HEBREWS 6:4-7, C. H. Cayce “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, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.”
This text is often relied upon to prove the possibility of a child of God apostatizing and being finally lost. To our mind the text teaches the very opposite. If a child of God— one who has been born from above—should fall away, then Christ would necessarily be compelled to come back to this world, suffer and die again. Thus He would be put to an open shame. Failure would be stamped upon His work. But He will never suffer and die again. His work was complete and effectual. He cannot be put to an open shame. He cannot be crucified again. Therefore it is impossible for one of His children to fall away and be finally lost. The Primitive Baptist, February 18, 1913.
This language is often quoted by those who believe in the possibility of final apostasy in their effort to substantiate that theory. The argument is made that the expression, “if they shall fall away,” implies that it is possible for one to so fall away as to be finally lost. Or, that it, at least, implies a possibility that they fall away, and that therefore they may fall; and if they do fall, it must be a final fall as it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Instead, however, of the apostle teaching the possibility of apostasy in this text, he is plainly teaching the very opposite of that theory. To our mind it is one of the strong statements in support of the God-honoring and soul-cheering doctrine of the final preservation of all the saints to glory.
In the first place we wish to notice, briefly, what the idea that he is here teaching the possibility of apostasy would involve. If, for argument’s sake, we grant that it is possible for one to fall away, the apostle tells us it is impossible to renew him again unto repentance. The apostle Peter (2 Pet. 1:5-6,7,9-10) says, “And beside this,”— that is, beside what God has done for you which made you partakers of the divine nature— “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” If Paul is arguing the possibility of final apostasy in Heb. 6:4-6, then they fall in that sense when they fail to do the things commanded, or admonished, by Peter. If they fail to add either virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness or charity, then they fall away, and Paul puts up an eternal bar to their ever entering eternal joys by saying it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Why would it be impossible to renew them again unto repentance? “Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” The Son of God was crucified once for them, and has given them the divine life, they have been made partakers of the divine nature, or partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the heavenly gift and the good word of God and the powers of the world to come; and now, after all this has been done for them, if they fall away the Son of God must be crucified again. If they fall away they cannot be renewed again unto repentance; the death of Christ in their behalf was a failure, and He must now be crucified again and make another effort in their salvation. But the Son of God can never be crucified again; His death was not a failure; so instead of it being possible for them to fall, it is impossible for them to do so. Again, if they fall away after all has been done for them which we see has been done, then the Son of God is put to an open shame. Why and how would He be put to an open shame? If one of them should fall away, it could be said, Here is one for whom Christ died, shed His blood for him, suffered for him, was buried for him, arose for him, ascended to the Father and interceded for him, made him partaker of the Holy Ghost, gave him to taste of the heavenly gift and the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and all this has failed to land him safely in glory— he has fallen away at last— and the Son of God, therefore, put to an open shame. But the Son of God will not be put to an open shame. Therefore they cannot fall away. This is just what the apostle is teaching— that they cannot fall away.
The language is in the form of a hypothesis. This is one of the strongest ways of establishing the truthfulness of a proposition. To prove the truthfulness of the proposition the impossible opposite of the original, or true, proposition is supposed, and the result of the supposition argued. This failing, then the proposition reverts back to the original, and the truthfulness of the original thereby established. So, upon this mode of reasoning the proposition supposed is “if they shall fall away.” This is the impossible opposite of that which is true; but supposing it is true, the reasoning is that Christ must be crucified again, and that He would be put to an open shame. But Christ cannot be crucified again, and cannot be put to an open shame; and as He cannot be crucified again nor put to an open shame, then the supposition cannot be true that one may fall away, and the original proposition is established.
