The Self-Fulfilling Prophesy

Faith Takes Action

Empowered by God

The Person Behind the Mask

Calling All Men

Okay Men -- Yesterday I hit the women pretty hard because what was said simply needed to be said; however, as with all things there must be balance. What I don't want to happen is to create an atmosphere in which men ride the momentum of those statements concerning the importance of women understanding their roles and lose sight of knowing and taken on our roles.

It is easy to look at the faults of others and point the finger, but the wise and honest man is willing to introspectively examine himself and admit that we have some growing up and improving to do.

This week, I am going to examine some very controversial issues, and I don't plan on pulling any punches. This is not about attacking anyone, because I am not addressing any one person in particular. This is about addressing issues that are plaguing the Christian population. This is about cultural elements that have found there way into the Christian faith.

Men, it is easy to look at our women and see their faults and to become frustrated with what we interpret as contempt. What we cannot do is lose sight of the fact that a great deal of the woman's contempt with men is tied to the failure of men in their past. If we are honest, we all have left some scarred women behind us. Some of us have left a nice string of them.

For those of you that know me, you know that I am an innate researcher and reader, so I don't speak on hypothetical theories, I speak on what I know. As a believer and spiritual leader I am required to see beyond racial and cultural lines, but as a black man, I cannot ignore the plight of our women and their suffering at our hands. This does not only apply to blacks, but blacks should take what I am about to say to heart.

There is no woman from any other race that has endured what the black woman has. This is not a contest, but simply opening the door of understanding. There is no other race whose women have been molested as children at the rate of black women. There is no other race whose women have been victims of incest at the rate of black women. There is no other race whose women have experienced abandonment by there men at the rate of black women. There is no other race whose women have been the victim of men who thought it to be the proper course of action to procreate and then abandon their progeny. So brothers, if you have to ask why she is so contemptuous and there is such disdain, look no further.

She  has seen her mother and more than likely her grandmother's hatred for men, and that seed of hatred has been watered by the failure of men in her own life. All she knows is how to fight. We are asking these women to submit (white, black orange, yellow, doesn't matter here), but we are not realizing that no one will submit to those they don't trust.

Don't get me wrong -- I am not excusing the hostile and contemptuous behavior of women -- in fact, I dealt quite lucidly with that on yesterday. What I am saying is that it would be hypocritical to point the finger without acknowledging our culpability in the matter and that starts with me.

So, what does his mean? It means that the gentleness and patience that God expects us to lead our women with has to begin now. For those of you that are already married, you are required to sacrifice self for her -- do it now. Look past those hurtful words that she sometimes so easily spews and see the pain that causes it. You may not have been the person to cause it, but she is your rib and you are now one -- love her back to a place of trust.

For those that are not yet married. Make it a point to honor every woman appropriately but effectively. It is not acceptable to treat royalty in the fashion of a pauper. We need to effectively and appropriately cover those that are without a covering -- doing it without a motive. As men, we are not measured by how much we conquer -- although we are warriors -- we are measure by how much we are able to save and protect.

Men, it is not about you. This is about walking in the authority and dominion given to you by God to accomplish the will of God. This authority is not meant to lord over the women, but to nurture and cherish her.

"For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church." (Eph. 5:29, NKJV)

In this passage there are two words that are powerful -- "nourish" Greek - ektrepho, meaning to nourish or to rear up to maturity and "cherish" Greek - thalpo, meaning to foster or warm -- and image of an eagle brooding over her hatchlings is what is expressed here. Not too often is a man viewed as the one that is to nourish, but it is clearly stated. We are called to a point of sacrifice to the point of death. Now this death is more than the physical death many believe. Most men will die for what they love and believe in. This is a death to self and all that you believe you deserve and all that you believe is owed to you. This is placing the woman first, considering the greatest way to honor and protect her.

Women, this is not meant to be a passage that you take and chunk in your man's face. If you do that, you have totally missed the point. He will take that as a form of disrespect and totally shut down.

