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 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV
Can a true believer fall away from Christ, losing their salvation? There are sincere believers who give well-reasoned responses to both sides of this question. And it’s a question I struggled with for a long time.
Who Is Referred To?
To understand this passage, a pair of questions must first be answered. First, who is the author referring to here? He uses a series of terms that, if found in any other context, would without question be taken to refer to true believers.
This identification is reinforced when the author says that it would be impossible to bring them back to repentance again and that to return would result in Christ being crucified again. They already had repented and experienced the work of the cross. Something that could not be repeated.
What Is Falling Away?
The second question involves what is meant by falling away. An earlier passage, Hebrews 3:7-4:11, can shed some light on this. Israel had experienced God’s deliverance from Egypt, entered a covenant relationship with him, and experienced his provision in the wilderness and at Sinai. But, in the end, they turned away, wanting to go back to the life they had before. Using this example, falling away would refer to turning away from life with Christ and back into the world we were delivered from.
So, back to the original question, can a true believer fall away from Christ and lose their salvation? If salvation simply referred to the time you came to faith in Christ, this passage would indicate that it would be possible. However, if salvation is what awaits us at the end of our journey (1 Thess 5:8, Rom. 13:11), then it cannot be lost. But we can fail to enter God’s rest if we turn back.
Regardless of how you answer this question, take seriously the warnings found in Hebrews and the rest of the New Testament. Be faithful to the end (Matt. 10:22). Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). And enter into God’s rest (Heb. 4:11).
