Hebrews 6:1-6 is also misused because people stop and fail to read the whole chapter. The chapter is about assurance of salvation, not teaching at all that one can lost salvation. Note what Hebrews 6:11-12, says, "We desire that every one you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of the "hope unto the end." The writer of the Book of Hebrews, encourages believers and desires to show them with diligence the hope of the full assurance the believer has in his salvation. Verse 11 establishes the reason for verses 1-10.

          Therefore God is not saying that it is possible for a person to be saved and lose their salvation, but saying that "if" it were possible then Christ would have to be crucified all over again. It is not saying it is possible to be saved and then lost, but showing why it would be impossible to lose salvation. The passage is establishing the fact that it is impossible to be lost once Christ has saved us, because that would mean that Christ would have to be crucified again in order for a person to be saved again if they were lost. Christ was crucified once for all as Hebrews 10:10 says, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Note in Verse 12 the word, "slothful" which comes from a derivative of word "illegitimate" as an illegitimate son, or of uncertain origin. He is saying, "Do not act like an illegitimate son (lost person), because as you know you are a child of God, do not be lazy or uncertain."

          Note that Verses 17-18 state that God has made an oath concerning our salvation and a "made solemn promise." This is God solemn oath is that all that trust in Jesus Christ are eternally one saved. He up lifts us with the assurance..."We might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the "hope" set before us..."

          Verses 19-20 say, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." Clearly these two verses absolutely assure the Christian who has truly put his faith in Jesus Christ that he is eternally saved.

          In Hebrews 6:4- 6, clearly it teaches that it were possible to be saved and then to be lost it would be impossible to be restored. This verse teaches that "if" it were possible to lost one's salvation then the principle would be stated, "ONCE SAVED AND LOST ALWAYS LOST!" However, the point is that it is impossible to lose what God freely gave you and can be correctly stated "ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED." Only a very unskilled person or a cult would misuse this passage in Hebrews 6 to try and teach once saved a person can be lost.

          What does Revelation 3:5 actually say? The one who overcomes will not have his name blotted out of the book of life. Who are those that overcome...? The New Testament tells us plain those that believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is a verse of assurance of salvation not the opposite. Think about this....why would anyone turn this clear statement around and try to make it teach the opposite of what it says?

          How can one miss Revelation 3:9, which speaks of those of the "synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, but are not and lie". Jesus was addressing the unsaved. Verse 10 gives the believer assurance..."Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." As to the Laodiceans God says they were lukewarm, not hot or cold. In other words they are the unsaved who claim to serve the Lord and speak in his name (Matthew 7:13-23) There are thousands of these kind of churches today. They are dead having the name of Christ, but not Christ. Jesus says He will spue them out of His mouth, which means not to swallow their lying professions. He tells them, as he does all men, that He stands at the door and knocks. He offers them salvation, and if they let Him in He will come into them and save them. Jesus says if a person overcomes he will be saved. Overcomes what? Sin of course is the answer and unbelief. So the overcomer is the one who believes and is saved and God will reward him and he will be forever with the Lord. Again, there is nothing here that teaches a person can be saved and lost. This passage brings into sharp focus the false teachers, churches and those who profess the Lord, but do not know Him. They are told to repent.

           Hebrews 10:38-39 is speaking to saved Jews. Verse "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:39) Those that "turned back into perdition were the Jew who professed Jesus Christ as Savior, but who were never saved. The Book of Hebrews was written to "Hebrews" as its title states. Many who had professed faith in Jesus Christ were looking for the Messiah to come and liberate them from the Romans and the persecution they were enduring. They had a false concept of who Jesus is and what He came to do. He did not come a a political leader, but as the Savior who died for the sins of the world. He came to redeem men from sin. Yes, in time He will fulfill the promises God has made to Israel, but only those who will be a part of that Kingdom (Millennial Kingdom) are those who are spiritually reborn in Jesus Christ. Saved people do not draw back into perdition. Hebrews 12:6-11 explains that the true child of God who turns from the truth and goes into sin will be chastened by the Lord. God says He chasten "every" child of His who goes into sin and refuses to repent. Never, does God say He will withdraw their salvation. In 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 explains that God chasten with sickness and death those who do not "discern" the body of Christ. That means those who live sinful lives not mindful that Jesus had to suffer for our every sin. 1 John 5:16-18 explains there is a sin unto death. God will take the life of a believer who refuses to repent and turn from their sin. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 explains that a believer is saved, but if he does not live a godly life can lose any reward. He gets into heaven "as by fire" meaning by the skin of his teeth in a modern expression. This passage does not teach a saved person can be lost.

