Questions And Answers

Question: Were those in Hebrews 6, who were once enlightened, really born-again persons?

Answer: A person who has been enlightened is surely one who is born again, for unregenerate persons are totally in darkness, indeed they are not only in darkness, but are darkness: "For ye once were darkness, but are now light in the Lord : walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5.8). But note what is also said about those who were enlightened, they tasted of the heavenly Gift, which is another way of saying, "Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2.3). They were made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Are any but saved persons partakers of the Holy Spirit? I judge not. They tasted the good word of God. Who but a believer tastes of God's word? They also tasted of the powers of the age to come. Does a sinner on his way to destruction taste of that age of Messiah to come ? Surely not. They fell away from what and from whom? They fell away from the living God (Hebrews 3.12), the God of the house of God (1 Timothy 3.15), and from the house and people of God. No one can fall away from Christ and be lost eternally.

Question:Is the Sabbath rest for the people of God, in Hebrews 4.9, present or future?

Answer:The word for sabbath rest is Sabbatismos, a sabbatism. Note that this sabbatism is like God's rest on the seventh day, when God rested from His works of the previous six days. This rest is God's rest. Then we are told in verse 11, "Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest (God's rest), that no man fall after the same example of disobedience." If this sabbatism is in heaven, or in the new earth of Revelation 21, is it possible that a saved person can fall through disobedience and fail to enter that rest? The sabbath rest is a present rest, and this rest is for the people of God, for a collective people, and we have to give diligence to enter this rest. The rest of God today is in His house, it is a place of rest like that of Acts 7.49. The rest of Hebrews 3 is identical with that of Hebrew 4.

unknown | Mar 1959
Questions And Answers