The fist thing that I noticed when spending hours upon hours studying Ephesians Chapter 5:22-33 is that the woman's command to submit and respect and the man's command to love were not issued on a conditional basis. This is not based on what the other person is doing or what you believe the other person deserves. Conflict and emotional disturbance will cause capriciousness when it comes to what you feel your mate deserves, but the command to love and respect is unconditional. That is what makes the post yesterday so effective. This is why Sis Lyhong Nga Lam, posted he message it pointed out that a woman should never go word for word and face to face with her man even when they both know he probably deserves a good tongue lashing. To the question: Why? she simply closes with..."Because he is a man."

I am not asking that you allow a man to abuse you or lead you in the wrong direction, but I am asking that you understand the rules of engagement.

As I close, men, we have got to own our failures. It is not too late to be a better husband. No matter how old your children are, it is not too late to become involved. To those of you that are single, you still have a responsibility to honor every woman, from your mother and sisters to the woman sitting next you on the bus or at the coffee shop. We are royalty, it is time that we started behaving like know it. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Unwrapping the Doctrine of Eternal Security

Without a question, the doctrine of eternal security is one of the most hotly debated and misunderstood doctrines in Christianity. Once you get past all of the denominational influences and cultural philosophies, you still have to deal with the failure by most to engage this doctrine through a deep and committed study of what God’s Word has to say on the matter.

Normally, when people ask me whether I believe in the doctrine of eternal security, my answer is simple: This issue a not whether there is eternal security for those who are genuinely saved; the issue is how many believe they are save but are not. When you actually have a lucid understanding of soteriology (the study of salvation) and hamartiology (the study of sin) you will have the foundation to truly engage the doctrine of eternal security.

What is Sin?

There are a number of words in the Bible that are translated from the original Hebrew and ancient Greek as sin. We will only take a look at several to gain an understanding of what sin is:

                                      

 -  חטּאת    חטּאהchaṭṭâ'âh  chaṭṭâ'th - khat-taw-aw', khat-tawth' From Stong’s H2398; (used nearly 300 times) an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender: - punishment (of sin), purifying (-fication for sin), sin (-ner, offering).

 רשׁע - râshâ‛raw-shaw' - From Strongs H7561; (used more than 250 times) morally wrong; concretely an (actively) bad person: -  + condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

פּשׁע - pâsha‛ paw-shah' A primitive root (rather identical with Strong’s H6585 through the idea of expansion); (used 41 times) to break away (from just authority), that is, trespass, apostatize, quarrel: - offend, rebel, revolt, transgress (-ion, -or).

ἁμαρτάνω - hamartanō - ham-ar-tan'-o - Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the base of G3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.

Sin is missing the mark, transgressing the standard of God, falling short of a set and uncompromising expectation. God is not only righteous he is absolute righteousness, and because of this absolute righteousness, God cannot accept anything less than what measures up to His righteousness. The act of sinning immediately creates a wall of separation between man and God. This separation is actually the death that God promised Adam when he told him that the day that he ate from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” he would surely die (Gen. 2:17).

We know that the death that God was speaking of was not physical death, because Adam lived several centuries after he ate from the tree. What was this death that Adam experienced? It was spiritual death, absolute separation from God. Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). He also tells us that when Adam sinned as the corporate head of mankind, we all sinned. How is this possible? Adam is the progenitor of the entire human race, meaning that at the time he committed the original sin of humanity, we were all seminally present in him. So, when he sinned we all sinned (Rom. 5:12). This means that we are all born spiritually dead. Being that the wages or penalty for sin is death, sin created a chasm between man and God, that man – on his own – could not cross.

Sin Created the Need for a Savior

God’s remedy to reconcile fallen man to himself was “salvation”. This called for sending his only son (God the Son, the second person of the Trinity or Godhead) to die for the sins of the world. While Christ hung on the cross at Calvary, God the Father judged Him, first for the sin of Adam (which is actually the sin that condemned all of us to spiritual death [Rom. 5:12]), and then every sin of mankind – past, present and future.

