Hebrews 6:1-8: Part 2

From: Bible Subjects for the Household of Faith: Volume 2, 1864

Hebrews 6:1‑8 • 6 min. read • grade level: 10

But this apostasy involved yet further guilt; for it was by the miracle—working power of the. Holy Ghost, witnessing to the resurrection of the crucified Jesus, that such apostates had been convinced that he was the “Son of God” (Romans 1:4⁴And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)); convinced too of sin, because they had not believed in Him—before. (John 16:9⁹Of sin, because they believe not on me; (John 16:9).) These “mighty works” they could not deny or doubt, but they might deny the truth to ‘which they were the seal (which, too, they had confessed, and with which they had been at least intellectually acquainted), and thereby deny the veracity of the Divine Witness, and thus impute falsehood to the “Spirit of Truth,” or ascribe his mighty works to the spirit of falsehood—the father of lies. The former the more daring blasphemy; but either falling, as it would seem, under that awful commination of our blessed Lord— “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31,32³¹Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. ³²And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31‑32).) And this, “because they said he had an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:30³⁰Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. (Mark 3:30), comp. ver. 22.) The tenth chapter of this epistle, verse 23 to the end, treats of the same apostasy as we have been considering in chapters v. 11, 6:8. In both places, this unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost seems to be involved; and the willful and malignant character of the apostasy is also apparent, from the apostle’s comparing those who were guilty of it to the despisers of Moses’ law; and he speaks of them, not as ignorant or careless, or even unsound in the matter of justification (perilous as this is in itself), but as adversaries (chapter 10:27, 28). The case for which “no more sacrifice for sin” remained, was the rejection of Christ altogether, after knowledge, conviction, and confession of the truth of the gospel, confirmed before their eyes by the mighty works of the Holy Ghost.

The similitude in the two following verses (comp. Isaiah 5:1-6¹Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: ²And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. ³And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. ⁴What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? ⁵And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: ⁶And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:1‑6)) is very plain and simple, and corroborates what has been said concerning the circumstances of the supposed apostates. The rain is represented as falling upon the barren and the fruitful ground alike: but the latter only “drinketh it in.” The former expression accurately describes outward advantages, as light, instruction, evidence, gifts, &c.; the latter is equally suitable to genuine faith and inward grace. (See Matthew 13:23²³But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23); Hebrews 4:2²For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4:2), &c.)

Probably it has been sufficiently proved, that the subject of this warning is not apostasy from a state of grace, but from outward profession, under very special and peculiar circumstances. If so, the great doctrines of the sovereign will and purpose of God (Ephesians 1:4-6, 11⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:4‑6)
¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11); Romans 8:28-30²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:28‑30); 2 Thessalonians 13, 14; 1 Peter 1:2²Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2), &c. &c.)—and the “election of grace” (Romans 11:5⁵Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:5); Ephesians 2:8⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8), &c. &c.) and the consequent perseverance of the saints (Romans 8:35-39³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35‑39); 1 Peter 1:4,5⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4‑5); John 10:27-30²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰I and my Father are one. (John 10:27‑30), &c. &c.) remain untouched by this passage— doctrines revealed, not for the hindrance of sinners, though too often used so as to hinder them, but for the comfort and joy of the church, and fraught with consolation in trial, and support in conflict, to those who truly believe them, and which doubtless virtually afford comfort to many who unconsciously rest in them, whilst denying them in theory and terms. These are among the “deep things of God,” and “those ways past finding out,” of which Paul speaks (Romans 11); and he simply meets with a stern rebuke the cavil of the unsubdued and carnal mind, without giving any explanation of the mystery. (Romans 9:19-21¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? ²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (Romans 9:19‑21).) Many an attempt since then has been made to explain what he left unexplained, but “such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high; we cannot attain to. it.” Many will judge, however, that the theory which rejects them, besides being opposed not only to the fairest deductions from Scripture, but its most express statement, is replete with difficulties as great as those which it was framed to avoid, and is the offspring of in subjection of mind, and a desire to bring the counsels of God down to the level of our own understandings.

In regard to those who are tempted by Satan, to suppose that they either have committed, or are in danger of committing the unpardonable sin here treated of, we may ask them, “Are you disposed deliberately to renounce your hope in Jesus—to pronounce Christianity a cunningly devised fable— to slight the doctrine of the Cross as ‘foolishness’—to fall back upon the law, and daringly take your stand upon your own merits, or upon carnal ordinances, for justification before God? If not (to say nothing of the miraculous evidence, and the peculiar circumstances necessary to fill up the measure of this sin), notwithstanding you may be harassed at times by blasphemous or unholy thoughts about the glory, the person, or the work of Jesus, the evil suggestions of Satan, or the workings of your fleshly mind, rest assured this apostasy is not chargeable upon you. Are not such thoughts utterly abhorrent to your souls? Do they resemble at all this hardened enmity against the Son of God, this proud rejection of Him 2 The Scriptures, then, which specially address themselves to you, are such as these: ‘Resist the devil,’ that he may flee from you. ‘Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.’ (James 4; Ephesians 6; 1 Peter 5: 8, 9.) Or have you, fallen into open sin? Sad as this is, it is not a hopeless fall. Paul, the inspired writer of this passage, commanded one as guilty as you can be to be restored, on repentance, to the holy fellowship of the saints, lest, perhaps, he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. (1 Corinthians 5 comp. 2 Corinthians 2:6-8⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. ⁷So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. (2 Corinthians 2:6‑8).) Such is the patient grace and tenderness of the Lord. But, perhaps, your case yet more closely resembles that of persons guilty of this unpardonable apostasy. Perhaps your conscience has been awakened; you have professed to embrace the gospel, and you have walked, apparently for a while, in the way of righteousness, and then relapsed into worldliness and sin. If so, you have indeed been guilty of apostasy, but not of the apostasy here described. You may have even been guilty of scoffing, or speaking evil of the truth; but who dares limit the mercy of God, where He has not set a limit to it? You have never stood in the circumstance of the apostates here spoken of—you have never been made partakers of the Holy Ghost,’ nor tasted the mighty works of the age to come. Repent, therefore, and believe; for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to extend even unto you.