Andrew Fountain - Can a Christian fall away? - Hebrews pt.4


Sermon notes - Can a Christian fall away? - Hebrews pt.4

1. The Story so far

  • This is a 3-part talk, put down in writing. Not originally a letter.
  • Extremely polished Greek. Clearly not Paul, but very possibly Apollos

Overview

1:5–5:10   7:1–10:18   11:1–13:19

Jesus is amazing!
He’s already past the test and reached glory.
You just have to trust him and you’ll go with him!
house

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How and Why

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The results in our lives

  • We ended last time with

The Test and the Rest

  • Adam failed the test
  • Israel failed the test
  • Why should we be any different?
  • Jesus has turned our test inside out:
    • He passed it for us
    • we have to trust him

We have to be in the house

We have to be in the house

Image source: clipartfest

Hebrews 4:15–5:2

  1. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.
  2. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help…
  3. He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness,
  • Tim Hortons garbage illustration

2. Now we move into the first intermission

Overview

1:5–5:10   7:1–10:18   11:1–13:19

Jesus is amazing!
He’s already past the test and reached glory.
You just have to trust him and you’ll go with him!
house

I
N
T
E
R
M
I
S

How and Why

I
N
T
E
R
M
I
S

The results in our lives

Warning/Encouragement #1

  • So here’s a problem

Hebrews 6:

  1. For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
  2. tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age,
  3. and then have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.
  • On the surface this seems to teach that you can become a Christian and fall away
    • Even worse, that once you have fallen away, you can no longer be forgiven
    • Let’s look at whom this is talking about”
  • received light
  • tasted supernatural power
  • were involved with the Holy Spirit
    • It’s possible to have the power of the Holy Spirit on you and not be truly saved
    • Jesus said “did we not cast out demons in your name...” “I never knew you”
    • I think this is talking about people like Judas
    • The Spirit came on King Saul, prophesied but we know his heart was never changed
  • saw “heaven come down” in miracles
    • but rejected it
  • “Eschatological Intrusion” (The age to come, breaking into this age)

3. The Unforgivable Sin

  • Have you heard of this term?

Unforgivable Sin

  • Matt 12:31–32 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
  • Luke 12:10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”
  • Here is the principle:
  • Whenever the age to come breaks into this age with extraordinary miracles, we also see judgement breaking it
  • It’s like time fast-forwards to the end
  • What were the periods of greatest miracles in the Bible?
  • plagues in Egypt
    • Pharaoh
    • It’s like God said “I’ve given you my best shot” If you don’t believe now, there’s nothing else, so we may as well cut to the judgement
  • miracles in the wilderness
    • Korah & others who rebelled
  • miraculous works of Elijah & Elisha
    • similar judgements
  • Jesus shows the most extraordinay & explict hand of God
    • Some call it the work of the devil —If they don’t believe that, there’s nothing more
  • Early church miracles
    • Ananias & Sapphira lie against the Holy Spirit
  • Summary:
    • When someone has seen the most explicit supernatural power of the Spirit in front of their very eyes
    • And they turn their back on it
    • There’s nothing more because they’ve quenched the Spirit
    • It’s not that they can’t come back, it’s that the Spirit has already done everything for them that he’s going to do
  • So here’s the question:

Can you be a Christian and fall away?

  • John 10
  1. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
  2. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
  3. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
  • Romans 8
  1. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
  2. nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • +Many other verses
  • Can you be united with Jesus and separated?
  • New life, which then dies?
  • But on the other hand, we do have the parable of the four kinds of seeds, which he alludes to:

Hebrews 6

  1. For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God.
  2. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned.
  • Jesus is not talking about Christians who fall away, but people who were never truly saved, yet looked good

4. Conclusions

  • It depends on your perspective
    • From God’s perspective, the ones he has saved cannot ever fall away
    • From our perspective we see people who look like Christians, but they do fall away

Fake Rose

Fake Rose

Image source: clipartfest

But: Hebrews 6:9–12

  1. But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to your salvation.
  2. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints
  3. But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfilment of your hope until the end,
  4. so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.
  • Those who’s salvation is secure
    • have demonstrated love for one another
    • but need to be eager, not sluggish
    • What is needed: persevering faith in the promises

Our response:

  • People who have severe depression frequently believe that they have committed the “unforgivable sin”.
  • However, the very fact that they are even concerned about it is proof that they cannot have committed it:
    • the Spirit stops working in such a person
    • they therefore lose all spiritual concern
  • So what is the purpose of this passage?
    1. To be a wake-up call for people who are good at acting like a Christian, but whose hearts are not renewed
      • If you are at all concerned about whether you are a Christian, please come and talk with me.
    2. To help us know where the edge is to keep away from it

Sheer Drop

Sheer Drop

Image source: ideasgn

  • If you are afraid of heights, do you need a warning sign to keep you from the edge?
  • If nobody has ever actually fallen off, does that mean the sign was a waste of time?
  • This passage is a warning sign to keep away from the edge
    • None of God’s people will every fall off, but that’s partly due to the warning signs!
  • Part of the purpose of talking about the drop is to drive you closer to Jesus

Encouragement

  • Hebrews does not want to leave us sad and anxious
  • Don’t get stuck in introspection, but look at Jesus
  • Link to Hebrews 5:11–6:20
  • The focus in the surrounding passage is not on your weakness, but his power
  • The danger is not that you sin too many times, and eventually Jesus will turn you away and stop forgiving you
  • No, it’s about turning your back on Jesus, and saying all you have seen of his supernatural power is just a delusion
  • Two points for next week:
    1. The person who is truly saved but is a deep backslider
    2. The Christian walking in darkness, and thinking it’s because of sin

Updated on 2017-02-07 by Andrew Fountain