We receive many blessings from following Christ. Among them are being included in God’s household, help in overcoming temptation and the promise of eternal rest. However, these blessings come with a condition. We must continue to follow Christ.
There are many who wish for the blessings but also want to live their lives for themselves. In other words, they want the benefits of being in God’s family but do not want the responsibility. Still others think that they can retain the blessings of being in Christ, while rejecting Him. However, this is an impossibility. In chapter 6, verses 4 through 8, the writer of the book of Hebrews explains, “ For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly
gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it, and brings forth a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”
Before discussing the consequences of leaving Christ, the writer tells us what the results of following Christ are. In Christ we are enlightened. We are enlightened in two senses. First, Christ gives understanding. Without Christ we would not understand the seriousness of sin and we would not know God’s plan to redeem mankind from sin. Secondly, Christ enlightens by removing us from darkness. The Apostle Paul writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)…” (Ephesians 5:8-9 NIV)
Another result of following Christ is that we have “tasted of the heavenly gift”. No doubt this refers to forgiveness of sin. Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV) The gift of forgiveness and reconciliation with God which we experience in this life is a small foretaste of the fellowship we look forward to when we will be with God in heaven.
When we follow Christ, we also share in the Holy Spirit. In other words, God places His Spirit inside of us to guide, direct and comfort. The Spirit also acts as our translator. He presents to God the longings, desires and concerns which we are unable to articulate or express. The Bible says, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26 NIV)
The followers of Christ have also “tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come”. We know by experience the good which obeying God’s word has produced in our lives. We also have been given the power to be victorious over temptation and sin. God gives us the power to change our nature and become like Christ. This good which we experience is only a small portion of what we anticipate. “…as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” – but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV)
If someone deliberately decides to reject Christ after having experienced all this, the writer of Hebrews says it is impossible for him to be brought back to repentance. In other words a deliberate choice to reject Christ after having been one of His followers is irreversible. After rejecting the nature that God gave him through Christ, he cannot be made new again. Having rejected the sacrifice Christ has already made on his behalf it is as though he were saying that Christ needs to be crucified again to provide an adequate sacrifice. Not only that, by rejecting Christ someone who formerly followed Him proclaims to the world that Christ is unable or is inadequate to save. He insults Christ by mocking the very thing Christ came to do.
The writer of Hebrews compares the followers of Christ to land. Land which fulfills its purpose by producing good crops receives God’s blessing. But land which produces only weeds in spite of receiving rain and sun in appropriate amounts is in danger of being cursed and burned. The same fate awaits those who turn away from Christ after receiving the blessings of following Him. As the writer explains in chapter 10, “Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10: 28-29 NIV)
However, God is not arbitrary. Though He will punish those who reject Christ, He will reward those who remain faithful to Him. Verses 9 through 12 of chapter 6 of Hebrews says, “But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises.”
Living for Christ is not always easy. Sometimes we may have to suffer hardship, or even persecution for our faith. But the writer of Hebrews assures us that God will not forget our love for Him. How do we show our love for God? By helping His people. As Jesus told His disciples, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40 NIV)
In light of this, we need to remain diligent in helping our brothers in Christ. Diligence makes our hope sure. If we do not give up, but imitate the faith and patience of God’s people who have gone before us, we also will receive the promises God made to them.