The apostle uses the same manner of reasoning in 1Cor. 15:13-15. “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.” He goes on with the same manner of reasoning in verses 16, 17 and 18. But what professed Christian will argue that Christ was not raised from the dead? We all believe with all our hearts that Christ was raised from the dead. But Christ was not raised if there is no resurrection of the dead; that is, if our bodies are never to be raised from the dead, then Christ was not raised. In this place the apostle again supposes the impossible opposite of that which is true— he supposes there is no resurrection of the dead, that our bodies will never be raised, then argues the result of that position, which is that Christ is not raised, their preaching was vain, the faith of the saints was vain and the apostles were false witnesses. All these things were true if there is to be no resurrection of our bodies. But is it true that the apostles were false witnesses, the faith of the saints vain, the preaching of the apostles vain, and the body of Christ not raised— are these things true? No, a thousand times, no. Then if they are not true, the supposition upon which they rest cannot be true, and the truthfulness of the original proposition is established, that there is to be a resurrection of the body. The reasoning here is precisely the same, upon the same hypothesis, as that in Heb. 6:4-6.
How could it be true that the apostle is teaching the possibility of final apostasy in verses 4, 5 and 6, when other language in the same chapter is so clearly in opposition to that idea? It cannot be. He begins to argue, as we have seen, by showing the result if any should fall away; all this argument showing conclusively the truthfulness of the proposition he starts out to prove— the certainty of the final salvation of all the saints. Though he argues thus, he says in verse 9, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” He is persuaded better things of them than that one of them will ever be finally lost, because the original proposition is true, all God’s people are finally saved. Although he would reason upon a hypothesis, though he would thus speak, yet he is persuaded the supposition is not true. Dear child of God, are you not also persuaded of the same thing? Are you not persuaded that the apostle was correct in his reasoning, and that not one of the Lord’s little ones shall ever perish?
Now, remember that “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”— Gal. 3:29. “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”— Tit. 1:2. If they are heirs according to promise, and the promise is eternal life; and God, who made the promise, cannot lie, then not one of them will ever perish.
See what a glorious promise God has made, and confirmed that promise with an oath, as recorded by Paul in Heb. 6:17-20: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth to that within the vail; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” God’s counsel is immutable (this is one of the two immutable things), and it was His counsel or design that they should never perish. It being His counsel or design that they should never perish, He promised them eternal life. God’s promise is immutable, because it is impossible for God to lie. So His promise is another one of the two immutable things. As God’s promise is immutable, and as He promised them eternal life, not one of them will ever perish. God has not only made the promise, but He has confirmed that promise with an oath. He could swear by no one greater than Himself, because He is greater than all, so He sware by Himself. Then if one of these to whom He has promised eternal life, and confirmed the promise with an oath, should ever perish, then God has not only failed to fulfill His promise, but has also sworn falsely. Oh, horrible thought that men would go so far in their self-righteous esteem and arrogant presumption as to argue a doctrine that would bring our blessed and holy and merciful and loving Benefactor so low! “Oh, shame, where is thy blush?” Our God is faithful and true. His promises are all sure— they are immutable, He will not— He cannot— fail to do what He has sworn to do. He has sworn by His holiness that He will not lie unto David, and David impersonated or represented Jesus in this, and that promise He swore He would not lie about was that His seed or His children should endure forever. Oh, how safe, how secure, how sure is the final salvation and future happiness of all the Lord’s little children. They are poor and tempest-tossed and tried pilgrims here, only sojourners, as it were, in a strange land. But cheer up, dear ones, hold up your heads; no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. Jesus has conquered the last enemy for you, and even though you pass through the dark scene of death your sleeping dust will one day obey the heavenly voice of King Jesus and come forth again. “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”— Col. 3:4. Your blessed, sweet hope is an anchor of the soul and is sure and steadfast. It will never give way; it will sustain you in the hour of death, and on the other side of the dark river that sweet hope will be swallowed up in the reality, for then we “shall see face to face.” Our dear father passed away trusting in and resting on this blessed hope. The last discourse we ever heard him deliver was on the subject of this blessed hope. It was sufficient to sustain him in life, and sustained him in his last hours, and it is sufficient for us all.
The Primitive Baptist, November 20, 1906.
C. H. Cayce By the term, or the word, “leaving” in verse 1 the apostle does not mean to “forsake,” but not to continue along that particular line all the time. The principles of the doctrine are not to be lost sight of, but there is something else to consider in addition to that. We should go on in the service of God, and contend for the true and right service of the Lord, and not be along the line of the defense of the doctrine all the time. In order that God be honored and His name glorified by us here in the world it is necessary that we go on in His service, doing the things He has commanded, as well as to remember and contend for the principles of His doctrine.
