Hey, Mike and the IWWB team,
I hope all is well with everyone.

I have a question that has troubled me for some time now. I hope you can give me a better understanding on this particular subject. In Hebrews 6 verses 4, 5 and 6 it says 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 to repentance. I sometimes worry that I have done that. I need a better understanding of this.

I have read about willful sin on the IWWB web site and have even asked you a question on the subject of this sin, yet for some reason I feel these two subjects  (Heb 6 and the willful sin of Heb 10) are connected. Wouldn’t it be willful to fall away? I ask this because I have come to see that I would rather enjoy the pleasure of sin. I really want to be free of this burden of sin, but the more I try, the worse it seems to get. It’s hard to find peace in this situation. I feel like I have turned my back on God at times. Thank you for help and all that you do through your website.
P____

Good morning P____,

It is good to hear from you, even if it is in the midst of your trials. As I feel sure you already know, it is God who is working this trial in your life, and this trial in your life was known to Him before the world began.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

Eph 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love.

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Having lived through exactly what you are expressing here, please let me assure you that no one with such a repentant attitude is in the state of being “impossible of being renewed to repentance.” Read both of those sections of Hebrews again, and you will see that the word ‘for’ in Hebrews 6:4 connects what is said in the first three verses concerning those who refuse to “leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on unto perfection.” In other words, the point is that those who consider milk to be strong meat cannot be forced by either of us to repent of what they do not see. Sadly, this is the lot of us all as long as we are of that mind. So what happens to one in that state?

Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

There is no one who gets to the tree of life without going through the cherubims with the burning fiery swords. That is simply the “way of the tree of life.”

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

The same message is delivered in Hebrews 10:

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

There is that word ‘for’ again. It is the Greek word ‘gar’ which connects verse 26 with the thoughts of the preceding verses. The preceding verses are all about “the law having a shadow of good things to come, but not the very image” which is exactly what Christ is. It is right here in this same book.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again [made] of sins every year.
Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Heb 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Christ is the body casting the shadow. Christ is in the light, and in Him we, too are in that light, “the express image of  the things.” Neither of these verses, either in chapter 4 or chapter 10, are intended to cause the despair that you and I, and many thousands before us, have experienced. We are all the recipients of God’s wrath on all our unrighteousnesses. Here are the verses:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So then the only question is when do we experience this wrath of God against our unrighteousnesses? Will it be now, suffering the fiery torment of His chastening, scourging, burning out the wood, hay and stubble within, or will it happen in spirit bodies in the lake of fire.

The fact that you are experiencing that fire now is really a very good thing. You are repentant. The law of Moses was the milk of the day, and that was the point being made in both Hebrews 4 and 10. That is where the whole world is. They crucify the Lord afresh when they fail to acknowledge their own sickness, deafness, blindness and their lost condition.

Luk 5:31  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mar 7:37  And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

You are not blind now. We are all blind at one time, and we have all crucified the Lord afresh at one time, and “we were all by nature children of wrath, even as others,” but God has given you repentance and the ability to acknowledge your sin. Both of the verses you reference are written in regard to those who have seen much but cannot go on unto perfection. It is a condition common to us all in our time and for most it will only be remedied in the lake of fire.

So why were those verses written, if this this simply common to mankind? The answer is right there preceding the verse in question:

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Love is obedience. Love is not good works toward our brothers as much as it is obedience to God. When we obey, we love. Nothing else is love of either God or our brothers. In many cases what we consider love is actually nothing more than enabling one to continue in sin.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

… and lest we be confused as to what is the ‘love of God,’ John makes it very clear what the love of God is by which we know that we love our brothers.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

So the spirit will never enable us to continue in sin and will instead provoke us to love and good works. We are reminded that those who see no need to go on unto perfection, those who think that since they are still sinning it is not possible to overcome sin, those who buy that lie, really are “crucifying the Son of God afresh.”

I am writing to tell you to be patient and let the revelation of Jesus Christ work its work in you. The book of revelation is full of many great evils and many great sins, and those sins are all in the church of God. That is an integral part of the revelation of Jesus Christ. You will fall seven times, and the number seven signifies ‘completely’. You and I are complete failures. Coming to see our own complete helplessness is the most trying and tormenting part of the revelation of Jesus Christ which we must “keep.”

Pro 24:16  For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

This is what Christ told Peter about forgiving the sins of our brothers:

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

“Seventy time seven” means without end. We are to go as far as to love those who hate us. Christ immediately has words proceeding from His mouth which tell us what we all do instead of forgiving our brothers, but when we are all judged, the utmost farthing is paid, and the wood, hay and stubble is burned out.

Your sins and your weaknesses will be burned out of you. It seems so very far away just now, but it is as sure as the rising of the sun tomorrow. You will soon enough loathe and feel repulsed by the very things which now seem so irresistible.

You possess your soul in your patience, and you are saved by hope. We all want what we hope for, and we all want patience, but we all want both right now, and that just isn’t the way it works:

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

So take heart, you will be brought to see just how seriously this matter of sin is, but you are an overcomer, and you will, through patience and hope, and through Christ in you doing what is impossible for you to do on your own, in your appointed time, overcome “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” In so doing, Christ in you will be given dominion over sin in your life. You are sin as long as you are flesh, but you will be given dominion over sin. It is but a matter of time, a matter of patience and hope.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is [being] crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

I have inserted and bracketed the word ‘being’ because that is how the Greek reads. Salvation is a process which lasts a lifetime and requires patience and hope to the end.

I hope this helps to give you peace of mind, not to continue in sin, but to understand that as long as you do continue in sin you will be burdened and tormented for the needed outcome of repenting and overcoming. You will do both, but it takes many long and painful years to get to that point. No one escapes judgment, but God will finish what He has begun in you.

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Your brother who knows from experience,
Mike