19 who, being past repentance, have given themselves over to wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness, even with greediness.
I have nothing but the very best and most dependable Bible commentaries available on the market. And all these highly reputable commentaries agree with the Matthew's Bible being correct.
A person who is past-repentance is past-feeling, but a person who is past-feeling is not is not past-repentance. So there is a difference here. A callous person can be saved as well. But a person who is past repentance is doomed even while s/he still lives.
Christians will and do stumble. So it is important to know the difference between stumbling and completely falling away. There is a difference. The passages I have quoted here pertain to those who have completely fallen away after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit -- the laying on of hands in prayer, and partaking in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. If a Christian deliberately dulls his conscience to the Holy Spirit without a care of consequence and has completely gone opposite as to become antichrist or to be obsessively in favor of sinful indulgences without apology, then their consciences have been seared with a hot iron and they cannot repent because of the sin they have committed against the Holy Spirit, and how they have crucified Christ all over again and there is only one atonement for sin through Christ and none after that.
I know a man who deliberately blasphemed the Holy Spirit. He has gone quite mad in his spiritual adulteries against the Lord. I've seen others online behave in the same manner. But we are not just talking about disbelief and atheism. We are speaking solely on the topic of Christians who have been baptized and who have shared in the truth of Christ but through envy and greed, pride and self-conceit have parted with the Spirit for personal gain. This crossed that fine line in the sand between stumbling and falling away and does count as someone who has fallen away.
So we've seen much apostasy in the church today which has made our society unbearable and unstable. These apostates have gone insane and now call for the death of Israel, more muslim emigration, and the death of America and many many other evil and wicked demands they support. This is because God has abandoned them to their sins, to do what ought not to be done. These people are doomed eternally with no chance of repentance nor will you ever see such people repent.
When you notice that you are becoming spiritually unconnected with Christ this is when you need to pray the most. Christ will hear your prayer and will restore you. But if you fall away completely and do so pridefully without conscience or guilt of what you have done, then you are hell bound with no 2nd chance. You will know if you are one of those people because my words here will not have any impact on your conscience and you will laugh at me, mock me, ridicule my words without conscience or guilt or a single thought about your own soul. But if you are one of those who read my explanation here and are self-examining your own soul in fear of the Lord and don't want to be one of those who are damned while still living in this life, then you have nothing to worry about.
Again, this topic applies solely to Christians who have fallen away and has nothing to do with people who never were baptized Christians and are atheists who have never come to repentance. An atheist can always repent. But a Christian who has fallen away is, as Tyndale correctly translated, past repentance.
If you are worried about this issue then you have nothing to worry about. Continue in prayer and worship and you're doing well.
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