Once Enlightened

[834m3r]

Hey Everyone:

I have a Question:

Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

Maybe Since they Experienced the Fullness of the Holy Ghost and then fell away they lost their chance to receive God again.

But I Believe if a Believer falls into a sinful way of life they can still come back for God’s seed is in them. 1 Jn 3:9.

Also the Word Says “Return to Me and I Will Return to you” Zech 1:3

Praise the Lord for His Salvation.

God Bless

 

[Tenchi]

Hey Everyone:

I have a Question:

Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

Yes. Consider the language of the passage:

Hebrews 6:4-8
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

"Enlightened," "tasted," "shared in."

Can one be partially enlightened? Are there degrees of enlightenment that one can have? Yes. For example, there's Cornelius in chapter 10 of the Book of Acts, who was a "devout man," one who "feared God," gave many alms and feared God always, though he knew nothing of the Gospel. He had some light concerning God, he was partially enlightened and responding positively to that light, but required a more perfect understanding of the Truth; and so, God sent to him the apostle Peter.

This partial enlightenment seems to be what is in view in Hebrew 6:4 because of what is said in the rest of the passage. The "enlightened" have only "tasted" of the heavenly gift and the goodness of the word of God. "Tasted" seems to me to convey a sense of partialness. Typically, if I say I've tasted something, I'm not meaning to indicate I've consumed it entirely. Instead, I mean I've only had a bit of it - a sip, or nibble, of something.

I think this is the sense in which "tasted" is used in the passage, indicating only a partial experience of the "heavenly gift" and the word of God, perhaps a second-hand one of the sort an unsaved person would have who's attached themselves to a community of Christians and partakes superficially - "tastes" - of the life and work of the church.

Are there instances of such people in Scripture? Yes. The apostle Paul called them "false brethren." Jesus referred to them as "tares." Paul actually addressed the matter of the false convert directly (2 Corinthians 13:5-6), as did the apostle John (1 John).

Is it possible, though, for a false convert to share in the Holy Spirit? Yes. How? In the second-hand, superficial manner already mentioned. By participation in the community of the Church, a false convert can share in the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the Church, teaching a Sunday School class, singing in the choir, ushering for a Sunday morning worship service, etc.. Often, though, these false converts reveal their true spiritual condition when, exhausted by trying to live in a Christian way by mere human, fleshly power, they "throw in the towel" and depart the Church (1 John 2:19).

5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

From what would the false convert I think is in view in this passage "fall away"? Well, chiefly from their association with, and experience of, the life and work of the Holy Spirit in and through the Church. In such association, the false convert would have encountered the Gospel (or a contorted or redacted version of it, at least) and perhaps believed they'd understood it, and accepted it, and are saved. But without the life of the Spirit enabling the person to live according to God's will and way, a "falling away" is inevitable, overtly or covertly.

7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

The life of a false convert, devoid of the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit, can only produce spiritual "thorns and thistles." Instead of true Christ-likeness (the "useful crop"), there is a fleshly version of him that the false convert attempts to fashion from themselves. Though concealed to the spiritually-immature by lots of religious noise (Matthew 7:21-23), a false conversion always shows to those in whom the Spirit truly dwells and under who's constant control they live (Titus 1:16).

 

[electedbyHim]

Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

enlightened. They had received instruction in biblical truth which was accompanied by intellectual perception. Understanding the gospel is not the equivalent of regeneration (cf. Heb_10:26, Heb_10:32). In Joh_1:9 it is clear that enlightenment is not the equivalent of salvation. Cf. Heb_10:29.

tasted the heavenly gift. Tasting in the figurative sense in the NT refers to consciously experiencing something (cf. Heb_2:9). The experience might be momentary or continuing. Christ's "tasting" of death (Heb_2:9) was obviously momentary and not continuing or permanent. All people experience the goodness of God, but that does not mean they are all saved (cf. Mat_5:45; Act_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 (John 6). Whether the gift refers to Christ (cf. Joh_6:51; 2Co_9:15) or to the Holy Spirit (cf. Act_2:38; 1Pe_1:12), experiencing either one was not the equivalent of salvation (cf. Joh_16:8; Act_7:51).

