Falling Away

Falling Away
Words of Faith 2-9-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Hebrews 6
[4] It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, [6] if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

       This is one Scripture which often brings heated debate between sincere believers over eternal security   "losing salvation" versus "once saved always saved". The debate goes like this...

       Those who believe we can lose our salvation point to this passage as proof that those who have "been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age" can fall away.

       On the other hand, those who believe we are "once saved always saved" point out that one can be enlightened, taste the heavenly gift, share in the Holy Spirit, taste the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the coming age... without actually being saved. So they were never saved to begin with. These folks will also point out that Jesus said: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28).

Hmm. It appears that we will not settle that debate on this turf. We will only run in circles of definitions.

       Maybe eternal security is not the issue here at all. In the original context, the Writer was simply warning about the danger of falling away. We can identify with that. He was writing to dispersed Jewish believers who were under persecution and enormous pressure to reject their new faith in Jesus as Messiah. He says there is a place we could fall into, from which it is impossible to come back.

       The point is that, when we are enlightened, saved, or not saved, we know better. When we have tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit, we are without excuse and called to believe. When we have tasted the goodness of the Word, falling away requires that we intentionally harden our hearts to Him. When we have seen the power of the coming age, we must actually WORK at shutting out God. When we come to that place of hard-heartedness, it may be impossible to ever get back to God.

       Some argue that this is a hypothetical place that a genuinely saved person could never get to. But why, then, warn against this place? Perhaps we should ask a different question-- How impossible is impossible?

       Okay. The Bible says it is impossible to be brought back to repentance in such a situation. The Greek word used here means "unable" in the sense of being weak. It is a "passive impossibility" due to weakness or impotence. It is not impossible because it is "forbidden by God" that such a person might be restored. It is simply not within the power of such a weakened and hardened heart to again believe. This is a very sad and dangerous place. Of course, Jesus commented regarding the hardness of the Rich Ruler that "What is impossible with men is possible with God" (Lk.18:27)

        This hardness of heart is the essence of what we call the "unforgivable sin"   blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. When some of the Pharisees attributed the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus to Beelzebub (the devil), Jesus said that this was a blasphemy that can never be forgiven (Mark 3:20 30). When we so harden our hearts against God that we can no longer distinguish the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus from the work of the devil, and we can no longer hear the offer of grace from God in Jesus, we cannot be forgiven. We cannot even know how to ask for forgiveness in such a state.

         This is not because the offer is not there, but because we are so hardened that we cannot hear. This is the same in the case described here in Hebrews 6. When we intentionally veer away from God and all that He has revealed, treating His death on the cross in a cavalier way, our behavior is like crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

         When all is said and done, that is simply a place we do not want to be.

         Where are you with Him? Are you close? Have you been closer? Have you been drifting away, or have you even intentionally veered away? Draw near today, and He will draw near to you.

        Lord, I cling to You this day and the precious salvation that You have purchased for me. May I never drive the nails that come by careless action or complacent inaction. I desire to walk close to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2026
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2026 Jeffrey D. Hoy.