Salvation in Christ is not a lock. Your free will is still involved. The point of the Cross is to free you from slavery. The point of the Spirit of Christ in you is to empower you such that your free will can now successfully prove out your loyalty to Christ and not to fallen and doomed creatures. God translates you from the kingdoms of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ for the purpose of testing your mettle to see if you will remain loyal against every assault of hell against you.
Indeed, the promises of God in Christ, delivered by the Spirit, are a certainty. They are undeniable, unassailable, and insurmountable, even by the powers of hell itself. However, this in no way prohibits one from choosing to turn their back on Him. God's side is utterly secure. Our side is the question that needs a lifetime to answer.
Our side is the weak side. While the Spirit of Christ in us is available to us, the question of loyalty remains. Will we use the very power of God resident in us as the Spirit of Christ to answer the call of loyalty to Christ? Or—will we crumble, fall, and walk away as traitors even after having all of God's power placed in us for our success if we would but use it?
This is the poignant message relayed in Hebrews chapters 6 and 10.
The writer of the book of Hebrews specifically directs the cautionary message encapsulated in chapter 6, verses 4 to 6 towards those hardened individuals who have betrayed (or will betray) Christ. It does not, however, apply to those who wrestle with the turmoil of stumbling, falling, and sporadically rising, only to fall once more.
Life is akin to a race, and runners are not expected to be flawless. They do, however, train diligently to improve in their craft, subjecting themselves to the discipline inherent in the art of running. And why do they practice such discipline? Simply because it serves as a token of their loyalty.
Children fall a lot. It is expected of them. Older children and teens, less so as they get older. Adults even less. And the best of all are those who train and discipline themselves as adults to not fall, but to stay upright, running, and moving along in the race towards the finish line, where then the prize (eternal life) is handed out.
NOTE: No one has the prize in their hands as they run. The prize awaits. There is a sure promise—yes! The One who promises if faithful, true, and just. Yet—no one holds the prize of salvation as a realized commodity in their hands. In this life it is a now, but not yet reality. Only those faithful in running and not turning back as traitors will get the prize—stumbling and all.
Yet, it's important to note that we are not represented by the traitors in this analogy. We are the loyal followers, continuously vying in life's trenches and valiantly battling the hellish onslaughts that attempt to dismantle us from every direction. The struggles we face do not define our faith, but rather serve as testament to our unwavering loyalty. We are the ones who stand resolute, determinedly forging ahead despite all adversity.
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Verses 9 to 12 help us understand the Christian perspective – the representation of duty, loyalty, and service, displayed for God's name towards the saints. We are encouraged to exercise diligence (as opposed to being sluggish), and to operate with constant faithfulness. The inheritance is conveyed as a methodical progression rather than a once-and-for occurrence that can be lost by disloyalty and a faithless abandonment of allegiance and fealty to Jesus Christ as King.
The original Greek term for "inherit" in Hebrews 6:12 is "kleronomountōn". This word is presented in the active voice, in the present participle form. In Greek, this tense and voice often symbolize an ongoing, continuous action, similar to the present progressive (-ing) form in English. The usage of the verb in the participle form also allows it to somewhat function like an adjective, potentially providing more detail about the noun it’s related to.
In the context of Hebrews 6:12, the use of "kleronomountōn" (inherit) implies that the process of inheritance is ongoing and continuous for those demonstrating faith and patience. It is not a one-time event but a continuous, active engagement of faith and patience in the life of disciples. The term indicates that the individuals obtaining the inheritance (the "imitators of those...") are characterized by this action; it is an intrinsic part of their identity.
Consequently, verses 4 to 6 first discusses individuals who choose to abandon their allegiance to Christ willingly, turning back to the path they came from, even in light of God's extended reach. The reason for this behavior is potentially because, at a certain point, God may decide, "Enough!" and will "give them up" (Romans 1). Therefore, the follow-on verses from 9 to 12 portray the writers perception that his audience is not traitorous, but faithful—even though they may stumble and fall from time to time.
