“If they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
– Hebrews 6:6
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you consider yourselves being Calvinists or Armenians? A guy, gal or kid who has adopted Calvinistic teachings believes that he or she can never under any circumstance lose his or her salvation. A guy, gal or kid who has adopted Arminianism teachings believes that he or she under some circumstances can lose his or her salvation. Do you believe that you cannot lose your salvation or do you believe that you can lose your salvation? The author of the Hebrews Book – in Hebrews 6, opened up a Pandora’s box when he mentions falling away as if falling away is a possibility for a guy, gal or kid who was led by God – as God the Spirit, to experience a radical life correction after he or she was led by God – as God the Spirit, through the faith/grace door to be a born again, to have a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus Christ – God – as God the Son, to receive the gift of eternal life and to sense the joy of experiencing the affirming presence of the Holy Spirit – God – as God the Spirit. A Calvinistic verse – verses 6, says, “If they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Your grandpaa believes that if a new Christ-follower guy, gal or kid accepts being a disciple and as a disciple, receives teaching, mentoring and/or coaching from enabled guys and gals on elementary Biblical truths and/or fundamental canonical doctrines that the new Christ-follower guy, gal or kid will have foundational, underpinning knowledge to stand firm and remain faithful in his or her new faith. Your grandpaa believes that as a guy, gal or kid is led by God – as God the Spirit, to pass through the faith/grace door, the guy, gal or kid sheds all the sins that he or she has committed, is committing and will ever commit by confessing and repenting of those sins at the moment that he or she internalizes what took place for him or her on the blood stained cross on which Jesus Christ – God – as God the Son, died. Your grandpaa believes that as a guy, gal or kid is led by God – as God the Spirit, to pass through the faith/grace door, the guy, gal or kid shakes loose from a domain filled with darkness and that a new implanted faith gift in God – God the Father, will have him or her enter into a realm filled with light. Your grandpaa believes that after a guy, gal or kid is led by God – as God the Spirit, to pass through the faith/grace door and as he or she joins the growing family of Christ-followers, the guy, gal or kid has an innate desire to identify – through a literal water baptism, what Jesus Christ – God as God the Son, did for him or her when He suffered and died on a cross for the guys, gals and kids who God – as God the Father, specially elected to be His adopted kids.
In the missive that God – as God the Spirit, inspired the author of the Hebrews Book to write, the importance of laying on of hands and the resurrection of the dead and eternal life are fleshed out. The Hebrews Book author also felt it very important as God – as God the Spirit, stirred him to write it, to tell his readers of his book that God is not unjust, that God will not forget His especially elected guys, gals and kids and what they have done, do and will do for Him and that He will always continue to help His specially elected guys, gals and kids. The Hebrews Book author also emphasizes – as God – as God the Spirit, is having him write what he is writing, that because God is righteous and immutable, God cannot lie as God does not have it in His holy character to be able to lie. Just when it seems like everything falls on God to keep a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid on a track to diligently and faithfully serve Him, God – through Himself – as Spirit, puts it back on each Christ-follower guy, gal and kid to not be lazy but to do what guys, gals and kids have done who have diligently to the very end patiently kept their faith in God.
Your grandmaa and grandpaa found it rather disconcerting the number of times that one of the members of the Aberdeen Christian & Missionary Alliance Church – the church that your grandmaa and grandpaa joined when they lived in Aberdeen, South Dakota, went up to the front of the church after an evangelistic call to make again another decision of faith. The gal honestly believed that she could lose her salvation for whatever reason – such as having made a poor life choice akin to a sin. Or she sincerely believed that walking up front to again make another decision of faith would further insure her of a heavenly home. This in her mind necessitated her having to go to the front of the church whenever possible after an evangelistic call to make still another decision of faith. When your grandmaa one day asked Don McKaughan – a deeper life speaker, about her salvation insecurity, Don McKaughan’s response to your grandmaa was ‘you would not begin to be as concerned about your salvation as you are right now if you had not already made a decision of faith’. Your grandpaa equates the faith/grace door to a prison cell door which can only be reopened by God to allow a guy, gal or kid to pass back through the door into the dark domain – which your grandpaa believes that God would never do after He has unconditionally welcomed a guy, gal or kid into His realm of holy light – into the body of God – as God the Son. Your grandpaa believes that when a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid was ransomed and regenerated when Jesus died on a cross, he or she will always be in God’s Calvinistic jail.
Hebrews 6 (988)