When a person acknowledges, through faith, that Christ’s work on Calvary served as substitutional atonement for their sin – and they openly receive Him into their lives as both, Lord and Savior, they are justified. Being justified is the act of being declared righteous by God, not by your own actions, but by the actions of Christ and your acceptance through faith. God imputed (accredited) your sins to Christ at Calvary, and he judged Him for every one of them. When you or any individual receives that magnanimous gift provided by Christ on Calvary, God imputes the righteousness of Christ to you. This means that you have been declared righteous, allowing God to once again fellowship with you.  (John 1:29; 3:3-8; Rom. 5:12-21; 8:1-4; Eph. 2:5, 8; Titus 2:11; Heb 1:3; 2:10-18; 5:9; 9:28; Rev. 1:5, 6; :9, 10; 12:11)

The key to understanding this is act of faith (Eph. 2:8, 9) requires the apprehension of two things: 1. You must understand that in accepting Christ you are accepting him as your Lord and Savior. Many have attempted to only accept Him as their Savior without placing Him on the throne of their lives. 2. You must understand that although salvation comes through faith and not actions, saving faith – itself – produces actions.

¹⁴ What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,

¹⁶ And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

¹⁷ So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

¹⁸ But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith. (James 2:14-18, AMP)

The Apostle James is bringing elucidation to the fact that simply saying that you believe means nothing. True faith produces action; it is dynamic – not static. One of the greatest hindrances to understanding the doctrine of eternal security is the fact that many misunderstand salvation. The introduction to the sinner’s prayer and the promise that repeating it will save you has crippled many. Salvation doesn’t come by stated words, but by an act of the heart. Paul tells the Corinthian church that if a man is truly in Christ, he has become a new species (2 Cor. 5:17). This means that this believer has some outward manifestations of the faith that they claim.

One of the most difficult challenges to many people being able to accept the doctrine of eternal security, which guarantees that those that have been adopted into the family of God will make it into heaven, is the perpetual sin of so many that claim the faith. The question is not: Can they lose their salvation? The question is: Were they ever saved in the first place. Although good works can be acts of self-righteousness, there has to be an outward manifestation of the inward reality or something is wrong. This does not mean that you will be perfect and sinless, but sin in your life will convict you because the Holy Spirit now indwells you (1 Cor. 6:19).

The Perseverance of the Saints (Eternal Security)

The questions that must be answered here is: Can true Christians lose their salvation? How can we know if we are truly born again? What provides the guarantee that we remain in the family of God forever?

The perseverance of the saints – the truth that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God and will persevere as Christians until they pass away – must be understood in the light to major truths:

1.      All who are truly born again are grafted (adopted) into the royal family of God forever.

2.      Only those that persevere to the end have truly been born again.

There are multitudinous passages in the Bible that reveal that those who are born again (spiritual rebirth) and genuinely become Christians, will continue in the Christian life until death and will then go to be with Christ in heaven.

³⁸ For^(AZ)I have come down from heaven, ^(BA)not to do My own will, but ^(BB)the will of Him who^(BC)sent Me.³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of ^(BD)all that He has given Me I ^(BE)lose nothing, but^(BF)raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who^(BG)beholds the Son and^(BH)believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will ^(BI)raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:38-40, NASB)

The thing that I wish to focus on here first is the term “eternal life” Jesus says that everyone who believes (believes to the point of saving faith – accepting Him as Lord and Savior) will be raised up to eternal life. Everyone means all, without exclusion. The word eternal leaves very little room for question. Once one receives eternal life, they cannot lose it or it was never eternal in the first place. When you examine this verse of scripture you will not find a conditional clause, creating an exception to the statement. You can see this same truth emphasized in another passage in the book of John:

²⁷ The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.

²⁹ My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29, AMP)

There have been some who have made an objection to this being a foundational scriptural passage for the doctrine of eternal security based on the argument that even though no one else can remove a believer from the hand of God, a believer themselves could. This argument call for Christ’s statement to be ambiguous and for one to really reach in its interpretation to find any validity in the assertion. With so much on the line, it would seem that if there was an exception, we would have been told.