1. Romans 1:24 - "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,"
2. Romans 1:26 - "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;"
3. Romans 1:28 - "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done."
The verses above is where we need an understanding of the Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) worldview, culture, and history, as well as the Divine Council Worldview (DCW) or Deuteronomy 32 Worldview, to come into play. But how does it play a part?
The world Paul refers to in Romans 1 is that of the Tower of Babel, where humanity disobeyed God's command to disperse and populate the earth. This command is what scholars refer to as the "Dominion Mandate". The mandate was given by God twice. It was first given to Adam and Eve, and it was then given again to Noah and his family, who was viewed as archetypes of Adam.
The crucial distinction between Babel's era and the period after the revelation of Christ lies in the unveiling of Jesus Christ himself. However, the significant similarity lies in the unwavering loyalty towards fallen beings and the ensuing destruction that stems from such fealty.
The certainty of the impossibility of returning to Christ is demonstrated in the grim reality of individuals who have experienced the power of Christ, both through the Cross and the indwelling Spirit. This was not the case for the people of the Tower of Babel, which brings about the notion that God could anticipate reaching out to them for their salvation in subsequent generations.
That other warning (Hebrews 10)
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Put on your ANE and DCW hats. The writer of Hebrews is clearly linking in the adversaries (fallen divine beings and their demon kids in terms of A) Judgment and B) Lake of Fire destruction. What this means, in turn, is that the writer is pointing out those who A) Taste of Christ, Cross, and Spirit, claiming loyalty to Christ (privately and publicly) and then B) Reject all of that and return in a deliberate choice of sin (e.g., sins of the Watchers) thereby abandoning our loyalty to Christ and taking back up loyalty to the adversaries of Christ.
That last part about a fear of God is palpably real. In this case, it is not a fear in terms of awe and respect. This fear is that of one doomed to judgment and being destroyed by God in a forever conflagration. No—hell is not an illusion. Those of us believing such nonsense and that Christians who rebel and turn from loyalty to Christ back to fallen creatures and demons—that such people will suffer for this disloyalty is simply insanity. Such things are demon ploys to take your eyes off of what God is doing—His goal, His purpose, His plan, His way.
This is God's plan - it's about Him!
Western culture and indeed human culture is a mess. Atheists and unbelievers alike relish in loyalty to themselves and sometimes to each other (when their own selfish interest aligns as a group). On another hand, non-Christian religions align themselves in loyalty to the demonic and hellish beliefs they adhere to. And even Christians have been largely plucked of the core stories and worldviews that Jesus birthed His church in 20 centuries ago.
What all three groups largely miss is how all of creation and its history was built by Him for His purpose and His alone. In the end, everything will come back to God as He pleases in His purpose and will. And what is His will, purpose, and desire? A loyal royal family like Himself whose free will is proven to be eternally loyal given the very power of God backing it. This is the kindness and love of Christ—to see our potential and lend His very sacrifice and power to us where we can thereby demonstrate to Him that we are worthy of not being destroyed forever by Him for our sin and faithlessness.
Therefore, all of this is about Him and His good pleasure. Our self and free willed submission and subjection to God will turn about from God to our reward, but our reward is not the point. His reward is. We get to benefit by and from His benefit, but not if we reject Him—either before or after Christ through Cross and indwelling Spirit.
I know these will be very hard and difficult words for American and westernized Christians to swallow. The hyper-grace people will screech like squashed cats. Wishy-washy charismatics, name-it-and-claim-it health-and-wealth "believers" will equally cry "FOUL!". There are a whole host of modern 21st century people who offer lip-service to Christ who will be emotionally triggered (let the angry-emoji's begin). Nevertheless—the message of the purpose and will of God to create and save loyal human beings who put His will above their own comforts and safety is paramount. Eternity is a very long time. What sort and form of human being will we be in His eyes?