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, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.(Heb 6:4-6)

This has always been a controversial subject, that which is spoken of in these Scriptures. Theologians of every stripe have applied it and misapplied it in order to make it fit into their own dearly held doctrines and theologies. In the first sentence of these verses we see that it uses the word impossible. You do not need to be a Greek scholar to figure out that word, it means what is says. The word enlighten means to illuminate. It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates. He does not bring illumination to the unsaved. The saints minds are illuminated and the revelation of the Word is illuminated in our hearts. This is the heavenly gift whereby we, the saints, are made partakers of the Holy Spirit. We, the saints, have tasted, have glimpsed the power of God and the Kingdom that is and was and is to come. If we, the saint, fall  away, we are told, it is impossible to be renewed again unto repentance, seeing that we would crucify Him again and put Him to an open shame. Now that is the plain word of God saints.

In Chapter 12 of Hebrews, after going through a long list of heroes of the faith in chapter 11, we are reminded that we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses. We are told that we are to lay aside the sin that so easily besets us. We are to run the race with endurance. We don’t tend to like that word, endurance, to endure. Yet we are reminded that our Lord Jesus endured the cross. He also endured hostility from sinners. We are further reminded that the Lord scourges every son and that we have not to despise such scourgings, rather we are called to endure them and if e do God deals with us as sons. In this, our subjection to the King of Kings, as His precious bond-servants we become partakers of His holiness and despite the pain of it all, it leads to the “peace-able fruit of righteousness to those who “have been trained by it.”

A standard sized apple tree can take up to eight years to bear apples after it has been planted. There are multiple seasons that must pass before we begin to see the fruit of the tree. The enduring of chastening and our “subjection to the Father of spirits,” in these seasons causes life to spring forth from that which formerly had no life. We become partakers of His Holiness and this leads to the bearing of much fruit, the peace-able fruit of His righteousness. Those who will not endure, despite the fact that they have been enlightened, they have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, shall fall away and not be renewed again. There are sons, and there are those who render themselves illegitimate. The things that can be shaken are being removed and the things that cannot be shaken shall remain, shall stand. For you saints have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn. You are registered in heaven to God, the judge of all. (Heb 12:22-24)