Who Can’t be Renewed to Repentance?
“Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. This will we do, if God permits. For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it, and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” (Hebrews 6:1-8 WEB)
Everything that the author listed from “repentance from dead works...and of eternal judgment” are considered first principles of Christ—basic Gospel truths.
So a believer who advocates keeping the works of the Law is a baby Christian who isn’t ready for deeper revelations of God—he must be taught and grounded in the basics first.
Those who are impossible to be renewed to repentance are not believers. Notice that the author says “concerning those”, not “concerning you”.
They are unbelievers who heard the Gospel, felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, experienced God’s miracles and still choose not to place their faith in Jesus.
The author was directly addressing those Jews at the time who had experienced the truth of the Gospel and yet chose to return to the works of the Law so as to escape the severe persecution upon Christians.
Judas Iscariot was a partaker of the Holy Spirit—Jesus gave him authority to preach, heal and cast out demons as like the other eleven apostles.
Even though Judas witnessed these miracles of God worked through his own hands, he didn’t place his faith in Jesus.
The author proceeds to use an illustration. The rain represents the God’s word and the land represents a person’s heart.
If a person hears the Gospel and believes, then he is saved—the land bears crops and becomes fruitful.
If a person hears the Gospel and doesn’t believe then he remains in his sins and will be cast into Hell after death—the land bears thorns and thistles which is a sign of choosing to follow the world instead of Jesus.
Other examples of such Biblical characters who were impossible to be renewed to repentance: the chief priests, Sadducees, Pharisees who saw Jesus’ miracles, heard His words and still chose to reject Him as Messiah, even after He rose from the dead.
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