... I have been told in the past, by pastors and other Christians, that if you stray from God or "backslide", God will forgive you and take you back if you want to return to Him. But it states in Hebrews 6:4-6 the following: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 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." ..... SO..... which is it? Am I misinterpreting this verse? Will the Lord take you back if you have strayed from Him and ask His forgiveness, or are you damned for all eternity if you stray from Him even once?
2006-08-26 22:12:14 · 16 answers · asked by Lisa W 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, you are not damned if you are truly saved yet stray from the Lord. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son to emphasize that. You can read it in Luke chapter 15. The passage in Hebrews 6 is a difficult one to interpret; but when you look at in light of the whole counsel of God it cannot mean that one can lose their salvation. I woud be glad to give you a better explanation of it; but in this limited space I have I want to talk about eternal security. You can e-mail if you want and we will discuss Hebrews 6.
Jesus said of those who trusted in Him as Lord & Savior, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:27-29). In Ephesians we learn what happens to us the moment we get saved. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14). The moment you trusted Christ as your personal Savior you were "sealed" with the Holy Spirit. He is inside you. He is not coming out. Also, He was given to you a pledge--or a downpayment of your future inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
In Romans 8:38-39 we see that nothing--not even our sinful selves can separate us from Christ. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
My friend, you are only saved by placing your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the cross as payment for your sins. You cannot undo what Christ did at the cross. If you have backslidden, confess your sins to God; thank Him for His forgiveness; and move on.
The best book I have ever read on eternal security is "Eternal Security" by Charles Stanley. You can get at many Christian bookstores, or I will be glad to send it to you free.
believer_in_jesus37421@yahoo.com
2006-08-26 23:10:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a confusing verse (like many are). God knows we will sin. He knows we will stray from Him more than once in our lifetime. There are temptations around us all the time. He will forgive us if we are truly, truly, truly sorry and ask for His forgiveness. Not only His forgiveness but we should ask for His help and guidance and support to keep us on the right track. Without His forgiveness, our souls are stained and cannot enter Heaven. Only perfection can enter Heaven (that's in the bible also). Sins are our wrongdoings that we consciously know are wrong, against God's laws, yet we still choose to do them.
Continue reading Hebrews 6. It's sometimes hard to figure out one or two verses. We need to read the entire chapterand the entire book. When we ask for forgiveness God knows in our hearts how we feel about what we did. Then He determines whether we are sorry or are just saying the words. Like a child quickly saying "sorry" so he can go back outside to play. Is he really sorry? Did he really think about his actions and how they effected people? Or does he just want to get away from his parents because they yelled at him?
Personal thought- there are a lot of questions about forgiveness tonight (this morning). I wonder if people actually know what sin is. And how their actions and words affect the people around them.
2006-08-26 22:45:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Repent with your whole heart and if you can't find the words.... then you can communicate your feelings to God and he will understand. Be humble before him and remember that you are his child.
How many times would you forgive your child? 1000 times? what if after all that... your child burns down the family home... will you hate that child? I don't think so. I think you may be very angry but you would soon forgive that child eventually. Can you forgive your enemies? Forgiveness is a two way street. I'm not telling you to be a door mat but be more understanding to those that piss you off. Forget the past and live for the future. Remember the story of the prodical son.
May you find peace in knowing that you are still loved by God.
Aloha Ke Akua...... God is Love.
2006-08-26 22:42:19 · answer #3 · answered by KeAhi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If an anointed person, willfully starts to sin, hence; fall away..it is impossible to revive that person to repentance.
In Revelation 2 and 3, the churches have allot of problems. Some there are counseled to repent. They are obviously still serving God, but with errors. Some, however, are into the deep things of Satan, and are part of the synagogue of Satan, while calling themselves Christians.
In general, for some who have left God, this applies; Malachi 3:7 ..return to me, and I will return to you.
2006-08-27 14:54:29 · answer #4 · answered by tina 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Excellent question! I believe that God does indeed know your heart. If you read the verses just prior to vs 4-6, it explains alot. The Bible is referrring to those who are educated enough and experienced enough to be at a higher level in there faith. God expects more of those who know and understand more. So did you truely "fall away" or were you just drifting? Read more, pray more, and get lots of opinions from people who you trust and believe are truly right with God.
2006-08-26 22:30:47 · answer #5 · answered by ilovelucy 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you mean as "falling away". Is it exploring other religions or simply not practising your faith?I understand that if taken literally it would be confusing. But in my opinion, I think it has more to do with faith. If you stray away, you are possibly exploring other religions/ways of thinking etc., if you "come back" it may be seen as not being faithful to begin with. In my opinion, God asks you to believe, not to explore other routes and return to Him once all options have been explored. God wants true faith, not to be seen as a stand-by. If you have simply lost faith or feel disconnected due to a tragedy that is different. I believe that depending on the situation, God will forgive. We are all His children, and no matter what He loves us.
2006-08-26 22:22:34 · answer #6 · answered by New Mommy! 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is my understanding that if you are led astray, by evil doers, then ask for forgiveness you are forgiven. If you purposely stray, just knowing all you have to do is ask for forgiveness, then you will not be forgiven for whatever you did. That meaning is once you are 'enlightened' you are entering into a bond with God, if you purposely break that bond then you will have to explain to God why you did that, not through prayer but when you meet him when you die.
2006-08-27 01:51:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Backsliding and a total falling away are dif.
BS = A sin which can be forgiven when you come to repentence humbly and honestly.
A falling away = Turning ur back on God after believing and recieving forgivness. A total willingness to sin without remorse.
Peace! :)
2006-08-26 22:21:23 · answer #8 · answered by helives11_112001 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is possible to return to God once you have backslidden, but it is very hard. Not for God, but on the part of the person who is returning to the fold, as there is much guilt and shame.
You are not misinterpreting the verse, just the context.
2006-08-26 22:28:24 · answer #9 · answered by atreadia 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have lost the ability to come back to Christ, you would have also lost the ability to sense Christ calling you back. It is as simple as that. We all stumble and fall; the apostles were very aware of our fraility as humans. It is one thing to get ensnared in temptations, and quite another to be, say, the Apostle Paul, and one day decide to give Jesus "the finger" and walk away from the whole deal. The first person has issues, the second would be toast!
2006-08-26 22:46:20 · answer #10 · answered by MamaBear 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