The most forceful phrase in the passage is “they shall never perish” (verse 28). The Greek construction “ou – (absolutely not) “me” – (a negative imperative, meaning absolutely not) in the aorist conjunctive, makes this passage especially emphatic; it could actually be translated in the more explicit rendering: “and they shall certainly not perish forever.” There are other passages that reveal that those who believe will have “eternal life” (John 3:36, cf. John 5:24; 6:4-7; 10:28; 1 John 5:13). If the references to eternal life literally refer to true eternal life (which it does – the Greek “aionis” means eternal – without end), then that life lasts forever. Eternal life is the gift of God as a part of salvation. This magnanimous gift stands in stark contrast to its alternative – condemnation and eternal judgment – culminating in eternal separation from God (John 3:16-17, 36, 10:28).

In his epistle (letter) to the Romans, the Apostle Paul addressed eternal security from a different perspective. He makes the connections between God’s purposes in predestination and His working out of those purposes through the life of the believer, and by finally glorifying them by giving them resurrection bodies.

⁹ For those whom He^(BI)foreknew, He also^(BJ)predestined to become^(BK)conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the^(BL)firstborn among many brethren;³⁰ and these whom He^(BM)predestined, He also ^(BN)called; and these whom He called, He also^(BO)justified; and these whom He justified, He also^(BP)glorified. (Rom. 8:29-30, NASB)

Paul views the future event of final glorification as such a certainty that he speaks of it as if it has already taken place (“he also glorified” – past tense)

The Sealing of the Holy Spirit

The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit is further evidence that God keeps those who are truly born again safe for all eternity. The Bible tells us that this seal serves as a guarantee of the fulfilled promise – through which believers will receive their inheritance.

 ¹³ And you also were included in Christ^(AB) when you heard the message of truth,^(AC) the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,^(AD) the promised Holy Spirit,^(AE) 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance^(AF) until the redemption^(AG)of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.^(AH) (Eph. 1:13-14, NIV)

The Greek “arrabon” translated “guarantee” in this passage is a legal term which means “first installment, deposit, down payment or pledge, and represents a payment which guarantees payment of the balance that is owed. This means that the Holy Spirit servers as the guarantee of the fulfilled promise of eternal life. Paul says that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire it. If you are truly born again, you have the Holy Spirit resident within you, and His indwelling serves as a guarantee of the greater fulfillment of life eternal with God in heaven.

Paul also gave the Philippian church a clear understanding of this same guarantee.

“I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6) In verse 5 of this passage, Paul tells the Philippian believers that they are those “who by God’s power are guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” Here the word translated guarded (Greek - phroureo) has the dual meaning of “kept from escaping and protected from attack”. The verb is used in the present participle, which in the Greek means “You are continually being guarded.” Paul emphasis that this act is performed through God’s power, meaning that it is God that keeps and protects, not the believer. The believer supplies the faith and God provides the power.

For those that would like to conduct their own categorical study of this phase of eternal security, you can use the following outline as a launching pad.

I. The Positional Approach – Every believer is in union with Christ from the point of salvation (Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:3-6; Jude 1)
II. The Logical Approach – If God did the most for us when we were His enemies, the a fortiori logic (greater than reasoning) follows the point the He will do much more for us as member of His royal family (Rom. 5:9-10, 15, 17, 20; 8:32)
III. The anthropomorphic approach – The believer is held in the hand of God and He will never let go (Ps. 37:24; John 10:28)
IV. The family approach – We are born into the royal family of God at the point of salvation and we are also spiritually adopted into the family of God (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 8:14-17)
V. The “body” approach – Christ is the head of the body which is join together in unity through his magnanimous gift on Calvary (1 Cor. 12:21; Col. 1:18)
VI. Exegetical approach which examines the Greek tense of the word “pisteuo” which in the aorist tense means to believe once, for all time; the perfect tense of “sozo in Eph. 2:8-9 means you are saved in the past with the result of you going on to be saved forever. 
VII. The inheritance approach – We have an inheritance which is incorruptible and unchanging waiting for us in heaven (Eph. 1:11; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
VIII. The Sovereignty approach – God’s decision to keep us (2 Pet. 3-9; Jude 24)
IX. The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit – A guarantee that the name of every believer remains in the Book of Life forever (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19; cf., Rev. 20:13)

Only Those Who Persevere to the End

The scriptural passages that I have presented to this point, and others, clearly present the fact that those who are born again are guaranteed eternal life in fellowship with God. The issue is what constitutes being truly born again. Does simply confessing that you believe or claiming Christ as your savior initiate rebirth, or is there something more than superficial proclamation that many are missing.

