Eternal Security

Does Hebrews 6:4-6 teach that a true believer can lose his salvation?

First lets talk about what a Christian has from God. 

1. A Christian is a new creation - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new creature as a result of being “in Christ.” For a Christian to lose his/her salvation, the new creation would have to be canceled and reversed.

2. A Christian is redeemed - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The word “redeemed” refers to a purchase being made, a price being paid. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to revoke His purchase that He paid for with the precious blood of Christ.

3. A Christian is justified - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). To “justify” means to “declare righteous.” All those who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous” by God. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and “un-declare” what He had previously declared.

4. A Christian is promised eternal life - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Eternal life is a promise of eternity (forever) in heaven with God. God promises, “Believe and you will have eternal life.” For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be taken away. If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then can God break this promise by taking away eternal life?

5. A Christian is guaranteed glorification - “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). As we learned in Romans 5:1, justification is declared at the moment of faith. According to Romans 8:30, glorification is guaranteed for all those whom God justifies. Glorification refers to a Christian receiving a perfect resurrection body in heaven. If a Christian can lose salvation, then Romans 8:30 is in error, because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and justifies.

So just to recap a Christian cannot be un-newly created. Redemption cannot be undone. Eternal life cannot be lost and still be considered eternal. If a Christian can lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and change His mind—two things that Scripture tells us God never does. (Mal 3:6, James 1:17, Num 23:19).

So back to the passage does Hebrews 6 teach that we can lose our salvation?

No. In that passage, the writer of Hebrews is speaking to the unsaved who have heard the truth and acknowledged it, but who have hesitated to embrace Christ. The Holy Spirit warns them, “You had better come to Christ now, for if you fall away now it will be impossible for you to come again to the point of repentance.” They were at the best point for repentance–full knowledge. To fall back from that would be fatal.

You cant fall out of salvation and then regain it again and then fall out and get God's grace again. It makes no sense at all. It is a slap in the face towards Christ saying that he could not accomplish a secured salvation for those whom would believe.

You would also then have to say scripture is wrong when God says that our names are written in the lambs book of life before the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8, 17:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:13) Because our salvation is no longer decreed as declared in the Bible but up to me. If I could lose my salvation I would every single day.

 Breaking down the verse a little bit:

They had once been enlightened -  They had heard the gospel of the grace of God. They were not in darkness concerning the way of salvation. Judas Iscariot had been enlightened but he rejected the light. They had the knowledge of God disclosed in the gospel message. Understanding the gospel is not the equivalent of regeneration

They tasted the heavenly gift - The experience might be momentary or continuing. Christ's “tasting” of death (Hebrews 2:9) was obviously momentary and not continuing or permanent. All men experience the goodness of God (they are not judged now but enjoy the pleasures of life), but that does not mean they are all saved (Mt 5:45; Acts 17:25). Many Jews, during the Lord's earthly ministry experienced the blessings from heaven He brought-in healings and deliverance from demons, as well as eating the food He created miraculously (Jn 6). Whether the gift refers to Christ (Jn 6:51; 2 Co 9:15) or to the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 1Pe 1:12), experiencing either one was not the equivalent of salvation (Jn 16:8; Ac 7:51). It is possible to taste without eating or drinking. When men offered wine mixed with gall to Jesus on the cross, He tasted it but He would not drink it (Mat 27:34). It is not enough to taste Christ; unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, that is, unless we truly receive Him as Lord and Savior, we have no life in us (Joh 6:53).

They had become partakers of the Holy Spirit -  Before we jump to the conclusion that this necessarily implies conversion, we should remember that the Holy Spirit carries on a pre-conversion ministry in men's lives. He sanctifies unbelievers (1Co 7:14), putting them in a position of external privilege. He convicts unbelievers of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (Joh 16:8). He leads men to repentance and points them to Christ as their only hope. Men may thus partake of the Holy Spirit's benefits without being in-dwelt by Him. You see this also take place for example with King Saul of the OT who was not a true believer (1 Sam 11:16).

Verse 7-8 - The same water that is dropped on the ground gets absorbed but then it is what the ground produces that determines whether it is burned or not. Just like the Gospel message. Everyone heres the Gospel message but it matters what happens after the message is given. You can be enlightened, you can taste and you can even be a partaker but if you don't produce fruit then it will be know and you will be sent to be burned.

Lastly in verse 9 - the writers switches who he is talking about from "Those" now to "Beloved" and is saying but look this isn't true of your guys! You guys are believers!!! And continues to talk about the promise of God.

The believer never should fear he/she will lose their salvation. They cannot! The Bible is absolutely clear about that. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 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” 

• John 10:27-29 - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 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.

• Rom. 8:35-39 - Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Phil 1:6 - For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

• 1 Pet. 1:4-5 - to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

• Jude 24 - Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

• 1 John 1 5:13 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

In conclusion how do you feel about your salvation? Do you still think it can be undone or that you when Jesus said you must be born again that He meant you can be born again and again and again? Please let me know your thoughts below.