Bible Truth #239 - Hebrews 6:4-6

Hebrews 6:4-6

4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

It is impossible to renew those who have once been enlightened again to repentance... the writer is referring to the Elect of God, believers. How does a believer get enlightened? Did we enlighten ourselves? No! Just as Lydia, who was already a worshipper of God but still bound for Hell, had her heart opened by God (enlightened) so she could respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14), so also we, in our lost state, could do nothing until God enlightened us. (And please note, responding to the Gospel is the RESULT of God’s enlightenment, not the cause of it.)

Once God enlightens us, some think we have a choice of whether to accept the “offer” God has extended. It’s not an offer. That concept is not found in the Bible. Being enlightened in this context is being saved, the 4th definition of photizo (Strong’s 5461) because it is referring to those who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God,... and the lost have not had ANY of that. God’s Word then goes on to say ...IF THEY FALL AWAY... again, since the lost never had it to start with, they can’t possibly fall away. So the context of the passage determines the meaning of “enlightened” and in this passage it means saved.

Does God enlighten everyone? Based on many passages the answer is no. I write this first because there is no Scripture that says God enlightens everyone, nor is there any Scripture that even implies it. Second, there are passages that are understood to say that those who are enlightened ARE saved. Passages like:

John 6:37 - All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:44 - No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jesus raises up EVERY man God draws, no ifs, ands, or buts.)

Romans 8:29-30 - Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Please note that each of those verbs are grammatically past tense.

Bottom Line: being enlightened comes FIRST and once that happens, a man WILL come to Christ and he WILL be raised up at the last day because he was predestined, called, justified and glorified by God.