THE DANGER OF FALLING AWAY.
Hebrews 6: 4 - 8 For as touching those who were once enlightened, and tasted of the Heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receive blessing from God: But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.
Continuing with The Third Warning
Hebrews 5:11 - 6: 20
Against Sloth, Standing Still and Apostasy
Let us press on to perfection. For as touching those who were once enlightened, and fall away, it is impossible to renew them again. The argument is one of unspeakable solemnity. It is in the Christian life as with all progress amid difficulties. In commerce, in study, in war, it is so often said: there is no safety but in advance. To stand still is to go back. To cease effort is to lose ground. To slacken the pace, before the goal is reached, is to lose the race. The only sure mark of our being True Christians, of our Loving Christ, is the deep longing and the steady effort to Know more of Him. Tens of thousands have proved that to be content with beginning well is but the first step on a backward course, that ends in losing all. The whole point of the argument from the case of those who fall away is--- Let us press on to perfection.
To realize its force we must specially note two things with regard to those who fall away: the height which they may have attained, and the irrecoverable depth into which they sink. As to the former, five expressions are used. They were once enlightened; tasted of the Heavenly Gift; were made partakers of the Holy Ghost; tasted the good Word of God; and the powers of the age to come. As to the latter, we are told: Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame: it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance.
The question which always at once suggests itself here has reference to the Scripture Truth of the perseverance of the saints, in which so many saints of God have found their strength and their joy. Our Lord Jesus spoke of His sheep (John 10: 28), "I give to them Eternal Life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, which has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." Where He gives the Eternal Life to a soul, it is a Life that cannot be lost.
This is the Divine side of the Truth. Every Truth has two sides. The only way to apprehend the Truth fully is to look at each side as if it were the whole, and yield ourselves to its full force. There is a human side too. Scripture speaks most solemn words of warning in regard to the possibility of receiving the Grace of God in vain, of beginning well, and then falling away from Grace (2 Cor. 6:1; Gal. 5: 4). Our Lord spoke more than once of the man who receives the word with joy, but had no root in himself: he only believes for a while. In a time of revival, of mighty spiritual influences, as in Corinth and Galatia, many were mightily affected and even manifestly changed, who in after times proved that they never had been truly born again; they had not received Eternal Life. It is of such our text speaks. It is possible to have the emotions touched and the will affected without the heart being truly renewed. The Gifts of the Spirit may be received without His Graces. The joy of light in the mind may be mistaken for life in the soul. And so some, who were counted true believers by man, may fall away beyond hope of renewal.
And how, then, are we to know who truly have received Eternal Life? And what is the mark of its being no mere superficial or temporary change? There is no mark by which man can decide. The only sure sign that the perseverance of the saints will be ours is ---perseverance in sainthood, in Sanctification and Obedience. We are His House, we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast, firm to the end. My assurance of Salvation is not something I can carry with me as a railway ticket or a bank note, to be used, as occasion calls. No, God's seal to my soul is the Holy Spirit; it is in a life in the Spirit that my safety lies; it is when I am led by the Spirit that the Spirit bears witness with my spirit, and that I can cry Abba, Father (Rom. 8: 14-16). Jesus not only gives, but is Himself our life. My assurance of Salvation is alone to be found in the Living fellowship with the Living Jesus in Love and Obedience.
This is what we see in verses 7 and 8. The land which has drunk the rain, and brings forth herbs, Receives Blessing from God: if it bears thorns, it is rejected. The soul that is content with drinking in the rain, and only seeks its own happiness, without bearing fruit, has every reason to fear. It is in growth and fruitfulness, in the exercising the senses to discern good and evil, in pressing on to perfection, in following our Forerunner in the path in which He was perfected, by Obedience to God's Will, that we Know that we have Eternal Life.
The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. Let each one of us yield to its (HIS) searching power. Anything like sloth, and resting content in our beginnings, is unspeakably dangerous. Nothing will do but to give more abundant heed ---to give diligence to enter into the rest, and with our whole heart to press on to perfection.
1. Self-deception is a solemn possibility. Our only safeguard is God, the surrender to His searching Light, the Trust in His faithfulness, the giving up to His Will. At the footstool of the Throne no soul can perish.
2. To press on unto perfection is a command not meant for a select few, but for all, and specially the backward and feeble ones. Beware of any suggestion that would make you evade the force of this command and immediate obedience to it. Let your only answer be Yes, Lord. Open your eyes and heart to the state of all around you, who are slothful and at ease, lagging behind, and help them. By reason of the time you ought to be teachers.
BY THE REV. ANDREW MURRAY
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