I would urge those who struggle with the doctrine of eternal security to spend more time on the doctrine of salvation. It is my belief that the issue is not in whether those who are saved are eternally saved, but how many think they are saved, but are not. When the doctrine of eternal security is erroneously taught and misunderstood, it leads to abuse – much in the same way that the teaching of cheap grace has led to the abuse of that doctrine. When you don’t understand salvation, the doctrine of eternal security may lead you to believe that you can confess Christ and then return to your life as usual and inherit eternal life. The very desire to return to your old life is the first red flag that your salvation is fraudulent.

There is a multiplicity of scriptural passages that reveal that those who are truly of the royal family of God will persevere to the end of their lives. Continuing in the faith is an action that is indicative of authentic believing faith, culminating is salvation.

⁴ to obtain an^(T)inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved in heaven for you,⁵ who are^(W)protected by the power of God^(X)through faith for^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet. 1:4-5, NASB)

It is God’s power working through our faith that allows us to continue believing and functionimg in that faith. God’s power keeps us through our faith. Without that faith, there can be no power. There must be a perseverance through faith, in order to receive the promise of eternal life.

“Jesus then said to the Jews that believed in Him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make your free.’” Jesus is making it clear that those who possess genuine faith will continue in his Word. Continuing in His Word means to continue believing in His word and obeying His commands.

Jesus also said, “He who endures to the end will be saved. (Matt. 10:22)

This is another exhortation from Christ to resist falling away. He is clearly revealing that those who truly believe will continue to move toward Him. This does not mean that believers will not sin, but it means that there must be a heart for Christ that drives them to seek him, even when you are struggling in a certain area. In most cases, it is not the sin that is the issue, because the sin was paid for on Calvary – it is how you view sin that is the issue. When your sin has no effect on your heart, there is an issue.

Profession of the Christian faith does not always reflect the true condition of the heart. We have to be careful with teaching people that simply repeating the sinner’s prayer constitutes salvation and guarantees the benefits therein. This type of teaching falls significantly short of what we are called to do. There are no action outside of faith required for salvation, but that faith conjoined with your salvation produces fruit that is indicative of the faith you claim. Jesus said that we shall be known by the fruit we bear. If your life is not bearing the fruit of the Spirit, then you must return to the beginning for a reevaluation.

Paul tells the Colossians that it is Christ that has reconciled them to God, “in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard” (Col. 1:22-23).

Paul, like his contemporaries – John and Peter – make statements like this because they are addressing people who claim to be followers of Christ, without having the ability to look into that person’s heart to see its true condition. There could have easily been people in Colossae that had become a part of the fellowship with other believers, claiming to be a part of the faith, but never having truly accepted Christ. Paul must avoid giving those that are not truly born again false assurance of an inheritance that does not belong to them. Paul understands that those whose faith is not genuine will eventually fall away. Paul is saying that the falling away is an indication that the salvation didn’t take, so to speak.

The writer of Hebrews brings home the same point:

“For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end.” (Heb. 3:14, NASB)

This verse is further clarified by another that precedes it:

“Take care brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” (v. 12)

So, it is the lack of faith that causes the person to fall away. Well if there is no faith, salvation cannot be accomplished.

I believe the Apostle John does a great job of bringing this final point home:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they are all not of us” (1 John 2:19, NASB)

John makes it clear that those that fell away were never really actually apart of the fold. They may have showed some external signs initially, but their failure to persevere uncovered the true condition of their heart.

I will close with this final passage:

Dr. Rick Wallace

³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your^(BV)confidence, which has a great^(BW)reward. ³⁶ For you have need of^(BX)endurance, so that when you have ^(BY)done the will of God, you may ^(BZ)receive^[j]what was promised.