Answer:    In a nut shell the answer to your question is that once a person believes they receive "eternal or everlasting" salvation. As 1 Peter 1:3-5 states we are kept by the power of God and as Jesus stated, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)

           As you have noted that brings up a question...what about a person who then backslides and goes into sin? The key to understanding this is to understand God's response when this happens. God's response is to chasten His child to bring him to repentance and into a proper life and relationship with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 speaks of believers who were living in sin and not "discerning" the Lord's body.

           "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."

           This is referring to a Christian who lives in unrepentant sin and shows no regard for the sufferings of Christ for his sins. The key phrase in the passage is "not discerning the Lord's body" which is referring to the suffering of Christ on the cross. This is a person that is willingly and knowingly sinning against God and who is refusing to repent and turn from their sin. (See 1 Cor. 10:13) This verse says that God chastened these believers in the church at Corinth who were in gross sin by making them sick and others He had taken their lives. God chastened them as a parent chastens their children to teach them that what they are doing is wrong and destructive and seeks to get them to do what is right.

           Hebrews 12:6-11 explains the chasten of God's children. The passage says that God chastens all His children, but does not chasten the unsaved who belong to Satan. It also teaches that if one "professes" to be a Christian and is in unrepentant gross sin and there is no chastening from God...that person is not saved because God chastens all His children.

           1 John 5:16-17 also address this matter. This verse shows the seriousness of a Christian who willingly sins and does not repent. God says if you see someone sinning this way....not to pray for them. We are to pray for those we see who sin that is "not unto death." This shows the nature of the sin that is unto death a being one of blatant disregard for the Lord and gross disobedience. Verse 17 says there is sin that does not lead to death. The sin unto death is gross public sin or grossly destructive sin that not only effects the person sinning, but others as well. Basically, the sin unto death is one that a Christian commits who will not repent even after God chastens him seeking to restore the sinner to fellowship. It a Christian refuses...after God's chastening, God will even take his life. . . especially when the sin is one that is done in public and dishonours the Lord and hinders His work. God does this as an act of mercy to stop the destructive actions of a wayward Christian by taking him to heaven. They are still saved and children of God and will go to heaven. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 explains the reward given to believes who serve the Lord. It also says there will be saved people in heaven with no reward because they did not serve the Lord or backslid against God.

           1 John 1:8-10 explains "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Our action should be to confess our sin to the Lord when we sin. God says that all of us sin, but gives us the means to restore fellowship and overcome the sin by confessing them to the Lord which means to admit it to Him and ask Him to give us the strength to overcome it. That is what God means by saying He forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

           As Hebrews 12:10 says this is for our "profit" or benefit. Unrighteousness simply means sinning or not doing what is right. The chastening of God comes in to play when we blatantly continue to sin and refuse to repent. Repent means to turn and go the other way. Hebrews 12:11 tells us, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Thus God's purpose is plainly stated, He chastens that we it might cause us to have the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" yet, God does not forsake His children even when they forsake Him. We did not earn our salvation, nor can we keep ourselves saved by living for the Lord. Further we cannot remove ourselves from His grace by our disobedience once with have been forgiven and given eternal life.

           Hope this helps!. What is so sad is that both the Calvinist and the Arminian are teaching a false gospel by mixing truth with error. Maybe you could find a church that teaches God's truth without these gross errors.