The fundamental principles of the doctrine of God are as a foundation; they serve as a foundation. All true and acceptable service to God must rest upon those fundamental principles of doctrine. But we are not to continue working at the laying of the foundation all the time. Lay the foundation, and then go to work in building on that foundation. The only foundation worth building upon is the doctrine of God our Saviour—and we are not to forget any of the fundamental principles of that doctrine.
The blood of Christ applied to the conscience by the Spirit of God is that which purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. See Hebrews ix. 13, 14. This is the work of God, and is not to be lost sight of. It is an independent work—that is, it is done independently of the work of the sinner or any human being. This is a part of the foundation, but we are not to talk of that all the time. It should be impressed, and advocated, a part of the time, but not all the time. It is one of the things necessary to be done in order that we be able to go on. The same is true in all the fundamental principles of the doctrine of God our Saviour. It is not necessary here to refer to, or to take up, all the fundamental principles of that doctrine. Suffice to say that five fundamental points of that doctrine, more especially, are, election—God’s sovereign choice of sinners of Adam’s race to be heirs of glory; predestination (He predestinated His chosen ones to be conformed to the image of His Son); effectual calling (the Holy Spirit effectually calls those chosen ones out of nature’s night and darkness and translates them into the marvelous light and liberty of the children of God); final preservation of the saints (they are preserved in Jesus Christ); and, finally, the resurrection of the dead; the bodies of the saints to be changed and made spiritual and to be glorified and made like Jesus, and the bodies of the unjust to be raised to condemnation (John v. 25, 28, 29). These principles of the doctrine of Christ, or of the doctrine of God, are the foundation upon which true service must be built and upon which the same must rest.
Let us not continue to work on this foundation all the time—that is, do not continue all the time in laying the foundation; but let us lay this foundation, and then go on upon that foundation unto perfection. Does he mean to go on unto a state of sinless perfection? No; but to a state of Christian perfection. Sinless perfection is one thing and Christian perfection is another thing. The Scriptures are given “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy iii. 16). By building on this foundation—going on in doing the things the Scriptures teach, and leaving undone everything the Scriptures do not teach, we may attain to that state of perfection in the service of God which He requires. “Let us go on unto perfection.” It seems to us that the apostle uses this ex- pression as an encouragement to the Lord’s little children to strive to this end. Evidently this is not a state of sinless perfection, because He says in Gal. v. 17, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” What would you do? Sure you would live above and without and free from sin, but you cannot do that. There is a warfare continually in the child of God as long as he lives in this world of sorrow and trouble, and he cannot attain to a state of sinless perfection in this life. But though this be true, we should “go on unto perfection”—a state of Christian perfection, or state of perfection in service. Let us strive to that end. Let us not be weary in well doing. These things to do in order to that end are the things the Lord has commanded, the things the Scriptures teach, and to leave undone and to let alone all the inventions and commandments of men.
“And this will we do, if God permit.” Here is a promise of the Lord’s help. Let us go on in His service, relying upon Him, trusting Him. Let us not wait to see if men will approve or whether they will condemn. The Lord is a very present help in time of need.
The certainty and the infallibility of the work of God is an encouragement here presented for God’s little children. “For it is impossible for those who were once enhghtened * * * * 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.” Jesus died for them to redeem them from all iniquity and to bring them to God, that they might live with Him in eternal glory. If one of them should fall away from that divine relationship with Him, then the work of Christ would prove a failure in that case, and He would be put to an open shame. It would become necessary for Him to leave His home in glory and come into this world and die again. He is alive forevermore, and will never die again. His work is perfect (Deut. xxxii. 4). Therefore these persons shall never fall away and be finally lost. This should encourage the Lord’s little children to press on in His service and to honor and glorify His blessed name while [pg 165] they live in the world. Let us go on in His blessed and sweet and delightful service. The Primitive Baptist, November 14, 1929.