^37 (CA)For yet in a very little while,
^(CB)He who is coming will come, and will not delay.
^38 (CC)But My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

³⁹ But ^[k]we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the^[l]preserving of the soul. (Heb. 10:35-39, NASB)

Those who are truly of the faith remain faithful. We are not perfect but we strive for perfection and live to be obedient. When we fall short of the mark, our heart hurts and we yearn to do better.

Is there such a thing as eternal security? Yes, there is, but it comes at a much steeper price than simply repeating a few words and continuing with business as usual. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

It's Time to Face the Truth...

Post by FUCK It I'M DONE.

Addressing Hebrews 6:4-6

Hello to each of you. Since I initiated this post I felt the need to bring clarity to the scripture verse that is quoted. It is important that we shed light on sin and that we engage every issue with truth, but we must have a strong grasp on the passages we present for the sake of doctrinal integrity.

We must be careful not to take scripture out of context. We are called to accurately dissect and analyze the Word of God. This scripture does not address salvation directly. A closer look at this passage reveals the turning away or falling away from the faith and the way it impacts repentance. This is one of the most hotly debated passages of scripture among bible scholars. There are a number of postulation and hypothetical suggestions applied to this scripture, but when attempting to apply the scripture to actually salvation and the possibility of losing one’s salvation it must be view in light of the Bible’s complete teaching on the topic – meaning that it cannot stand on its own. I know this is a lot, but is a reminder of the monumental endeavor of attempting to apprehend scripture. Scripture does not contradict scripture, so where there seems to be contradiction, you must be willing to shift your perspective to reconcile all the the Word of God has to say on the matter. 

I am a firm believer that sin has consequences and that a believer’s walk should be reflective of the faith they claim; however, I cannot misapply scripture to make my point. If I wanted to view this passage in the light of soteriology (the study of salvation) I would also have to consider verses of scripture to present the doctrine of eternal security (cf John 6:39, 40; 10:27-29; Rom. 8:28-30) You would also have to consider the theological arguments for eternal security, such as:


I. The Positional Approach – Every believer is in union with Christ from the point of salvation (Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:3-6; Jude 1)
II. The Logical Approach – If God did the most for us when we were His enemies, the a fortiori logic (greater than reasoning) follows the point the He will do much more for us as member of His royal family (Rom. 5:9-10, 15, 17, 20; 8:32)
III. The anthropomorphic approach – The believer is held in the hand of God and He will never let go (Ps. 37:24; John 10:28)
IV. The family approach – We are born into the royal family of God at the point of salvation and we are also spiritually adopted into the family of God (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 8:14-17)
V. The “body” approach – Christ is the head of the body which is join together in unity through his magnanimous gift on Calvary (1 Cor. 12:21; Col. 1:18)
VI. Exegetical approach which examines the Greek tense of the word “pisteuo” which in the aorist tense means to believe once, for all time; the perfect tense of “sozo in Eph. 2:8-9 means you are saved in the past with the result of you going on to be saved forever. 
VII. The inheritance approach – We have an inheritance which is incorruptible and unchanging waiting for us in heaven (Eph. 1:11; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
VIII. The Sovereignty approach – God’s decision to keep us (2 Pet. 3-9; Jude 24)
IX. The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit – A guarantee that the name of every believer remains in the Book of Life forever (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19; cf., Rev. 20:13)


These are just examples of passages, approaches and doctrines that must be considered with viewing Hebrews 6:4-6 for soteriological perspective. So let use a categorical and historical perspective to examine what the writer of Hebrews is addressing here. 

The writer pointed out the consequences of not pressing on to maturity to motivate his
readers to pursue spiritual growth diligently (cf. 2 Pet. 1:5; 3:8).


Christians have interpreted this passage in many different ways. Some believe that those
who fall away (v. 6) are believers who lose their salvation. Others hold that those who
fall away are people who have professed to be believers but really are not.181 Still others
take the whole situation as hypothetical. They believe that if a Christian could lose his
salvation, which he cannot, it would be impossible for him to be saved again.182 Another
view is that only Hebrew Christians living before the destruction of the temple could
commit this sin, whatever it is. The view that I believe harmonizes best with the writer's
emphasis is that those who fall away are believers who turn away from God's truth and
embrace error (i.e., apostates). The vast majority of scholars view these people as genuine
believers.