partakers of the Holy Spirit. See notes on Heb_2:4. Even though the concept of partaking is used in Heb_3:1; Heb_3:14; and Heb_12:8 of a relationship which believers have, the context must be the final determining factor. This context in verses Heb_6:4-6 seems to preclude a reference to true believers. It could be a reference to their participation, as noted above, in the miraculous ministry of Jesus who was empowered by the Spirit (see notes on Mat_12:18-32; cf. Luk_4:14, Luk_4:18) or in the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit (Joh_16:8) which obviously can be resisted without experiencing salvation (cf. Act_7:51).




Hebrews 6:5 and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

tasted. See note on verse Heb_6:4. This has an amazing correspondence to what was described in Heb_2:1-4 (see notes there). Like Simon Magus (Act_8:9-24), these Hebrews had not yet been regenerated in spite of all they had heard and seen (cf. Mat_13:3-9; Joh_6:60-66). They were repeating the sins of those who died in the wilderness after seeing the miracles performed through Moses and Aaron and hearing the voice of God at Sinai.



Heb 6:6 and having fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

fall away. This Greek term occurs only here in the NT. In the LXX, it was used to translate terms for severe unfaithfulness and apostasy (cf. Eze_14:13; Eze_18:24; Eze_20:27). It is equivalent to the apostasy in Heb_3:12. The seriousness of this unfaithfulness is seen in the severe description of rejection within this verse: they recrucify Christ and treat Him contemptuously (see also the strong descriptions in Heb_10:29). The "impossible" of verse Heb_6:4 goes with "to renew them again to repentance." Those who sinned against Christ in such a way had no hope of restoration or forgiveness (cf. Heb_2:2-3; Heb_10:26-27; Heb_12:25).

The reason is that they had rejected Him with full knowledge and conscious experience (as described in the features of Heb_6:5-6). With full revelation, they rejected the truth, concluding the opposite of the truth about Christ, and thus had no hope of being saved. They can never have more knowledge than they had when they rejected it. They have concluded that Jesus should have been crucified, and they stand with his enemies.

There is no possibility of these verses referring to losing salvation. Many Scripture passages make unmistakably clear that salvation is eternal (cf. Joh_10:27-29; Rom_8:35, Rom_8:38-39; Php_1:6; 1Pe_1:4-5). Those who want to make this verse mean that believers can lose salvation will have to admit that it would then also say that one could never get it back again. See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges.

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
834m3r, Check out the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:3-9 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Some seed fell upon the stones. They germinated but could not sustain life because they had no depth. They were superficial. The trials of life overwhelmed the seeds that had no foundation.

Some seed fell among thorns. They also germinated but were choked out by the thorns. These seeds also grew for a while. But they also had no depth. What got them were the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches thereof. No one can serve two masters.

That is very close to what you are describing, is a not?

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[for_his_glory]

I use to call myself a yo-yo Christian as I can't count how many times I left Him and then ran back to Him. God knows our heart and knows who are His own and those who pretend they are. If one understands the full anointing of the Holy Spirit that indwells the inner Spiritual man and have truly tasted the word of God they are not going to turn away, but want more of Him.

 

[Vinny37]

Hey Everyone:

I have a Question:

Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

Maybe Since they Experienced the Fullness of the Holy Ghost and then fell away they lost their chance to receive God again.

But I Believe if a Believer falls into a sinful way of life they can still come back for God’s seed is in them. 1 Jn 3:9.

Also the Word Says “Return to Me and I Will Return to you” Zech 1:3

Praise the Lord for His Salvation.