Answer:    The "enlightened" of Hebrews 6:4 are saved people who heard the Gospel and believed. However, understand that Hebrews 6:4- 6, is presenting a hypothetical situation....not one that in reality could happen. God is clearly teaching that IF were possible to be saved and then to be lost it would all so be impossible for them to be restored. This verse states that "if" it were possible to lost one's salvation then it would be impossible to restore them again to salvation. The verse plainly states the if a person could be lost then Christ would have to suffer, died and be resurrected again. The principle of this verse then can be be stated,

           "IF ONCE SAVED AND LOST THEN FOREVER LOST!" The point the passage is making with the hypothecial statement is that it is impossible to lose what God freely gave you and can be correctly stated "ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED." Jesus will not go back to the cross and suffer and die again....nor will He have to because salvation is eternal.

           Interestingly, all those who teach that you lose your salvation also teach you can saved again. They teach that by repentance and good works one can saved again....and again....and again. Thus one can fall out of grace, be returned by good works, fall out again and be restored again...by good works, etc. That false teaching directly contradicts God's word as stated here because this passage emphatically states that if one could lose their salvation it would be impossible to restore them again. Those that use this to teach that salvation can be lost distort and ignore the meaning of the passage. Also, these false teachers who teach you can lose your salvation never address how much sin one must commit to lose eternal life. Thus their members flounder in a sea of doubt never being sure if they are accepted by God or not. Others who believe this heresy take pride in their keeping themselves saved by their good works...meaning living a godly life.

           The context of Hebrews 6:11-12 is clear.... "We desire that every one you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of the "hope unto the end." Anyone who would use the passage to teach salvation can be lose is being dishonest. The passage is teaching assurance, not losing one's salvation. The writer of the Book of Hebrews, encourages believers and desires to show them the absolute hope of the full assurance the believer has in his salvation. Verse 11 establishes the reason for verses 1-10.

           Let me labor the point..... God is not saying that it is possible for a person to be saved and lose their salvation, but saying that "IF" it were possible then Christ would have to be crucified all over again. It is not saying it is possible to be saved and then lost, but showing WHY it would be impossible to lose salvation. The passage is establishing the fact that it is impossible to be lost once Christ has saved us, because that would mean that Christ would have to be crucified again in order for a person to be saved again if they were lost. Christ was crucified once for all as Hebrews 10:10 says, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Note in Verse 12 the word, "slothful" which comes from a derivative of word "illegitimate" as an illegitimate son, or of uncertain origin. He is saying, "Do not act like an illegitimate son (lost person), because as you know you are a child of God, do not be lazy or uncertain."

           Note that Verses 17-18 state that God has made an oath concerning our salvation and a "made solemn promise." This is God solemn oath is that all that trust in Jesus Christ are eternally one saved. He up lifts us with the assurance..."We might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the "hope" set before us..."

           Verses 19-20 say, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." Clearly these two verses absolutely assure the Christian who has truly put his faith in Jesus Christ that he is eternally saved.

           The point in understand this passage is to ask the question, "What is the basis of God's accepting a person and forgiving him?" Clearly, the scripture says it is based upon what Jesus Christ did on the cross. If a person by faith believes and receives Christ as their Savior...they receive eternal life and if it is eternal it cannot be lost. A person is not saved by any work or works they do and salvation is purely an act of God's grace in giving the "gift" of salvation to those who will believe and accept it. Plainly, if one cannot be saved by works...they cannot keep themselves saved by works either.

           Ephesians 2:1-10 states:

           "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:1-10)

          Romans 5:17-19 states the basis, "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

          Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

          1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. "

          Ephesians 2:16 "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: "

          God's offer of salvation is total, complete and final. It was promised on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross as he suffered and shed His blood for man. Man's salvation is not based on his good works. How could a man by good works, keep a salvation that he was not able to work for or earn for himself in the first place?

           Note who God says keeps us saved.....

           "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5)

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