"The transition from the first person (vv. 1-3) to the third person suggests
that the author does not wish explicitly to identify the people described
with the readers of the epistle. This may be partly out of tact; it is certainly
(cf. v. 9) in part because he believes that his readers can still avoid
apostasy."


6:4 The writer could describe Christians fairly as those who were once
"enlightened" (cf. 10:32; 2 Cor. 4:3-6). The "heavenly gift" of which they
have "tasted" (cf. 2:9) at conversion seems to refer to salvation (cf. John
4:10; Rom. 6:23; James 1:17-18). Any attempt to interpret tasting as only
partial appropriation (i.e., the idea that they tasted it but did not swallow
it) is not credible.

"This is not to explain Scripture, [but] to explain it away in
favour of some preconceived doctrine."

Elsewhere the same Greek word refers to complete appropriation (e.g.,
Jesus Christ tasted death for everyone, 2:9; cf. 1 Pet. 2:1-3). This is an Old
Testament usage as well (cf. Ps. 34:8). Christians become "partakers"
(cf. 1:9, "companions"; and 3:1, 14, "partakers") of the Holy Spirit through
Spirit baptism.

6:5 Every true Christian has tasted the Word of God and found it to be good to
some extent. The original readers had also tasted the powers (lit. miracles)
of the coming messianic age. They had observed the apostles perform
miracles (cf. 2:4). The five events listed in verses 4 and 5 view salvation
from different aspects and manifestations; they do not present a succession
of salvific events.

"Together, the clauses describe vividly the reality of the
experience of personal salvation enjoyed by the Christians
addressed."


"The warnings are clearly not addressed to nominal
Christians, but to those who have shared, as fully as it is
possible to share in the present time, in the blessings which
accompany and follow entry into the Christian life
(6:4f.)."


6:6 Earlier in this letter the writer warned his Christian readers about drifting
away from the truth through negligence (2:1-4). He also warned them
about failing to continue trusting God and walking by faith (3:7-19). Now
he referred to the same apostasy as "falling away."


"The aorist tense indicates a decisive moment of
commitment to apostasy. In the LXX, the term parapiptein
has reference to the expression of a total attitude reflecting
deliberate and calculated renunciation of God (Ezek 20:27;
22:4; Wis 6:9; 12:2; cf. Michaelis, TDNT 6:171 . . .) In
Hebrews it is equivalent to the expression apostenai apo
theou zontos, 'to fall away from the living God,' in 3:12.
Apostasy entailed a decisive rejection of God's gifts,
similar to the rejection of the divine promise by the Exodus generation at Kadesh (3:7—4:2 . . .). 


. . . What is visualized
by the expressions in v 6 is every form of departure from
faith in the crucified Son of God. This could entail a return
to Jewish convictions and practices as well as the public
denial of faith in Christ under pressure from a magistrate or
a hostile crowd, simply for personal advantage (cf. Mark
8:34-38 . . ."


Falling away from the truth is no hypothetical possibility but a tragic
reality in too many cases among believers (cf. Num. 14:27-32; Gen.
25:29-34; Heb. 3:7-19; 10:23-25, 35-39).193 Christians departed from the
faith in the first century (e.g., 2 Tim. 2:17-18) and they do so today (cf. 1
Tim. 4:1).


"The author repeatedly urges his readers to maintain their
Christian profession and confidence (cf. 3:6, 12-15; 6:11,
12; 10:23-25). The man who falls away is evidently the one
who casts that confidence, and its attendant reward, aside
(10:25)."


To what is it impossible for an apostate to be renewed? The writer said it
is repentance, not forgiveness or salvation. Immediately the question
arises whether this explanation is realistic since some believers who have
departed from the truth have repented and returned to the fold of the
faithful. I believe the writer meant that in the case of apostates, the really
hard cases who are persistently hostile to Christ, it is impossible to restore
such people to repentance (cf. vv. 1, 3, 7-8). The word "apostate" refers to
extreme cases of departure from the truth. We usually refer to less serious
departure as backsliding. This inability to repent is the result of sin's
hardening effect about which the writer had sounded a warning earlier
(3:13). It is also the result of divine judgment (cf. Pharaoh, Exod. 9:12;
10:20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17).


This writer also wrote about three other impossible things. It is impossible
for God to lie (v. 18), for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins
(10:4), and for someone to please God without faith (11:6).

"God has pledged Himself to pardon all who truly repent,
but Scripture and experience alike suggest that it is possible
for human beings to arrive at a state of heart and life where
they can no longer repent.

"That certain persons could not repent of their sins was,
e.g., an idea admitted in rabbinic Judaism."196
Even God cannot renew these apostates to repentance because He has
chosen not to do so.


". . . the author does recognize the possibility that one may
have regressed so far that it is impossible to again make
progress toward maturity. He therefore states in verses 4-6
that it may be impossible to renew certain believers so that
they can progress toward maturity."


Would it not glorify God more for apostates to repent? Evidently by
making it impossible for them to repent God will bring greater glory to
Himself than if they did repent. Consider the glory that came to God
because the Pharaoh of the Exodus did not repent. One might ask the same
question in regard to everyone being saved? Would it not glorify God
more for everyone to be saved than for some to perish eternally?
God allows this hard condition because by repudiating Jesus Christ these
apostates dishonor Him. The writer spoke of this dishonor as taking the
side of Jesus' enemies who crucified Him and publicly humiliated Him.
The apostates in view crucify Him in the sense of passing judgment
against Him again, by repudiating Him and His work, as those who
literally crucified Jesus did. Evidently these "hard cases" are not those
who turn away from just any aspect of God's will but specifically the
doctrine of Jesus Christ.


"The meaning of the vivid phrase ["they again crucify to
themselves the Son of God"] is that they put Jesus out of
their life, they break off all connection [sic] with him; he is
dead to them."


"Anyone who turned back from Christianity to Judaism
would be identifying himself not only with Jewish unbelief,
but with that malice which led to the crucifixion of
Jesus."


". . . once Christ and his sacrifice have been rejected, there
is nowhere else to turn. . . . The 'impossibility' of a second
repentance is thus not psychological or more generally
related to the human condition; it is in the strict sense
theological, related to God's saving action in Christ "


Just as the Hebrew spies who returned from their
expedition carrying visible tokens of the good land of
Canaan nevertheless failed to enter the land because of
their unbelief, so those who had come to know the
blessings of the new covenant might nevertheless in a
spiritual sense turn back in heart to Egypt and so forfeit the
saints' everlasting rest."


Not only did the 10 spies fail to enter the Promised Land through unbelief,
but so did the whole adult generation of Israelites who left Egypt with
Moses (Num. 14). It was impossible for them to repent in the sense that,
even though they confessed their sin of unbelief (Num. 14:40), God would
not permit them to enter the land (Num. 14:41-45). Two New Testament
examples of these "hard cases" may be Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul
said he had turned them over to Satan that they might learn not to
blaspheme because they had apostatized (1 Tim. 1:18-20).

This is, without question a powerful verse of scripture, but it must not be used out of context. This passage does not refer to salvation, but repentance. The two are distinctly different in the roles they play in the life of the believer. The legalist will probably read this and declare that it refers to loss of salvation; the liberlist will attempt to explain away its impact on apastasy and sin, while the one who truly years truth will have weigh it against all that the bible says on the matter. There is so much more to present on the matter, but I believe I have already over did it. 

Side note: The authorship of the book of Hebrews is still in question and will probably never be answered in this age. There are numerous suggestions, including Paul, Luke Barnabas, Stephen, Clement and even Mary (the mother of Jesus), although certain masculine inflections would rule out a female author. The literary style and vocabulary here is extremely unique to any other book on the New Testament. If the dating on it is accurate, it would have actually been written shortly after the death of the Apostle Paul. Nevertheless, the book’s power is unquestionable. 

I hope this sort of helps.