God Bless

IMO Heb.6/10 refer to post-Christians, apostates who have left the Christian circle. I hold that while they are staying away (as if crucifying Christ once more), they cannot enjoy God’s family blessings, but that if they repent they can re-enter and enjoy. See ch.7 on the Iron Cage: https://archive.org/details/revisiting-the-pilgrims-progress-230703/page/35/mode/1up

 

[LovethroughDove]

It means, you have been around the gospel your entire life and then you reject. (especially these Christian deconstructioners)

 

[journeymanisnothing]

Hey Everyone:

I have a Question:

Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

Maybe Since they Experienced the Fullness of the Holy Ghost and then fell away they lost their chance to receive God again.

But I Believe if a Believer falls into a sinful way of life they can still come back for God’s seed is in them. 1 Jn 3:9.

Also the Word Says “Return to Me and I Will Return to you” Zech 1:3

Praise the Lord for His Salvation.

God Bless

Hello 834m3r.
I believe he meant any sinner who has heard the gospel and rejected it cannot be forgiven.

You need to understand that no King is conspired against without exacting justice. Treason was committed against God and His Son.
At that time, the Son showed His great compassion for even those who bore false witness against Him. Now He commands repentance from all mankind.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Hey Everyone:
I have a Question:
Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

No.
If they have been enlightened, tasted, and been a partaker of the Holy Ghost, they won't fall away.
Those who appear to have fallen away, manifest that they never repented in the first place.

This leaves the door open for a real repentance that they won't "fall away" from.

Maybe Since they Experienced the Fullness of the Holy Ghost and then fell away they lost their chance to receive God again.

They didn't experience it, as their falling away manifested their false repentance.

But I Believe if a Believer falls into a sinful way of life they can still come back for God’s seed is in them. 1 Jn 3:9.

They can come to Him, but it will be for the first time.

Also the Word Says “Return to Me and I Will Return to you” Zech 1:3

The ways of the OT were sufficient for the OT, because all men walked in the "flesh" back then.
Those in the NT, who have truly repented of sin, and been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their past sins, can now walk in the Spirit instead of in the "flesh".
Those walking in the Spirit, or in the light, (of 1 John 1), won't opt for darkness anymore.

Praise the Lord for His Salvation.

Amen.

God Bless

 

[Tenchi]

nvm

 

[DavidT]

Hey Everyone:

I have a Question:

Could Hebrews 6:4 Mean that Someone Experiences and Feels the Holy Spirit and the Greatness of the Holy Spirit But Ends Up Rejecting and Not Letting Jesus to come into their life.

Maybe Since they Experienced the Fullness of the Holy Ghost and then fell away they lost their chance to receive God again.

But I Believe if a Believer falls into a sinful way of life they can still come back for God’s seed is in them. 1 Jn 3:9.

Also the Word Says “Return to Me and I Will Return to you” Zech 1:3

Praise the Lord for His Salvation.

God Bless

It's about a believer who literally... turns away from Christ after having had experience of the powers of the world to come by The Holy Spirit. And that's basically what that Hebrews 6:4-8 section is saying.

That's about 'accountability', so after had experience of God's gifts, there is no excuse, and no forgiveness left for one that turns away to unbelief/or following the ways of the world and the devil.

That is actually what the unpardonable sin is about; only those in Christ that had at one time tasted of the Heavenly gifts as PROOF, then fall away to unbelief can commit it.

 

[Anaphora]

Hebrews chapter 6:4. To accept Jesus as your salvation. If the individual has received the holy spirit, and blessings.

Hebrews 6:6 . If all shepherds teach is salvation and baptism and peace. It's milk. Their already saved. The pastor or priest needs to get to meat of God's word. Keeping congregation on milk bottles, deprives them of spirtual growth.

It's a insult to Jesus, for shepherds to keep feeding milk bottles to their flocks.

Get away from shepherd who wont teach meat of God's word. You need spirtual growth.

I recommend shepherds chapel. There on YouTube. The pastor teaches sound doctrine.
Its your decision.