serious one, sinning after Christ

[ratgibson]

in Hebrews im led to assume those who backslide and sin after accepting Christ are doomed basically. saying it is impossible for us to have hope or something to that effect. i trust you know the verses im talking about. that Christ died once and would i assume only forgive once? yet Christ taught us to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven. so would we be forgiven our backsliding? God himself asked a backsliding Israel to repent and return to Him.

What am I to make of all this?

[B. W.]

Ratgibson, you'll probably get several answers to your inquiry. Actually Hebrews 6:4 is stating it is impossible for those to fall away and not that they can fall away. This is where people will differ on the meaning of the text.

Next Hebrews 10:26 must be taken in its full context and not lifted out of context:

Hebrews 10:26-29, “For we--willfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth--no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers; 28 any one who did set at nought a law of Moses, apart from mercies, by two or three witnesses, doth die, 29 of how much sorer punishment shall he be counted worthy who the Son of God did trample on, and the blood of the covenant did count a common thing, in which he was sanctified, and to the Spirit of the grace did despite?” YLT

Hebrews 10:26 is speaking about fully rejecting Christ and his inward work in us. In other words — rejecting the gospel message of grace, in other words, to do so indicates that such person was not relying on Christ for salvation and thus not saved. Again, this is debatable and you may hear otherwise but what people need to do is balance scriptures with scriptures.

As a Christian one will sin and that does not make us lose our salvation. Look at the scripture below:

1 John 1:7-10, "...and if in the light we may walk, as He is in the light--we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son doth cleanse us from every sin; 8 if we may say--`we have not sin,' ourselves we lead astray, and the truth is not in us; 9 if we may confess our sins, steadfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness; 10 if we may say--`we have not sinned,' a liar we make Him, and His word is not in us.” YLT

1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things I write to you, that ye may not sin: and if any one may sin, an advocate we have with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one, 2 and he--he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world…” YLT

Fact is, God is in the business of cleaning us up so we learn to overcome our sins. This does not mean we can be sinlessly perfect in this mortal life but rather we learn to shed sins one at a time. When we do sin, we are to confess it to the Lord and submit to his cleansing grace. This may take time and it can be painful struggling with the same old sins until one is cleansed. Once cleansed you learn the process and gladly have the next sin exposed.

It is during such struggles that people can think they are or have lost their salvation but this is not so as 1 John 2:1-2 states. Best advice I can give is to live the 1 John 1:9 way day by day.

Concern fear of losing one's salvation must be balanced with other passages in the bible such as John 10:25-30:

“Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one....” ESV

Note there are two groups of people Jesus mentions — those not part of his flock - those mentioned in verse 26. Next in verses 27-29 notice the words Jesus says: people of His flock hear his voice, they follow him, and he knows them. Next, he gave them eternal life, they'll never — never perish, and no one (not even you) can be snatched out of his hands because the Father gave him each member of the flock — none can snatch out of the Father's hands.

That is good News! And based on these scriptures Isaiah 45:17 and 21-25; Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 59:1; Ecc 3:14-17

Ask yourself if Isaiah 55:11 is true: “…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” ESV

Or

Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear…” ESV

Isaiah 59:20, "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.” ESV

For those who belong to Christ and are his flock trusting in him alone for salvation it is written:

1 Th 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” ESV

Eph 1:13, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” ESV

Ask yourself — is God arm so short he cannot save or catch you when you fall into to sin? Will he deny his grace and promise to you and kick you out of his flock? If so, then God would not honor nor be able to keep his word and then unable to be God.

Therefore, walk the repentance road and worry not - for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. He reneges on no gifts nor will he deny any of his word and promises. So if you are confused about losing salivation due to struggle with sins, worry not — he has promised that he will not let this happen. If you or I stray, he will seek you out and bring you back into the fold.

The only way salvation can be lost is by the lost — not those who are learning to hear his voice and belong to him. Take heart my friend.
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[Byblos]

The only way salvation can be lost is by the lost — not those who are learning to hear his voice and belong to him.

I like that a lot.

[ratgibson]

thank you so much for posting that. ive been sobbing like a newborn baby and praying repenting and crying out to God because of my sinning. i really hate it and the gravity of it all really hit me recently and ive been really distraught over the whole thing.....

i really need Him and i dont ever want Him to leave me tho I stray from Him because I dont like where I go when I sin.....and i want to do better because He commands me to do so.....

[warhoop]

Romans 7:25-8:2 (I think the chapter break is poorly placed, it makes more sense without it...)
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ESV

Sin is part of this physical world. Nowhere does the bible say that sin will be removed from the physical world this side of heaven, irregardless of salvation. So the struggle lies with embracing the truth that there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you less (even turning your back on him,) and with wanting to be pleasing and acceptable in God's sight, i.e., not sinning.

Repentance is a good thing, but you have to let God forgive you.

[ageofknowledge]

in Hebrews im led to assume those who backslide and sin after accepting Christ are doomed basically. saying it is impossible for us to have hope or something to that effect. i trust you know the verses im talking about. that Christ died once and would i assume only forgive once? yet Christ taught us to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven. so would we be forgiven our backsliding? God himself asked a backsliding Israel to repent and return to Him.

What am I to make of all this?

There are Christian recovery programs chalk full of backslidden Christians who God restored who went on and are living out spirit filled lives bearing much fruit as we speak. Just because someone sins after being saved or backslides into an addiction (e.g. relapse) and then sincerely seeks out God repenting doesn't mean God casts them into Hell rather than forgive their sins and restore them because He does forgive and restore them.

Maybe if you cite the verses you are talking about we can review them.