Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
This passage (Hebrews 6:4-6) has been very controversial, the argument having to do with whether or not it teaches that a true Christian can lose his salvation. One very clear teaching that emerges, however, is that a person can only be saved once. If a true Christian actually could fall away and be lost again, he would be eternally lost; it would be impossible to bring him again to repentance.
6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
In context, the author of Hebrews was warning the Jews, who had professed faith in Christ, not to relapse back into Jewish legalism and ritualism, but rather to go on to full maturity in Christ
6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
"If they shall fall away" from the true faith, having once fully understood it ("been enlightened," having been made "partakers of the Holy Ghost," etc.), then they can never return.
John 10 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
The Lord resumed His use of the sheep and shepherd "proverb;" evidently it had made a lasting impression on His questioners, even after so long a time (see note on John 10:22). He now stressed the permanence of this relationship (John 5:24).
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Not only is eternal life a present possession, but the good Shepherd assures us that no one ("any man" is actually "anyone," including Satan himself) could ever take it away.
10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand" (Psalm 37:24).
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
These descriptions of the willful sin (Hebrews 10:26) make it clear that it is the unforgivable sin of willful, knowledgeable apostasy from the faith.
Revelations 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
All whose names are not in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15), and all who reject the words of Scripture will have their names blotted out (see note on Revelation 22:19). On the other hand, those who overcome will never compromise their faith in Christ, even at the risk of their lives (Revelation 13:8). It seems probable that all who enter the world have their names in the Lamb's book of life and are safe in Him until they reach an age of accountability and become conscious sinners. At that point they are spiritually dead and need salvation, but their names are not actually blotted out of the book of life until they have irrevocably rejected Christ.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption
The "sealed work" (Ephesians 1:13) of the Spirit is conclusive, and it cannot be "unsealed," even though we may "grieve" the Spirit by such sins as noted in these verses.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
This is the last of the three quotations in the New Testament of Habakkuk 2:4 (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11).
10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
"Believe" here is the same as "have faith." The emphasis throughout Hebrews 11 on "faith" is simply a recital of the outworking of the faith introduced into the discussion here in Hebrews 10:38,39 (there were no chapter divisions in the original manuscript). Thus the working faith of Hebrews 11 is the living faith of Hebrews 10:38 and the saving faith of Hebrews 10:39, and that faith must be exercised first of all on the creation as the work of God (Hebrews 11:3).
Having provided the verses for everyone to ponder over, there have been replies - How do you guys do it?
I think I see things differently from you James -LYS seems to be the 'message' .:jam: